So, you got too much sun and didn’t apply (or reapply) your SPF. Now, you’re wondering how to get rid of sunburn fast, so you can get some relief for the lobster red, irritated skin. As diligent as we all are about wearing sunscreen, sunburns do happen, even to the best of us. Though you can’t get instant relief from a sunburn, there are plenty of ways to help your skin heal as painlessly and quickly as possible, you can reduce the redness, according to our experts, board-certified dermatologists Flora Kim, MD, and Amy Ross, MD, and honestly, that counts for something.
Though both dermatologists agree that prevention (read: not getting sunburned in the first place) is best, they also have plenty of tips on treating sunburns once they happen. From applying lotion to keep your skin moisturized to hopping into the bath, speeding up the sunburn healing process is possible with a few tips and tricks. Ahead, expert tips straight from the doctors on how to get rid of sumburn fast, so you can undo the damage caused by too much time in the sun and too little SPF ASAP.
In this article:
- How to treat sunburn, fast
- How to reduce redness quickly
- How to prevent sunburn from peeling
- How to conceal sunburn redness
- How to prevent sunburn
Is it possible to get rid of sunburn redness overnight?
The answer here is pretty much a resounding no, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore sunburnt skin. Even though you won’t see immediate results from tending to your skin after a burn, you should still take steps to heal your skin according to Ross.
“If left completely untreated, a sunburn can appear worse in the morning,” she says. This is because sunburns work on a timeline we’re not necessarily aware of. “Initial redness associated with sunburns can start as soon as 10 to 15 minutes after sun exposure, but can take up to 12 hours to peak and produce the intense and painful redness that anyone who has been sunburned has experienced.” With that in mind, start treating your sunburn ASAP.
How to treat a sunburn fast:
While it’s not possible to get rid of sunburn redness overnight, there are things you can do to start minimizing a sunburn as soon as you notice you’ve got one. You can work against a sunburn internally and externally.
Pop an ibuprofen.
Using an NSAID (a.k.a. a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) like Advil or Aleve will provide some quick relief. “As an anti-inflammatory medication, it can really make a difference in limiting the inflammation, which is associated with the intense redness of a sunburn,” explains Dr. Ross. Make sure to drink plenty of water with your pain reliever, especially since being in the sun likely means your skin and body is experiencing dehydration.
Focus on staying cool.
Severe sunburns can be super uncomfy, but staying cool can help. Try a cool shower or bath to relieve some pain. Another quick home remedy: “Keeping the burn cool immediately with ice or other cold compress will help minimize the extent of the burn, if done acutely,” shares Dr. Kim, which means you want to place the ice/cold compress (a cold, damp washcloth can also do the trick) onto the affected area as quickly as possible. Dr. Kim also recommends applying “copious amounts of pure aloe vera gel” as often as every hour on the first day you’re sunburned. Another pro tip? “Keep the aloe vera gel in the refrigerator so that it is cooling and extra soothing when you apply it.”
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Seven Minerals Aloe Vera Gel
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How to get rid of sunburn redness quickly:
While your skin is sunburned, gentleness is key in all your treatments. Burned skin is extra sensitive, so make sure that you’re steering clear of potential skin irritants.
Use gentle products.
Dr. Ross cautions, “be careful the products [you apply to a sunburn] do not contain alcohol, which will further dry and irritate.” Other ingredients to steer clear of include retinols or retinoids or any type of acids (AHAs, BHAs, and others) or peels, Dr. Kim shares. Plus, these will make your skin even more photosensitive, AKA even more prone to burning.
Look for healing ingredients.
Instead, for sunburn relief, Dr. Kim recommends you “use super-gentle, repairing, healing, hydrating body wash and body moisturizer. My favorites are Bioderma’s Atoderm Ultra-Nourishing Anti-Irritation Cleansing Oil and Bioderma’s Atoderm Ultra-Soothing Balm.”
In terms of what specific ingredients to look for, “antioxidant ingredients like vitamin C, ferulic acid, and vitamin E could help combat the free-radical damage and help with post-sun damage,” says Dr. Ross. “I like Monat’s Be Gentle Nourishing Moisturizer because it has ingredients like hyaluronic acid and plant stem cells that help hydrate and replenish the skin.”
How to prevent a sunburn from peeling:
While there’s no magical treatment that will prevent peeling skin, there are steps you can take to minimize the peel.
Act fast.
