What To Do When… You Have A Sunburn

Sunburns are the wet blanket of island vacations, three-day weekends, and pool parties everywhere. And becoming a red-hot tamale can happen to even the most SPF-equipped among us after extended exposure to the great outdoors. So what to do when your skin adopts the searing hue of Elmo (minus the whole TickleGate)? With help from Into The Gloss, here's my round up of the best over-the-counter and homeopathic remedies to target peeling, redness, inflammation, and to soothe the burn of that mean, blaring sun.

Creams & Moisturisers:

Clinique After Sun Rescue Balm with Aloe Aloe is the most oft-recommended reliever for the sting of your new skin tone, but it can be drying and sticky in a way that’s almost as unpleasant as the burn itself. This balm offers the same benefits as aloe, with an added moisturizer to simultaneously reduce inflammation, calm skin, and diminish the chances and/or severity of peeling.

Face Matters Collagen Spritz Once the intensity of your burn has subsided, a moisturising spritz with botanical oils and collagen can help prevent peeling and cool off the skin. For those with aversions to the heavy and slightly gooey consistency of creams on sensitive burnt skin, a lighter product, like our Collagen Spritz, with a quicker absorption rate is the way to go.

Merle Norman Anti Redness Cream Believe us when we say this product works. Many therapies that claim to reduce redness still leave your skin noticeably rosy. But Merle Norman’s cream dramatically delivers on its name—wear it for the course of one night’s sleep to return fuchsia skin to a normal shade.

Natural/At-Home Remedies:

Cold Bath
Submerging your body in just-cooler-than-lukewarm water will help ease pain and reduce irritation. If you don’t have access to a bath or don’t relish the opportunity to “soak in a basin of your own filth” (as some may say), a gentle-stream cold shower will serve the same purpose. Avoid using soap when you're still newly burnt, as the detergent will only exacerbate your burn by further drying and irritating your skin.

Cold Milk Compress
Combine cold milk and ice cubes in a bowl. Dampen a washcloth in the mixture and hold against your burn. Rinse after to avoid a 'I live on a farm' smell. Added bonus: milk fat is anti-inflammatory and moisturising, and the cold temperature soothes the heat.

Green Tea Compress
A word-of-mouth fix: boil water and pour over one teaspoon of loose green-tea leaves. Cover and let sit until it cools. Then, soak a cloth and place on skin for 10 minutes to reduce swelling and sting.

Thin Potato Slices
In one of the lesser-known, perhaps stranger at-home remedies, some sources suggest blending raw potatoes until spreadable and applying to your skin to draw out the heat of the burn.

Your Other, Basic Options:  

Ibuprofen - Pop one or two after you realise what you've done (this usually happens after we get out of the shower following a day in the sun, but can also happen right there on the beach), to bring down inflammation and ease your discomfort. Those weary of swallowing pills can grind one up and add a bit of water to form a paste, which you can apply directly onto affected areas.

Water - Drink, drink, and drink some more. Your burn can leave you dehydrated, so on top of the eight glasses of water you are drinking daily (we all listen to our doctors, yes), keep on chugging.

And, as always, if you have any other remedies up your sleeve, share away!

Holiday Ready!

Be holiday ready this summer.

Keeping your skin looking nourished, soft and alive can be quite tricky on holiday especially when the sun is beaming down on your face all day resulting in your skin becoming dry and dull, which is something no-one wants. Using the perfect face products is a must to keep your skin in the best condition, even better one the product is an ‘all in one’.

The Cleansing Balm is the perfect product to be beach ready. Not only is it a facial cleanser it includes Shea Butter which will leave your skin incredibly soft and smooth. Using this product will leave your skin looking radiant and refreshed perfect before hitting the beach. 

Of course apply a layer of sun cream to protect yourself from any skin damage. And now you're ready to hit the beach.

Summer Beauty Guide for Lazy Girls

gregsorensenphoto.com

I can admit, summer brings out a case of the beauty laziness in me. Who wants to spend countless hours blow drying their hair and applying a full face of makeup?

Summer is supposed to be carefree, fun and somewhat wild. You shouldn’t feel imprisoned each morning or night with hours of getting ready to do.  Here are some absolutely great summer beauty products for those of you who are like me and want to spend less hours getting ready and more hours poolside!

Hair

Okay, first things first, dry shampoo - you just got to have it! Whether you’re looking to make your style last another day or you’re simply trying to avoid the whole washing process, dry shampoo is your answer! Spray this little gem at the roots of your hair to absorb access oils and to give your hair a fresh scent. (There is nothing worse than dirty smelling hair!)

A salt spray is another lazy girl beauty must for the summer! Simply spray B&B’s Surf Spray into your hair while wet and let it dry naturally.  Can it get any easier than that? I’ve found the seaweed extract in this spray makes it less drying for your hair than most other salt sprays. This one also gives really beautiful waves and has great hold. With this spray it’s safe to say you can put away the blow dryer until fall!

Eyes

Just a coat or two of mascara can make your eyes pop enough to make you look presentable even when you’re not really trying. The brilliant thing about this Lash Accelerator Mascara by Rimmel is that it doubles as a mascara and a lash treatment in one.

These 'chubby' eye pencils are perfect to add a touch of color to your eyelids without the fuss of using eye shadows and brushes. Just a swipe or two of the pencil over your lid and you’re set. Try the Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint - it glides on so effortlessly and makes getting ready so much quicker!

Face

A beauty elixir cream is perfect for the laziest of girls. You can literally put our Face Matters Anti-Ageing Elixir on your face in the morning and be done for the day. Simple as that! You would be moisturised enough to hit the beach until sunset, it would even out skin tone and make your complexion glow. (and you can win one on Twitter too!)

What are your Lazy Girl beauty secrets? Share in the comments.

Can you holiday-proof your face?

Image by Michael David Adams

Hot summer holiday sun and heat is not always kind to your favourite make-up. Your holiday beauty bag needs to be like a capsule wardrobe for your face and hair - multi-tasking products that make the most of your sun-kissed skin and ocean-swept hair.   

So here is my checklist of base products you need to stay beach-beautiful throughout your summer holiday. Let me know if you have a favourite that you simply don't jet off without.

Base Tech

So for beautful beach-ready morning skin I start from the night before by applying the Face Matters Anti-Ageing Elixir, £85, - just the right amount of natural oils to retain the much-needed moisture in your skin and smooth imperfections. 

If going barefaced is more of a concern than braving a bikini, pack your daily skin perfectors alongside your beach cover-ups. Keeping your face in place is tricky enough in an office environment, let alone a sweaty, sunny one.

Bobbie Brown's Long Wear Even Finish compact foundation, £32, has combined technology that will last for 12 hours, so you'll no longer have to watch your perfect base slip away throughout the day. And it's not just foundation - LA brand Hourglass has created Superficial, £30 - a waterproof bronzer for those who can't bear to go without a bit of colour. The formula is also tough enough to withstand tropical and humid climates! Blusher, too, has had a makeover. Smashbox Halo Long Wear Blush, £23, has been formulated to work hard all day.

  

Finally, avoid dodgy streaks and flaking by using a setting spray to fix your make up in place. Our Collagen Spritz, £39, is perfect for this job - light and refreshing, it's a favourite among our holiday shoppers and always good to keep in your bag at all times! (psst.. we're giving 2 away on our Twitter page too!)

And now it's time to enjoy the sun sipping on a cocktail or two by the pool... perfection!