Lupus and the summertime tend not to mix for a handful of reasons. The increase in temperature potentially triggering a list of symptoms like skin rashes, fatigue, joint rashes, pain, swelling, and more. Keep reading to check out my summer essentials that help manage symptoms while still allowing me to participate in summer fun.
Spending prolonged time in the sun was off the table before I began my journey of healing my autoimmune diseases. All the hacks, best practices, and products without a doubt helped make me more comfortable and allowed me to spend time in the sun without the high risk of going into a flare. But since changing my lifestyle and taking a functional medicine approach to healing my Autoimmune disease I have a completely different quality of life where I don’t need these hacks, tips, and extra products to survive like I once did.
It’s rare for me to need to pull out all my “lupus tools” I’m about to share with you. Sure I still keep a few of them around because they just make life easier but the difference is I don’t need them to survive like I once did.
I wanted to make this post because before starting the journey of healing my body I would go into a flare without all the products, tips, and tricks we are about to go over. There wasn’t a lot of in-depth information online about more nuanced topics I focus on writing on like how to survive the sun, “What to expect at your first rheumatology appointment“, etc. Even though I’m on the journey of healing I want to share what once helped me survive when I was at my sickest with Lupus. If you want to learn more about my healing journey check out the post linked below.
- “Why I chose a functional medicine approach to healing my Autoimmune diseases”
- “Stress and Autoimmunity”
Best practices
The best practices are really just to remind you to be conscious. Checking the weather, keeping an eye on how long you’ve been in the heat, packing extra things (ex. Extra water, Mini fan) that can help make you more comfortable. Basically, prepare for the worst-case scenario and hope for the best. I would rather have all the “tools” that make me comfortable in the heat than the other. I know it may seem like a duh thing to go over but if you don’t spend a lot of time outside the little details slip your mind. Just be conscious of the elements and your triggers.
Lupus and hydration
Staying hydrated is important for a million reasons but especially when you’re planning on being in the heat. Heat exhaustion is very real and can happen quicker than you would expect. If you’re having trouble with the heat most likely you don’t spend a lot of time outside in general so it’s important to be reminded. You have to stay hydrated and hydration does not start the day of it starts days if not a week before. I also love to keep electrolyte drink mixes with me. I will link my favorites below!
Also for me, the quality/ type of water plays a huge role in how hydrated I am. I can no longer drink purified water without feeling absolutely terrible and dehydrated. Spring water all the way for me and now my mom has also hopped on the spring water train. I never knew the difference until I by chance had been drinking spring water for a month and then switched back to purified water and felt absolutely terrible. I felt like Spongebob in that one episode where he needs water. I kept drinking more than I normally did of the purified water but still felt extremely dehydrated.
Finally, I realized the only change I had made recently was the type of water I was drinking and I switched back to spring water. After a little research, I found spring water has natural minerals in it, and purified can be stripped of its natural minerals during the purification process. This may not affect you but it’s a fair mention. Because I never knew how good I felt drinking spring water until I tried it out after 19 years.
Diet
Eating a clean diet has changed the game for me when it comes to just about everything health-related. But notably how I handle the heat. I can stay outside all day in my garden doing physical work which would have been off the table a couple of years prior. I credit a large portion of that change to eating a clean diet. I eat a Paleo diet after completing the Autoimmune Protocol. I have a post on “why I choose a Paleo diet to heal my Autoimmune diseases” if you’re interested in reading more about how I landed on it!
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Products that help Lupus in sun
Now we can jump into all my favorite products that make being in the sun with Lupus a million times easier.
Water bottle
A good water bottle is something everyone with Lupus needs; it’s just a necessity. More so the water in it is the necessity but having a water bottle that keeps your water cold for hours is helpful. If you haven’t already jumped on the Stanley train or hydro flask train I’ve linked an affordable option that does the job you can check out. I wouldn’t trust a plastic water bottle to stay cold in the heat so this one is a must. Either use an old water bottle or purchase a cheap one to use if you plan to be in the heat.
Mini fan
A butterfly rash was a given even walking outside for me before starting my healing journey. Butterfly rashes can be uncomfortable, painful, and embarrassing. I found having a little fan either motorized or handheld combated the severity of my butterfly rashes. 10/10 could not recommend getting one if not a couple to keep around your house and car. I still love my mini fan. The difference a little breeze can make is life-changing when it comes to dealing with lupus symptoms.
Protective clothing for Lupus skin
SPF clothing is great for protecting your skin by blocking/ absorbing harmful UV radiation. I’ve found SPF clothing to be a cheat code for spending time in the sun with lupus. I can bear the heat better and I don’t feel beat up afterwards. I would give it a try. It’s definitely been a game changer allowing me to spend more time outside. Even since I’ve been on the journey of healing my Autoimmune diseases I still wear SPF clothing and I’ve gotten other family members in on the SPF clothing train. It just makes time outside in the sun easier and protects your skin from sun damage and premature aging.
Preventing Butterfly rash in sun
I have preventing a butterfly rash from the sun down to a science. A couple of years ago riding in a car without tinted windows would bring out a vengeful butterfly rash that lasted for days. Now I couldn’t tell you the last time I had one and if I did have one I would use my “formula” to aid in it going away quicker. You need to check out my other in-depth post on butterfly rashes because I have put serious research and time into trying products, hacks, and managing my butterfly rash down to a science.
Learning the trial and error of someone else can set you in the right direction on your journey of managing a butterfly rash. With all of that being said what worked the best at preventing a butterfly rash was having an extra layer of “skin” so the sun wasn’t directly hitting my face. Hats, big sunglasses, and UV umbrellas are all great ways to protect yourself from the sun but I cannot stress this enough adding an extra layer protects your face. Everyone I have told about this with lupus has come back telling me it also changed their life. The thick barrier from a full-coverage foundation does the trick. I swear by the IT cosmetics foundation to do the job of protecting my skin and on top of doing exactly that it’s just a really good foundation all around.
Blog post related to Lupus skincare and skin protection:
- “7 Products for a Lupus butterfly rash”
- “5 Products to help prevent Butterfly rash from sun”
- “Sun exposure and Lupus rashes- best practices”
- “How I take care of Lupus skin”
- “Best skincare for Lupus patients”
- “Best Makeup products for Lupus”
- “7 Life changing products for a lupus butterfly rash”
A good SPF is also a must I just wanted to stress the importance of a barrier first because any sunscreen will technically do the job. I always share this Elta MD facial sunscreen because I do believe paired with the IT cosmetics foundation it is the secret weapon for preventing a butterfly rash. But both products can be expensive and the foundation is a must. I’ve found other sunscreens that protect my skin well just not as good as the Elta MD one. Whereas I have not found another foundation that can work the same magic or anywhere close to what IT cosmetics foundation can do.
Spending time in the sun with lupus is possible, it just takes a little bit of extra planning and preparation. For more lupus-related posts make sure to check out the list I will link below! Leave a comment with your favorite products/ hacks that aid with lupus in the summertime.
