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From: howard@metheus.UUCP (Howard A. Landman)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Let's talk about sunburn (ouch)
Message-ID: <249@metheus.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 10-Jul-84 17:33:10 EDT
Article-I.D.: metheus.249
Posted: Tue Jul 10 17:33:10 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 12-Jul-84 02:49:36 EDT
References: <17400003@hpfcla.UUCP>, <8624@gatech.UUCP>
Organization: Metheus, Portland Oregon
Lines: 23

With respect to PABA: Yes, this can help if taken internally, but realize
that most of the stuff is NOT in your skin and thus isn't protecting it.
There are sunscreens which consist mostly/entirely of PABA and alcohol,
and when I was rock-climbing that was all I would use.  Occasionally I
would get sloppy and notice hours later that I had burned badly in a small
area of skin that I had neglected to cover!  And unlike most other sunscreens,
PABA is completely nontoxic.

With respect to aloe vera: Sure you can buy it in the store, but why not
grow your own?  Aloes make wonderful house plants since they can tolerate
a wide variety of temperatures and light levels (don't let them get too
cold though), and grow rapidly.  One or two small to medium plants will
supply enough leaves to deal with the average number of burns and sunburns
in a 2-person household.  You can either pull off the bottom leaf, or keep
them in the refrigerator for a few weeks after they fall off.  To use, split
the leaf the long way, and squeeze the gel out or rub the cut surface on the
burn.

Also note that aloe is useful on ALL burns (except those where the skin is
broken), not just sunburns.  And, for me at least, it seems to ease the pain!

	Howard A. Landman
	ogcvax!metheus!howard