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<h3>Tips for treating sunburn naturally</h3> Sunburn is cause by excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. Each of us can be burnt by over-exposure to harmful UVA and UVB rays. The extent of the burn depends on individual skin health and skin colour, geographical location, the time of day and the atmospheric conditions. UVB rays attack the outer skin layers, UVA attacks the underlying layers. This article will help you to care for sunburn using natural products.<h3> What happens when you get sunburn?</h3> Most sunburns are first-degree burns, and the skin becomes warm, red and tender. Depending on the individual’s skin type and the severity of the burn, the burn may become a suntan or thin layers of skin may peel off. More serious sunburn is second-degree, with extreme reddening, swelling, pain and blisters. This happens when the burn has gone deeper that the surface layer of the skin, causing damage and loss of cellular fluid. The skin here may break open, increasing the risk of infection. In the most severe cases of sunburn, the burn may be accompanied by fever, chills, nausea and/or delirium. This can be dangerous and medical advice should be sought urgently. Sunburn is frequently accompanied by dehydration. Sunburn symptoms often appears hours following exposure and usually peak between 2-3 days after exposure. Frequent bouts of sunburn can increase the risk of skin cancer in later years.<h3> Tips for managing sunburn naturally</h3><ul><li>Aloe Vera gel is very effective for a burn by relieving pain and swelling. It promotes healing, helps to moisturise the skin and relieves dryness. Apply a thin layer of aloe vera gel (taken from the inner leaf) to the affected area, reapplying every hour until the pain has subsided. Ensure the product you purchase does not contain mineral oil, paraffin waxes, alcohol or colouring which can irritate the skin.</li><li>Drink water to rehydrate and help the body repair and recover. Aim to drink at least 1.5L every day, more on hot days. You can add herbs, vegetables and fruits to your water for added flavour.</li><li>A herbal bath containing chamomile oil or lavender oil can help to relieve the stinging and pain of sunburn. Add 6 drops of oil of a lukewarm bath and soak in the bath for 30 minutes.</li><li>Cool-water compress can provide immediate relief for sunburn pain. Apply as often as needed, ensuring the compress is cool not cold.</li><li>High protein foods help your tissues to repair and rebuild following a burn as they provide collagen that forms the building blocks of skin cells. Include lean meat, eggs, dairy, fish as well as vegetable proteins found in beans, legumes, wholegrains, nuts and seeds. Aim to eat 1.0g protein/kg body weight per day.</li><li>Vegetables and fruits provide vitamins and minerals that enable your body to reduce inflammation, healing and repairing tissues. Include a wide range of colourful vegetables and fruit in your daily diet. Aim to consume 3-5 portions of vegetables and 2-3 portions of fruit per day.</li><li>Avoid the sun completely until the burn has healed.</li></ul> In summary, sunburn can be a painful experience that can ruin a holiday and potentially be dangerous to health. If you do inadvertently get sunburn, adopting the above tips will provide natural sunburn care and help you to recover well. Please consult your GP/health professional if you feel unwell as a result of overexposure to the sun.

Looking for natural sunburn care? These nutrition and lifestyle tips can ease your discomfort. 

