Skin care after sunbathing: regeneration and recovery

Skin care after sunbathing: regeneration and recovery not only after sunburn

Summer is here! The sun provides warmth and vitality, but it also poses a challenge for our skin. After a long day outdoors, careful aftercare is essential to minimize damage and effectively yet gently regenerate the skin. In this blog post, you'll learn how to care for your skin after sun exposure, with natural recipes and helpful tips to soothe and revitalize your skin.

Why is aftercare so important?

Sun can dry out the skin and promote premature aging . UV radiation damages skin cells and can cause inflammation. After sun exposure, it's therefore important to cool, hydrate, and nourish the skin to reduce inflammation and support skin regeneration. Incidentally, there's no such thing as a "healthy tan." A tan is always a sign of skin damage, and melanin production is a reaction to this damage. I've thought twice about deleting this sentence, but it's true. For me, someone who loves to lie in the sun and whose skin tans quickly, this sentence is quite a wake-up call. Therefore: aftercare!

Natural remedies for after sun exposure and sunburn

Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe vera is known for its soothing and healing properties. It helps relieve sunburn and hydrate the skin.

DIY Aloe Vera Gel:

• Ingredients: Fresh Aloe Vera Leaf
• Instructions: Cut open an aloe vera leaf and extract the gel. Apply the gel directly to the affected skin. For an extra cooling effect, you can refrigerate the gel before use.
• Alternative: If you don't have an aloe plant on hand, but do have an organic market or pharmacy nearby, you can also use aloe vera gel from a tube or bottle. Make sure the aloe content is almost 100%. It should be perfume-free. The gel will be even more cooling and soothing when refrigerated.

Yogurt or curd mask

Dairy products like yogurt and quark (known as Topfen in Austria) are excellent for cooling and soothing sun-damaged skin. Our grandmothers already knew this. They contain lactobacillus, which can help soothe skin and reduce redness.

Yogurt mask:

• Ingredients: ½ cup natural yogurt, possibly a few drops of lavender oil
• Instructions: Mix the yogurt with the lavender oil. Apply the mixture to cleansed skin and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. Then rinse it off with cool water. Quark, in particular, shouldn't be left on the skin until it's dry, as removing it can cause additional pain on sun-damaged skin.

Zeolite or healing clay cooling mask

Zeolite and healing clay are known for their detoxifying properties and can help soothe and regenerate sun-damaged skin.

Zeolite cooling mask:

• Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of zeolite powder, enough water to form a paste
• Instructions: Mix the zeolite powder with water to create a smooth paste. Apply the mask to your skin and leave it on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse gently with cool water.

Of course, you can be totally creative and mix these three ingredients however you like, depending on what you have on hand. I like to mix yogurt with zeolite and apply it to my skin. I mix aloe (gel from a tube) with zeolite in the same way, leave it in the fridge for a while, and then apply the mixture to my skin.

Tips for skin recovery after sun exposure

• Hydration: Drink plenty of water to promote hydration from within.
• Cool showers: Avoid hot showers, as these can further dry out the skin.
  
  
  
  
• Moisturizers: Use a moisturizing cream or lotion after showering to soothe and hydrate your skin.
• Antioxidant-rich foods: Eat foods rich in antioxidants, such as berries, nuts, and green leafy vegetables, to support skin healing.
  

An anecdote

A friend of mine, an avid gardener, once told me how she forgot to put on sunscreen after a long day in the garden. By the evening, she was severely sunburned. She used aloe vera straight from her garden, which provided her with immediate relief. Since then, she has sworn by the power of natural remedies and always keeps an aloe vera leaf on hand.

--> My personal experience:

I didn't use sunscreen on my last vacation in Crete. For the first two days. My skin wasn't yet used to the sun's rays, and especially to the strength of the April sun. It was still so windy and cold, and I thought I didn't need sunscreen yet, blah blah blah... no excuses, no excuses. So it was red. My facial skin. Then that evening, I mixed my moisturizer with zeolite. Just in the palm of my hand. I almost always have zeolite with me. Then I applied the mixture thickly and left it on overnight. So, overnight. I did it three days in a row, mainly because I noticed such a smoothing effect after the first application. The red on my skin disappeared, and a soft, fresh glow emerged. Pretty much perfect.

FAQ on skin care after sun exposure

1. How soon should you treat your skin after sun exposure?

• Treat your skin as soon as possible after sun exposure to minimize redness and damage.

2. Can I use aloe vera gel and yogurt together?

• Yes, you can use aloe vera gel and yogurt one after the other or mix them to get the benefits of both.

3. How often should I use the zeolite cooling mask?

• The zeolite cooling mask can be used once or twice a week, especially after intense sun exposure.

4. What to do if you get severe sunburn?

• If you have severe sunburn, you should seek medical advice as it can cause serious skin damage.

Carefully caring for your skin after sun exposure is crucial to prevent long-term damage and keep your skin healthy. Natural remedies can offer an effective and gentle solution to soothe and regenerate your skin.

But as with many things, the most important thing here is: prevention is better than cure! So always apply sunscreen with a high SPF every day!

And also: clothing that protects against the sun, a sun hat (there are some really nice models), sunglasses (the same applies here, there are some really nice ones) and staying in the shade also help.

We wish everyone a wonderful summer!

Conclusion: Skin care is respect for our own well-being

Our skin is more than just an outer layer; it reflects our joy of life and, at the same time, the boundary that separates us from the world around us. Caring for our skin reflects our love for life and our appreciation for every single day we are privileged to spend in the warm sunlight. By consciously caring for our skin after sun exposure, whether with natural remedies like aloe vera or a cooling yogurt mask, we not only honor our "primary packaging" but also practice self-care on a deep, meaningful level. This commitment to skincare is a celebration of our love for the joy of life and summer itself. By nourishing, protecting, and revitalizing our skin, we say yes to more summer days, more smiles, and a lifetime of radiant moments.

Skincare is therefore not just a routine, but an essential part of our lives, highlighting our inner radiance and our respect for our own well-being. So celebrate summer, celebrate life—with every application of a cooling gel, every mask that soothes the skin, and every sip of water that refreshes from within. Your skin deserves your love, because it is your connection to the world.

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