4 Tips For Sunburn Relief

Summer is full of fun... And sunburn! Use these tips and tricks for fast sunburn relief 

Nobody was more surprised than me when on a 70 degree day on April 19 in Texas, I sat outside for lunch with a friend for an hour and twenty minutes and later that night found myself sunburned. In April. After an hour in the sun! I was blessed with olive skin that rarely ever burns (I've had fewer than 10 sunburns in my entire life, and I worked at an outdoor community pool from high school through college!) I'm the skin tone that gets a beautiful tan in the summer. I was shocked that an hour outside in April could do this to me! Yet, my skin hadn't seen sunlight since the previous September and I've gotten really good about covering my skin when I'm in the sun (nothing like aging to get you thinking about wrinkle prevention!) I remembered a tip from my old pool working days that the other gals used to do, and added some of my modern knowledge of essential oils to get my sunburn some relief in under 24 hours. Yup, and I have photos to prove it! Here's how you can get sunburn relief too.

First, the essential oils! Revive oils are my new go-to. Yup, I used to be with Young Living, but the expense of those oils were insane. I asked some of my oily gurus who they got their oils from and learned about Revive. They're therapeutic grade, indigestible essential oils that are NOT a multi-level-marketing structure. You can go on their website and buy them like you'd buy something on Amazon - no need to sign up for some membership! They have packages with diffusers and single essential oils, plus roller bottles and other lifestyle items. Use code Paige10 for 10% off your order and experience the same quality of Young Living or doTERRA without the obnoxious price (and minus the sales people always trying to get you to buy things...)

As we were lunching outside, I could feel that my skin was getting too much sun. I don't know if everyone gets that sensation, but for me I can feel a burn coming on long before it's an actual burn. I should have moved to the shade. By the time I was driving home, I knew for sure I had gotten too much sun on my face and my left shoulder, arm and left side of my chest that was exposed from my shirt. That leads me to tip one:

1) Immediately apply sunscreen to the areas that have received too much sun

This was the tip from my lifeguard days that the girls with fair skin taught me. It doesn't matter if you're not going out in the sun again, it doesn't matter if you just took a shower. Apply a generous amount of sunscreen to your assumed burn areas immediately. The sooner you get it on there, the better your results. I use an all natural, mineral based sunscreen but it works with conventional brands too. For the next 24-48 hours, use sunscreen like a lotion on your burned areas.

Day 1: sunburn on my left side, especially chest and shoulder, side of nose and left arm

2) Use calming essential oils known for skin benefits

I used lavender, a natural calming agent, and frankincense, known for increasing cell growth/turnover combined with a moisturizing vegetable based oil. That could be the V6 oil shown or coconut oil, grape seed oil, or any other veggie-based carrier oil of choice. I did about 2-3 drops of each oil to one pump of the carrier oil and it was enough to cover my burned area. I alternated between applying my sunscreen and this blend for 48 hours

About those essential oils! Revive oils are my new go-to. Yup, I used to be with Young Living, but the expense of those oils were insane. I asked some of my oily gurus who they got their oils from and learned about Revive. They're therapeutic grade, indigestible essential oils that are NOT a multi-level-marketing structure. You can go on their website and buy them like you'd buy something on Amazon - no need to sign up for some membership! They have packages with diffusers and single essential oils, plus roller bottles and other lifestyle items. Use code Paige10 for 10% off your order and experience the same quality of Young Living or doTERRA without the obnoxious price (and minus the sales people always trying to get you to buy things...)

The products I actually used on my sunburn

3) Drink more water than normal

Sun burns dehydrate you from the inside out! Not only do you need to moisturize the heck out of the burned skin, you need to hydrate internally too. I normally drink 65-80oz of water a day and after this incident, I aimed for 100 so that I could be sure I was hydrated properly. Skimping on water can lead/contribute to sun poisoning if you got a particularly bad burn! Skip dehydrating cocktails and have a night of water if you're on vacation so that you can be sure to have a great remainder of your trip. And be sure to cover your burn when you're out in the sun so you don't do more damage!

