Beach Day Sunburn - What Not To Do!

Ouch! Sunburn. My first beach day right before the official start of summer left me with a sunburn the next day. Yes, I used sunblock. No, I did not reapply, and no, I did not have an umbrella while sitting and laying on the beach for hours. So, there you have it - that’s exactly what you should never do for your beach day in general, but especially with eczema!

Testing my skin's durability

This was a quick, not fully planned impulse day at the beach. I remembered everything but the umbrella. Being the daring person that I am, I decided not to be too disappointed and took this as an opportunity to test my skin’s durability. I wondered if a natural sunscreen brand that I barely used could be enough for an all-day beach day and even withstanding going in the water. I wondered if my skin, which is quite melanated, could withstand a full day of sun beaming down on it.

Was it worth the risk?

Although I did get sunburned, primarily on my thighs and back, because I remembered my sun hat, it was not an unbearable experience. Even being able to sit in the direct sun for hours as I did without any irritation from the sweat, saltwater, and sand was a milestone. Unfortunately, it did take almost a week for me to even think about being in direct sunlight again, especially without extreme sunblock all over my body. Not too bad of an outcome, and ultimately I would have to say, worth the risk!

Aloe is a lifesaver

When I went on a Caribbean cruise towards the end of the worst stages of my TSW, I got sunburned, but using an aloe gel product made for sunburn cooled me off, and I was good to go the next day. I probably will have to purchase that in the near future.

Don't miss out on the saltwater

So, I write this article not as a go-to guide but ultimately as a reminder to still go to the beach! Get the healing properties of the ocean's saltwater. It is simply in your best interest to follow sunblock rules and not sit in the direct sun without protection. Two years ago, when facing extreme TSW symptoms, I still went to the beach and intentionally went in the ocean to massage the saltwater/sand on my skin to exfoliate. It did cause some irritation, but I knew that I would see positive results in time. Before TSW, I used to do this when I’d have some eczema problem areas that wouldn’t go away even with constant use of my topical steroid creams.

Enjoy a day of self-care

The moral of the story, don’t neglect self-care. Buy an umbrella if you forget yours and have your checklist. It will be very worth it, and you can live your best life the day of and weeks later for your next beach day. What precautions do you take during hot summer days or beach days? Have you experienced any healing from the sea? Let me know in the comments; I can always use pointers too!