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It’s dark spot season. But the good news is that with the right preventive steps, pigmentation and discoloration are entirely avoidable (SPF being the most important). And if you have existing dark spots that need addressing, chemical exfoliators, retinol, and professional interventions are always there.
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By now, I think most beauty obsessives know the myriad aesthetic side effects that come from unprotected sun exposure. But for those who need a recap, UV rays account for up to 80% of visible signs of aging1
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By now, I think most beauty obsessives know the myriad of aesthetic side effects that come from unprotected sun exposure. But for those who need a recap, UV rays account for up to 80% of visible signs of aging1
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The gut-skin axis may be complex, but understanding the concept is essential for optimal skin health. We know that imbalances in your gut microbiome can exacerbate skin concerns like acne, eczema, and psoriasis1
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Did you know that clinical vitamin D insufficiency persists in almost half (41%) of the population? Here’s how to increase your natural levels safely.
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Even if you don’t have a sunburn, this after-sun care salve recipe is a summer necessity to rehydrate and soothe sun-kissed skin. Apply it after a good scrub in the shower to remove sunscreen residue. Slather on this balm, and your skin will drink in the oils and butter, dealing with sun-damaged skin while you sleep.
The sun just keeps getting hotter, doesn’t it? Years ago, my nephews were caught out at an event longer than they expected to be, and as a result of embracing the fun outdoor activities, they brought home an unwelcome souvenir: sunburns.
The heat radiated off their pink cheeks, shoulders, and noses, and I could see how it was taking a toll on their energy. The next day, they were heading off on vacation, so I whipped up a batch of the after-sun salve that I use on my own skin all summer long.
Now, my own Kiddo uses the after-sun salve all the time whenever we head out camping, or he spends more than his fair share in the afternoon sun. It’s a staple in my herbal cabinet, so easy to make, and very effective at treating burns.
Today, we’re covering…
Seriously, this after sun care salve is pure magic. Keep a batch handy all summer long. Be sure to store it in the fridge so it keeps longer, but also so that it’s nice and cool when you use it on your skin.
See recipe card below for exact measurements
Melt the oils, butters, and beeswax in a double boiler or Turkish coffee pot. Use a medium heat and stir as the oils melt.
Remove from heat just as all ingredients are liquid. Stir in essential oil.
Allow to cool slightly and then add the aloe gel. Mix the gel in well with the rest and pour into a 2 oz container.
Apply the after sun salve generously to sunburned skin and rub it in as well as you can (which I know can be difficult with a sunburn!).
Apply again after waking in the morning or showering, until the sunburn has settled down. If you don’t have a sunburn but have spent a day in the sun, this lotion works well to keep exposed skin soft. Shower to remove any sunscreen and use the lotion each evening after a day of sun exposure.
You absolutely can! I typically use aloe vera gel (this brand) just to extend the shelf life. But if you use fresh aloe vera, you’ll actually find it has stronger healing properties.
For fresh aloe vera, harvest it using these instructions, and then blend it with a hand blender to make it smooth for the recipe. You won’t need any preservatives if you use it right away. Store it in the fridge, and toss out any remaining salve after a week or if you notice any funky colouring or odours.
If you’re using pre-bought aloe vera gel, it will last as long as the soonest expiry date on the ingredients (read more about that here). I typically try to use my mixture within a month, however, and store it in the fridge so it lasts.
Temperature is key. Once I’ve melted all the oils, butter, and beeswax, I remove it from the heat as soon as possible so it doesn’t overheat. Meanwhile, I’m stirring constantly. I add in the gel and the essential oils once removed. You also want to make sure that the aloe gel isn’t too cool and setting the oils and butters before it’s properly mixed.
To try and save a lumpy batch, try gently heating the mixture to melt it again and stir it all together, using an immersion blender if necessary, being cautious of the hot oils.
Also, ensure that you’re using pure aloe vera gel, and not one that has additives that could be reacting poorly.
This salve is the perfect addition to your after sun care routine, helping to soothe, cool, and heal sunburns.
Over medium heat, melt the oils, butters, and beeswax in a Turkish coffee pot or double boiler. Stir constantly.
Just as the ingredients are fully melted, remove from heat. Add in essential oil and stir.
Let the mixture cool slightly before adding in the aloe vera gel. Mix in the gel well, and pour into a 2 oz container.
