Education/AIC Feature
Here Comes the
SUN (burn)
STORY BY TIERA N. WRIGHT PHOTOS ISTOCK
I
n the immortal (well, seasonal) words of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (too soon?), it’s “time to sit back and unwind,” because it’s summertime. As temperatures rise, the great outdoors, namely the beach, is calling. But don’t let the blissful songs of summer fool you. Sure in the moment, walking on sunshine sounds magical; but if you’re not careful, forgot or don’t apply sunscreen, the result is a sunburn, and that doesn’t feel good. Most people, at least once in their life, has experienced a sunburn or two; but if I may get technical for a moment, sunburns, as defined by Merriam-Webster.com is an “inflammation of the skin caused by overexposure to ultraviolet radiation, especially from sunlight.” As a result, sunburns are a common oc36
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currence in the summer ushering in a variety of symptoms ranging in severity. Symptoms can include peeling, blisters, feelings of nausea, and fever, as well as its signature (and highly visible) look— red skin, which can be itchy, painful, and/or warm/hot to the touch. Treatment for sunburns usually consist of cooling agents such as ice packs or cold baths/showers, as well as moisturizers, and the sunburn staple aloe vera. But these days aloe vera isn’t the only plant-based option available for those who have sunburns. Cannabis has continued to be infused into everyday life, and as the industry continues to grow and evolve there’s no telling what’s its uses will be in the future. While some studies have shown, cannabis does have medicinal purposes and is
sometimes used to reduce anxiety, help with appetite loss, and as a pain reliever; very little has been done to prove or disprove its effectiveness on sunburns. Furthermore, area dispensaries do sell CBD infused topicals such as lotions, creams and salves that are considered a great relief for post workout muscle aches and soreness. Although in its preliminary stages, according to Max Sargent in the Royal Queen Seeds blog, “Does CBD Help with Sunburn?”, there are preclinical studies, “looking into the effects of cannabinoids like CBD on dermatological inflammatory diseases.” Explains Sargent, “For example, researchers are determining if CBD impacts our skin’s immune response, or if it has the ability to fend off detrimental bacteria—im-
