How to treat and take care of a sunburn
Sunburns are not fun and are dangerous because each time a sunburn occurs, it signifyingly increases your skin’s risk of skin cancer. Now you can’t technically treat a sunburn but in essence by addressing the symptoms you effectively treat what the sunburn is causing. So, how to “treat” one?
Well, in the first place ensure that you do not get burned, always wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least 30+ SPF but preferably 50+ SPF when out in direct sunlight. If you do get sunburned, then follow the steps below to best manage symptoms and “treat” your sunburn.
If sunburned, consider the following:
- Stay out of direct sunlight for the next few days while your sunburn recovers.
- Drink lots of water to avoid dehydration.
- Use a cool compass on the burned area.
- Use an after-sun product with aloe vera and other soothing ingredients.
- Use a plain fragrance-free moisturizer on the burned area and apply as many times as needed.
- If your skin is peeling then after 24 hours of the burn, use petrolatum jelly to start healing the tissue.
If using aloe vera, ensure you use an actual product with aloe vera formulated in it and not the actual plant because the aloe vera plant has something called anthraquinones and they can cause irritation or an allergic reaction.
