Sunburn

Hi Everyone,

I am just posting a query about the sun because yesterday I got sunburnt on my face and chest. I live in the North of Ireland and have been so depressed all winter without any sunlight. It has been a particularly long, grey, wet winter here and suddenly at the weekend and yesterday the sun came out big-time and we had hot weather and blue skies. I work from home and decided to do my editing on my back deck yesterday. I have been desperate to get my Vitamin D from the sun and thought I was going to have to wait for my two week holiday to Spain in late June, early July so I was thrilled with the sun yesterday!

I basked in the sun for several hours without any sunscreen and ate my lunch outside too. I really didn't realise that I was getting burnt. I suppose I just assumed that the sun in Northern Ireland is very rarely hot enough to burn anyone especially in April. We very rarely even have hot sun in the summer months here. It usually rains most of the summer.

Anyway, I woke up this morning and my chest and face are bright red. I have fairly pale celtic skin although I have tanned nicely in the past if I use a high factor sunscreen. I hate using chemicals on my skin so for the past few years I have used a sunscreen by Carribean Blue which only has zinc oxide and herbal ingredients. I found it very effective on my skin and on my 5-year-old son's skin and we didn't burn at all in Greece last year in July. The only thing is that since following 811 I thought I would like to get more sun on my bare skin. I thought it would be good for me and help me get some much-needed Vit. D. I am also a bit wary now of micronised zinc oxide as I have heard that the micro particles can be totally absorbed into the body as they are so tiny.

What are other people's views on this? What is the best thing to do in future? Should I continue to use the natural sunscreen I have or should I not use any at all? Is the sun damaging to the body or not?

Thanks for any help,

Janet

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Permalink Reply by Janet on April 13, 2010 at 8:36pm

Thank you, Angus. Yes, I did feel very hot but stupidly thought it could not possibly be strong enough to burn me. I will know better next time, as they say!

Why do you say that the sun is only damaging because of the heat? Do you mean that if my skin goes brown rather than red, that I will be able to tolerate more sun?

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Permalink Reply by kt2 on April 13, 2010 at 9:24pm

it is so easy to get burnt in mild climates cos there is often lots of cloud that disguises the severity of the sun. i personally hate the feel of sunscreen so i dont use it but just wear protective clothing, i will take my hat off for short periods to get vit d.

have some aloe vera on hand for when you do get burnt, it is fantastic for any burns including sunburn

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Permalink Reply by Janet on April 13, 2010 at 9:39pm

Thanks kt. My sister grows Aloe Vera plants in her house so I will get some off her for the burn. I don't like the Aloe Vera gel from the chemist's as they all have extra chemical ingredients :(

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Permalink Reply by Janet on April 13, 2010 at 11:18pm

Ha ha! It's so funny here when we get a bit of sun - even for an hour or so. People go crazy! one minute we're wearing heavy boots, fleeces and winter coats and hats and the next minute all you can see are crazy girls in halter tops and shorts acting like they're in the tropics. Quite literally last weekend I went for a walk by the sea with my friend and it was so cold and windy that we were wearing hats and gloves and I wished I had some kind of ear muffs as my ears were so painful in the cold wind - this weekend I manage to get sunburned!

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Permalink Reply by Kaybee on April 14, 2010 at 12:30pm

yep..i got a bit of a burn on my face yesterday, and was only out for a bit... today i braved a swim and then lay on the beach despite the fact that it was pretty breezy... craving that sun! back to work inside tomorrow..ugh.

it IS so funny here how whenever the sun comes out, the next day you see EVERYONE walking around with bright red chest face and arms... everyone is just CRAVING the sun, even in the summer as we get so little :)

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Permalink Reply by Janet on April 14, 2010 at 5:35pm

Well it's not going to last long :(((

Apparently we have snow on the way!

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Permalink Reply by Kaybee on April 15, 2010 at 5:53am

wow. thats MAD! i dont think we have snow on the way here but its definitely cooled off a bit. still amazing weather though!

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Permalink Reply by treehugger on April 13, 2010 at 11:26pm

I think the air temperature and wind this time of year can be dangerous as you feel cool but the sun is still powerful. Funny enough I got the best tan I ever had last year in Bangor, County Down whilst doing outdoor conservation work! Maybe you were out of the country at the time but the weather was beautiful day after day in late April and May. The less said about the rest of summer the better!!

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Permalink Reply by Janet on April 14, 2010 at 3:28am

That's so funny Treehugger! Northern Ireland always seems to have sunny weather in April and May and then horrendous depressing rainy Julys and Augusts. Do you live in NI? I live directly across Belfast Lough from Bangor. In fact I can see Bangor from Whitehead on a good day!

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Permalink Reply by treehugger on April 14, 2010 at 3:37am

Oh cool I went past there a few times on the coastal road! I was actually in Bangor for a year from September 2008 until September last year doing voluntary work in Clandeboye Estate. I lived right in the middle of Bangor though. I would move back in a heartbeat if I could get paid work there.
As far as the weather is concerned I think the rest of the UK has been sharing the same weather patterns for the last few years. Fingers crossed for a beautiful summer this year! *Holds breath...