<a href="/directory/ingredients/german-chamomile" target="_blank">chamomile</a>

<a href="/directory/ingredients/lavender" target="_blank">lavender</a>

<h3>Tips for treating sunburn naturally</h3> Sunburn is cause by excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. Each of us can be burnt by over-exposure to harmful <a href="/directory/ingredients/grape" target="_blank">UVA</a> and UVB rays. The extent of the burn depends on individual skin health and skin colour, geographical location, the time of day and the atmospheric conditions. UVB rays attack the outer skin layers, UVA attacks the underlying layers. This article will help you to care for sunburn using natural products.<h3> What happens when you get sunburn?</h3> Most sunburns are first-degree burns, and the skin becomes warm, red and tender. Depending on the individual’s skin type and the severity of the burn, the burn may become a suntan or thin layers of skin may peel off. More serious sunburn is second-degree, with extreme reddening, swelling, pain and blisters. This happens when the burn has gone deeper that the surface layer of the skin, causing damage and loss of cellular fluid. The skin here may break open, increasing the risk of infection. In the most severe cases of sunburn, the burn may be accompanied by fever, chills, nausea and/or delirium. This can be dangerous and medical advice should be sought urgently. Sunburn is frequently accompanied by dehydration. Sunburn symptoms often appears hours following exposure and usually peak between 2-3 days after exposure. Frequent bouts of sunburn can increase the risk of skin cancer in later years.<h3> Tips for managing sunburn naturally</h3><ul><li><a href="/directory/ingredients/aloe" target="_blank">Aloe Vera gel</a> is very effective for a burn by relieving pain and swelling. It promotes healing, helps to moisturise the skin and relieves dryness. Apply a thin layer of aloe vera gel (taken from the inner leaf) to the affected area, reapplying every hour until the pain has subsided. Ensure the product you purchase does not contain mineral oil, paraffin waxes, alcohol or colouring which can irritate the skin.</li><li>Drink water to rehydrate and help the body repair and recover. Aim to drink at least 1.5L every day, more on hot days. You can add herbs, vegetables and fruits to your water for added flavour.</li><li>A herbal bath containing <a href="/directory/ingredients/german-chamomile" target="_blank">chamomile</a> oil or <a href="/directory/ingredients/lavender" target="_blank">lavender</a> oil can help to relieve the stinging and pain of sunburn. Add 6 drops of oil of a lukewarm bath and soak in the bath for 30 minutes.</li><li>Cool-water compress can provide immediate relief for sunburn pain. Apply as often as needed, ensuring the compress is cool not cold.</li><li>High protein foods help your tissues to repair and rebuild following a burn as they provide collagen that forms the building blocks of skin cells. Include lean meat, eggs, dairy, fish as well as vegetable proteins found in beans, legumes, wholegrains, nuts and seeds. Aim to eat 1.0g protein/kg body weight per day.</li><li>Vegetables and fruits provide vitamins and minerals that enable your body to reduce inflammation, healing and repairing tissues. Include a wide range of colourful vegetables and fruit in your daily diet. Aim to consume 3-5 portions of vegetables and 2-3 portions of fruit per day.</li><li>Avoid the sun completely until the burn has healed.</li></ul> In summary, sunburn can be a painful experience that can ruin a holiday and potentially be dangerous to health. If you do inadvertently get sunburn, adopting the above tips will provide natural sunburn care and help you to recover well. Please consult your GP/health professional if you feel unwell as a result of overexposure to the sun.