Exactly 24 hours after the first picture was taken

4) Take an anti-inflammatory for painful sunburns

If it hurts to lie down, sit down, take a shower or is keeping you awake at night, take an anti-inflammatory OTC drug like Advil or Ibuprofen. Not only do these help with pain levels, they reduce swelling and inflammation to the burn site, unlike other pain meds. As always, consult your doctor before taking any drug, OTC or not. Some drugs interact with others, so if you're on prescriptions, be extra cautious and check with your doctor.

48 hours after the first picture was taken. The burn has completely transitioned to tan.

Obviously, everyone's results will vary based on skin type and severity of the burn. Mine was not severe, and I have olive skin that tans easily, so my burn was easy to treat. Your skin and your burn will be different. These are just the things that I did, that I've learned over the years, and that help me recover from too much sun. If you went and got yourself a serious sunburn, please get off the internet and call your doctor!

I haven't been out in the sun since my lunch date, but it served as a great reminder that even olive toned gals like me are susceptible to sunburns, especially as we head into the first nice few days/months of the summer season. The beginning of the summer season is especially important to cover up and use sunscreen to avoid burning skin that's been hiding all winter long. If you do get a burn, even a mild one, use these tips for sunburn relief. They take the sting out of a burn and turn it into a tan more quickly than doing nothing at all!

Why Are Moms So Guilt Ridden Over Leaving Their Kids?

It's en vogue to complain about motherhood and finish it with, "but I wouldn't have it any other way!" and when a mom gets a night away, she makes a point of expressing her guilt at leaving. Well, I call bulls**t. 

There's an old saying that goes something like 'when you do or buy something, you notice everyone else doing/buying the same thing too.' Obviously that's paraphrased because the original quote is far more clever, but you get the idea. Two weekends ago, I went to Nashville for a girlfriend's bachelorette, this weekend I'm headed to Boston to host my sister's baby shower and the weekend after that, we're headed to Richmond for a wedding. Lots of kid free weekends for me this spring! Which got me noticing... Moms sure do like to spew a lot of BS about guilt and their kids when they get a chance to get away. Let me explain.

I know I'm missing boccie ball backyard shenanigans when I leave my kids for a long weekend

Have you ever noticed how some moms go out of their way to tell the world on social media how hard it is to leave their kids when they actually get a weekend away. It always goes something like this: "Just got dropped off at the airport for my girls trip in Miami. Sobbed like crazy leaving these two little ones but thankfully it's only for a weekend! I feel so guilty leaving them. Mommy loves you!" Oooooooook. Let me tell you the f what. Buckle up kids, because I'm about to call out the fake mom guilt feelers.

First, you're not sobbing. You're dancing a jig. You're RUNNING into that airport and you're going to get a mimosa before your flight. Hell, you're probably getting two. You're immediately texting your girlfriends "I'M FREE B**CHES, HERE I COME!" You're not wallowing in a corner of the airport, sulking over the fact that you're finally getting a weekend away from your kids. And you're dang sure wishing it was longer than a weekend.

Throughout the weekend, you'll update social media with beautiful pictures of all the things you're up to - great food shots of amazing restaurants (that you'd never get to go to with your kids in tow), beach shots (where you're actually resting and sunbathing, something that never happens with your kids are along), and night out photos of you dressed up, makeup on, and feet strapped in heels (which you had to dust off because heels with kids is a death wish). All your friends are happy to see you getting some "me time." But they're also insanely annoyed by the fact that you qualify each photo with how much you're missing your family, which in reality, you haven't thought about all day. Or you did briefly, but you FaceTime'd them and got the scoop of what they're up to and what you're doing is dramatically more awesome. So why are you blasting social media with your made-up guilt?

I know I'm missing priceless faces when I leave for a weekend. That's ok. There's no shortage of personality in this family

Here's why: Because your guilt is REAL. But it's not guilt over missing your kids. It's guilt over showing the world that you miss who you were before you had kids and are THRILLED at the prospect of getting a weekend to be the non-mom version of yourself. The woman you knew before kids entered the picture and began dominating not only your life, but your very identity.

Once women become moms, they're just expected to give up everything for their kids. They're defined by being a mom. When you meet someone new, one of the first polite questions asked is, "Oh, do you have kids?" I'm always (yes, always!) asked if I have kids before I'm asked what I do for a living. My husband is always (yes, always!) asked what he does for a living before he's asked if he has kids. This issue is something that distinctly affects MOMS and rarely, if ever, affects dads. Which is why women are so annoying with displaying their "guilt" over leaving their families, something that's absent from any posts about guys' trips. When was the last time you saw a group of guys posing for a pic at hole 8 with a couple of beers in hand with a caption that reads, "Golfing with the boys! Perfect day for 18 holes, great beers, but man I wish the wife and kids were here! I miss them so much and can't wait to get home to them. I hope they're doing ok and know that daddy misses them!"