Apply generously to sunburned skin, rubbing it gently in.
Store in the fridge when not in use. Lasts approximately one month.
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Stephanie Rose
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Aloe vera is one of the true super plants. This plant is perhaps best revered for its ability to relieve pain from a sunburn. While this is certainly one of the uses, aloe can also do so much more. Read to learn about using aloe vera for sunburns, other aloe vera benefits, AND aloe vera plant care.
When I was a kid (a freckly, redheaded kid at that), I fondly remember visits to my grandmother’s place at the beach. She lived in a warm city where the sun shone relentlessly in the summer despite the fact that it was windy enough to keep us cool.
This meant more hours of fun in the sun, which was more than my skin could reasonably handle. Even when I did put on sunscreen and reapply regularly, the sun would win out by the end of the day. I would be left with those bright pink shoulders that radiated heat up to my ears!
That was when my brilliant grandmother would cut off a little piece of her aloe vera plant, split it open with a knife, and apply it to my shoulders. It stung just a bit right at first but then cooled the sunburn down. The relief came almost instantly, and when I woke up the next morning, my shoulders were pink but not inflamed and not radiating heat like the sun.
That’s because aloe vera is a powerful anti-inflammatory, and it is most potent when applied directly from the plant. Since then, I’ve always kept at least one aloe vera plant growing in my house and have had some that have grown and provided me with the healing gel for many years.
Here’s a taste of what we’ll be covering today…
Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) is one of the oldest plants on record to be noted for its healing properties. This plant is native to eastern and southern Africa—even Cleopatra and Nefertiti used it to help maintain their youthful appearance. Due to its highly adaptable nature, it has since been cultivated around the world.
Aloe vera, a succulent with thick, gray-green leaves that have serrated edges, is very easy to grow. Simply treat it like you would any indoor succulent or cactus, except that it is much more forgiving of low-light conditions.
To keep your aloe very happy, plant it in well-draining soil that is preferably equal parts potting soil and sand. The plant likes tight spaces and has shallow roots, so plant it in a pot that’s just big enough not to tip over from the weight of the plant.
Aloe plants prefer bright, indirect light. Keeping them in sustained direct light can cause the leaves to dry out too much and turn yellow.
As for water, aloe likes to have a good, thorough drink every couple of weeks with their soil drying thoroughly in between waterings.
If you tend to keep the soil moist and begin to notice brown or limp leaves, your aloe may have root rot. Simply back off the watering a little and let its soil dry out before watering again.
Check out this post for a full, detailed guide on how to care for aloe.
In addition to its soothing, anti-inflammatory properties, aloe vera is also used as a powerful laxative. However, as a laxative, it can be too effective. Aloe vera can cause intestinal cramping and griping if you take too much of it, so be conservative.
Additional internal benefits of using aloe include:
Externally, aloe can be used to help alleviate sunburns, wounds, frostbite, dermatitis, skin disorders, and burns from radiation therapy.
Aloe vera truly is a super plant! Here are a few powerful ways to use it.
The healing power of plants cannot be denied, especially when something as simple as an aloe vera plant can provide great relief to something so painful: sunburned skin. A classic use of aloe (and probably one of the most common aloe vera benefits), this sunburn remedy is one that I have been using for as many years as I can remember.
To use aloe vera gel on a sunburn is simple.
Cut a piece of aloe vera off of the plant with a sharp knife. Cut the tip off of one of the leaves; it can be as large as the whole leaf or as small as just part of the tip.
Place the cut piece on paper towel and let sit from 10 minutes to allow the dark yellow latex to drain. After 10 minutes, you can wipe the sides of the cut which will remove the latex from the inner filet. The latex can stain skin and clothes and can cause skin reactions in sensitive people.
Pro Tip: If you cut a section of a leaf off at an angle (and don’t cut the whole leaf off), the end of the leaf will seal up from the latex (that’s what it’s for!) and it will be available for cutting another time again.
Then, take a paring knife and split the leaf in half so that the gel inside has the most surface area. Take the leaf and rub it directly on the burn.
Note: de sure to test a small patch of skin before applying it en masse. Some people have allergies to aloe vera straight from the plant and you don’t want to cause a worse reaction!
Caution: do not use aloe vera on deep wounds.
You can also put the leaves in the fridge and use them as a cold gel to soothe the burn. It will feel good but will not add any additional healing properties so this isn’t an essential step.
