How To Use Lemon To Treat Sunburns
Experience: 4 yearsJyotsana Rao is an engineering graduate from NIT, Nagpur, who discovered her love for writing during her undergraduate days. She is passionate about writing about everything related to beauty - makeup... read full bio
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You lie on the beach or in your garden in a bikini under the sun, hoping to achieve a perfectly tanned body. The idea of lazing around in the sun surely sounds delightful until you get back home and realize that you got the worst thing that summer can offer – a sunburn! Did this ever happen to you? Did you expose your body to the sun’s harmful UV rays, wanting to get tanned, but ended up with sunburns all over your body?
Sunburns are no fun; in fact, they can be dangerous. However, there are ways to alleviate the pain and soothe the burning sensation. Before I elaborate on the different ways to treat sunburns, let us first understand what a sunburn actually is.
Sunburns occur most commonly in adults in the age group of 18 to 29. It’s not the heat that is the real culprit; it’s the excessive exposure of our body to ultraviolet rays that does the damage.
Now, the question that arises is, what is melanin?
Melanin is a pigment that decides the natural color of the skin. Melanin also tries to protect the deeper layers of the skin from damage. When the skin starts getting damaged due to the sun’s rays, it starts producing more melanin. This is the body’s natural way of protecting the skin from external damage.
What Causes Sunburn?
Genetics determine the production of melanin, and most people’s bodies do not produce enough melanin to protect the skin well. This eventually leads to sunburn.
In the worst cases, sunburn goes beyond weird tan linings and red skin and forms blisters. Sometimes, it also causes swelling, causing edema. It may also cause sun poisoning in the most severe scenario, where you get red patches and blisters on your skin, along with hives, leading to bleeding as well.
Some studies also show that there are chances of skin cancer too, i.e., melanoma, which is the most dangerous type of skin cancer and requires immediate care.
Symptoms Of Sunburn
1. Red patches on the skin
2. Swelling
3. A headache, fever, and fatigue (for severe sunburn)
4. Blisters that may break
To get relief from sunburns, you need not run to the doctor or the drugstore immediately. All you need to do is rush to your kitchen or your fridge to look for this miraculous ingredient that can help you obtain instant relief from sunburn.
And the ingredient that we are talking about is lemon.
The best way to remove sunburn is to apply something to your skin that is acidic in nature, and the best available natural acid is lemon juice. Lemon juice is acidic in nature, and is a natural bleaching agent that helps in skin lightening. But do not apply the juice directly on your skin as it can create a burning sensation and can also make your skin turn black and rough.
Here’s How You Can Use Lemon Juice To Cure Sunburn.
Things Required
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cucumber juice
- 1 tablespoon rosewater
- A few cotton balls
How To Apply
1. Mix the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Using cotton balls, apply the solution to the affected areas.
3. Let the liquid dry for 10-15 minutes. Then, wash it off with cold water.
Why This Works
This easy-to-prepare pack is very effective in curing sunburn. Cucumber juice and lemon juice are considered as natural bleaching agents that help in lightening the red patches on the skin caused due to sunburn. Lemon’s acidic nature, and its richness in citric acid and vitamin C, also help in lightening the skin tone.
Vitamin C helps in neutralizing the damage caused to the skin due to the harmful UV rays and free radicals. The powerful antioxidants present in the above ingredients contribute to lightening the skin.
Cucumber and rosewater are also considered as cooling agents. Thus, they help in soothing blemished skin.
Caution
1. Do a patch test to ensure that the pack is suitable for your skin.
2. Do not go out in the sun directly after applying this pack.
Here are some tips that can help you protect your skin from the sun:
1. Stay Hydrated.
The best way to protect yourself from sunburn is by drinking plenty of water. Your body loses most of its fluids during summer. Thus, it is very important to keep your body hydrated.
All you need to do is drink plenty of water and replenish the fluid that is lost due to sunburn.
2. Apply Sunscreen.
Do not limit the use of sunscreen to only summer. You must apply it all year round. Sunscreen protects your skin against UVA and UVB rays. For better results, use a sunscreen with 30 SPF (sun protection factor).
Apply it 30 minutes before going out in the sun, and reapply it every two hours. If you sweat a lot, apply it more frequently.
3. Wear The Right Clothes.
By the right clothes, we mean clothes that will protect your skin from sun damage and cover most of the parts of your body, such as full sleeved shirts and full pants, preferably cotton ones.
Wear a broad-brimmed hat that will protect your face and hair from heat. Make sure your lip balm also contains SPF. This will protect your lips.
To protect your eyes, wear UV rays blocking sunglasses.
4. Be Selective About Time.
Try to stay indoors during the peak hours, i.e., from 11 am to 5 pm as the sun’s rays are the strongest during these hours. Even if you go out, prefer areas that have a lot of shade.
If you have a sunburn, avoid hot water treatment as it can worsen the situation. If you get blisters, do not try to scratch or burst them as they can leave marks behind.
Try this tested remedy and say goodbye to sunburns. Please share your experience and feedback in the comments box below.