How To Care For Sunburn Naturally

Exams – the very word strikes fear into the heart of the best of us! Whether it’s handling revision, managing nerves or mastering subject topics and techniques, exam season makes demands on the brain and nervous system that go way beyond everyday requirements. Exam days themselves require sustained bursts of peak performance in concentration, memory, evaluation, problem-solving, reasoning, decision-making, organisation and presentation.How do you support good physiological function in these areas to give yourself the best chance of exam success? In this article we look at some fundamental supplements that might help keep stress at bay, optimise sleep and keep the brain running well. We also explore the exciting world of nootropics – supplements that are increasingly showing promise in enhancing cognitive capabilities.<h4>1. Power to the Brain!</h4><h5>Nutrients for brain power: what are the essentials?</h5>The brain is the most metabolically active organ in the body, using 20% of our energy.1 A range of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients act as chemical catalysts to support these metabolic processes and provide the building blocks for the brain and its messenger system of nerves, hormones and neurotransmitters. A good supply of nutrients is therefore essential for effective cognitive processing, including learning and recall. Research suggests that B vitamins, vitamin D, fatty acids and amino acids (proteins) are the key nutrients that work in synergy to keep this complex system running optimally.2 Let’s take a closer look at these four essentials:<h5>B Vitamins</h5>The eight water-soluble B vitamins come into play at multiple points in the metabolic processes of the brain and nervous system. The B vitamins are so important that each one has its own doorway into the brain across the blood-brain barrier!3 Look out in particular for these brain superstars:<ul><li>Vitamin B12 – adequate levels of this vitamin are crucial for maintaining cognitive processing power and regulating the nervous system.4 Vitamin B12 supports the production of neurotransmitters, accurate cell replication and the integrity of the myelin sheath that surrounds nerves. Testing of your serum B12 levels is a useful place to start when supplementing this important vitamin, especially for vegans and vegetarians as vitamin B12 is only available in animal-derived foods. One of the most bioavailable vitamin B12 supplements is hydroxocobalamin.5 </li><li>Vitamin B9 (folate) – vitamins B9 and B12 work synergistically to process homocysteine, a neurotoxic and excitatory chemical produced as a by-product of metabolism (6). Sufficient folate intake is therefore needed to keep homocysteine at safe levels for the brain.2 Look for supplements containing the bioavailable “folate” rather than “folic acid”.7</li></ul><h5>Vitamin D3</h5>Vitamin D has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in the brain, protecting it from everyday damage (8). Research also suggests that vitamin D is:<ul><li>Vital for maintaining signalling pathways used in memory and cognition.2</li><li>Stimulates the growth of neurites, the sites of growth on brain cells (neurons).9</li><li>Regulates nerve growth factor, the substance needed for survival of neurons in the hippocampus and brain cortex,9</li><li>Associated with larger brain volume and healthy white matter.2</li><li>Essential for clearance of amyloid, the protein substance found in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease,8</li></ul><h5>Essential fatty acids</h5>Sixty percent of the brain is made up of fat, underlining the importance of maintaining a good supply of appropriate fatty acids for the brain’s maintenance and repair.10 Two kinds of fatty acid have attracted the most attention for their use as supplements to support good brain and nervous system function: <ul><li>Omega-3 oils – derived from marine sources, these long-chain fatty acids are incorporated in cell membranes and, in particular, the sheaths surrounding nerve cells (11). The quality of neuronal membranes maintains brain processing speed, regulates inflammation levels and protects the brain as it ages (12). Look for supplements providing krill oil, fish oil, fish liver oil or, especially useful for vegetarians and vegans, algal oil. </li><li>Phosphatidyl serine is a fat-soluble amino acid found in nerve cell membranes and the myelin sheath that envelopes nerves. It is critical to brain function and neurotransmission – the brain’s communication system. While phosphatidylserine is made within the body, this process can deteriorate as we age (13). Taken as a supplement, phosphatidylserine may therefore help preserve memory and cognitive function: dietary phosphatidyl serine crosses the blood-brain barrier to support memory formation and consolidation, learning, recall, concentration, problem-solving, reflexes and language skills (14).