The Simplest and Most Effective Way to Get Rid of Sunburn Ever!

3 years ago

Relevant info, re: coconut oil
I came across an interesting article (as well as this ‘bile) while looking for sunburn remedies.

Potential of herbs in skin protection from ultraviolet radiation
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3263051/

“Researchers have found that some plant oils contain natural sunscreens. For example, sesame oil resists 30% of UV rays, whereas coconut, peanut, olive, and cottonseed oils block out about 20%.”

PBrackley

8 years ago

Coconut oil helps treat sunburnt skin because it is an effective moisturiser. The author is mistaken in saying that coconut oil is "100% effective" as a sunscreen. To be clear, a layer of coconut oil on the skin provides no appreciable protection from the sun's rays.

JM1999

Reply 8 years ago on Introduction

"In his book the Coconut Oil Miracle, Dr Bruce Fife says"The first
commercial suntan and sun screen lotions contained coconut oil as their
primary ingredient. Even today many sun screen lotions include coconut
oil in their formulas. Coconut oil has an amazing ability to heal the
skin and block the damaging effects of UV radiation from the sun. One of
the reasons why it is so effective in protecting the skin is its
antioxidant properties, which helps prevent burning and oxidative damage
that promotes skin cancer."

The chemical compounds that make up these SPF lotions are mostly
synthetic and will have a highly toxic affect on and in the body.

AAAAAAAAA from: http://www.coconutmagic.com/blog/284/coconut-oil-...

Sunscreens and Sunblocks Release Free Radicals

The sun is said to cause cancer because it forms free radicals in the
skin. Sunscreens and sunblocks may block that radiation, but in the
process they also form free radicals, because all the energy from the
sun has to go somewhere.

Over twice as many people will
be struck with a health issue because of Vitamin D deficiency as will be
affected by overexposure to the sun.

Vitamin D is necessary for:

Healthy bones
Strong immune system
Protection from cancer
Cardiovascular health

Lack of vitamin D increases your risk of ^(source):

Heart attack
Colon cancer
Breast cancer risk
And possibly: skin cancer, metabolic disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and dozens more ^(source)

There are other issues with sunscreens:

According to this study, 86% of sunscreens tested offered inadequate protection from the sun
Many products guard against only UBV, not UVA rays (the ones that can actually cause more harm)
Many products (according to this study, up to 50% of them) break
down in the sun and do not offer the protection for nearly the amount of
time they are supposed to
Claims on sunscreen bottles are exaggerated and meaningless- there
is no regulation for what they can and can’t say, and most statements
made are false or unproven.
The thing is, despite the widespread use of high SPF sunscreen, skin
cancer rates continue to jump every year. If sunscreen is the answer,
why is this trend continuing?

Possibly for a few reasons.

Many sunscreens only adequately block UVB rays, but not UVA (or not
well enough). We now know that UVA rays are the ones that the real
concern when it comes to skin cancer.
As a matter of fact, the UVB rays that our sunscreens are adequately blocking are the ones that help
our bodies to make Vitamin D through sun exposure. Vitamin D research
is revealing more and more that this nutrient helps to defend our bodies
against all forms of cancer, and that it is absolutely crucial to our
health!
As mentioned above, many sunscreens are not providing the protection
they claim, and yet we believe the claims anyways. So, we spend all day
in the sun at the beach, applying sunscreen once, maybe twice if we
remember. Yet many sunscreens are only providing protection for a couple
of hours (if they are not breaking down in the sun). Ultimately, we
spend more time out in the heat of the sun, without protective clothing
or breaks in the shade, than we would have otherwise, because of our
unfounded trust in the marketing claims of the product’s manufacturer
(oh right, those people who make money when we buy more of their
products!).

The below was in the comments section of the same site:

"Such a great discussion! I agree with so many of the comments! Sun does
not cause cancer….our diet causes cancer! In fact, for our bodies to
function properly sun is REQUiRED and most of us are deficient in D3
which we acquire from the sun as well as other important functions
directly dependent on sun exposure (not overexposure). And yes ,some
sunscreens actually cause the opposite of what they are used to prevent"

"I could not agree with you more! I really do believe that
sunscreen is not necessary to protect from cancer, it actually does the
opposite. (Search “Study: Many Sunscreens May Be Accelerating Cancer”).

