Chamomile Essential Oil for Sunburn

Summer comes with many outdoor activities that will have you exposed to the sun for long periods. This unprotected exposure to the sun can result in sunburns. Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun cause the cells of your skin to die. Possible inflammation can result and lasts until the damaged skin cells are restored. The affected area takes on a reddish appearance and can be painful. There are many treatments for sunburns including home remedies for minor sunburn cases. Chamomile is a great natural treatment for soothing inflammations. It is used in the form of essential oil to treat sunburns. This guide will shed light on sunburn formation and the use of Chamomile essential oil for sunburn treatment.

What is Chamomile?

Chamomile is a daisy-like plant. It has several sub-species in the family of Asteraceae that are popular and very effective in traditional medicine. They are also used to make herbal infusions. Scientific evidence has shown that Chamomile has effects on human health. Chamomile is used today in many preparations including tea, beer, and ale drinks. For oral preparations, the whole Chamomile plant may be used, or just the flower. Additionally, Chamomile essential oil is used to make lotions and creams to be applied on the skin. Creams and lotions containing Chamomile are used to soothe and speed up the healing of sunburned skin.

The flowers of Chamomile have high concentration of terpenoids and flavanoids. They have been used in dried form for many centuries. Flavanoids are used in oral preparation for a more pleasant taste. Evaporating flavanoids in the air also contributes to the appealing aroma Chamomile gives off. Terpenoids and flavanoids in the Chamomile flowers are also the reason this plant has medicinal value in human health. It is common in use to treat hay fever, muscle spasms, insomnia, rheumatic pain, sunburns, inflammation, menstrual disorders, ulcers hemorrhoids and gastrointestinal disorders among others.

Essential oils of plants, such as Chamomile are used in aromatherapy and in cosmetics. For extraction of the essential oil, the whole plant is often used. Chamomile can be used in several ways for preparations.

Sunburn Diagnosis

The human body has many organs. The skin is the biggest organ in the body and covers almost all of the body with the exception of body openings. Any organ of your body can be affected by exposure to UV rays. Sunburns are a result of UV rays damaging skin cells. The body processes to replace and shed the damaged and dead skin cells cause various symptoms and signs of sunburns.

Typical sunburn manifests as a reddish spot or area on your skin. It may be hot, a little painful and can turn itchy after a few days. The sunburn may also have dark specks in it where hairs are present on your skin. Light-skinned people show sunburns with greater visibility than dark-skinned people. Some sunburns manifest as blisters and might require medical attention.

Prevention

It is possible to avoid getting sunburns on your skin. Using sunscreen when going outdoors is the best way to prevent sunburns and enjoy your outdoors life. If your outdoor activities involve swimming, contact with water on the skin can cause a lot of sweatiness, you should replenish the coat of sunscreen on your skin frequently.

Take steps to cover the area of your skin that could get sunburned. An umbrella or light clothing is great to lightly shield your skin. Any form of shade you can find near you is also good for preventing sunburns while outdoors.

Alter your sun-bathing and basking time periods to avoid the midday. When the sun is hottest, it can easily cause sunburns on your skin. Many people enjoy sunning themselves by doing it in the morning and evenings. During the high temperature hours of the day, stay indoors or take frequent dips in water to prevent sun-burning your skin.

Treatments

It is important to stop further exposure of the sunburned area of your skin to the sun or UV source. Most sunburn heals without treatment. Complete healing happens in a few weeks. Loose clothing over the sunburned area of your skin keeps the area covered from exposure to the sun whilst not irritating it.

You may speed up healing of the sunburn using various treatments. You are also able to relieve pain in the severe sunburned areas that cause you discomfort. Frequent cool showers and baths help soothe away the pain of sunburns tremendously. Cooling the sunburned area with an ice pack also helps.

Soothing moisturizers, creams and lotions made from various ingredients are fine to use. Go for those that have Aloe Vera or Soy in them. They include essential oil preparations for skin soothing and inflammation prevention on the sunburned area of your skin.
In the event that your sunburn causes inflammation, use recommended medications to stop the inflammation. Pharmaceutical products for this are available, as well as natural remedies you may prepare at home.
Keep the sunburned skin area hydrated. Additionally, drink water regularly to speed up healing of the skin.
Blisters may form on the sunburned area. If you get blisters, do not poke or pierce them. Cool the blister using water or ice frequently to soothe away the pain. The blister heals with time on their own. You may cover the blister with loose clothing until it has healed.

Regular Chamomile Essential Oil Application

Chamomile oil has high concentration of oleic acid and is low in amounts of linoleic acid. This makes it an oil that is light and very suitable for use on the human skin. These benefits are available to you whether you have sunburn or not. For the purpose of applying Chamomile oil on your skin, use 1 teaspoonful in about 100 ml of coconut oil for best results.

Chamomile essential oil on your skin helps unclog your skin pores and prevents acne. Premature aging of your skin is also avoided when you regularly apply Chamomile oil on it. Additionally, scars on the skin from acne breakouts can be cleared away. For people with light–coloured skin, Chamomile oil evens the skin tone and clears away hyper pigmentation. It is also a moisturizer and relieves skin irritations.

How to Use Chamomile Essential Oil for Sunburn Treatment

To use Chamomile essential oil for sunburn treatment, you will apply the essential oil onto the sunburned skin. It can be the essential oil by itself, or its content in a cream or lotion. Chamomile essential oil is extracted and sold through many outlets in the USA and in other parts of the world. The two Chamomile species that are used in human health and are applicable for use to treat sunburns are Roman Chamomile and German Chamomile.

Using essential oils in human health requires you to be quite cautious about concentrations. This is because some essential oils are sold in very concentrated form. Diluting the essential oil, such as Chamomile, before using it to treat sunburn may be necessary.

You may add other ingredients to your Chamomile essential oil preparation for sunburn treatment. Recommended additions are avocado oil, Vitamin C and Vitamin E.

Is a Sunburn Life Threatening?

Sunburns can be very painful and unpleasant to look at. In most cases, sunburns do not get serious to warrant a lot of medical care. Even then, painful burns should be checked out by a doctor or dermatologist. Outpatient care is adequate to treat most sunburn. Majority of sunburn cases are treated at home with various home medical supplies and natural treatments. In extreme cases, prolonged exposure to UV rays can lead to loss of life.

Special populations are susceptible to sunburns. They should take extra care to prevent getting sunburned. Children, the elderly and those with white skin are at higher risk of getting sunburned. For people with some melanin in their skins, sunburns show as tanning of varying shades depending on the length and intensity of exposure to the sun or UV rays. Having a lot of melanin in the skin causes the skin to get darker color instead of showing the sunburn characteristic of redness.

Does Chamomile Oil Prevent Sunburns

Various preparations are used to prevent sunburns. Home treatments containing Chamomile applied on the skin may not be very effective at blocking out the sun’s UV rays. To avoid getting sunburns, use creams, lotions and other approved methods that will allow you to enjoy sunning yourself or be outdoors without getting sunburns.

Conclusion

Skin inflammation due to exposure to the sun can be very uncomfortable and unsightly. Soothing the pain and giving the skin time to replace the damaged skin are advised for sunburns. You may reduce the pain and speed up recovery of the affected skin area using natural treatments such as Chamomile oil. Organic oil extracted from the Chamomile plant is best for use with sunburns. This summer and always, use enough protection from sunburns such as a cream. You should also limit your exposure to the direct rays of the sun even when you really want to sunbathe or just bask in the sun for a short period of time. If you get sunburns, use the tips in this Chamomile essential oil for sunburn treatment guide to restore your skin to its great appearance and healthy form.