</li></ul><h5>Amino acids (proteins)</h5>Amino acids provide the building blocks for proteins in the body and in food. The brain’s key messaging chemicals, neurotransmitters, are built from amino acids so it is not surprising that research finds a good intake of a range of these building blocks can support effective brain function.15 Key amino acids for neurotransmitter synthesis include tyrosine, tryptophan, histidine and arginine. A small study found that a supplement of seven amino acids supported improved cognitive flexibility and attention,16 – these were leucine, phenylalanine, isoleucine, histidine, lysine, valine and tryptophan. In addition to providing the raw materials for neurotransmitters, these proteins are thought to support direct maintenance and repair of the brain as well as inhibit the entry of neurotoxic substances.16<h5>Nutrients for brain power: can we supercharge the brain?</h5>Here comes the exciting part! Once we have the essential nutrients in place for normal cognitive function, what more can we do to boost the brain for optimal exam performance? A fast-moving field of research centres on the possibilities offered by herbs and other edible plant extracts that could enhance brain power: so-called “nootropics”. As this set of supplements can contain potent herbal extracts, it’s important to consult your medical or functional practitioner first. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the key up-and-coming brain supporters that might improve concentration, learning, memory and recall.Bacopa MonnieriAlso known as Brahmi and nicknamed “herb of grace”,17 this plant has a long history of traditional use in Ayurvedic medicine for enhancing memory. It is rich in flavonoids, the plant compounds that appear to regulate brain and nervous system inflammation, support the brain’s signalling pathways and improve blood flow to the brain. Bacopa monnieri has performed well to improve language, learning and memory in modern research studies. A 2022 review of nootropic botanicals found that Bacopa monnieri was the plant compound with the biggest effects on memory and learning.18 Another recent study found that Bacopa monnieri could improve higher cognitive processes such as learning rate, memory consolidation and speed of visual information processing.18 Ginkgo biloba (also known as gingko biloba)Extracts from the leaves of this Chinese plant, known as the “memory plant” and “the world’s oldest living tree” are thought to improve memory-related cognition, including working memory and memory consolidation.18 Studies have found ginkgo biloba may improve cognitive function by dilating blood vessels and boosting the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. The herb also appears to have antioxidant effects, protecting brain and nerve cells from environmental damage.20 A study of young, healthy adults found faster information processing in working memory after taking ginkgo biloba for 30 days.19 AshwagandhaAshwagandha is another plant whose roots, leaves and stem have a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicine to support cognition and memory. In recent studies, ashwagandha root extract improved various aspects of learning and memory, including in elderly people with mild cognitive impairment.21SagePart of the mint family of plants, sage has been detailed in traditional medical books for its potential to enhance brain power.19 Sage extracts appear to have ‘cholinergic’ properties, meaning that they can boost the efficiency of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and improve attention, memory and learning.22 A 2021 study found significant benefits in working memory and accuracy in tests soon after people were given sage extracts.23 Greater improvements were seen after 29 days of supplementation, suggesting that the extracts have a cumulative effect.CocoaRich in flavonoids, cocoa appears to increase blood flow within the brain and improve other aspects of metabolic health such as insulin sensitivity that can result in better cognitive performance.24,25Fruit extractsMany fruits – including berries, grapes and citrus fruits – are known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.26 Concentrated extracts may boost the flavonoid content and potential nootropic effects of fruits.27,28 Look out for:<ul><li>Tart cherry for improvements in focus and cognitive function, as well as regulation of sleep cycles. In a trial, Montmorency tart cherry juice improved memory and attention in older adults after 12 weeks.29</li><li>Blueberry extracts, rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant flavonoids known as anthocyanins, may improve short- and long-term memory, as well as spatial memory.30</li><li>Haskap berry, another anthocyanin-rich fruit, improved memory in older adults and is thought to dilate blood vessels for better flow of oxygen and nutrients to the brain.31</li></ul><h4>2. Stress-busting supplements that might also help you sleep</h4>Supercharging your brain power is not the only factor to consider when preparing for exams. While short-term stress is a natural response to challenges and might actually help learning, chronic stress can interfere with exam performance by:32<ul><li>Dysregulating hormones and neurotransmitters, which can then impair brain performance, including concentration, memory retrieval and reasoning.32,33 </li><li>Depleting nutrient levels, which risks depriving the brain of the chemical co-factors it needs to function well during revision and exams.34</li><li>Compromising sleep, which in itself can worsen exam performance.35,36</li></ul>Let’s