Yeah, never. You've never seen that because it's totally ok for men to get away, to not be defined by their role as a father. They can go on trips (work or personal) and tell everyone what an awesome time they're having with zero qualifiers regarding their family life. Women, on the other hand, feel the need to tell everyone that they're currently away but absolutely can't wait to get back to their life with kids. And I call BS on that.

I'm missing sweet moments they play well together but that's ok too, because there will be more sweet times and memories made

Women want and need to get away just as much as men do, and no - we don't always miss our kids. We don't think about them nonstop. We miss who we were before we had kids, an identity society made us ditch the moment a child entered our life. It's ok to get away and not have disclaimers or caveats about your family, moms! It's ok to say heck yes I got away, I ate great food and drank great coffee and slept through the night for once, and it was amazing. You should be able to say this without the fear of judgement!

Why are moms so guilt ridden over leaving their kids? It's not because they're actually guilt ridden over leaving their kids (and if they are, I hope they're working with an excellent therapist on their codependency!) It's because society judges a mom harshly when she escapes her mom role and focuses on herself. How about we all work together to change this judgement and let moms get out, get away and for the love of all that's holy, STOP the "oh I can't live without my kids" qualifiers on social media posts!

How To Use Essential Oils

A great resource on some of my best posts, tips and DIY's on how to use essential oils in your everyday life

I've written a whole slew of essential oils posts over the years. When I started writing about them years ago, a few friends were said, "Well that will be great for your blog, because oils are so trendy right now! Just make sure you have a backup for when they're no longer en vogue." To which I laughed. Essential oils have been used for thousands of years. They predate biblical times, and are actually referenced in the Bible itself. They are not new. They are not trendy. Instead, they're some of the building blocks of wellness. They're becoming popular again because people are sick, are sick of Big Pharma prices, are sick of taking pills to fix a symptom of a larger problem and are looking for simple ways to get and stay healthy. Enter essential oils! Ok cool - but just how exactly does one use them for a maintained healthy lifestyle? Here's how to use essential oils. I've rounded up some of my favorite and most viewed posts in one spot for a single resource as an intro on how to incorporate oils into your everyday life.

First, the best thing to do is invest in a starter kit so you get a number of oils. Revive oils are my new go-to! Yup, I used to be with Young Living, but the expense of those oils were insane. I asked some of my oily gurus who they got their oils from and learned about Revive. They're therapeutic grade, indigestible essential oils that are NOT a multi-level-marketing structure. You can go on their website and buy them like you'd buy something on Amazon - no need to sign up for some membership! They have packages with diffusers and single essential oils, plus roller bottles and other lifestyle items. Use code Paige10 for 10% off your order and experience the same quality of Young Living or doTERRA without the obnoxious price (and minus the sales people always trying to get you to buy things...)

Now that you've got your oils, you need to store them correctly. Of course I have a post on that! Here's the best way to store your oils. There's info on what light and heat conditions oils can take and methods in organizing them. This applies to ALL oils, high end or not!

Essential oils can literally be used in just about every facet of your life. I've grouped my posts into categories to make it easier to find what you're looking for. This is not an exhaustive list either - there are SO many more ways to use oils in your life! This is just what I've posted about (not even all of them in fact - search my blog if there's something you're curious about or send me a personal email!) If you have an essential oil skeptic in your life, make them one of the DIY gifts and bring them over to the enlightened side. I bet they'll LOVE the oily life once they get familiar with the products and oils!

Skincare/Personal care

Skin clearing face wash

Facial toner

Hair care

Bath soak

Room Sprays

Fall Scented Room Spray

Spring Breeze Room Spray

Diffuser blends 

Spring time diffuser blends

Fall and holiday diffuser bends

Product Swap Outs 

Dryer sheets

Bug spray

Seasonal sniffles relief 

DIY gifts

Peppermint foot scrub

Diffuser bracelet

Ornaments