Does aleoe vera get rid of sunburn fast? It has lots history with being a healing plant, but science is slow to back these claims.
So to answer does aloe vera get rid of sunburn fast? If you are not allergic to the plant and its jelly-like substance in the leaf, those who believe in the healing ability really tout its ability to heal. I have used it for many years, and think it works wonders for healing my skin.
Most skin issues involve drying and itching. There is often some flakey skin as well. Aloe has handled these problems well for me. The science is not there yet for being behind all the claims.
They do, however, endorse a number of products that have aloe as an ingredient. Is it because there is not so much money to be made using a plant instead of chemicals?
Aloe vera helps sunburn by relieving pain and redness. Reducing inflammation is how the pain and redness are handled.
As a treatment for sunburn, aloe vera encourages the production of collagen and this helps with the healing process.
I was taught that the best way to use aloe is to squeeze the gel straight from the leaf itself. Truthfully, we just cut a leaf across and rub the cut side gently on the sunburn area. Sometimes you may need to make several slices to get enough for your back or arms.
Now, that I have figured out how to squeeze some of the juice out, that works better, I think. Being patient and gently squeezing the leaf is all it takes to get the healing gel out of the spongy centers of the leaf.
Does Aloe Vera Get Rid Of Sunburn Fast?
Aloe, or aloe vera, is a succulent plant that’s long been known for its healing properties. Healing doesn’t happen in an instant with a sunburn. You may feel quick pain relief, but healing will take longer.
People are known to have used the clear gel from its leaves for thousands of years to treat minor skin conditions, like burns, rashes, and psoriasis.
Today, people still use the gel from plants. There is also a variety of creams and lotions that contain aloe for relief.
Any time you keep a sunburn moisturized and apply ointments for soothing and cooling the skin that has damage, you will heal quicker. So as aloe vera from the plant or in the cream or lotion would be doing that, the sunburn will not last as long.
People get in trouble with their healing and getting rid of their sunburns when they neglect the sunburn and don’t take measures to protect and heal their skin.
Research is beginning to back up aloe’s soothing properties, too. Using aloe vera gel-based products can help heal your sunburn. As well as reduce pain and redness. Here is how this works:
How Does Aloe Vera Help With Your Sunburn Healing?
Long considered a gold standard home remedy, the use of Aloe for sunburns has been a common practice for many. When you consider that the gel from the plant is anti-inflammatory and calms the skin, we will likely see the use continue.
Sunburn is not pleasant, it is very uncomfortable. In the short term, you will wind up with tight, red, painful skin.
Long-term sunburn can increase your risk of skin cancer and premature aging. This is the reason sun blocking clothing is such a good idea. Protecting your skin from the skin cancer risks and too much sun exposure will call for better habits. Not overexposing your skin to the sun.
If you did slip up and find yourself with a sunburn, aloe vera can help you find some relief, at the very least. The cooling and soothing of your skin is very important at the early stage of sunburn.
Any exposure to the sun without sun blocking clothing, and sunscreen that results in skin damage through a sunburn is a red flag for some better sun safety lifestyles for yourself and your family.
Aloe Vera Works By
Here are the ways that aloe vera works to treat your sunburn:
- Reduces your inflammation in the sunburn area: Aloe has several ingredients that naturally reduce your pain, the redness, and swelling that goes with inflammation from sunburn.
- Aloe vera also inhibits the cyclooxygenase pathway, creating an anti-inflammatory effect. The plant also contains bradykinesia, which reduces inflammation when applied topically. These 2 ingredients increase the comfort levels of skin with sunburn.
- Stimulates collagen production: Aloe can improve the feel and appearance of the area of your skin with sunburn by stimulating the production of collagen, This will improve your skin’s firmness, add moisture and help with elasticity.
- Moisturizes your skin: Aloe contains substances known as mucopolysaccharides, which are sugars that help retain moisture in your skin. Aloe also contains a number of amino acids. These amino acids which help soften hardened skin cells. This makes the healing more comfortable as the sunburn heals.
I find that the many ways that aloe vera can help heal my skin to be amazing, and know that my Grandmother was right when she encouraged us to keep this plant growing.
Here are a couple more reasons this plant can be a good home treatment for sunburns:
- Contains salicylic acid: Salicylic acid works as an anti-inflammatory and an antiseptic, which means it can ease the pain while also preventing infection.
- Aloe Contains vitamins: Aloe has many vitamins, including vitamins A, C, and E, which are antioxidants that can neutralize free radicals to decrease sun damage.
Taming the free radicals to allow the skin to heal and return to as near what it was before the sunburn is important as well. The free radicals set the stage for infections, and skin cancers as well.
Warning About At Home Remedy:
Vinegar For Sunburn
Some DIY treatment suggestions work really well, like Aloe Vera. However, there are some that are not really that safe, or that will help heal your sunburn.
Many kinds of vinegar, like apple cider vinegar and white vinegar, have a high pH level.
With a pH level between 2 and 3, this has the vinegar highly acidic. Applying either one of these kinds of vinegar to a sunburn can damage the already compromised skin barrier.
This will usually result in additional severe pain. There is also a strong chance of spots of inflammation, with delayed healing.
Vinegar also contains ingredients like acetic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, and malic acid. By applying vinegar on sensitive skin, you may be setting yourself up for a serious chemical burn.
This is the one time that you need to check out your home remedy. If your sunburn is severe and you have sunburn blisters or open wounds, applying vinegar would be even more painful. This is not a time to use vinegar.
Another Home Remedy To Avoid
While Coconut oil is one of the oils suggested for “Natural” sunscreen. Treating a sunburn is not the time to use that Coconut oil. It is too thick to offer significant hydration during this healing time.
