Cosmetics – some substances react in sunlight
Your skincare can also be the culprit of your rash. Some ingredients are phototoxic and can therefore react in your skin in combination with the sun. Very well-known culprits? Fragrances and dyes. But strangely enough, certain sun filters in your sunscreen can also cause a rash, such as oxybenzone.
The rash resembles 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 what skin care you applied before going out into the sun and check the ingredients 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
Medicines 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 even more sunscreen.
Margarita rash – sounds fun, but it isn’t
The margarita rash is a skin reaction that 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 wipe fruit juices on your skin when you’re 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 a corticosteroid ointment.
Sun allergy – mainly seen in the spring
Often one of the four options above is the reason you see bumps on your skin after sun exposure. But sometimes you do suffer from a sun allergy. The skin then reacts excessively to UV radiation (usually UVA radiation), with blisters, bumps, thickened red skin and/or itching.
A sun allergy occurs especially in spring and early summer. You only see the complaints on skin that has been 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 sun exposure (or after using a tanning bed), but hours to days later.
You can do this
Have you gotten bumps from the sun? Then stay out of the sun until the skin complaints have disappeared. The symptoms of a sun allergy usually disappear on their own after ten days. If you want something to combat the itching, your doctor can prescribe, for example, levomenthol gel or cream. A cream or ointment with corticosteroids is also possible.
Prevent wrinkles this spring and summer: 4 smart tipsAlso read