Compost the leaves when you’re finished applying the gel to your skin and repeat every six hours if you’re still looking for relief from a nasty sunburn. Please note that this is for a typical sunburn. Serious burns with blisters, a headache, or severe pain should be seen by a doctor.
Luckily, now that I am older and wiser, I no longer burn. Not because my skin has changed, but because I know the secret tips to keep my skin healthy:
For more tips on sun safety, please check out this article where I tell you all my must-know hacks and tips.
The yellow liquid that comes out of aloe is the plant’s latex. It can cause reactions to people with sensitive skin, as well as can stain the skin and your clothes. Before applying the aloe plant to your skin, you want to leave the aloe cutting on a paper towel for ten minutes to let the yellow latex drain out.
Aloe vera is amazing for the skin, helping to heal burns and wounds, clear acne, moisturize skin, and more. It can also help to reduce the visibility of scars and wrinkles, which can be a side effect of too much sun exposure.
While there are many aloe plants, aloe vera refers to the Aloe barbadensis plant. If you don’t have an aloe plant and are looking for the gel to apply to your skin, look for pure aloe vera gel (I usually shy away from that dyed green stuff).
I hope that this information about aloe vera and my instructions on using it for sunburns help you as much as they have helped me for all the years that I got sunburned. Now that you know some aloe vera benefits, I hope you’ll try growing one of your own (it’s great for green thumbs and black thumbs alike!).
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Stephanie Rose
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Most of us remember to slather on sunscreen when we are exposed to the sun, but what about our lips? Yes, your lips can get sunburned! Thankfully, the solution is easy: make a batch of this DIY all-natural lip balm with SPF.
Before you head out in the sun, do you cover your skin with sunscreen? We all know the importance of taking care of our skin when it comes to the powerful rays.
But what about your lips? Applying sunscreen meant for your skin directly to your lips doesn’t taste very good. Plus, it dries out your lips and dulls the shine.
Instead, try this homemade sunscreen lip balm with SPF. It will protect your lips and make them kissably soft, and it’s made of all-natural ingredients!
Here’s what we’ll be covering today…
Most of the lip balm recipes I make have some sun protection inherently in the oils and wax. Most days of the year I am confident that my lips are protected just by using these.
But in the hot summer months, when the UV levels are through the roof, I bring out the big guns: this sunscreen lip balm recipe.
Many ingredients in natural lip balm recipes provide a degree of SPF. Some oils, such as raspberry seed oil and olive oil, are said to add sun protection properties.
This recipe is based on a basic lip balm recipe, using soft oils like wheat germ, jojoba, and shea butter, each of which has SPF properties.
It’s important to also note that there are ingredients that can accelerate the sun’s effects. Phototoxic essential oils typically run in the citrus family (lemon, lime, bitter orange, mandarin leaf, and grapefruit).
For this recipe, I’ve only used essential oils that are known to help with sun protection.
Sweet orange oil is generally considered not phototoxic, which is why it is included in this lip balm with SPF. Vanilla essential oil is also included, resulting in a lovely creamsicle flavour.
Making sunscreen or sun protection products at home is a solid way to add sun protection and one that I use for my fair, freckly (read: easily burned) skin.
Even so, I would not venture a guess as to what the SPF is of a homemade recipe. I can say that I have been using this recipe on my own lips for years and have not burned them once.
Plus, I can feel good about the ingredients that go into the recipe and on my skin. My general rule of thumb is to stay out of the sun when the UV is strongest and take steps to protect my skin (and lips) as naturally as possible.
As with all home recipes, test a bit on your skin and see how you react. Those with sensitivities, who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and for use on children should take caution and check with their health care professional.
This recipe makes six standard-sized tubes of lip balm with SPF. If you need more or less, you can adjust the recipe accordingly.
Absolutely. The skin around your lips is very thin and contains little melanin (the pigment in our skin that naturally protects against the sun). This makes the skin on your lips very susceptible to sun damage and skin cancer.
SPF 15-30 is usually all you need for a lip balm. While I can’t say the SPF of this lip balm specifically, I have never gotten a burn while wearing it.
The general rule of thumb is that you should reapply any kind of SPF every two hours, give our take depending on if you’ve been swimming or sweating, or in this case, eating or drinking.
This all natural sunscreen lip balm is made with ingredients that you can feel good about.