“If you can start to treat a sunburn immediately upon noticing you have started to get burned, there is a good chance you can prevent peeling,” explains Dr. Ross. First, get out of the sun as soon as you notice a burn. “Sun exposure has a lot to do with duration of exposure,” Dr. Ross shares. “The shorter the duration, the better the outcome.”
Stay hydrated.
After a burn occurs, keeping the skin hydrated and avoiding irritants is key. Dr. Ross suggests cool baths and patting, not rubbing, your skin dry. Sitting in cool water will feel much more comfortable and refreshing than hot water. She also recommends you “apply hydrocortisone cream immediately after the bath, followed by a moisturizer that contains aloe vera or soy.” Sealing everything in with a treatment like an antibiotic ointment or petroleum jelly (think Aquaphor or Vaseline) will also help keep skin protected.
Aquaphor Lip Repair
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Vaseline Healing Jelly Ointment
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Keep your hands off.
Treating your sunburn gently also means no scratching at or attempting to exfoliate it away. As Dr. Kim points out, sunburned skin is injured skin and should be treated delicately.
How to conceal a sunburn:
As much as we love tomato-girl summer, that doesn’t necessarily mean you want to look like an actual tomato. Good news: It is possible to keep a sunburn under wraps until it fades—you just need the right products. If you have face sunburn, here’s how to hide it.
Color-correct the redness.
Perhaps to your surprise, foundation isn’t the first step. Even if it’s hard to do so, fight the urge to put it on, and instead begin with a light application of green-tinted color-correcting primer. Because green is opposite of red on the color wheel, it neutralizes the redness on your skin. Dab it onto the places that burned the most. Just don’t layer it on too thick—sheer is the way to go so it doesn’t look caked-on.
Read moreThe Best Color Correctors, According to Experts and Glamour Editors
Redness, be gone!
By Alanna Martine KilkearyConceal strategically.
Take a step back and look at where your burn is the most noticeable. That’s where you’ll apply a light layer of tinted moisturizer to further help tone down redness and nourish skin simultaneously. Celebrity makeup artist Pati Dubroff says to stick with cream-based makeup instead of powders, since powders are mattifying and could draw more attention to the areas you’re hoping to hide. Use a sheer, luminous-finish tinted moisturizer “that’s one shade darker than your original (pre-burn) skin color works much better than any full-coverage foundations,” she says.
If your sunburn is less of an all-over situation and more of a spot-treatment job, dab concealer onto only the reddest parts of your face. “Use a concealer with a yellow undertone on parts that are super burned to help blend it in,” Dubroff says. Translation: If you fell asleep with sunglasses on at the beach, dab concealer around the red ring surrounding your eyes to blend it into the rest of your skin color.
- Courtesy of brand
- Original video from Alanna Martine Kilkeary testing Kosas Revealer Extra Bright Serum
- Original photo from Alanna Martine Kilkeary testing Kosas Revealer Extra Bright Serum-Powered Color Correctors
- Original photo from Alanna Martine Kilkeary testing Kosas Revealer Extra Bright Serum-Powered Color Correctors
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Kosas Revealer Extra Bright Serum-Powered Color Correctors
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Sephora
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- Original photo from Alanna Martine Kilkeary testing Dr.Jart+ Premium BB Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 40
- Original photo from Alanna Martine Kilkeary testing Dr.Jart+ Premium BB Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 40
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Dr.Jart+ Premium BB Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 40
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Erborian CC Red Correct Green Color Corrector SPF 25
Ulta
Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Concealer
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Nordstrom
Sephora
How do you prevent a sunburn?
The best way to get rid of a sunburn fast is simply not getting burnt in the first place. To minimize your chances of sunburn, sun protection is absolutely key. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher (you’ll know if it’s broad-spectrum, meaning it protects against both UVA and UVB rays, by reading the label). To further protect yourself from UV rays, wear protective clothing like hats, sunglasses, and UPF clothes. You can’t be too careful protecting yourself from the sun—after all, on average, a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if they have had more than five sunburns, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.
Banana Boat Mineral Sunscreen (SPF 50)
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- Courtesy of brand
- Original photo from Jenifer Calle testing La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mineral Ultra-Light Face Sunscreen SPF 50
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La Roche-Posay Anthelios Light Fluid Facial Sunscreen SPF 60
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The post How to Get Rid of Sunburn Fast, According to Dermatologists appeared first on Glamour.
