Features of using sour cream for sunburn
Sunburn is an unpleasant and very dangerous phenomenon. His treatment should be started as soon as possible, without leading to complications. Modern pharmacology is replete with anti-burn agents. But what if they were not at hand, but urgent help is required? The answer is simple: use folk remedies, one of which is sour cream.
Operating principle
Sunburn develops from excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays. With their moderate amount, the skin produces a special pigment - melanin, which softens the aggressive action of the sun. With an excess of ultraviolet radiation, melanin is destroyed, and the skin becomes vulnerable to the action of the sun.
If time does not limit its influence, a burn develops. It is manifested by hyperemia and soreness, slight swelling of the soft tissues. Since sun exposure causes excessive evaporation of moisture, dryness and tightness of the skin appear, wrinkles form. This is how a 1st degree burn appears. With the aggravation of the condition, it passes into the 2nd and even the 3rd stage with the appearance of blisters and wound surfaces.
Fair-skinned people are most susceptible to this condition. And this is all due to the same lack of melanin. In dark-skinned people, its amount is greater, so the likelihood of getting such an undesirable effect is noticeably lower.
Sour cream can do you a huge favor with sunburn. The product has certain properties that must be used when burning.First of all, sour cream will pleasantly cool your skin, producing a soothing effect. It will help reduce burning sensation and pain, reduce swelling.
Since the product is 75% water, it moisturizes the skin quite well and relieves dryness. The fats in its composition will soften the dermis, protecting it from tightness. Sour cream contains lactic acid. It enhances the process of exfoliation of dead epithelium, due to which the skin is cleansed and renewed faster.
In addition, those nutritional components that are contained in sour cream (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and trace elements) will nourish the depleted skin and restore the balance of nutrients. Similar properties of the product when applied to the surface of the dermis are achieved due to the formation of a film. It provides a positive creamy effect until the product is removed from the skin.
Pros and cons
Using sour cream to get rid of sunburn has its advantages and disadvantages. Its indisputable advantages are accessibility and the possibility of using it at home, because this product is a permanent resident of almost every refrigerator.
But it should be remembered that sour cream can be smeared with sunburn of only 1 degree, that is, with the appearance of redness, slight swelling and dry skin. Blisters and blisters, as well as extensive swelling, ulcerative and erosive surfaces are treated with medications under the supervision of a physician.
The following qualities are against sour cream.
- Firstly, the film that it forms on the skin and thanks to which its saving properties are manifested. The fact is that this film, which has a lipid base, interferes with water metabolism and the secretory function of the dermis. That is why you can not use sour cream for too long and often.
- Secondly, the oily sour cream base requires mandatory cleaning of the skin with the help of detergent components after its application. And they dry the dermis, again causing discomfort.
- In addition, sour cream leaves greasy marks when it gets on clothes.
- And one more fact is not in favor of the product. Burns provoke the spread of pathogenic bacteria on the skin. A product containing yeast components can enhance their growth and lead to the spread of infection.
- Sour cream does not have an analgesic effect. The pain during its application is reduced by cooling.
- Also, it does not contribute to the synthesis of new cells of the damaged epithelium, as some anti-burn pharmacy products do.
How to apply correctly?
Sour cream really helps with sunburn, you just need to use it correctly.
- Treatment of the affected area begins with cleaning the skin from dust and other contaminants in its area. To do this, gently rinse the area with water without the use of effort and additional means, such as washcloths.
- Cool the burnt area: apply ice cubes, a wet piece of cloth for 10-15 minutes, or simply rinse the skin under running water.
- The product is applied to the skin in a thin layer, especially on the face, so as not to clog pores and not interfere with the work of the sebaceous and sweat glands.
- Do not rub the product into the dermis, so as not to injure it once again, just apply sour cream on the damaged area in a small layer.
- Keep the product on the skin for 20-30 minutes, until it is completely absorbed. The product must then be carefully removed from the surface using soap or other detergent.
- To perform the procedure, chilled sour cream with a small percentage of fat content is used.
To enhance the effect, sour cream is used in combination with other products, such as raw potatoes. It can also be replaced with yogurt or kefir.
Sour cream quickly helps to reduce the negative manifestations that have arisen from an unsuccessful tan. Further treatment of sunburn should be carried out based on the severity of the problem, the presence of complications and the extent of the lesion.
Reviews
There is no unequivocal opinion on the effectiveness of the use of sour cream against sunburn. Some people claim that the remedy helped them a lot, and in 1 night they managed to get rid of all the negative manifestations. Quite a lot of users claim that they always use the product if they have been out in the sun. This is both effective and saves money.
Proponents of the opposite opinion trust only pharmacy products, as they are reliable and safe. And in principle, they do not believe in the magical effect of the sour cream product, or they got burned from their own experience. It is difficult to say for sure whether sour cream helps with burns or not. Everything is individual and depends on the time of use and the burn area.
But anyway it is more rational to use sour cream for sunburn in the form of first aid, immediately after receiving them. This will help slow down the further spread of inflammation and swelling. After providing emergency care and at the first opportunity, it is better to continue treatment with specialized means that will provide high-quality pain relief, start regeneration processes, show an antimicrobial effect and speed up recovery.
Sour cream has other cosmetic properties, which will be discussed later.