I'm writing this article with severe sunburn down my back and arms after a long day life-guarding outside in the sun, and it's not the first time for me, so you could say I've handled sunburn before and have had my fair share of time on learning how to treat it.
No matter how much sunscreen we put on, no matter how much water we drink, no matter how much we take preventative measures to protect our skin from the harsh UV rays, we always seem to come out of the situation with skin as red as a lobster. Trust me, I'm a running joke at work as the lobster; they take bets to see how long it takes for me to get burned on stand and where I will get burned. I know how to deal with sunburn without letting it put me in bed for a week and unable to wear real clothes. Although I would love to use sunburn as an excuse to not work and stay inside, I still have to get out of bed the next day and sit on a lifeguard stand for another 8 hours in the scorching sun.
People always laugh and say you shouldn't have forgotten sunscreen, but you and I both know that sometimes even when putting on the SPF 55 you still come out like an overcooked piece of toast. I actually burn more when I wear sunscreen because the sunscreen mixed with chlorinated water and the sun beating down just doesn't do nice things for my skin.
Here's a few tips for those of us that deal with that inevitable sunburn every year:
Skip the after sun sprays. I cannot stress enough to please skip them, like you don't understand, half the chemicals in them just irritate the sunburn whether you feel it or not. They offer immediate cool relief but the chemicals in them, most people are actually allergic to.
Aloe is your best friend. I know it can be sticky and glumpy (if that's even a word) and make your skin feel weird but it's worth it. My family knows I have such bad sunburn that we keep an aloe plant in the house so I have the actual pure aloe to rub on, using the pure aloe is actually better because it's just like a liquid/oil that spreads easy and doesn't leave the weird residue feeling. Run down to your local garden center and pick up an aloe plant, it can grow as an inside plant and I promise its actually useful.
These days so many products have aloe so honestly if the green aloe glump (that word again) isn't your thing I know Bath and Body works sells an aloe gel lotion in the warmer months that has cooling properties that aloe offers.
HYDRATE: I cannot stress this enough, you're body is deprived right now so fix that or you'll regret it. I know many people hate water, absolutely despise it, but sometimes it's the best thing to re-hydrate yourself and being hydrated is key to a quick recovery. If you can't drink water because it is absolutely the worst thing for you, try fruits and veggies as they are high in vitamins you have been depleted of but also contain a fair amount of water.
Relax: I know it may be hard if you work outside every day, I know that is my problem. Sometimes although you have sunburn that doesn't mean you can just take a day off and relax, but try to take it easy and stay inside as much as you can and don't forget aloe.
Take an oatmeal bath. I know, I know, this sounds absolutely disgusting and I agree, but I swear when you are desperate enough, the Quaker guy can be your best friend in this situation. The polysaccharides in oatmeal coat and heal skin, while the water cools you down and keeps your skin hydrated and moist. Make sure the bath is tepid though and not scorching like a normal relaxing bath would be.
Avoid Soapy Suds. I don't mean skip showering for a week, I mean be cautious when exfoliating or rubbing your skin with harsh soap. Soap actually dries out your skin and irritates it more if you're skin is sunburned. After showering just pat dry to avoid irritating your sunburn further and then apply a layer of aloe or lotion to moisturize after soaping down.
Sunburn is one of those things that take time to heal and you have to let your body have time to do so. You can't rub on magic cream and suddenly you're all fixed. I have heard some strange remedies on how to fix sunburn and I'll admit I have tried them but nothing works like painkillers, aloe, a big glass of water and a good nap. I know all you wanna do is complain but I promise that drowning in a tub of aloe and tears would feel so much better than hearing "You should've worn sunscreen."
