So how many of you have suffered through a sunburn or two or several?! During the summer months when the UV is up, many people will become reddened from the sun’s rays and seek treatment for the burn and pain.
Sunburns are classified as mild, moderate, or severe. The severity depends on several factors including skin complexion of a person (fair-skinned complexion has the highest risk of burning) and the time of day and duration of exposure to the sun. Also, many people don’t realize that even certain medications or skin care lotions can make an individual more susceptible to sunburn.
The first signs of a sunburn may not appear for up to 4 hours after exposure and may peak between 12 and 24 hours following exposure. Mild and moderate sunburn has symptoms that can include pink to very red skin, tenderness, pain, and later peeling of skin. Severe sunburns will cause the skin to blister and sometimes a fever can develop, as well as chills, blacking-out, and weakness. In this case, the individual should always seek attention from a physician for further evaluation.
Treating a sunburn involves pain relief, healing, and overall skin protection to minimize skin irritation and to prevent complications such as infections. Mild sunburns are usually treated with the use of cool cloths or compresses to affected areas. Taking cool showers and applying topical agents such as aloe vera helps as well. Various skin protectants or topical hydrocortisone can also be applied to the affected areas. However, topical hydrocortisone should never be applied to an area of open blisters. Sometimes using oral OTC analgesics may help some individuals. Aleve or other aspirins should be taken soon after getting out of the sun to prevent headaches and fevers from the sun exposure.
Now, I am a true light-skinned redhead who has suffered through numerous sunburns throughout my life. I didn’t pay attention to sunscreens or UV indexes as a kid. But now, as a young adult, I worry about sunburns and the increased probability of getting skin cancer. I’ve had mild, moderate, and severe sunburns in my years. After all the experiences and even though I smother my skin in sunscreen, I still get sunburns from time to time. I usually do the things in the above paragraph, but, I also keep two specific products in my home for those times I get burned – two certain OTC treatments that work wonders in alleviating the pain and burning of my skin.
Ocean Potion Burn Relief ICE
Ocean Potion Burn Relief ICE provides instant sunburn relief when applied. It is made with Aloe Vera Gel, Lidocaine (a numbing agent), & Tea Tree Extract. This lotion is great for other skin irritations like windburn, minor burns, & abrasions too. To get the full effect of Ocean Potion’s Burn Relief ICE, keep the bottle in the fridge. It will take your breath away when it’s applied because it’s so cold, but it sure soothes the burn. After a long day in the sun, your skin will love the chill. It’s menthol, mint-like smell is enough to calm you as well. This product prevents peeling when used immediately following sunburns. The lotion says non-sticky but it does have a tiny little bit of stickiness. Best of all, ICE will not stain your clothing.
Ocean Potion Cool Mint Body Wash
Ocean Potion also makes a product called Cool Mint Body Wash. It is made with short-term and long-term dual release cooling agents that provide immediate and long lasting pain relief caused by overexposure to the sun. It also contains Questice that is derived from all natural ingredients and additional sea plant extracts to nourish sun-damaged skin. It is a great way to cool down after a hot day too, sunburn or no sunburn! It smells great and leaves your skin feeling soft and cool.
There’s another product I’d like to mention that’s available to actually prevent sunburns, and it’s not a sunscreen. SunSignals UV Sensors are self-adhesive, water resistant patches that you wear on your skin or clothing to measure the amount of UV Radiation you’re receiving. They change colors with increased exposure to the sun. When the sensor turns deep orange and the little sunbursts disappear, it’s time to reapply sunscreen or get out of the sun. It’s a great way to monitor sun exposure and prevent painful sunburns. before they happen! A package of 18 patches only costs $5. That’s a very inexpensive alternative to a painful sunburn!
