It's summertime and warm out, which means you are probably going to spend a lot of time outdoors, whether it's at the pool, the beach or on a lake enjoying the weather.
Picture this.
You've been at the beach (or lake) all day and have only just home to discover that you forgot to reapply sunscreen throughout the day and now have a nasty burn to prove it.
We've all been there. We're told over and over to keep reapplying sunscreen but sometimes we just forget or it's cloudy so we don't think it matters ( Spoiler alert!!! It does).
What do you do?
If you don't know or only know a few, here are 8 tips and tricks for when you need to conquer a bad sunburn.
1. Aloe vera
This step alone will save you looks of pain. Aloe is a cooling agent and anti-inflammatory. It aids the skin in healing, moisturizes, and helps avoid that awful peeling that normally comes with sun damage.
2. Act fast to cool it down
Aloe is just one of the many ways to do this. If your near a body of water, a quick dip in it helps too. You can also make a cold compress as long as the ice isn't directly touching your burn.
3. Drink lots of water
This might seem weird and not as important, but it is. The burn draws away fluid from the skin and can leave you dehydrated.
4. Apple cider vinegar
The many uses for this product are amazing. Believe it or not, lots of people swear this is one of the ways to help with a sunburn. But how? It is recommended that you first dilute the vinegar with some water and after that, all you need to do is find a way to apply it.
5. Use a sunscreen with a good SPF
There's really not a good way to measure just what should be considered a good SPF. The theory of SPF is that it is, for example, someone burns after about 10 minutes of being in the sun and they apply a sunscreen with an SPF of 30, now multiply that by the minutes it takes to burn.
Theoretically, this would mean they have about 300 minutes or 5 hours of time in the sun with this particular sunscreen. However, most sunscreen comes off within the hour due to sweat, rubbing, and water. A good measure of sunscreen to use would be around SPF 15 or higher.
6. Consider taking Aspirin or Ibuprofen
This can help reduce swelling a bit as well as some of the itchiness.
7. If skin blisters, allow it to heal
This could possibly mean you have a second-degree sunburn. If you do, it could lead to potential scarring and infection.
8. Get out of the sun
If you feel the beginning of one, simply just get out of the sun. This will prevent it from getting any worse than it probably already is.
Bottom line: Sunburns suck but with these tips, it might just be bearable. Your skin will eventually heal and before you know it you'll be sunburn free and possibly a bit more cautious for next time.