Measure each ingredient, except the essential oils, and add them into the double boiler.
Melt together the ingredients over low heat.
Turn off the heat, then stir the essential oils in.
Once the lip balm ingredients are fully integrated, carefully pour the mixture into the empty lip balm tubes.
Allow them to harden, then apply to lips before sun exposure!
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Stephanie Rose
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Caring for skin post-sun is just as important, as UV exposure can trigger free radical damage and inflammation. What to do, according to experts.
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It’s that time of year in which I spend a lot of time thinking about preventative aging. Why? Because I’m spending so much more time outdoors in the sun (a good thing, I might add—outdoor time and sunshine are vital for a happy, healthy life). However, it can come with a not-so-good side effect: Sun damage.
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From avoiding the sun to bug bites, our skincare routine requires a little more effort in the summer to keep our skin happy and healthy. Sun safety is often one of the more overlooked health aspects, but it is super important for people like gardeners who spend lots of their peak sun time outside. Here’s how to stay safe in the sun without cutting back on your gardening time.
As a fair-skinned, freckly gal, I have all the risk factors for skin cancer, including skin cancer, in my immediate family. Sun safety is no joke for me, so I have done quite a bit of research on what works best for my skin and me.
I love to be outside gardening and soaking up vitamin D, but I am always conscious about sun exposure. Yes, I can’t deny that feeling the sun’s rays directly on my skin fills me with joy and literal warmth, but these moments must be quick and measured.
If sun safety has never been much on your mind as a gardener, let this summer be the time to change that. It’s something we all should be talking about more and practicing year-round.
Here’s what I wish all gardeners would know about sun safety.
Once we got past rubbing baby oil on our skin into the era of the Coppertone Girl, parents everywhere have been asking their kids, “Are you wearing sunscreen?”
We are all very familiar with the SPF labels on bottles and know that the higher the number, the more sun protection. However, most sunscreens are only protecting against UVB rays and not UVA rays. So, what exactly is the difference between the two?
UVB rays damage the outer layers of the skin, causing sunburns, while UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin, causing aging. Both are causes of skin cancer. Ideally, you want protection from both. While you may be outside and avoiding a sunburn, long sun exposure will put you at risk of UVA rays.
Some commercial sunscreens protect against both and are labelled as broad-spectrum sunscreens, but they still only provide minimal protection against UVA rays. Mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide is often broad-spectrum, sitting atop the skin rather than into the skin.
Many moons ago, I wrote a blog about sunscreen and didn’t end up publishing it because the truth is that I don’t rely much on sunscreen. While it does protect the top layer of skin, it doesn’t do much for the skin underneath. This means there can still be underlying damage.
In fact, a sunburn is a good indicator that you’ve been in the sun for too long and need to step out.
A while back, I had low Vitamin D levels, so I ended up taking a supplement. But after a few months of it disagreeing with my stomach and not making me feel much better, I opted for safe sun exposure instead.
My doctor recommended that I head outside and expose my skin to the sun without sunscreen in the cool weather months and at the cool times of the day.
It really doesn’t get all that warm here in Vancouver so that meant that for June, July, and August, I avoided the sun between 10 am to 3 pm, but that 15-20 minutes of exposure in the morning or evening was just fine.
Before I say more, I should note that I don’t take skin safety lightly, and I don’t think you should either. It’s essential that you also consult with health care professionals about what is best for you and your family.
And just so it’s 100% clear, I do use sunscreen when I can’t avoid sun exposure. But I try to follow the following suggestions first.
In addition to wearing sunscreen when I’m outside for a long time, there are many ways I keep my skin protected while in the garden.
Many of our current sun safety practices stem from different cultural practices that have long been in place.
In ancient China, silk parasols were very popular amongst the higher classes to stay protected from the sun. I still see many people practicing this today. In Southeast Asia, people wore and still wear conical leaf hats.
The indigenous people of the Arctic were the first to have “sunglasses” made of leather, bone, or wood to shelter their eyes from snow blindness. Further south, indigenous people used sunflower oil and pine needles as natural sun barriers.
The Mediterranean and most of Latin America participate in siestas, a mid-day nap or rest when the sun is at its peak. During this time, people retreat inside to shelter themselves from the sun.
In my post about SAD, I mentioned that today’s society forces us to live by a certain timeline rather than follow the sun. We’re told that midday is one of our most productive hours, so we need to be out and about getting stuff done. But what if we used this time to be in the shade and rest instead?
