It’s a hot summer, hot hot summer! And thanks to that not only are we getting tan and glowy, but for those of us on the paler side it’s a season of constantly applying sunscreen and keeping to the shade. And even with these precautions there is still a very real chance of being burned raw.
 
So while there are many people telling you how to avoid the burn altogether, were going to share our favourite advice for treatment when its already to late! Because sometimes you really can’t avoid it . . .

So lets be straight here, there will not be more than maybe a sentence or two on aloe use. If you get constantly burned like we do, aloe is always a staple and if there was a list for aloe application it would really only have one point:

 
So instead lets try and save you a trip to the store if you’re out of the usual remedy, or give you some extra steps to incorporate into your treatment set!

Clean Off!

To start with, if you’re coming from the beach or a long set outside you’re going to be to some extent sweaty (My sweat level is usually melted ice cream cone tbh) you’re going to want to wash up! Do make sure to use liquid body soap over a bar and rub very very gently in necessary, but try to avoid drying bar soaps and any scrubs that could irritate your already sensitive body!
 
If you can, start with taking a bath over a shower. Showers will provide stimulation to the sensitive skin and very likely sting or create enough pull to damage the surrounding burned skin and promote peeling. So if you can manage a bath, do it. What is really important here is to take a COOL BUT NOT COLD bath.

Cool water will extract the heat from your burn and cool you down, but if its too cold then your pores will close off and your body will start trying to retain the heat, which could make things even worse.

On top of this, there are some additions you can add to your bath to help your skin even more:

• Baking soda:

  • Baking soda from your cupboard can also be a great addition to a sunburn soak! Baking soda has alkaline and antiseptic properties, so you can tend your burns while cleaning off the skin gently if you can handle not using soap for a few hours.

• Apple Cider Vinegar: Make sure to add no more than ½ cup to your bath!

• Now this is a tried and true method, and sometimes it seems like ACV is a cure all for anything and everything, and your sunburn is no different here. The vinegar will help to create a cooling sensation as well as help to settle the inflamed skin. The vinegar can also create a constriction of the oversensitive blood vessels to help with the pain!

Moisturise!

Once you’ve jumped out of the bath, its important to hydrate well. Your skin is burned and dehydrated, so you need to start plastering on the moisture fast!

At this point, if you’re going to use aloe, this is the best time to apply. Apply your lotion or moisturiser to the damp skin and let the product absorb without rubbing. Feel free to pop the bottle in the fridge for 15-20 minutes as well for a stronger cooling sensation and a bit more relief on tough burns.
 
Multiple layers is the best way to apply the moisturisers, by letting the skin absorb more of each layer you’re penetrating the damaged layers of skin and hydrating the cells to enough to begin reparations. 
 

• Milk compress

• If you’re finding that the lotion still isn’t enough, I have some secret advice for you. The first time my aunty told me to do this for a sunburn I looked at her like she was crazy . . . . probably the same way you ‘re looking at this article right now. But take some milk from the fridge and douse a rag in it before placing it on the sunburn. 

The milk creates a thin protein layer around your burn, which draws out the heat and helps the skin to rebuild itself much in the same way that protein help you build muscles after a work out (this doesn’t mean that you can take a milk bath instead of eating eat for ‘the gainz’ though).
 

Hydrate!

Your body is probably in the same state as your skin right now, dried out and crispy. Its important to make sure you drink enough for your insides at the same rate you hydrate you skin. Prolonged dehydration can cause trouble with the cellular regeneration and can keep a sunburn around longer, as well as make peeling worse. The first thing to do after noticing a burn should be to drink water. Take a glass with you in the bath, have a glass while someone lotions your back, take another while you read this post. Just make sure to treat your insides along with the outside burns. 

Eating watermelon, which is high in water and sugar content, is great for keeping you up if you get sick of straight water, and you can also check out some of our top hydrating teas and infused waters here!

This may not solve your sunburn immediately, and there is very little that will, but this routine can certainly speed up the healing process and bring you some relief in the meantime! And if you have any other ideas and home remedies for sunburn treatment leave them in the comments below! Don’t hoard all that information for yourself!