I am an immigrant from Russia and there is an interesting thing that I
observed. My mom spent her childhood and youth outside. They used to
work long hour on the fields harvesting different crops and hay for the
cattle. And I mean all day, from morning to sundown. And this is how
most of the people from the former Soviet Union have spent their
childhood and youth. None of them have ever used SPF and have never even
heard of it until I moved to the US in 1997. Out of hundreds and
hundreds of Russian people I know I don’t know a single person who has
skin cancer. Also my mom looks at least 10 years younger than her real
age.

I agree that it is not healthy to burn in the sun. And I admit if I
know I’ll be in a the sun a lot I will you sunscreen mostly to avoid the
pain of the sunburn. But I am completely against daily moisturizers
that have SPF in them. Also, I heard some people even where it to sleep
(AHH!!! WHY????).

Anyways, I’m just happy I found your blog. I love it and already subscribed!"

So here are the two pages of the site I got the above off:

http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2008/05/my-thoughts...

http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2010/07/20/sun-s...

The first link is the one with the comments and the second link has more information.

nevermore0069

Reply 8 years ago on Introduction

I am sorry, JM1999, but that is non-scientific misinformation presented AS scientific information.

A good rule of thumb: Old science is most often not good science.

There have been numerous peer reviewed scientific studies which do not support the supposed "studies" you have referenced above and in fact debunk them as amounting to snake oil. Here is a good starting point for you to continue your research, with unbiased, scientifically peer reviewed studies. Peer review can give credence to new discoveries or debunk faulty assertions. One study does not science make: http://kckidsdoc.com/coconut-oil-sunscreen.html

JM1999

Reply 8 years ago on Introduction

http://www.cancer-research-awareness.com/skin-canc...

Here's a good rule to live by: "If you wouldn't spray it into your mouth or take a drink of it, then don't put it on your skin."

While
others say some sun screen lotions could actually give you the disease
you are trying to protect yourself from. Do your research.

My suggestion? Don't use lotion for this purpose.

Keep
all this in context. Your body need sunshine to create vitamin-D,
something most Americans don't get enough of because "they" have scared
us all to death.

Here's a rule of thumb: When your skin starts turning a little pink, cover it with clothing or other shade.

PaleHorseRider

Reply 8 years ago on Introduction

Unless you're me! I try my best to not go outside during the day while it's summer. At night though. That's when I'm the most active.

AmyKarle

8 years ago on Introduction

Hey just a heads up to author and readers that although Coconut Oil is a great moisturizer post sunburn DO NOT try to use this as sunscreen or before going out into the sun. Oil (including coconut oil) magnifies the sun and will actually promote burns, that's why it's used in some tanning oils.

Thank you for posting an instructable on moisturizing. Please update the last section so people won't get burned.

breebasketball1

8 years ago

Another great thing for sunburn is litocane it is in a large skinny metal tin and it helps with the burn so u can sleep at night. Also something that takes it out a little and hydrates the skin is dove body wash in the bottle that is a purple pink color. Hope either of these work. Good luck ?

PaleHorseRider

8 years ago on Introduction

Well first of all, this is after the sunburn has taken place.

If you are stupid enough to not use any skin protection at all or swim in water high in zinc. Then go right ahead! Get skin cancer from the dreaded sunlight!

JM1999

Reply 8 years ago on Introduction

Thank you frostbourne!

I desperately needed some backup :)

This is after it has taken place, but it can be used as a sunscreen.

I would like for people to try it themselves before making such highly opionated comments like that.

PaleHorseRider

Reply 8 years ago on Introduction

Coconut oil is good for many things. From cooking, cleaning, teeth cleansing, to sunscreen and body oils.

JM1999

Reply 8 years ago on Introduction

Hey, I will be posting a really cool 'ible soon (like within the hour hopefully) so please watch out for it :D