So, you took a chance and had some early summer fun-in-the-sun sans SPF and now you’re a lobster-face. We’ve been there. Good news: taking immediate action and treating your skin right can help increase your changes of a quick recovery and help prevent visible signs of damage in days to come. Here are eight ways to handle that sunburn.
Apply a cool compress
As soon as you go back inside, put a cool compress on your face and lay or sit down. Use a clean washcloth and cool water and let the compress lay on your face for 10 to 15 minutes. This will help ease the burning sensation. Refresh the cloth with cool water every few minutes as it warms up. Apply this compress several times a day for as many days as you need it.
Take Advil or ibuprofen
This will help decrease inflammation and help to lessen the pain.
Apply an oil-free after-sun aloe gel
Clinique’s After-Sun Rescue Balm with aloe moisturizes and soothes just-burned skin, keeping peeling at bay and preventing the damage from becoming visible. An oil-free formula like this one is key after a burn”putting anything with oil on your skin at this point could actually trap heat in the top layer, making inflammation worse.
Drink water
If the burn is bad, your blood vessels can dilate causing you to lose moisture from your skin faster. Start drinking water immediately after you’ve taken care of your face and keep drinking it (or coconut water, which is high in electrolytes) to stay hydrated.
Sleep it off
Sleeping is the process you need to heal your skin. Sprinkle your pillow with talcum powder to minimize friction and stay comfortable through the night.
Protect yourself with a relief mist
For the next few days, you’ll need to keep your skin feeling cool and calm, so make sure you have a quality facial spritz at the ready. Hampton Sun’s Hydrating Aloe Continuous Mist contains aloe vera, vitamin E, lotus flower extract and menthol, so skin stays moisturized and cool.
Be careful of what you do to your skin
Don’t pick at it, especially if it starts to blister or peel. Just leave it alone because your skin is doing what it needs to do to heal. Avoid using soap, which can further dry out and irritate burned skin and skip products that have exfoliating or active ingredients until you’re totally healed. And, obviously, don’t go back in the sun. You’ve had enough, sister (but maybe get into the habit of applying a daily moisturizer with SPF like Sonia Kashuk’s Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 15).
