Heatwave: How to treat sunburnt skin and soothe painful side effects
We all know that horrible hot sensation of sunburn after a day spent in the sunshine. As you clamber into the car or head back to your hotel, you can feel your skin getting hot to touch redder by the minute, and the seatbelt rubbing.
At its minimum, sunburn can be deeply uncomfortable as skin is so sensitive it can be difficult to stand under a shower or get to sleep and at its worst can lead to infected, painful blisters.
“Sunburn is an acute reaction in the skin that follows excessive overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation,” explains Dr Anjali Mahto, consultant dermatologist at Skin55 and British Skin Foundation spokesperson.
“It causes direct damage to DNA resulting in inflammation and death of skin cells and the risk is higher in equatorial areas or at altitude, particularly in those with fair skin types," she adds.
According to the dermatologist, sunburn in childhood or adolescence can double the risk of developing melanoma in later life.
To prevent sunburn, it’s imperative that when going out in the sun you wear sunscreen, and Dr Mahto recommends using an SPF30 or higher to protect against UV rays.
“Ensure you apply plenty of sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before going out in the sun, and reapply every two hours and straight after swimming and towel-drying. If you apply in the morning, sunscreen is likely to have lost efficacy by lunchtime when the UV index is highest.” For everything you need to know on sunscreen, read our ultimate guide to sunscreen here.
Your clothing can offer respite too, wear a hat to cover your face, neck and ears and make sure that babies and young children are kept out of direct sunlight.
While no one intends to spend too long in the sun, sometimes we end up sunburnt despite diligently applying SPF, so we’ve got your covered with a guide on how to treat it to minimise long-term damage to your skin.
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How to treat sunburn
Before you douse yourself in aloe vera, there are a handful of steps you can take to reduce discomfort.
Firstly, get out of the sun, then Dr Mahto recommends taking painkillers to help relieve the pain and reduce inflammation caused by sunburn.
“Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen are ideal and should be continued for a period of at least 48 hours, paracetamol will help with pain but has little effect on inflammation.”
Once you’re safely in the shade or indoors, Dr Mahto advises to apply a cool compress to the skin with a damp towel for 15 minutes or take a bath or shower with water that’s just below a luke-warm temperature.
“If blisters are starting to develop, then a bath is preferable. Do not rub your skin with a towel, but gently pat it dry when you get out,” she says.
Moisturise
After that, moisturising is key to reducing peeling and should be applied regularly in the weeks following your sunburn.
According to Dr Matho, gels and lotions containing aloe vera or soy are beneficial in soothing the skin. “Aloe vera not only has a cooling effect on the skin but also acts as an anti-inflammatory.”
She also warns against using creams or lotions that contain petroleum, benzocaine, or lidocaine as these can either trap heat in the skin or cause local skin irritation.
In our guide to the best aftersun products, we loved this Dr Organic aloe vera gel (Holland & Barrett, £6.99).
Our reviewer awarded it top marks for its soothing, moisturising capabilities for sun-stressed skin.
The Clarins soothing aftersun balm (Clarins, £22) also impressed us with a luxurious, butter-like texture that worked wonders for dry skin too.
It’s packed with antioxidants, watermelon, aloe vera, shea butter and sunflower seed extract, and it’s safe enough to use on your face too.
Once your skin starts to tan, if you’re hoping to prolong it, try this Lancaster sun tan maximizer after sun lotion (lookfantastic, £25).
The milky lotion is infused with buriti oil which helps to maintain a sun-kissed glow once your sunburn has calmed down while delivering an intensive moisture boost for peeling skin.
Keep this Bioderma photoderm after sun (Boots, £16.10) on your bathroom shelf for speedy application morning and evening.
It’s a lightweight, fast-absorbing gel-cream that will leave your skin feeling soft and supple.
Adjust your skincare routine
If you’ve suffered sunburn on your face, adapt your skincare routine so as not to cause any further irritation.
Keep it simple, says Dr Hiva Fassihi, La Roche-Posay consultant dermatologist. “On the face make sure to avoid all actives in your skincare and focus on replenishing the skin barrier.”
In our guide to best cleansers for combination skin, we were most impressed with the La Roche-Posay makeup remover milk (lookfantastic, £12.50), which while marketed for dry skin, is gentle and hydrating.
It doesn’t leave a noticeable residue that might exacerbate oily areas, and it gives the feeling of properly cleansing the skin to avoid breakouts and irritation.
While not an aftersun, this Avène soothing thermal spring water spray (Boots, £13) is worth keeping to hand at all time, not just for refreshment either.
It’s a fragrance-free fine mist that is designed for hypersensitive, allergic and irritated skin and with a quick spritz will take the sting out of sunburn. It comes in handbag-friendly sizes all the way up to a 330ml jumbo size spray, which will last you months, no matter how liberally you apply it it.
Stay hydrated
According to Dr Mahto, sunburn can encourage fluid loss through the skin and leave you dehydrated so drinking plenty of water will help your recovery.
In our review of reusable water bottles, the Thermos super-light direct drink flask in rose pink 350ml (Lakeland, £21.99) came out on top.
It holds an impressive 350ml of liquid despite its size and is super lightweight too, making it brilliant for squeezing into a beach bag.
If your skin starts to develop blisters, Dr Mahto recommends not to pop them as this can lead to infection and scarring, as they will heal by themselves after a few days.
Of course, prevention is always better than a cure, and as Dr Fassih explains: “While sunburn is often short-lived and mild, it's important to try to avoid it, because it can increase your chances of developing skin cancer."
For more hot weather essentials, read our ultimate guide to sunscreen and the best non-greasy, facial SPFs for daily protection
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