Sunburn is a painful, but usually harmless condition resulting from too much sun exposure. It usually shows as dark pink or red skin within a few hours of spending too long in the sun. There is not much that you can do nutritionally, other than ensuring that you drink a LOT of fluid, preferably water; if you also feel extremely tired you may have lost too much salt, in which case you should take some salt tablets, or eat a quarter teaspoon of table salt with some water. Taking a cold shower, or a bath with a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) dissolved in it may ease minor sunburn if you catch it immediately.
There are many commercial after-sun lotions; however many of them contain chemicals which you may prefer not to use on your skin, particularly sensitive skin which is burned! We have found that there are two natural substances which are particularly helpful if applied immediately: aloe vera, or Vitamin E.
Vitamin E and sunburn
Vitamin E is usually supplied in gel capsules. It is worth keeping a small bottle in your home first aid kit. For sunburn - or, indeed, any kind of minor burn - use sharp scissors to cut the end off a capsule, then squeeze the vitamin E oil over the burned patch. It will feel a little greasy, but should soothe the pain fairly quickly. Vitamin E has anti-oxidant properties which should hasten the healing process, and even if you only apply it once, it generally helps the pain to be significantly reduced during the next few day when the skin heals.
Aloe Vera and sunburn
Aloe vera is a plant which grows outside in warm countries, or can be bought as a house plant in cooler climes. It can be used for minor burns, and also itchy insect bites; just break off a leaf, slice down it with a sharp knife, and then use the gooey gel inside to rub gently on burned or bitten areas. You may need to repeat this a couple of times each day until your skin has healed.
Preventing sunburn
As with most conditions, prevention is better than cure. Sunburn is traditionally prevented by applying regular coatings of sunscreen with high factors, but there is some controversy about this; some sunscreens contain chemicals that may leach into the skin, and will almost certainly prevent Vitamin D reaching the body. It is better to avoid the sun altogether during the period between 11.00am to 3.00pm- or wear a shady hat and loose, light clothing which covers you as much as possible. At other times, a little sun can be beneficial.
If you must be out in the sun, make sure you eat plenty of fruit and vegetables containing the anti-oxidants Vitamin C and Vitamin A - such as citrus fruits, strawberries, peaches, carrots, and bell peppers. There is some evidence that this may reduce the risk of succumbing to sunburn.