The consequences of sunburnt skin can last much longer than just the week or two that it takes for your skin to heal, especially if not taken care of properly and in a timely manner.

According to statistics, up to 90% of the visible signs of aging are caused by sun damage!

What that means is that up to 90% of how good your skin looks as you age is completely dependent on how well you take care of it. If you don’t want to end up being a part of these statistics or are looking to reverse some of the damage that your skin has sustained over the last several sun-loving years, then keep on reading to learn about the different ways in which the sun damages your skin and how you can naturally repair your sun-damaged skin from the comforts of your home.

When it comes to understanding the basics of protecting your skin, it's vital to know about the skin barrier and how to take care of it, so if you are unfamiliar with this subject, learn more about it here.

Before we dive into the tips, let’s first understand how sun damage occurs.

 

 

Sun damage occurs when ultraviolet light (UV) hits skin unprotected by sunscreen, and if your skin gets hit with enough UV rays, your body will mount an inflammatory response, sending lots of blood cells to the affected area to stop and repair the damage. This influx of red blood cells is what causes the red, inflamed look on sunburnt skin.

What causes the peeling?

During non sunburnt periods, your skin cells are constantly shedding regardless. However, when your skin cells get damaged by UV rays, they aren’t given the chance to mature properly. This results in your skin cells clumping up and peeling off together in larger chunks rather than slowly shedding inconspicuously as they normally do.

 

Now that we understand how sun damage occurs, let’s go into some of the specific symptoms of sun damage and how to naturally repair the damages over time from the comfort of your own home.

 

Redness and Irritation

When your skin is attempting to heal from overexposure to sun, it becomes red and inflamed. During this stage, your skin is very sensitive to the touch, so you’ll want to use only the gentlest of products to aid in the reduction of inflammation and redness.

If the sun damage has occurred on your face and you’re using a foaming facial cleanser, we recommend that you switch to a more gentle, non-foaming cleanser. The Yu-Be Hydrating Face Wash is a gel cleanser that contains anti-inflammatory green tea and Irish Sea Moss, perfect for safely cleansing sun-damaged skin while also providing skin-nourishing effects.

For moisturizers during this stage of sun damage, we recommend using a cream that’s hypoallergenic and contains Vitamin E, with the former allowing the cream to gently moisturize your skin without causing further damage and the latter to aid in recovery by nourishing and soothing the damaged skin.

Peeling, Dry, and Dehydrated Skin

We’re all familiar with the second stage of getting sunburnt, which is when your skin starts to peel and become flaky and dry. Your skin is not as red and inflamed as before, but it still requires a high amount of moisturization in order to combat the dry, peeling skin.

During this stage, you’ll want to apply a powerful cream that not only combats dry skin, but also helps to soothe away any remaining redness and inflammation. The Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream contains camphor, a natural anti-inflammatory ingredient that will also help reduce itchiness, as well as Vitamins B2, C, and E, all of which work together to smooth fine lines and wrinkles, hasten the recovery process of damaged skin, and improve the look of uneven skin tone.

 

Sunspots, Hyperpigmentation, and Discoloration

Sunspots and hyperpigmentation form when melanin, a dark-colored pigment that your skin produces when it’s exposed to UV rays, clumps together or is produced in higher concentrations on your skin. This contributes to your skin looking uneven and discolored.

The key to reducing sunspots is to apply a cream that contains Vitamin C, which is an antioxidant that impedes melanin production. By impeding melanin production, you’ll allow the sunspots on your skin to gradually fade.

 

In order to even out your skin tone, you’ll also want to use a gentle exfoliator 2-3 times a week. The Yu-Be Foaming Skin Polish not only contains anti-inflammatory ingredients such as camphor, green tea, and ginger extract — it will also help scrub away the superficial layer of skin cells, thereby reducing the appearance of discolored skin that contains sunspots.

Of course, much of this work would not have to be done if proper preventative steps were taken, such as applying and reapplying sunscreen and wearing protective clothing. Alas, sometimes we’re having such a good time playing (or sleeping) outside that we forget to take these precautions. It happens. At Yu-Be, we believe that that’s not always a bad thing — we interpret it to mean that you’re enjoying life in the moment, and if that was you this week, last week, or your entire life, and you’re suffering the consequences now, all you need to do is implement the tips we mentioned above and you’ll be well on your way to being fully recovered and ready to enjoy the sun once again, blemish-free!