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Nature may be turning up the heat, but thankfully she’s
also providing plenty of ways to cool down and stay
safe, not to mention some rapid relief in the event of
over-exposure, something most of us succumb to at
some point during the summer season.
When it’s hot outside, a good route to relief is staying cool inside. First and foremost, drink
plenty of water – at least six glasses a day to replenish lost fluids and prevent dehydration.
Water can also give relief through a refreshing cool shower or a dip in the cool ocean.
Cut a leaf from the plant and rub its gel
directly on the burn (seek medical advice
if your skin is actually blistered). If buying
commercial gel, select brands with pure
aloe vera. Some advise avoiding aloe
lotions that contain lanolin, as the oil may
make the burned area hurt again once the
oil is warm. Another effective topical oil for
pain relief and to treat bites, abrasions, dry
skin, and sunburns is tamanu oil.
Suffering from prickly heat?
This itchy annoyance happens when the
skin’s sweat glands over work and become
blocked, creating a rash. Ths may happen
to infants, whose sweat glands are not fully
developed, on skin areas that touch (ie,
under arms), on hot humid days, and on
skin of overexerted athletes.
First, cool down, and wash skin thoroughly
with mild soap. Then dry completely.
Try applying a splash of the following:
six drops each of lavender, eucalyptus
and chamomile diluted in a cup of spring
water; shake well. Organic hydrasols of
these essentials can also be combined
to create a cooling spray. Four drops of
lavender oil added to a warm bath can
be very soothing and placing this oil neat
(undiluted) to the temples, back of the
neck and solar plexus gives relief from
heat exhaustion.
Cooling foods to the rescue
A variety of foods can cool the body. Some
hydrate as well as release heat from the
body – try eating watermelon, cucumber
(there’s something to that saying “cool as
a cucumber”), cold tofu and yogurt. Try a
delicious snack of shredded cucumber in
yogurt; add cooling bitter greens (endive,
arugula and parsley) to salads; and drink
aloe vera juice, coconut water (it contains
hydrating potassium-stacked, mega-elec-
trolytes), or refreshing teas like chamomile,
fennel or hibiscus.
If you do overdo it in the sun, yogurt also
works topically. Mix it with a few drops of
lavender essential oil to relieve and heal
damaged skin. Pat or spray vinegar or cool,
sugarless brewed tea (tannin is tea’s active
ingredient here) over the area, or apply via
a soaked cloth or wet teabags. Drinking
green tea helps give a protective boost to
the skin in fighting off damaging rays, and
applying a tea compress or refreshing skin
spray helps reduce pain and inflammation.
Cooling plant remedies
Of course, one top cooling and sunburn
remedy is fresh aloe vera (see recipe, left).
Since aloe bottled lotions and gels can be
pricey, one of the best investments you
can make is an aloe plant for the garden.
HEAT
RELIEF
14
COROMANDEL LIFE 2014-15 HOLIDAY
Aloe
Vera
The Sunbathers’ Friend
Prefreeze aloe gel into ice
cube trays, store cubes
in a freezer bag, and grab
an individual “aloe-cicle”
when needed
.
A COOL TIP
B
esides cooling and soothing a sunburn, aloe
vera
is
a great healing agent for cuts, insect
bites, inflammation and other skin irritations while
acting as a natural protective bandage. Clinical
studies show aloe actually speeds the healing
process and fights bacteria that may cause infection.
Just slice off a leaf and apply the gel, or if you find
you’d like to keep a quantity on hand, below is a
great remedy recipe that will keep in the fridge for a
few months.
• Peel an outer leaf of the plant and and place
approximately 1/4 cup of the gel in a blender.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of essential Lavender Oil. (Lavender is
a natural antibiotic, antiseptic, anti-depressant, sedative
and detoxifier that promotes healing and prevents
scarring – a must in any home remedy kit!)
• Optional: Add 500mg of powdered vitamin C and the
contents of a capsule of vitamin E.
• Blend thoroughly and refrigerate in a clean glass jar (the
darker the better to avoid contact with light).
For an appointment, call or text
07 864 8766
or
021 917 563
ACC Registered
No Referral Necessary
Therapeutic Massage
LANCe eAsToN
BHSc Physiotherapy
BSc Sport & Exercise Science
Pauanui Club Annex,
Pauanui
& 210 Richmond St,
Thames
The heart-healthy properties of dark
chocolate have been known for a while,
but recently German researchers revealed
the potential of the dark stuff’s antioxidant
flavonoids to protect the skin from
damaging UV rays, from the inside out. (No,
you don’t have to smear chocolate sauce
on your skin, unless you want to.)
Over time, the test subjects’ skin became
more resilient to cancer-causing UV ray
damage, and the skin layer also became
thicker and moister. To get the beneficial
skin protection of the study however, one
would have to eat about 3 ounces (85gr) of
very dark chocolate daily. Great! But then
there’s calories to consider, perhaps 500!
For nearly a decade, the same group has
conducted studies with cooked tomato
products showing that their ingestion,
too, can limit UV-induced skin reddening.
Pigmented molecules called carotenoids
– especially the one known as lycopene
– appeared responsible for tomato’s skin-
protection benefit. Mars Inc. sponsored
a small study (only 24 women), and has
Looking for more reasons to eat chocolate?
since created a special flavonoid powder.
On hearing news of this study, a friend
in Hawaii wondered if the flavonoid
protective factor was why her chocoholic
hubby never got sunburned. Pam and
Bob Cooper own The Original Hawaiian
Chocolate Factory in Kona. Pam tells
us, “If Bob’s not processing chocolate,
he’s outdoors with the cacao trees for
hours, and he never gets sunburned.”
She’s convinced he gets his daily quota.
(They produce a delicious chocolate from
Hawaiian grown cacao – easy access to
that 3 oz.)
Many chocolate sweets contain both
refined sugar and powdered milk, which
counteract most of the health benefits
of the cacao. Refined sugar depletes
minerals in body, and causes weight gain,
blood sugar disorders and dehydration.
Powdered milk, used to produce the
familiar milk chocolate, can block the
healing antioxidant properties of cacao.
So, for best results, keep on chocolate’s
good side –stick with the dark side!
-TD