Originally published in Yogi Approved.
You run, you play, and youโre out in the summer sun all day!ย The next morning, you wake up only to feel hot, sweaty, and burning. Getting lost in the heat of the summer has put you in the heat of a sunburn.
Sunburns can cause you to feel somewhat flu-like symptoms because, even though they look like theyโre just affecting the surface of the skin, so much is working overdrive beneath your skin to repair the damage.
But Ayurveda can help! Ayurveda is an ancient science of the mind-body that enlightens us and brings us back toward balance and longevity. As the author ofย Idiotโs Guide to Ayurveda, I specialize in making this health system easy for people to understand so you can begin to benefit from its ancient wisdom today.
With there being a few mind-body types, referred to asย doshas, this allows us to peer into how to treat each type specifically.
Recommended Read:ย What Are the Doshas? Hereโs Everything You Need to Know
Here Are 3 Natural Sunburn Remedies Based On Your Ayurvedic Dosha:
Try these natural sunburn remedies based on your Ayurvedic dosha this summer to keep playing all summer long!
1. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
You may notice feeling extra thirsty when you have a sunburn, but this isnโt just because you feel hot. Internally your body is working super hard to heal the skin and needs some extra hydration to do so!
Each dosha should eat and drink whatโs right for them during the summer season. Hereโs what that looks like:
Vataย is the driest of all the doshas and will need a little extra kick to quench dehydration beyond just water. Aloe juice, honeydew melon, and cucumber are rejuvenating additions that contain electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals to help you stay hydrated.
Pittaย is fiery and will need to take extra steps to cool down. Coconut water, celery, and watermelon are go-to picks all summer season to keep pitta cool and calm.
Kaphaย is the wateriest of the doshas, but still requires proper hydration. In order to avoid adding too many sweets, Kapha types should go for a high quality, low sugar lemonade, some romaine lettuce, and green apples.
2. Ayurvedic Oil Application
In Ayurveda, oil application is calledย abyanghaย which not only nourishes and heals the skin, but is meant to nourish the soul as well! In Sanskrit (Ayurvedaโs ancient language), the word โoilโ can be translated intoย snehaย which means โlove.โ
As youโre preparing to oil up a nasty sunburn, keep your mind immersed in love and watch your healing accelerate tenfold!
Each dosha requires a little something different, so when choosing a healing oil for the summer use the following as a guide:
Vataย should use a nourishingย castor oilย as it contains antibacterial properties. Castor oil is also a little heavy, which will add some needed grounding to airy Vatas.
Pittaย will want an anti-inflammatory oil, due to being a mostly firey body type.ย Coconut oilย is an excellent choice as it is cooling, antibacterial, and antifungal.
Kaphaย should gravitate towards something light and that keeps the blood moving.ย Neem oilย is a great choice as it stimulates the blood flow to bring nourishment to the skin.
3. Cool ACV Bath
Add about a cup of high-quality apple cider vinegar (ACV) to a cool water bath. Taking a cool, ACV bath is beneficial to each body type with a summer sunburn as the apple cider vinegar is anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal . . . anti-anything bad!
These properties will help the skin heal and alleviate itchiness as the sunburn begins to peel off.
A Final Note On Ayurvedic Remedies For Sunburns
There are a couple other remedies all body types can use to heal a sunburn. These includeย brahmi oil, turmeric-infused oils, andย aloe vera gel. Oils infused with certain healing herbs, such as turmeric, will help significantly bring down all inflammation and irritation.
Keep your chin up and donโt let a silly sunburn ruin any part of your summer. By slipping a few tips and tricks into your back pocket, Ayurveda can help you stay happy with natural sunburn remedies all summer long!
