As much as the summer sun provides warmth and many opportunities for outdoor fun, everyone loves the sensation of being under the sun during such an enjoyable season. But the burning sensation brought about by the sun’s heat becomes a source of pain as opposed to the pleasant feeling that comes with the summer season, since most people have had sunburns before. Before enjoying more time out in the sun, here are home remedies for treating sunburns and repairing your skin.
There are several natural substances and home remedies that can aid people who are followers of Ayurveda in restoring their skin that is damaged by the sun. Continue reading and learn more about several home remedies that can help soothe your sunburn as well as prevent future cases of sunburn and heat rashes from being exposed to the sun’s heat.
Ayurveda’s Guide to Sun Exposure
Ayurveda’s understanding of how and when we should expose ourselves to the sun is aligned with the patterns of nature. This ancient medical system divides the year into 6 seasons, each with its own recommendations for how much time we should spend in the sun.
Winter and autumn are known as colder months, where it is advisable to absorb the warmth of the sun to balance the coldness and dryness of the air.
Winter and autumn are known as colder months, where it is advisable to absorb the warmth of the sun to balance the coldness and dryness of the air.Summer is a warm month; however, summertime sun is extremely hot and, therefore, when exposed to the sun for a prolonged period of time, could potentially damage one’s skin and may hurt one’s overall health.
Autumn is generally the month when the Pitta dosha is at its highest. It is advisable to limit your sun exposure during this transitional season in order to maintain balance within your Pitta dosha.
Although seasonal sun exposure is important, even just 15 to 20 minutes of sunshine between 7 am – 10 am each morning will do wonders for your body to create vitamin D and balance your hormones, so go out and enjoy the beautiful morning rays of the sun while allowing Mother Nature to heal you and improve your well-being!
Managing Sunburn the Ayurveda Way
Natural Remedies for Sunburn
Sunburns are a result of the Pitta dosha being aggravated and, therefore, there are adverse effects on Rakta dhatu (aka Blood tissue), which will result in Rakta dushti (aka Adverse effects on Blood). Hyperpigmentation (Vyanga Vyadhi) is also a common side effect of sun exposure noted by Acharya Charak.
Fortunately, Ayurveda has natural remedies for treating sunburn to alleviate the burning symptoms after being burnt. Below are some Ayurvedic methods to relieve sunburn:
Cold water bath: One of the ways of using cooling therapies in case of sunburn is taking a cold water bath, in which a few drops of lavender or chamomile essential oils have been added. This will help soothe your burnt skin.
Herbal compress: If you belong to the Pitta dosha, take a cup of cold rose water; if you belong to the Kapha dosha and lavender tea; if you are part of the Vata dosha, drink cold rose water. Soak a soft towel in this infusion and place it on the affected skin area.
Herbal pastes: Sandalwood paste is an effective herbal treatment for sunburns. Its cooling property will not only help soothe your irritated skin but will also leave it fresh. Manjistha and turmeric pastes are also used for reducing inflammation.
Aloe vera: Is a beneficial product; therefore, it must be mentioned. Aloe vera has a gel that will relieve you of your burnt skin caused by excessive exposure to the sun’s harmful rays.
Dosha-Specific Natural Remedies for Sunburn
The Vata Dosha
If you are primarily constituting Vata dosha, sunburn can be irritating for you as it causes dryness, sensitivity, and redness. Therefore, it is very important to be extra careful and soothing to your skin. Vata skin is like a little flower; it needs more love than any other phase of being in the sun. When your skin has been exposed to the sun, apply smooth and nourishing oils using a very gentle massage on your skin (castor oil, calendula oil, eladithailam, and nalapamaradithailam).
Pitta Dosha
As an example, you could think about a patient with the Pitta dosha who would feel a great deal of heat from the sun on their body during the day. This particular situation is sunburn that would make Pitta imbalanced after having been outside in the heat of the sun throughout the day. Therefore, you should treat your skin with the therapies that can restore Pitta into balance. Of course, everyone knows that prolonged exposure to the outside elements will irritate the skin, making it red. However, there is another solution for you. You can try using one of the following Pitta balancing moisturizing oils: coconut oil, rose oil, eladikerathailam, or nalapamaradikerathailam.
Kapha Dosha
Although Kapha dosha types might not experience a lot of sunburns, one should never forget that excessive exposure to sun rays might be just as harmful. As we know, there may occur conditions of congestion and dampness leading to some skin problems.
All Kapha dosha types are advised to consider applying oils like neem oil, frankincense oil, and geranium oil in order to massage their skin to relieve any sunburns.
Conclusion
You must look after your skin since you spend a considerable amount of time out in the sun. Sunburn may fall under skin problems; however, there are natural remedies for the condition. You may be able to reduce the irritation of your skin resulting from excessive sun exposure through the natural treatment of your skin. Caring for your skin now will ensure that you have healthy skin in the future.