Can you put sunscreen on a sunburn?

As we are in the month of August many of us are heading to holidays which means spending plenty of time out in the sunshine out by the beach or the swimming pool. Being outdoors and relaxing in sunshine sound exciting but we must not forget how are skin will responds to it.

Being our largest organ, the job of our skin is to protect us from harmful external elements which includes protecting us from harmful UV rays from the sun. To be more exact the job of protecting us from harmful external elements such as the sun is assigned to the epidermis which is our skin’s outermost layer. Examining the epidermis further shows that it is composed of melanin producing cells which is why we get a tan when we are exposed to the sun for a long time.

When exposed to the sun we need to make sure we follow the principles of any good skincare routine and apply sunscreen to protect us from the dangerous UV rays from the sun. Here we like to examine the question of if sunscreen can be effective and provide comfort and calmness to the skin that is already suffering from sunburn?

If you suffer from sunburn, you need to treat it since if left untreated further skin damage and complications may emerge even skin cancer. Not only is applying sunscreen in a skincare routine  prevents sunburns it is also an effective way to treat sunburns since sunscreen contains ingredients such as zinc oxide. Zinc oxide has the capability of reducing inflammation and swelling. Furthermore, applying a moisturizer cream is also beneficial since it further enhances the body’s natural healing process.

Although sunscreen works well  when it comes to treating sunburns due to it containing ingredients such as zinc oxide there are other ingredients in some sunscreens such as trolamine salicylate which may irritate the sunburn. Therefor make sure you read the labels on the sunscreens you use to make sure they do not contain trolamine salicylate and contain ingredients such as zinc oxide, oxybenzone, and aminobenzoic acid.

In previous blogs articles we have discussed the benefits that vitamin C can provide to our skin. When it comes to treating sunburns, it again plays a role. Since vitamin C is an antioxidant, serums that contain vitamin C can help minimize the harmful effects of sunburns.

Serums that contain vitamin C can help treat the free radical that damage the skin associated with sunburns. Sunburns are caused by UV rays which increase the production of free radicals which damage collagen and elastin. This damage can lead to early ageing and skin cancer. Serums with vitamin C are a great option to treat this damage since as mentioned they contain antioxidants.

As with other health condition when it comes to sunburns prevention is the best option. As your sunburn is healing make sure to reduce further complications by reducing further sun exposure. As you recover from your sunburn and your skin is healing make sure to stay in the shade and apply sunscreen. In addition, make sure to wear protective clothing when outdoors and when exposed to the sun.