As you’ve been told a gazillion times, the best way to handle a sunburn is to avoid it complete by using a broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher, applied generously every few hours. No matter how hard we try to follow the rules of sun safety, sometimes we still get burned. Some days, we don’t reapply SPF often enough, on others — like an overcast afternoon, we don’t even realize the sun is out.
At the beach, or by the pool, if you start seeing red while you’re still outside, you’re likely in trouble. Sunburns are like any other injury: they require TLC, and some of your go-to beauty products might actually make them worse. If you do get burned — caught unaware, here are a few helpful tips to cool the fire:
1. Opt for a mild, fragrance-free cleanser.
You don’t want to get any scars or uneven pigmentation on your skin, so make certain to use a gentle, unfragranced, face and body cleanser like Physiogel Daily Moisture Therapy Cleanser. Meanwhile, remember to avoid any retinols or other acids in your skincare! This honestly isn’t the best time to exfoliate — so shelve your detoxifying scrubs and masks until your skin is back to its regular tone.
$32 (was $35), VIIMART.com
2. Moisturize the right way.
Again, skip any fragranced products, and skip to a bland, scent-free moisturizer. For an extra healing boost, consider a soothing, anti-inflammatory, aloe vera gel to calm skin. Beauty Formulas Organic Aloe Vera Gel is dubbed as nature’s moisturizer, and its gel texture provides a fuss-free, moisturizing and cooling relief for rough, irritated, and sun-exposed skin.
$5 (was $10), VIIMART.com
3. Heal — don’t peel.
Sorry, peeling inevitably happens when we’re sunburnt. The urge to “help it along” can be irresistible, but picking away dead layers of skin can expose fragile skin to harmful elements.
But you can minimize the ick factor (and keep the new skin underneath as nourished as possible) by staying deeply hydrated at all times. Slather on a moisturizing lotion such as Avene After Sun Repair Lotion to help restore skin that caused a few too many rays.
$55 (was $70), VIIMART.com
4. Skip the sun, wherever possible.
It sounds ridiculous to stay out of the sun completely, but you should try to avoid the sun with sunburnt skin. At this point, the skin has already been damaged, and any extra UV exposure can only cause further damage. If you need to go outdoors, spritz Clarins Sun Spray Oil UV 30 all over your body! This versatile, non-greasy, high-protection, spray on formula nourishes skin and hair while shielding it from the harmful effects of sun.
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5. Avoid these aggravating products.
One of the worst thing you can do for a sunburn is use any fragranced products on the damaged area, or any products containing acids. Plus, we would have never ever thought of this in a billion years: classic petroleum jelly, Vaseline, is pretty much the worst possible moisturizer to use after a sunburn. Because of its thickness, it locks in the heat from your skin that needs to escape, therefore preventing it from healing.