look at some key supplements that can help with stress levels and sleep during exam season:<h5>Magnesium</h5>Magnesium levels in the body have long been thought to affect anxiety and mood, primarily through magnesium’s role in regulating the stress response via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.37 Magnesium might also inhibit glutamate, the excitatory neurotransmitter associated with anxiety, fear and panic. Stressful events such as exams can lead to increased excretion of magnesium, potentially worsening feelings of anxiety by dysregulating stress hormones (38). Supplemental magnesium may therefore help to keep stress levels under control.39 Look for a mix of magnesium types such as magnesium taurate, magnesium malate and magnesium citrate.40<h5>B vitamins</h5>The B vitamins, discussed above to support normal brain function, also play an important role in the regulation of the body’s stress response. Look out in particular for the following:<ul><li>Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) supports the synthesis and metabolism of cortisol and the production of calming neurotransmitters such as serotonin.41</li><li>Vitamin B6 also supports the production of the calming neurotransmitters serotonin and GABA.42</li><li>Studies have found that supplemental magnesium and vitamin B6 work well together to alleviate stress, so teaming these two stress-busting nutrients could be a winning combination for exam season.39,42</li></ul><h5>Rhodiola</h5>Rhodiola is a herb that has a history of use down the centuries to reduce stress and anxiety.43 Studies have suggested that extracts of Rhodiola rosea:<ul><li>Help with mood, cognition, fatigue, anxiety and stress after three days of use.44</li><li>Result in lower stress levels after 14 days of use.45</li><li>Bring immediate improvements in the capacity to cope with stress.46</li><li>Can combat insomnia.47</li></ul><h5>Green tea</h5>In studies, participants have reported improved relaxation, mood and anxiety after taking green tea extracts.48 The active constituents of green tea include:<ul><li>Catechins – flavonoids that have shown multiple benefits for cognition in conditions of stress.49</li><li>L-theanine – an amino acid that can relieve stress. A study of healthy adults found a reported reduction in stress one hour after taking an l-theanine-enriched drink before a stressful cognitive test. Researchers found participants had lower salivary levels of the stress hormone cortisol three hours after the drink.50</li></ul>One study found significant improvements in stress levels with a combination of green tea, magnesium and rhodiola.51<h5>Ashwagandha</h5>Ashwagandha, already discussed above to support cognitive function, is also used in traditional medicine to help with stress.21 Studies show:<ul><li>A reduction in cortisol and in perceived stress levels.18 </li><li>Improved quantity and quality of sleep.52</li></ul><h5>Passionflower</h5>Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) has a long history of use in South America for promoting sleep. Recent studies have confirmed that flavonoids in the leaves and fruit can be effective to:<ul><li>Relieve insomnia by increasing blood levels of the sleep hormone melatonin.53</li><li>Reduce anxiety and irritability by modulating the brain’s sensitivity to the GABA neurotransmitter.54,55</li></ul><h4>Key takeaways for how to cope with exam season </h4>If you’re looking for some extra nutritional help to cope with exam season, start by asking yourself where you might get the best improvements.Firstly, have you got the basics right? If your brain is to work as it should, it will need an adequate intake of the nutrients that support normal cognitive function. Consider:<ul><li>B vitamins</li><li>Vitamin D</li><li>Fatty acids</li><li>Amino acids</li></ul>Secondly, are you looking for a cognitive boost? Check out the plant extracts that could help your brain to go ‘above and beyond’ – the nootropics – (taking care to consult your medical or functional practitioner in case these powerful herbal concentrates are not suitable for you or your medications):<ul><li>Bacopa monnieri</li><li>Gingko biloba</li><li>Ashwagandha</li><li>Sage</li><li>Cocoa</li><li>Fruit extracts</li></ul>Thirdly, is stress or anxiety likely to disrupt your sleep or interfere with your exam performance? Consider these calming supplements:<ul><li>Magnesium</li><li>B vitamins</li><li>Rhodiola</li><li>Green tea</li><li>Ashwagandha</li><li>Passionflower</li></ul>Here’s to a calm and successful exam season!

Key nutrients to hack sleep, stress and cognitive performance.

<a href="/directory/ingredients/passion-flower" target="_blank">Passiflora incarnata</a>

<a href="/directory/ingredients/phosphatidylserine" target="_blank">Phosphatidyl serine</a>

<a href="/directory/ingredients/phosphatidylserine" target="_blank">phosphatidylserine</a>

<a href="/directory/ingredients/magnesium" target="_blank">magnesium citrate</a>

<a href="/directory/ingredients/magnesium" target="_blank">magnesium taurate</a>

<a href="/directory/ingredients/vitamin-b12" target="_blank">hydroxocobalamin</a>

<a href="/directory/ingredients/magnesium" target="_blank">magnesium malate</a>

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