The SPF number refers to how well a sunscreen protects against UVB rays (not UVA rays). It tells us how long the UV rays would take to redden our skin compared to if we weren’t wearing sunscreen.
With SPF 50, UV rays would take 50 times longer to burn your skin than if you weren’t wearing any sunscreen. Compared to SPF 30, SPF 50 is about 2% more effective.
Between 15-20 minutes of exposure in the morning or evening sun is just fine without protection.
The peak sun hours are between 10 AM to 3 PM. Check your UV index for peak times, as you would the weather. Anything 3 or higher should require all sun protection measures. The safest time to be in the sun is early morning and late afternoon through to the evening.
In the end, we want to avoid the sun at its peak time when the UV rays are the strongest, wear a hat, enjoy the shade whenever possible, and take steps to wear skin protection. Together, you’re keeping your skin happy and healthy!
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Stephanie Rose
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Now, for some much-needed expert opinions, we have board-certified dermatologist Marisa Garshick, M.D., FAAD, and board-certified facial plastic surgeon Konstantin Vasyukevich, M.D.
“The truth is there is no strong evidence to suggest sunscreen, especially mineral-based sunscreens, are harmful to humans and our health,” Vasyukevich says. This alludes to the main problem with all of these anti-sunscreen arguments—they are dismissing mineral formulas entirely.
These products include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide—both of which are safe for human use and may even be better for folks with skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis, as they soothe the skin barrier while simultaneously protecting against UV damage. Plus, they’re generally reef-safe.
RELATED READ: Mineral Versus Chemical Sunscreen: What To Know About SPF + Pros & Cons
Regardless, “The more important fact is there is strong evidence to support wearing sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer,” Vayukevich says. Hence, why telling everyone to stop wearing sunscreen is quite dangerous.
Not only is skin cancer widespread, but it’s deadly. This is a bleak reality, but it’s true. The American Cancer Society reports about 2,000 people in the United States die every year from skin cancer. And while it might sound obvious, over 90% of skin cancers are caused by the sun.
Even if you don’t get skin cancer or even a sunburn, your skin still gets damaged when you spend extended time in the sun without protection. “Just because you don’t develop a sunburn, the skin is still being affected by UV rays,” Marcus says. “UVB tends to be responsible for burns, while UVA is responsible for changes associated with skin aging, but both can contribute to skin cancer,” she adds.
Now, there has been some research done on your diet’s role in skin cancer, many suggesting that antioxidants may help to prevent skin cancer—anti-sunscreen TikTok users have taken this research and run with it, extrapolating the study findings to assume that food causes cancer and the sun doesn’t.
There’s no question that your diet plays a role in your overall health and disease prevention, but stating that simply eating healthy food can prevent or cause cancer (especially in a generalized fashion) isn’t a science-backed claim. And to forget the nuance is just plain dangerous.
Finally, anti-sunscreen advocates continue to emphasize the importance of vitamin D, assuming you can and should only get it from the sun. Here’s the thing: You can get vitamin D from sunlight, but for many, sun exposure alone is not enough to provide all the vitamin D that your body needs.
Even if you’re outside in the heat all day long, you still may be vitamin D deficient. “In one study, [researchers] followed migrant farmworkers in Florida, as well as farmworkers in Hawaii,” board-certified dermatologist Shasa Hu, M.D., professor at the University of Miami who specializes in skin cancer detection, shares in a recent episode of Clean Beauty School.
She adds, “They found significant vitamin D deficiency in farmworkers who don’t use sunscreen. So even if you work outside in the field eight hours a day in various sunny [conditions], you can still be vitamin D deficient.”
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Hannah Frye
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Your body care routine after a long day in the sun calls for hydration, not exfoliation. For this reason, it’s probably best to skip this step and hop right into the shower—and a cold one at that.
“After a long day in the sun, the first step I recommend is to take a cool bath or shower to cleanse the skin, minimize inflammation, and relieve any discomfort caused by the sun’s UV rays,” board-certified dermatologist Kim Nichols, M.D. previously told mindbodygreen.
You can resume your normal dry brushing routine after a day or two, but definitely hold off if you have a sunburn or experience any type of sun rash, as it may increase irritation and interrupt your skin’s natural healing process.
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Hannah Frye
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