It’s happened to the best of us.
After weeks of clouds, wind, and rain like perpetual spit, Dublin gets its long-awaited summer day. You toss the jumper and winter boots to the far side of the room, and don something that will allow your limbs to feel air for the first time in months. Stepping out into the open, you get that yummy feeling akin to holidays. The day is so refreshing that you imagine it a possibility to take an outdoor swim in cucumber water. Every step you take is filled with jaunty expression. You go to the park, lie in the grass and feel blissfully reptilian.
And then it comes. Like that sneaky pre-cold feeling. It’s a bit lethargic, but, hey, you’ve been basking in rays all day—what do you expect? But it’s more on the edge of threatening. When you get home, you look at yourself in the mirror, and you see it. Like someone has dipped you in beet juice.
You’ve contracted an Irish sunburn. You remind yourself that you’re nowhere near the Mediterranean and this fact confounds you. You feel like the sun has given you a massive hickey on the face.
So, what do you do next?
1. Drink a HUGE glass of water. Burns cause water in the body to draw away from internal organs and toward the skin layer to help with healing. So, give yourself extra H2O soldiers.
2. Place a post-it note on your forehead reminding yourself to wear sunscreen.
3. Take a luke-warm bath with the following recipe:
Irish Sunburn Soother Bath Recipe
You’ll Need:
A piece of Cheesecloth or part of an old T-shirt
Handful of Porridge Oats
Lavender or Mint Leaves
Frankincense Oil
Place Lavender(or Mint) and Porridge Oats in the centre of Cheesecloth.
Tie in such a way to create a bag. This is to ensure the oats don’t come out in the tub.
Place bag in bathtub and allow Oatmeal to form. You can squeeze the bag to release more of the soothing milky oatmeal liquid.
Add a few drops of Frankincense Oil.
(Extra Tip: Apply a few drops of Frankincense Oil to blistering spots after bath. It helps to soothe more damaged areas.)
After the bath, go to sleep and let your body heal.
Why these ingredients:
Oatmeal – Anti-inflammatory and soothing
Lavender – Antiseptic and promotes skin regeneration
Mint – Coolant
Frankincense – Promotes wound healing and prevents scarring
“Some people are so much sunshine to the square inch.” Walt Whitman
