It is far too easy to get burnt from the sun, especially in New Zealand. Even just a few minutes out in the sun without block can leave you feeling and looking sunburnt.
Each and every one of us have been caught in the sun without block. Whether it is because we under-estimate the strength of the sun (or the longevity of our sunscreen), or because we decided to adopt a fairly ignorant mind-set that we would ‘just get a little bit of colour’ today and would block up next time… silly us, we almost always come away with extremely painful and embarrassing sunburn.
It is important that everyone understands how important it is to protect yourself from the sun. Too much exposure and damage from UV rays (in a sunbed or lying outside) is directly linked to skin cancer, skin blemishes, moles and acne, and will accelerate the aging process, all of which have detrimental effects on the look and feel of your skin. In fact I recently learnt that if you get burnt five times in your life, you are 50% more likely to get skin cancer.
When we do get burnt it is nice to know there are products out there that actively work to soothe sunburn and reduce the effects of sun damage. For sunburnt faces, evolu have an amazing De-Stress Soothing Eye Gel, ideal for stressed-out, irritated and/or sunburnt skin. Packed with cooling botanicals, it contains Aloe vera and Arnica to soothe and reduce inflammation, New Zealand Manuka Fern Extract for cell regeneration, and Vitamin E for its protective properties. Apply it sparingly under and above the eyes, dab well onto burnt noses, cheeks and foreheads, as well as other sensitive areas of the body. From experience, sunburn on the chest can also be one of the worst, and this is the ideal product to sensitively treat this area.
Another evolu helper is the Little Bottle of Calm, a Body oil skin-soother, with Evening Primrose and Arnica, sold exclusively online at www.evolu.com. This protective blend will rescue skin from discomfort and soothe sensitivities, by reducing redness, relieving irritation and easing inflammation. Free from preservatives, it’s a divinely organic-fragranced product and will absorb readily into sunburn, helping relieve discomfort and assisting skin rejuvenation. I would highly recommend using this oil on both the face and body, and is a great product to treat children and babies as well.
Scientists have recently established something interesting – that the skin’s own sun-defence mechanisms are much more sophisticated than previously thought, and the skin reacts to UV radiation much faster than was understood before. The skin ‘knows’ that it’s exposed to UV radiation the moment you step into the sun. This discovery is highly likely to influence sunscreen formulations in the future.
Most of us are ’sun-savvy’ these days, but for those occasions we do get burnt, make sure you have the above evolu products handy to address the damage.