How to Get Rid of a Sunburn FAST sunburn

We can preach about using and reapplying SPF forever, but sometimes the sunburn will happen. A lot of people (including myself) underestimated the power of the Sun, especially in more tropical areas during vacation.

When travelling somewhere to have a nice time, you worry about a lot of stuff, but we keep forgetting about how painful, uncomfortable and long-lasting sunburn can really be.

We prepared an easy to follow guide with tips on how to get rid of sunburn fast.

How to care for sunburned skin

1. TIP: Only wear loose clothing with soft material

The rubbing fabric on your burned skin will only make it more painful and the skin more irritated. Stay away from any slim-fitted clothing pieces such are skinny jeans or even a bra if that is where you got burned. Moving can be painful by itself, you need to minimize the rubbing of the area with bra straps or harsh material when sitting down or just walking.

Wear an oversized t-shirt, loose dress and silky material. If you have a dress that is silky on the outside, but more ruff from the inside, wear it inside out if possible.

2. TIP: Drink a lot of water

This might seem either obvious or not helpful, but when you get sunburn your body can get severely dehydrated. You can also experience dizziness and nausea, which are common during sunburn.

Drinking a lot of water will also ensure you are helping your body to heal while making sure you will not get lightheaded and dizzy. But stay away from too cold drinks, which can put your system into a shock.

3. TIP: DO NOT peel your skin!

For some, it is gross for some satisfying but no matter what, DO NOT peel the skin. That skin acts as a protective layer after the trauma of burning, trying to minimize future sun damage. When you leave it to peel itself when it is ready, there will be way less pealing and your skin will have better chances of healing faster. Because if you peel the skin sooner than the skin recovers, you are causing more trauma to the skin and that will slow down the process of healing.

4. TIP: Stay away from the Sun & hot areas

That goes without saying but stay away from direct sun exposure. Your skin is already severely compromised, so stay in the shadow, preferably inside and wear protective clothing. You also should not go to a sauna, hot bath or anywhere where your skin will be exposed to heat.

When it comes to showers, use lukewarm water. I know you might think that you should shower in ice cold water to cool your skin, but this can put you in real danger and because can put your body into a shock. Instead opt for comfortable water temperature, which will cool you down, without causing any further damage.

5. TIP: Use Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is an incredible healing agent, which calms the skin and promotes skin recovery. We would recommend using certified aloe vera gel product over pure gel directly from the plant since that can have some dirt or irritants that the product would be cleared from. But either way, aloe vera will help. Most importantly, do not use Aloe products containing Denatured (SD) Alcohol and Frangrance, which will only make your skin more sensitive and dry.

6. TIP: Moisturize repeatedly

Aloe Vera is great for cooling and soothing but it does not have enough moisturizing properties. You always want to start by using the Aloe Vera gel followed by a cream that will lock the moisture in, prevent water loss, minimize peeling and speed up recovery.

You want to use a cream that is not too heavy or thick, but has more light and milky texture, without fragrance or drying alcohol such as DS.