Sunburn
What is Sunburn?
An affliction as common as the sun itself, sunburn is the result of a person’s skin being directly exposed to ultraviolet light to the point of becoming red, hot, and exhibiting painful burning sensations. After prolonged exposure, the skin will not just become red and hot, but it can potentially swell up and form blisters. People with fairer complexions tend to burn more easily than those with darker ones, and burns tend to be felt a few hours after exposure to the sun or other source of ultraviolet light (like a commercial tanning machine).
In most cases, a sunburn is mild enough to be able to heal on its own, and when this happens, the top layer of skin peels off. Frequent, extreme sunburns can lead to further health complications which include unnatural aging of the skin, damage to the eyes, and even skin cancer.
The main methods for preventing sunburn in the West are to remain covered by clothes, large-brimmed hats, and other devices that block the sun, as well as applying sun block that augments the skin’s ability to protect itself from ultraviolet rays. Those that are suffering from a burn may be prescribed medications (such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen), or corticosteroid medication. It is also common for the sufferer to apply creams and lotions made from aloe vera as well as hydrocortisone cream.
How Does Ayurveda View Sunburn?
When we consider the significance of Pitta energy, we relate it to the amount of heat in the body. Balanced, healthy Pitta energy keeps the digestive fire going and the body warm. Excessive, aggravated Pitta energy burns the body in the form of fatigue, hyperacidity, irritation of the skin, and heated emotions like anger. A person’s Pitta energy can be aggravated when the body creates its own heat in the form of vigorous physical activity, consumes heat in the form of hot, spicy foods and beverages, instigates heat through contentious interactions with others, or absorbs heat through prolonged exposure to the sun and other hot environments.
Given the association between Pitta energy and the skin, it is likely to make sense why the incidence of sunburn is a reflection of excessive buildup of this element. Those who have excessive Pitta energy in general might not necessarily be more susceptible to sunburns, but they may be more sensitive to the excess heat and complications that stem from repeated overexposure.
How Does Ayurveda Treat Sunburn?
As sunburn is a Pitta imbalance, it is necessary to reduce the heat associated with it. This can be done through providing cooling, nourishing elements to the skin in the form of essential and other oils as well as conducting a lifestyle that generally reduces heat in the body. With less heat produced through a Pitta-balancing diet, Pitta-balancing herbs, and a healthy, moderate amount of physical activity, a person suffering from sunburn will reduce the severity of their symptoms. As is the case in the West, those who are highly susceptible to sunburn will benefit most from avoiding prolonged, direct exposure to the sun during the times of day when the sun’s ultraviolet rays are most intense (between 10am and 4pm).
Lifestyle Changes for Sunburn
When we neglect to establish the root cause of one illness, it can turn into another, stronger illness in the future. The first step in resolving a specific ailment or disease in the body is to assess the nature of our lifestyle and make general modifications. Living our day-to-day life with a deliberate intention to improve our health will help us to both resolve the disease we are suffering from and prevent further incidence of it and other diseases in the future. The following lifestyle changes will help to reduce heat in the body as well as directly reduce the severity of symptoms associated with sunburn:
- Apply a layer of coconut oil to the affected areas on the skin. This will cool the skin and nourish it in response to the irritation associated with the sunburn.
- Add 10 drops of sandalwood oil to a cool bath and soak in it for twenty minutes. After drying,
- Apply coconut oil as noted above.
- Stare at the sun for the first thirty minutes it rises and the last thirty minutes it sets. This will provide the benefits of sunlight without the harmful effects of ultraviolet light.
- Avoid eating spicy, hot, sour, salty, and greasy foods.
- Avoid using too many hot spices such as garlic, hot peppers, and onions.
- Avoid drinking alcohol.
- Avoid frequent and excessive amounts of eating.
- Avoid overexertion and excessive amounts of physical activity.
- Avoid eating fewer than three or four hours before going to bed.
- Avoid too many selfish and self-indulgent thoughts leading to anger, which creates more heat in the body and skin.
- Avoid emotional moments that also bring about more heat in the body.
- Don’t cover the head or feet when out of the sun so as to allow the body heat to escape.
Wear very thin cotton clothing. - Do not sleep too much or lay down too often.
- Use aloe vera gel on the affected areas.
Better Foods For Sunburn
Ayurveda teaches us that disease and sickness are derived from poor digestion and inappropriate food choices. We then have the opportunity to make deliberate and more conscious decisions as to what foods we do and do not put in our body which increases the chance of resolving the body’s imbalance.
