Healing Your Sunburn with Food
By Sara Butler
Did you forget to reapply your sunblock? And now you’re suffering through the painful process of healing sunburn! Well, it happens to even those with the best of intentions. You can continue applying the aloe vera gel and taking cool oatmeal baths for relief but you can speed up the healing process by adding a few foods to your grocery list – but not for eating!. These foods have been found to help heal your sunburn when applied to the skin. So give them a try!
Sweet Potatoes
Sure, eating sweet potatoes is good for you, but you can apply them right to your skin, too. Just peel one, boil it, and then mash it up to apply to your sunburned skin to draw away heat. Go ahead and prepare to eat one too, since the antioxidants and Vitamin C help your skin to heal.
Green Tea
Applying cooled green tea to your skin can help to reduce the stinging that accompanies many types of sunburn. That’s thanks to the tannic acid, but the tea also has anti-inflammatory properties that can help your skin to heal. Drinking green tea delivers a punch of polyphenols to your body which can help to stop the damage UV rays from the sun can do to your skin. Plus iced green tea is a refreshing beverage for a hot summer day!
Cucumber
Cucumbers make a great way to stay hydrated when the weather is warm and your skin is burned – because staying hydrated will help your skin to heal that much faster. Just be sure to keep the skin on when you’re munching on some crisp cucumbers this summer. The skin is where the Vitamin C that helps your skin to heal is located!
Oatmeal
Oats, either hot or cold, are great for you. They’re a great source of antioxidants called avenanthramide, which help to fight free radicals. They’re also a great source of Vitamin D, which has been found to help reduce redness of the skin after you’ve had too much sun, helping reduce swelling and inflammation. A lukewarm oatmeal bath can help or slathering some cold oatmeal directly on the skin helps, too.
Tomatoes
If your skin is the same color of tomatoes, then you need help! Try eating some of these lycopene-rich fruits to help reduce inflammation and protect it against future damage.
Remember to care for your skin in the summer sun -- inside and out!
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Albuquerque, N.M.