Avoiding Sun Reactions: Cosmetics, Medications, and More to Be Aware Of

2024-05-05 10:04:45

Cosmetics – some substances react in sunlight

Your skin care can also be the culprit of your rash. Some ingredients are phototoxic so they can react in your skin in conjunction with the sun. Very well called culprits? Fragrances and dyes. But strangely enough, certain sun filters in your sunscreen can also cause a rash, such as oxybenzone.

The rash is like a sunburn with pain and swelling. If you use these phototoxic substances in the sun for a long time, the skin can eventually age faster and cause pigment spots.

You can do this
Think about the skin care you applied before going out in the sun and check the ingredient list for plant extracts such as citrus, orange, bergamot, mandarin, grapefruit, lime, lavender, rosemary, fig, angelica, St. John’s wort, tea tree. and ginger.

Medicines – check the package leaflet

Medications can also cause problems in the sun. This applies, for example, to antibiotics, water tablets and some antidepressants. You can always find this in the package leaflet.

You can do this
If you are taking medications that carry a warning, it may be wise to avoid the sun as much as possible. You can also take extra measures: wear a hat or cap and apply more sunscreen.

Margarita rash – sounds fun, but it’s not

The margarita rash is a skin reaction you can get after drinking a margarita in the sun. That’s because of the lime in it. Citrus fruits, in combination with the sun, can cause rashes, burns and blisters. So be careful not to rub fruit juices on your skin while in the sun. You can also get this rash from celery and parsley…

You can do this
Do you have a severe skin reaction? Always contact your doctor. In severe cases you may be prescribed corticosteroid ointment.

Sun allergy – seen mainly in spring

Often one of the four options above is the reason why you see bumps on your skin after sun exposure. But sometimes you have a sun allergy. The skin then reacts excessively to UV radiation (usually UVA radiation), with blisters, bumps, thickened red skin and/or itching.

Sun allergy occurs especially in the spring and early summer. You only see the skin complaints that were in the sun (but which you often cover in winter), such as the neck, arms and chest. If the skin is exposed to the sun more often, the complaints decrease in most people.

The rash usually does not appear immediately after exposure to the sun (or after using a tanning bed), but sometimes up to days later.

You can do this
Did you get bumps from the sun? Then stay out of the sun until the skin complaints are gone. Sun allergy symptoms usually go away on their own after ten days. If you want something to fight the itching, your doctor can prescribe, for example, levomenthol gel or cream. It is also possible cream or ointment with corticosteroids.

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