Food needs to be in season, in moderate combinations of one or two food groups, not too hot or cold, in a modest enough quantity to allow for room in the stomach later, consumed without too much liquid which hinders digestive power, and should be fresh and not left over for more than a few hours. The following foods can reduce heat in the body, thereby balancing the Pitta dosha:
Milk
Pomegranates
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Salad
Ghee
Legumes (not lentils)
Apples
Mangoes
Brussels Sprouts
Pears
Rice (white basmati)
Oats (cooked)
Barley
Asparagus
Mint
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Foods To AVOID In Response To Sunburn
While some foods can help to balance an aggravated dosha, other foods can cause further imbalance. Dry and cold foods as well as pungent, bitter and astringent tastes will dry out the body and aggravate the Vata dosha.Sour, salty and pungent tastes as well as spicy foods will add more heat to the body and aggravate the Pitta dosha.Sweet, sour and salty tasting foods will add heaviness to the body and aggravate the Kapha dosha. The following foods should be avoided in response to pneumonia, as it will increase the build-up of mucus and tax the digestive system:
Beverages For Sunburn
Generally, Ayurveda discourages the consumption of too many cold beverages, as doing so hinders the strength of the body’s digestive fire. Instead, favors room temperature or hot beverages to encourage the strength of the digestive fire.
- Hot water, especially during meals and first thing in the morning
- Herbal teas of coriander, cardamom, and fennel.
- Avoid cold beverages with ice.
- Avoid fizzy drinks including sodas.
- Avoid alcohol, coffee, and black tea.
Herbs For Sunburn
Herbs are used in the Ayurvedic system much like Western medicine utilizes drugs and vitamins and can be taken like tea 2 to 3 times a day. Herbs aid in the digestion of food, the breakdown and elimination of toxins, and help to strengthen the cellular structure of our system for greater vitality. Herbs become more potent once mixed with other herbs of similar properties. Mix together 2 to 4 different herbs from the below list by adding a quarter to a half teaspoon full of each, for a total of 1 teaspoon. Drink these in half cup of hot water.
Coriander
Cardamom
Fennel
Bitter chamomile
Sandalwood (white)
Turmeric
Licorice
Yellow Dock
Shatavari
Slippery Elm
Aloe gel
Chirayata
Shankh bhasma
Yoga Postures For Sunburn
When applied therapeutically to specific ailments, yoga postures provide an opportunity to strengthen the body, rid it of toxic matter, and restore balance. The postures included in this section can be practiced as part of a more general sequence or can be focused on in short sessions. When first exploring yoga postures, it is best to only practice them for twenty minutes or so per day and buildup from there once the body becomes more flexible.
Bridge
Fish
Shoulder Stand
Knee to chest
Child’s pose
Corpse
Aromatherapy For Sunburn
Aromatherapy utilizes the fragrances of essential oils when applied to the skin. Essential oils can burn the skin and therefore must be diluted with a base oil such as sesame, coconut, sunflower, canola, or mustard oil. Mix 1 fluid ounce of base oil with about 12 drops of essential oil before applying to skin. You can also just mix 5 drops of base oil to one drop of essential oil if using on one spot.
A sunburn can be treated with sandalwood, tea tree, rose, honeysuckle, gardenia, lily, iris, mint, lavender, lotus, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, or fennel oil.
- Use a coconut or sunflower oil base.
- Apply oil on the skin near the center of the chest, or wherever the skin is affected by the sunburn.
Mantra Therapy For Sunburn
Ayurvedic tradition suggests that repeating certain words or sounds can help a person suffering from an ailment to restore subtle balance to nerve tissue and enhance one’s mental clarity. Different sounds are prescribed to either repeat mentally or chant outwardly. These sounds are also used and repeated in the mind for the purpose of spiritual growth.
To help control and resolve a sunburn, repeat the syllable “Aum” (pronounced ohm) for several minutes a few times a day and build more practice over time.
As a Pitta-related disorder, it is helpful to sometimes outwardly chant and other times internally repeat this syllable for the duration of time it is practiced.
Breathing Practices For Sunburn
Controlling the breath is a central practice toward developing peace and stillness in the mind and body. When the breath is under our control, we are no longer at the mercy of the senses that are stimulated by everything and lead to greater fluctuations of the mind. When applied to the context of resolving specific ailments, the breath is used as a tool for developing lung capacity, heating and cooling the body and resolving mental afflictions like anxiety and stress.