Many people know that taking certain medications or getting a chemical peel or laser treatments will make your skin more sensitive to the sun, but there are many other, less obvious culprits that will have you seeing red in the extreme if you mix them with the sun’s rays. Common pain-relievers like Aleve, Motrin and Advil; herbal supplements like St. John’s wort and dong quai; fruits and veggies like lime, parsnips and fennel; and even alcohol are just a few of the potentially dangerous items that can react with the sun to cause anything from a mild sunburn or a nasty rash to an increased chance of skin cancer.
10 Surprising Things That Can Make Your Skin Sun Sensitive
Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Pain Relievers
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers: If you’re planning to be out in the sun, you may want to slather on some serious sunscreen before you grab your favorite pain reliever. Most generic pain relievers are considered phototoxic—or in other words, they absorb UV light and then release it back into the skin, hence the need for extra protection.
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Herbal Supplements
Herbal supplements: St. John’s wort, an herbal medication used for thousands of years and known to treat everything from depression and anxiety to PMS symptoms, can cause photodermatitis (an abnormal skin reaction to sunlight), so be sure to apply SPF sunscreen and wear proper skin coverings. Dong quai, used to treat sexual disorders like premature ejaculation as well as menopause symptoms, can also make your skin more reactive to UV rays.
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Lime
Lime: Be careful when cutting up that lime and slipping it into your beer or concocting your favorite margarita—a quick Google search of “lime sunburn” might scare you into retiring these summer pastimes altogether! The combination of lime and sun can result in a condition called phytophotodermatitis, which is what happens when certain plant compounds come into contact with the skin and make that area light-sensitive. The result will look something like “a sunburn or a poison ivy rash, with redness and sometimes swelling and blistering,” explains Dr. Rajani Katta, associate professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine, who published a paper on the condition nicknamed “margarita dermatitis.” “It can be itchy and painful, and leave behind skin discoloration.”
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Herbs
Herbs: Dill and parsley are two herbs that can set the stage for phytophotodermatitis. If you’re preparing foods and using these herbs, take caution before you expose yourself to sunlight.
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Vegetables
Vegetables: Similar to limes, dill and parsley, parsnips can also bring on phytophotodermatitis. Fennel can simply make skin more sensitive to sunlight, while celery, also sun-reactive, can cause greater damage when combined with certain photosensitizing drugs.
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Skin Care Products
Skin care products: Though it may seem obvious to many beauty buffs, always read your skin care ingredients before exposing your skin to the sun. Acne treatments—including creams and astringents with benzoyl peroxide, alpha hydroxy acid, beta hydroxy acid, salicylic acid, glycolic acid and hydrocortisone—will make your skin extra sensitive to UV rays.
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Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners: The use of saccharin—a common sweetener used in low-calorie and diet foods, diet sodas and sugar substitutes like Sweet’N Low—has been shown to cause photosensitivity in some people.
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Spa Treatments
Spa treatments: Everyone knows not to go out in the sun after a laser treatment or chemical peel, but exfoliating facial scrubs, which many people love to do in preparation for tanning, could also contribute to a nasty sunburn or rash.
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Essential Oils
Essential oils: Check the ingredients of your fragrance, massage oil or lotion before you spend a day in the sun. Bergamot, lime and bitter orange are severely phototoxic oils, so concentrated amounts applied on skin and combined with UV light can make your skin turn red. Other oils that may cause sun sensitivity include lemon, lemon verbena, mandarin, grapefruit and tangerine.
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Alcohol
Alcohol: While having fun in the sun in the form of drinking may seem like a good idea, mixing alcohol and UV rays can possibly increase your risk of skin cancer. A recent study published in the British Journal of Dermatology found that drinking more than a pint of beer or a glass of wine a day and heading into the sun increases the risk of skin cancer (specifically melanoma) by 20 percent, and for those drinking more than four cocktails or a few strong beers, the risk increases to 55 percent.
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10 Surprising Things That Can Make Your Skin Sun Sensitive
April 2, 2017Related Topics
Supplements Vitamins and Supplements Vegetables Drinking Alcohol fruits Outdoors Sunburn Hypersensitivity Sun Precautions SunRecommended for you
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Posted on 7:00 am PDT April 02 2017 by Leah Ornstein Groth
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