- The reason you shouldn’t apply coconut oil to sunburn is that it can trap heat on your skin. When you spread the coconut oil on your skin it can form a seal so that any remaining heat can’t escape. Holding in the heat can cause additional burn and deeper levels of burn.
- Coconut oil can prolong painful inflammation as is too thick to be an effective moisturizer. Healing skin needs moisture, not to be allowed to dry out.
- When you’re going outdoors, use your sunblocking clothing and your sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher to avoid getting sunburn.
Yes, I know that Coconut oil underwent a surge in popularity a few years ago, with a seemingly endless string of applications from an antibacterial mouthwash to skin moisturizer. As with other products, there may be some questions about how healthy it is to use.
So, what about helping a sunburn heal? I that a good idea? Here’s what the research says:
Don’t Apply Coconut Oil To Your Sunburn
Experts agree that coconut oil is not a good treatment for a new sunburn, particularly if your skin is raw or blistered. Actually, it may not be what you need for a sunburn that is healing. Products for sunburn may help heal faster, like Aloe Vera products.
A thick, fatty substance that’s solid at room temperature coconut oil is a lot like vaseline. This makes coconut oil or vaseline one of the last things you want on sunburned skin because it doesn’t work in a healing way on your newly damaged skin.
When you apply any kind of heavy oil product over a fresh sunburn, you will trap any heat still on the surface of your skin, worsening the burn.
This can prolong inflammation and keep your skin hot and red for longer, slowing down the healing process.
Don’t use coconut oil as a moisturizer after a sunburn
“Coconut oil only functions as a topical oil, and is too thick to penetrate the skin and offer any significant hydration.” States Orit Markowitz, MD, Director of Pigmented Lesions and Skin Cancer at Mount Sinai in New York.
She adds, “Coconut oil only functions as a ‘topical oil,’ as it is too thick to penetrate your skin and offer any significant hydration.”
Coconut oil offers only a temporary moisturization, one that’s not nearly as long-lasting as a thick moisturizing cream.
In fact, Markowitz suggests using a product with ceramides.
What are ceramides?
- Ceramides are fatty acids that help maintain your skin’s natural barrier to the environment and keep the skin hydrated used in skin products.
- In addition to keeping your skin hydrated, ceramides can also help heal eczema and psoriasis by repairing breaks and cracks in your skin.
- Adding products with ceramides to your skincare routine will also have anti-aging effects.
A Quick Word About When You Should Use Coconut Oil
You might test out coconut oil’s moisturizing abilities for your skin after your sunburn has healed.
Just to be safe, you might want to try it out on a small patch of skin first. If you don’t experience any adverse reactions, you could apply it a few times a day.
Look for a product with few, if any, other added ingredients, so that the product is as clean and pure as possible.
Information Found In The National Libriary Of Medicne
One 2011 study found that oils including coconut, peanut, and olive oil blocked 20% of UV light from the sun. But that’s nothing compared SPF 30, which filters 97%, or SPF 50, which filters 98%.
The only time to consider one of the oils for some protection from the sun is if there is nothing else available. Like wearing a sun blocking shirt or an old worn out tee-shirt. Something is better than nothing. Anything between you and the sun is better than nothing.
So, no, coconut oil is not a good sunscreen substitute.
Let Sun Blocking Clothing Into Your Life
As we are thinking about the importance of avoiding sunburn to start with, remember that sunburn will cause discoloration and wrinkling of your skin. Don’t for get the serios danger, skin cancer.
If you’re not already applying a daily application of sunscreen in your routine, it’s time to start.
It is impotant for you to always apply sunscreen as part of your morning routine after you moisturize and before you apply makeup. It is important to start your routine at least 30 minutes before you leave home so that your SPF is absorbed by your skin.
Always grab your sun blocking hat, sunglasses, and sun blocking shirt when you leave the house. Protecting your skin with clothing helps when you are out in the sun for a longer time. Sunscreen wears off. Clothes will be protecting you from start to finish.
Sami’s take on Does Aloe Vera Get Rid Of Sunburn Fast?
You should never use coconut oil on your sunburn.
Coconut oil can trap heat on your skin. This will prolong the inflammation caused by your sunburn.
Instead, you should opt for a better topical remedy like aloe vera and always wear sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher if you are going to be in the sun. Expect to allow your skin a few days to heal.
The medical commuity is finding so many reasons that we should avoid the sun to live a healthy life. The earlier in life you experienced too much sun, the higher your risks for skin cancer are.
What can you do? How to change the direction of your skin risks?
Wear sun blocking clothing. Your sun blocking hat is the most important piece of your sun blocking clothing wardrobe. A 3-inch brim made of a tightly woven material are the guidelines for your sun blocking hat.
Your sunglasses are the 2nd most essential part of a sun blocking wardrobe. Oversized lenses that block 99 to 100% of the UV rays work better. Or a wrap-around style that fits close to your eyes. Protecting your eyes is very important.
So now we have a wide-brimmed sun hat to keep the sun off your head, face, neck, ears, nose, and cheeks. As well as your sunglasses. Now you need a sun blocking shirt, a loose-fitting long sleeve shirt of tightly woven fabric or one of the new sun proof fabrics. The loose fit is to allow air to circulate around your body.
Of course, long pants, or long skirts, shoes to protect your feet are good additions. Cover all exposed parts like your hands with sunscreen. A layer of sunscreen on your face every day is also an important protection measure to take.
A Few More Safe Fun In The Sun Suggeations:
After a sun blocking wardrobe and some sunscreen protection,
Safe hours in the sun. Before 10 AM and after 4 PM.
Stayin in the shade when possible.
Drinking enough fluids to keep your body hyderated will reduce some of the risk for sunburn.
Have a safe summer