Sunburn

I have very pale skin and simply cannot go out in the sun for more than ten minutes or so - or at all between 11 am and 3 pm.

I do stay in the shade, wear sunglasses, long sleeved tops and a big sun hat. I'll get a cab if I really have to go somewhere, but avoid any daytime appointments or meetings in summer if I can.

Still, I mowed a lawn at 5 pm, without a hat - and burnt my scalp where my parting was!

Going on a schhol trip to Mombasa one year, a schoolmate got horribly sunburnt. The teachers dabbed her sunburn with vinegar and it eased the discomfort nicely, even though she smelt like chips!

Many sun creams have cancer encouraging ingredients
In my opinion sun danger is over stressed for commercial purposes ie selling sun creams by the gallon
Sunshine helps to prevent most cancers (except of course skin cancer) and has many therapeutic benefits
Having said all of this obviously burning is NOT a good idea
Aloe Vera is great and leaves are sold on the beach in Jamaica for that reason

Thanks for that Bijou. When my daughter lived in Barbados, beach traders would walk along the beach with big leaves of aloe Vera and small bottles of the gel. I wondered if my house plant ones would be effective and you’ve answered my question!💐

I am Celtic pale and have burnt through a shirt before now. Also, suncream is not a cure-all. Depends on SP, sweating, re-application. Aloe Vera gel is fabulous for sunburn. Was given a pot of it in Jamaica. He squeezed it from leaves of the plant. Was blissful to apply and so soothing.

I was stupid honestly

Mowing the lawn is a job I hadn't done for a while and I didn't realise it now takes me 3 times as long

I have aloe Vera plants and use the gel from the leaves for every kind of injury, burns , cuts etc. I keep a little container of the gel in the fridge.
Some time ago I had a cut on my leg which the surgery kept bandaged but it didn’t heal. So I treated it with aloe vera gel and kept it uncovered. In two days it was healed.

It’s easily done even if you apply sunscreen. I must have missed an area of my leg while on a holiday in Fuerteventura, it was very windy and I didn’t notice I was burning. Aloe Vera cream was recommended, we purchased a big tub & it soon took the heat out of the burn. I kept it in the fridge and used as after sun for the rest of the holiday.

I could post an up to date photo of my nose to demonstrate what the sun can do. I did post a photo soon after my operation but Gransnet put a warning on it in case any of you were horrified! It wasn’t that bad. I was only young when the damage was done. Keep your young folk plastered with protection.

long sleeves, of course, and as much collar as poss, and buttoned up high.
i feel slightly uncomfortable if i see very white people in the sun with much skin exposed; they often look red with obvious sun damage.

i used to choose shirts by draping them loosely over my head and looking towards the window.
some people in the shops thought this an odd way to choose a shirt, as it is not worn on the head.
it suited me to do so.
some of them you could read a paper through, even the dark, thick-looking ones.
i chose the ones that let in least light.

it is not wise for the fairest people to remain in the sun for several hours in the hottest weather.
sunscreen can never fully protect.
covering up with strong clothing and going inside, avoiding the sun is best.

My DD, SIL, DGS and a friend went out on Sunday (in the SW) and smothered themselves in Factor50, repeating 3 times, as they are red heads. The friend was fine, but my 3 are burnt badly...very odd as to why the lotion worked for one but not for 3...

Never had sunburn and never used suncream. I was brought up by my French grandmother who insisted I had to be well covered up outside think long socks, long flared skirt and long sleeve blouse. She called me into the house after a short time telling me the sun was dangerous and can kill you. Did the same with my children.

Natural yogurt was the best sunburn treatment I ever had, completely gone by the next day.

nanna8 where in the world are you?

A friend has just had surgery for skin cancer so this reminds me of the advice to use high protection sun cream BUT that this is only the second line of defence, and not nearly as important as covering up (long trousers or skirt, long sleeves, wide sun hat) and staying in the shade whenever you can.

It’s b.freezing here,huddled over the fire and it’s nice to hear about heat elsewhere in the world !

I do forget bits from time to time. But it might help others - since taking vit D (hoping to defer osteoporosis) I burn less easily.

A warning that many meds now make you ultra sensitive to sunshine!

Hubby never burns, always goes brown. I am fairer and always burn. We went to the coast the other weekend and were walking, hubby very quickly went like a beetroot. I didn’t. Because of side effects from other prescription meds he checked his new ones and sure enough hypersensitivity to sunshine was one. Be careful!

Thank you all for the advice!

It's still very sore and I need sleep tonight

I'm off to try the tea!

Primrose53

When we were in Malta one year it was sizzling hot. We applied factor 50 to each other but unfortunately I must have missed a piece on my husband’s back. It was only small maybe 4” wide but he was in great pain when it burned. We went to the pharmacy and he said aloe vera was the best thing and it was!! You can get a gel or spray.

As a child in Malta for nearly 3 years in the mid 1950's, I was a mobile blister regularly covered in Calamine Lotion by my mum. Then, in 1971, I fell asleep in the hot sun in a bikini and no protection, got severely sun burned, had to work behind a counter in a cafe with hot grills and ovens behind me, making and serving omelettes etc, saving for a trip to Russia(!) for a month where one of the 3 other women was also badly sunburned with skin peeling off in sheets in all directions. People stared at us wherever we went! Nothing seemed to bother me in those days. I've kept well out of the sun ever since though. Should have known better as I have very fair skin and freckles...! I's opt for Aloe Vera if I needed to....

My Australian and New Zealand friends put my daughter and me into a tea bath after both of us were horribly sunburnt . We'd put cream on , but misjudged the cool and cloudy day as safe and needed to apply more cream and cover up .

Plain yoghurt is good , but messy .

Aloe Vera gel is fantastic .

As a naive eighteen year old student, staying with a family in Germany, I swam in a pool all day in a bikini, with no protection.
As a redhead, I was very badly burned. The lady who owned the house, I was staying in, smothered me in plain yoghurt. It was a miracle!

I ahve used that solution ever since.
Sudocreme is also good for sunburn.

A friend of mine who lived in Saudi for a while said to use yoghurt. Although it’s a bit difficult if you’re having to put clothes over the top.