Do you have a love/hate relationship with the sun? You probably love the way it feels in the short-term: warming your face and delivering a bronze tan for the summer. But in the long-term, spending too much time in the sun causes wrinkles, leathery skin, sun spots and uneven skin tone. These are all signs of premature skin aging -- more than 90 percent of which are caused by an overexposure to the sun’s UV rays.
Fortunately, there are some ways to help sun damaged skin. You can rewind the clock and take back hours spent in the sun by addressing a few key components.

If you spend a bit too much time in the sun, your skin can become inflamed and red, potentially causing some pain, too. It’s important to treat this damaged skin with the right ingredients.
Aloe is maybe the most common treatment for sunburn and there’s a reason why. Aloe vera is a natural anti-inflammatory and can be applied directly to your skin. If you choose to use a lotion with aloe vera in it, be sure to avoid those with petroleum, benzocaine or lidocaine.
Tamanu and calendula oils are anti-inflammatory and skin regenerative oils that heal skin while keeping skin moisturized. Lavender essential oil is a potent anti-inflammatory essential oil, so much that it was originally used to treat minor burns and scrapes.

Extended exposure to the sun, coupled with the time spent in chlorine and salt water, can sap the hydration from your skin. To help your skin recover from that time, it’s important to moisturize, which will add and retain skin hydration. A moisturizer with humectants -- ingredients that hold water to skin -- arethe way to go. Humectants also form a moisture barrier on skin, keeping moisture locked and preventing water loss. Natural humectants include hyaluronic acid, honey and vegetable glycerin.
Look for products with these ingredients, as well as Vanilla essential oil and squalene found in Macadamia nut oil. Squalene is a natural ingredient found in your body that helps prevent water loss through skin.

One of the easiest ways to keep your skin hydrated in the summer is to drink plenty of water. This is important all year long, but especially in the summer when the body loses more water through sweat. Drinking between eight to 12 glasses of water each day will help to flush toxins out of your system and replace lost fluid. In the same vein, it may be a good idea to cut down on alcohol and sodium consumption, both of which have a tendency to dehydrate the body.

Sun spots are caused by your body's epidermal response to sun damage. Melanin is an excitable pigment that moves to your skin's surface forming sun spots or dark spots when skin damage occurs. Addressing hyperpigmentation is a two-fold:

1. Exfoliate, exfoliate - Exfoliating your skin will remove outer pigmented layers, revealing newer and younger skin underneath. When your skin has recovered from sensitive sun damage, regular exfoliation will help to slowly remove dark spots. Using natural exfoliating scrubs are great. However, Vitamin A when applied topically can help gently exfoliate your skin. Sea buckthorn berry, Carrot tissue oil and Rosehip seed oil contain naturally high levels of beta-carotene (a pre-cursor to retin A) and are great natural, conditioning oils that will help reduce dark spots and sun spots naturally.
2. Vitamins C reduces melanin production in skin. Moreover, it is a powerful anti oxidant, that hydrates skin and allows SPF to last longer in your sun screen. It also helps collagen formation to regenerate skin quickly and restore healthy skin quickly. Find vitamin C in citrus essential oils like Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit and even in vitamin C esters that are pure forms of vitamin C that can be applied topically for maximum benefit

Spending time in the sun can expedite the wrinkling of your skin and make fine lines more noticeable. But, there are ways to restore the elasticity of your skin that is lost through sun exposure:

• Eating a diet that includes anti-oxidants can help restore skin texture and protect your skin from future damage
• Exercising at least 30 minutes a day will increase blood circulation and tone the skin.
• Vitamin E, also known as tocopherol acetate, has the ability to penetrate the skin deeply and prevent free radical damage, restoring skin structure and elasticity.< Sunflower, Almond and Avocado oils are high in vitamin E

We at Subtle Green take natural ingredients seriously. We're committed to finding pure and natural alternatives to help recover from sun damage and restore your skin's health. We feel that natural skincare is the best form of skincare because it contains pure and healthy ingredients without harsh chemicals your skin does not need.  For more information about natural ingredients and some of Subtle Green’s after sun products, visit our online store.