Sun Burn

[panacea]

just wear clothing when possible but for areas you can't cover up like I said get a mild sunscreen, one that works but has as few ingredients as possible, as low SPF that keeps you from getting irritated, you could also look up natural sunscreen remedy or something if you want to.. I'm sure there is something.

of course the burns would be worse than the sunscreen, however. It's just that coating your skin, which should be though of as a breathable part of you rather than a solely protective layer, like your hair is, and should be treated carefully and with as few chemicals as possible, but its better to prevent burns...

[panacea]

regarding skin aging - sun (as long as it's not too much, aka burning) has a good effect on your body and therefore your skin. social norms however can conflict with this, such as "fair skin is hot" or w/e, so in that case sunscreen might help you, but it would still be a lot better to just wear loose, long clothing (hopefully in style still) to prevent sun burns. but really, if you're doing everything else right sunscreen occasionally is no big deal especially if you have a severe vulnerability to it. Also keep in mind sunlight is not always as harmful, especially regarding skin cancer, at all times during the day. Sunrise and sunset the skin is friendliest to skin, the more in the middle of the two the more intense so the less time-exposure required for the same effect, and also the more risk.. for fair skinned especially.

[RRM]

I figured the hot sun would cook the oil, and therefor would be bad for the skin. Is this correct?

Yes.
Only apply the oil to the skin after it got burned.
dont put it on your skin when you are exposing it to the sun.
BTW, its not wart, but wort.
And its not about the plant, but its oil.

do you think the dried up St. Johns Wart pills I have, would work to make an oil?

No, thats the remaining part without the oil.

[Mr. PC]

Ok, well the site I read made it sound like the oil was made by mixing the plant in other oils. But you mean there is an oil that is actually derived from the st. John's Wort plant?

[RRM]

From this site:
It is simple to make St. John's wort oil. The herb is harvested just as the plant comes into bloom. Take about one cupful of the fresh flowers, adding a sufficient quantity of olive oil to just cover the flowers. The fresh herb should be finely cut or crushed, covered with the oil, then placed in the sun or warm area for two to three weeks until the herb imparts its qualities to the oil. Shaking it once a day helps to bring more plant cell surfaces in contact with the menstruum, enhancing this simple extraction process. Once the allotted time (2-3 weeks) has passed, the herb should be pressed, strained from the oil, then stored in a dark, closed container in a cool place.

The yellow flowers will turn the oil a deep blood-red color. Basically you are extracting the pigment, hypericin, considered one of the biologically active compounds of the plant, found in the flowers as little black dots along the petal margins. It is best to use the fresh flowers, as hypericin may degrade upon drying.

[Iris]

From this site:
It is simple to make St. John's wort oil. The herb is harvested just as the plant comes into bloom. Take about one cupful of the fresh flowers, adding a sufficient quantity of olive oil to just cover the flowers. The fresh herb should be finely cut or crushed, covered with the oil, then placed in the sun or warm area for two to three weeks until the herb imparts its qualities to the oil. Shaking it once a day helps to bring more plant cell surfaces in contact with the menstruum, enhancing this simple extraction process. Once the allotted time (2-3 weeks) has passed, the herb should be pressed, strained from the oil, then stored in a dark, closed container in a cool place.

The yellow flowers will turn the oil a deep blood-red color. Basically you are extracting the pigment, hypericin, considered one of the biologically active compounds of the plant, found in the flowers as little black dots along the petal margins. It is best to use the fresh flowers, as hypericin may degrade upon drying.

Uhhu, that's exactly how my mom makes it

[Mr. PC]

Ok. So than I just need to find some fresh St. Jon's Wort flower pedals. Would it still be a good idea to use coconut oil rather than olive oil?

[RRM]

Sure, why not?

[Mr. PC]

Coming back to this thread after a year (now that I'm getting burnt again), I'm wondering if I just overthought the St. John's Wort; how does it create more perfect conditions than coconut oil? The oil protects you from the sun, and than mild anti-viral are supposedly in both. Theoretically I may be just as well off with the coconut oil (and I don't have time to make the Wort; last year I never even got around to it).

So do I need to go around just in shorts while I'm smothered in oil? Otherwise it would just soak into my cloths I guess. What about sunburns on the scalp? Also, I've been using that awful smelling spray-on sunscreen. I'm assuming that stuff is crap for your skin, anyone have an opinion there? This thread makes me feel like a sunburn isn't too much of a worry other than the temporary discomfort it creates. Am I right or wrong in that regard?

Thanks

[abicahsoul]

Use coconut oil. It's ok if it soaks up in your clothes a bit. Just apply new oil when you take off the clothes at the beach to swim or whatever. Or keep clothes on when swimming for better protection. Don't stay out in the sun too long. If you start to get red, get out of the sun, stay in the shade. If u need to be in the sun a very long time perhaps you need some commercial screen.. Otherwise the coconut oil seems to do the trick.-..
Only if you have some very fine garment of let's say, silk, would I recommend caution with the coconut oil cuz it might stain and be hard to remove...

[RRM]

the St. John's Wort; how does it create more perfect conditions than coconut oil?

The St john's Wort is not for protection, but rather medicinal (soothing) when you already got burned.

This thread makes me feel like a sunburn isn't too much of a worry other than the temporary discomfort it creates. Am I right or wrong in that regard?

In my view, getting a sunburn is dangerous, and one should prevent it.

[Mr. PC]

Hey got burnt pretty badly again. Somehow the kuwaiti sun never harmed me but Istanbul does. Anyhow id i have nothing else at hand can i use an ice cube to pull the burn out? I read this can damage nerves for acute-burns (don't know if that's a real term) but maybe it's ok for sun burns?