Sun Exposure and Home Remedies

People love being outdoors and exposed to the sun. However, too much exposre may not be all fun after all. The sun produces two kinds of ultraviolet radiation (UV rays). UVAs are present mostly in the summer and are considered safer while UVBs are present all year long.

When skin is exposed to UV radiation, the skin produces melanin. It is a dark skin pigmentation that helps the body from absorbing too much of the sun’s harmful rays that can lead to skin damage, or worse, cancer.

People can protect themselves from too much sun by wearing protective clothing, shades, hats and sunscreen products. Sunscreen prevents UV rays from reaching the skin. Generally, the higher the sun protection factor, the more protection there is from the rays and the person can stay longer in the sun.

Sunscreen tends to lose its effectiveness after a while especially when washed off from too much swimming, perspiration or rubbed off on clothing. It is important to re-apply sunscreen thoroughly from time to time.

Once in a while when too much exposure cannot be avoided, there are some home remedies to ease the discomfort of having sunburns.

Yogurt reduces redness, cools the skins and tightens the pores. Mix one cup of yogurt with the juice of a cucumber, a tomato and a cup of gram flour. Apply on irritated and sunburned skin. Leave mixture for about 30 to 45 minutes and then rinse with warm water.

Fresh aloe vera may also be applied directly on the skin at night before going to bed. Rinse off properly in the morning. The gel from the aloe vera cleans and nourishes the skin. It also helps lighten the skin within a week.

Milk cream may also be used to soothe irritated skin. At night, add a pinch of saffron to the milk cream and apply directly on skin. Rinse in the morning and see your skin glow.