A lot of people, especially Malaysian, (malay) in particular does not know the differences between a sunburn and a suntan. Recently, a girl on twitter asked on twitter (to @twt_kecantikan) what product works best for sunburn. Then, I replied aloe vera works best for sunburn. But then I said to not confuse between a sun-burn and sun-tan because many thought that by wearing aloe vera, the skin can get lighter (which was the girl's intention). Turns out, the girl was looking for something to heal her sun-tan, not her sunburn.

It appears to me that the term sunburn had been overused by many people to describe their skin condition after it's been exposed to the sun. I think it's because in movies we see, people often use the term sunburn instead of suntan, hence not many actually know what both really is-- as long as you've been out in the sun for hours and there's an effect on your skin, hence you call it a sunburn. But no, it's not. Sunburn and suntan are two different things.

Sunburn, according to Google, is defined as reddening, inflammation, and, in severe cases, blistering and peeling of the skin caused by overexposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. People who live in a four-season country (normally with less active melanin*-in their skin) are more prone to sunburn.



Sun tan, on the other hand, is defined as the process whereby skin color is darkened or tanned. It is most often a result of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight or from artificial sources, such as a tanning bed. People who live in a one-season country (normally with more active melanin in their skin) are more prone to sun tan.

Have you ever heard of the term "tanning"? I'm sure you have, most white people are obsessed with it. However, in Malaysia, we are more obsessed with whitening. It's the complete opposite. I guess it's a culture thing. Or is it human nature that we are never satisfied with what we have and will always want more, I mean so far I've never heard of someone saying "I have enough in life".

Anyways, back to the topic.

In short, sun burn is when the skin turns red and flaky or sometimes even it hurts when the water hits the skin whereas sun tan is when the skin turns darker. It's a 2 completely different process.

So, on to the fun part. How to heal both of them?


Aloe vera and honey or any cooling products are normally used to treat sun burn but my personal favourite is Amway's aloe vera (hehe).



Antioxidant or whitening products are often used to treat sun tan but somehow for some people, the tan will fade away easily (people with less melanin) but for some, it stays there. Don't be sad, I think tanned and dark skin girls are as beautiful as fair skin girls.

My point is, the body changes due to some cells in your body reacting to your environment, it's a natural process to keep you healthy and safe, accept and be thankful for the properties instead of feeling like it's a curse.

*Melanin is a complex polymer derived from the amino acid tyrosine. Melanin is responsible for determining skin and hair colour and is present in the skin to varying degrees, depending on how much a population has been exposed to the sun historically (Google.com, 2015).