A lupus butterfly rash is one of the many symptoms of lupus. Stress, sun exposure, heat, etc are all factors that can trigger a butterfly rash to come out. Today we will be focusing on sun-induced butterfly rashes. So how do we manage a butterfly rash without avoiding the sun and is that even possible? Keep reading to learn how I avoid and manage my lupus rash during sun exposure. As well as products I swear by!
Understanding the why when it comes to how sun exposure affects lupus rashes made me want to avoid the sun at all costs but at the same time, the knowledge of how the sun affects a lupus body not only a rash is what has made me very strict and consistent on protecting my skin from the sun among other things.
So why and how does the sun affect lupus rashes?
Cells in people with lupus are much more sensitive. When UV rays hit the cells of someone without lupus they can clear and regenerate. But when they hit someone with Lupus who is already sensitive to the sun the whole clearing and regenerating part is much slower. Allowing the damaged cells to hang around for a bit triggering an immune system attack. Aka the annoying uncomfortable rash.
For a while, after I was first diagnosed I completely avoided the sun because I was scared of having another flare-up or just being in more pain/ discomfort. When the inevitable moment came when I was in the sun longer than a few seconds. I felt like I was melting. I was super dramatic. I acted like I was a vampire and it was the first time I had seen light in 100 yearsā¦Iāve been watching too much true blood recently don’t mind that.
Regardless I sure did look like one after having absolutely no color due to the whole avoiding the sun for as long as I could thing. To be fair I had just gone through a rough stretch of months before getting diagnosed where my dermatologist told me there was nothing he could do for the painful redness I was experiencing.
Even a five-minute car ride in a car without riding in a car with tinted windows caused a butterfly rash that was painful and wouldn’t go away for days. I was very sick at the time so I was a little freaked out and did everything I could to avoid a potential trigger. Needless to say, I took it too far.
Anyways doing this left me white as a piece of paper and vitamin D deficient. Maintaining a healthy level of vitamin D improves mental health, helps fight off disease and helps optimize physical performance. So I had to find a way to get out in the sun without triggering a lupus rash flare-up. That did not include tinting the windows of every car I ride in and carrying around a UV umbrella.
While I do love a good UV umbrella and own a couple. I only want to pull one of those bad boys out at a soccer game or outdoor festival. It’s just not an everyday use thing for me anymore. But don’t get me wrong, they are nice to have. My arm just gets tired of holding something up in the air for long periods of time.
My vampire arcā¦ā¦ the couple of months where I avoided the sun. Made me appreciate and opened my eyes to all the benefits I had been hiding from. This is what pushed me to find ways I could be in the sun and not trigger any lupus flare-ups.
I had less depression, mood swings, felt more energized, got stronger, and the cherry on top was a little bit of color so I didn’t look like a ghost. The slight tan was more than a cherry on top because in between being able to go back out into the sun I slapped on fake tan a few times and was walking around looking like the annoying orange. Now I have a flawless fake tan regimen. Keep a look out for an in-depth āfake tanning 101- how to not look like the annoying orangeā blog post.
So let’s Jump right into the products I love that protects my skin while in the sun! It’s a much simpler routine than you would think.
Skin barrier
Having a layer on top of your skin like a full coverage foundation with SPF can act like a second skin. I’ve noticed when I’m wearing a full coverage foundation in the direct sun my Lupus rash will only come out if I’m in the sun for an extended period of time or I get overheated. It’s not easy to find a good full coverage foundation that doesn’t turn orange after application or look cakey. So I am loyal to the It cosmetics CC cream.Ā
After finding out that a simple foundation could save me from hours of discomfort I keep one in my purse with some powder just in case. I never will be caught out in public with a raging butterfly rash again. Iāve raved about this foundation on the blog before but it deserves another round of praise. The IT cosmetics CC cream is the best foundation Iāve used to cover and protect my butterfly rash.
The only downside I would say is the price. It’s more than worth it to me for the coverage and protection my skin gets. All around it’s a good foundation. Let me know if you give it a try!
A cheaper option that I also love is the Loreal infallible pro glow foundation. I will say this foundation is not as full coverage and my butterfly rash will definitely be coming out if I’m out in the sun for a prolonged period of time with it on. But finding a foundation that doesn’t break me out or give me rebound redness from the drugstore is hard to come by. You still get good coverage and a barrier to protect from the sun! Make sure to put on sunscreen under this one though it does not have SPF.
SPF
I can 100% feel the difference if I forget to put on sunscreen under my foundation. I know the foundation I recommended already has SPF in it but you can never have enough SPF and I love the Elta MD sunscreen too much to leave it out of my routine. It has never broken me out, gentle, and doesn’t leave my skin oily. Ā If you want to opt out of the extra sunscreen at least try it first. I feel like it adds another layer of protection. I would recommend the Elta MD sunscreen or the Cerave AM face moisturizer with SPF. I like the Elta MD one better but it is almost $40 bucks for sunscreen so I will sometimes get the Cerave one when I can’t justify spending $40 on just facial sunscreen aka I just don’t have the extra money to spare.Ā
Hat
Wide-brimmed hat’s are extremely cute and useful when it comes to protecting your face from the sun. I think they also add a little touch to your outfit and save your face from feeling like it’s frying off. A win-win! I have a large collection at this point but I linked my favorite one at the moment. I just think the bow on the side is too cute!
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Managing Lupus rash from sun
Now letās talk about if you do get a lupus rash in the sun how we can manage it! Sun lupus rashes are extremely uncomfortable for me. Washing my face and having cool water over the rash immediately brings relief. When I first started having butterfly rash flare-ups I would wash my face back to back for a small moment of relief but to not damage my skin barrier I can only do that once nowā¦.as I found out very quickly. So Iāve found products that give that cooling effect.
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Truly Beauty CBD oil
After I wash my face I go in with the Truly beauty Blueberry Kush CBD face oil. All over my face focusing on my rash. This CBD face oil almost immediately brings relief and helps calm down my butterfly rash every time and it smells like a blueberry muffin. 100/10 I love CBD for joint pain, muscle aches, and inflammation relief. Iām just now getting into the topical CBD for your face game. Topical CBD can reduce skin inflammation and I’ve found it reduced my butterfly rash! To massage the oil in I use a face roller or gua sha. I leave both of them in my freezer or fridge for times when my Lupus rash makes an appearance. The cold on my rash helps get rid of the discomfort!
I want to share some exciting news! I have a 15% off code you can use! You can use our code “AIPILL”. I have loved and sworn by Truly Beauty products since I first tried them years ago. Before even having a blog I used Trulys CBD for pain so its so exciting for me to not only share products that really work but be able to share a code will y’all! Let me know what you get!
Let me know if you try any of the products and what you think! Being in the sun with Lupus is possible. We just have to take a few extra precautions to protect our sensitive skin. Learn from my mistake and miss out on the vitamin d deficiencies vampire arc and go have fun in the sun. Check out some of our other posts for more on Lupus skincare and sun exposure!
“How I take care of Lupus skin”
“7 products for a Lupus butterfly facial rash”
“Best skincare for Lupus patients”
“7 Life changing products for a Lupus facial rash”
Stay tuned in the next couple of weeks I will be posting about other lupus sun-related symptoms. So if you’re thinking what about sun hotspots or swollen fingers don’t worry I’ve got you covered. A post is coming soon make sure to sign up for the email list so you can get notified right when it’s available!
