Soothe Away the Pain of Sunburn with Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a hardy plant that thrives best in arid climates. It has a wide range of vitamins and minerals as well as amino acids and enzymes. These make it an ideal choice for medicinal usages, such as treating painful sunburns.

Anatomy of Sunburn:

When the skin is overexposed to the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays, skin tissues are damaged right down to the dermis. The epidermis is the surface layer of skin that is visible to the eye. The dermis is next layer below the epidermis. UV rays are strong enough to penetrate and dehydrate both layers, causing extensive damage. Sunburn severity depends primarily on two factors: length of exposure and current level of skin pigmentation. People with dark complexions have higher levels of melanin and thus are better protected. Those with lighter complexions will tend to burn much quicker.

Effects of Sunburn:

Once burned, the skin turns red and may blister, depending on the severity of the burn. It will likely feel quite painful and may cause other related symptoms, such as fever, chills, and dizziness.

After the sunburn begins to heal, peeling may occur as the dead skin cells are sloughed off. Repeated sunburns cause premature aging and are a precursor to melanoma, or skin cancer. Sunburns do great damage to the DNA of dermal skin cells.

Aloe Vera as Treatment:

The thick gel of the aloe vera plant has a cooling and soothing effect on sunburned skin. This is due to the presence of anthraquinones, which act as natural analgesics.
Beyond instant pain relief however, aloe vera actually works to heal the skin from the damage of the burn. The aloe vera plant is filled with nutrients and anti-inflammatory substances, such as aloectin B, that help to boost the immune system while delivering relief from pain. The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agents found in the plant help to ward off infection while the skin heals.

Forms of Aloe Vera:

The thick jelly-like substance of the aloe vera plant is excellent for treating the exterior layer of the skin. However, when taken internally, aloe vera can speed the healing process by delivering a wealth of nutrients that promote cellular healing from the inside out.

Look for aloe vera that is made with pure ingredients free from drying, irritating ingredients such as alcohol, fragrance, and mineral oil. These types of ingredients can actually cancel out the good effects of aloe vera.