How to get rid of sunburn and restore your skin

We all know sunscreen is a summer must, but when you live in Australia, chances are you’ll still wonder how to get rid of sunburn at least once in your life.
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The redness and peeling that comes with a big burn sure ain’t pretty – not to mention it can also be quite painful!
Thankfully, help is at hand. Keep scrolling to find out how long it takes for sunburn to go away, plus tips and tricks to speed up the process…
How long does it take for sunburn to subside?
As healthdirect.gov.au explains, “Skin that has been sunburnt turns red within hours – and the sunburn will continue to develop for the next one to three days.” From this point onwards, the time frame for sunburnt skin to fully heal depends on a few factors. These include the severity of the sunburn, the treatments used, and your skin’s general healing ability. Typically, you’re looking at three to five days for mild sunburn, and up to one week for moderate sunburn.
Severe sunburn is a different story, with symptoms lasting for up to two weeks. If you experience a fever, severe dehydration and/or blistering, you may require a visit to the doctor for treatment (and even hospitalisation in very extreme cases). If this sounds like you, get to the GP, stat!
What should I do immediately after I’ve been sunburnt?
First things first, have a cool shower. It may sound simple, but skin care experts say the water will help take the heat off your skin and reduce the severity of the burn. It’s also best to avoid using your usual soap or body wash, as this may irritate or dry out your sensitive skin even more.
If possible, let your skin air-dry post-shower. But if you must use a towel, gently pat your skin dry, rather than rubbing it, to avoid causing further discomfort.
Once your skin is dry, wrap a few ice cubes or an ice block in a wet tea towel and lightly press it against the affected area. Doing this for 15 to 20 minutes at a time will help soothe the discomfort and reduce the heat factor.
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What are the best skin care products for sunburn?
Itching to slather lotion on your sun-ravaged skin? Do your skin a favour and swap your usual face or body moisturiser for an aloe vera-infused alternative. Whether you opt for an aloe vera gel, moisturiser or spray, studies have shown the soothing ingredient will help moisturise and cool your skin. The below aloe vera products get bh’s seal of approval:
- Thursday Plantation Aloe Vera Gel
- JERGENS Soothing Aloe Refreshing Moisturiser
- Sukin Aloe Vera Gel
- LYCON Aloe Vera Soothing Gel
- John Plunkett Skincare Plunkett's Certified Organic Aloe Vera Spray
- Banana Boat Aloe Vera Lip Balm SPF 30+
Vitamin E is also fantastic for helping to repair skin damage. Opt for a lotion or gel formula, as these will help cool your skin. Try Redwin Daily Soothing Hydration Vitamin E & Evening Primrose Oil, Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturising Lotion or Natures Organics Australian Pure Kakadu Plum & Vitamin E.
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Are there any good home remedies for sunburn?
In addition to specially formulated skin care products, there are also some effective home remedies for sunburn:
- The tea bag treatment
Steep black tea bags in hot water and allow the water to cool, then place the tea bags directly on your sunburn. The tannins in the tea are a natural astringent and studies show they can help heal burns and prevent infection!
- The bicarb soda bath
The beauty benefits of bicarb soda extend to sunburn. Simply dissolve 100g of bicarb in a tepid bath and soak your poor, burnt bod for about 15 minutes to reap the anti-inflammatory benefit.
- The soothing oatmeal solution
Oatmeal isn’t just good for breakfast – it’s also an effective skin soother and moisturiser. For best results, pass cold water through a sieve containing dry oatmeal and collect the water in a bowl. Then, soak up the solution with a cloth and use it to apply the solution to your sunburn for some relief.
Can the peeling be prevented?
Unfortunately, if your skin has been badly burnt, peeling is an unavoidable part of the healing process. Moisturising may help stop the skin shedding in the short term, but you have to remember that the top layer of your skin is dead (and surely you don’t want that sticking to you for all eternity, amirite?!).
The good news is, you can help your skin to shed in a more discrete way. Don’t pick or pull at the peeling, as you may accidently tear healthy skin. Instead, keep the area well moisturised to help promote skin cell turnover, and keep it covered to avoid exposure to the elements (which can dry out the skin and slow the process).
Is there anything else I can do to help support the healing process?
In addition to using soothing skin care products, there are a few other things you can do to help speed up the healing process:
- Stay out of the sun, as additional sun exposure will worsen your burn.
- Drink lots of water. Not only does prolonged sun exposure cause dehydration, sunburn also draws water to your skin’s surface and away from the rest of your body.
- Wear loose-fitting clothing in a skin-friendly fabric, such as light cotton. Avoid fabrics that are rough or itchy as these will irritate your sensitive skin!
Have you had bad sunburn before? What are your top tips for treating sunburnt skin?
Have you tried any of the products mentioned above?
Review them now to earn points that you can swap for free beauty products in RewardsRoom.
107 Member Comments
Thursday Plantation Aloe Vera Gel for me. Thankfully I have not burnt my pale skin yet this summer and I don't want to either.
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Great Timing BH. We’re about to go to beachside town for a week. Hopefully we won’t need the advice though.
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These are some super useful tips!!! I get paranoid about getting sunburnt so I'm constantly reapplying sunscreen.
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I had some of the worst sunburn about a month ago. The heat radiating from my neck was extreme. The UV levels have been extremely high this summer. Between 11 and 13. I have stayed away from the sun ever since.
My treatment of choice was Vaseline aloe vera moisturiser. It was soothing, cool and deeply hydrating. My natural remedies are diluted apple cider vinegar, helps take the red out faster.
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For me prevention is better than cure. I don't spend enough time in the sun to get burnt, plus I always wear sunscreen
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99.9% Aloe Vera gel works for me, but best not to get burnt in the first place. . Right!
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aloe vera!
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I had a bad burn during our honeymoon...sigh! worst timing ever. Now I'd never leave without a waterproof suncare.
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Hasn't heard of the bicarb trick. I keep my aloe gel in the fridge. Nice and refreshing if you get burnt
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I need to remember this!
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I'm not a fan of the sun and stay out of it as much as possible.
I've had my fair share of sunburn growing up and the remedy for relief back in the 50s/60s was cold tea. There were no tea bags so we had to make a pot of tea and let it cool and then dab it on with cotton wool.
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Aloe Vera helps a tonne!
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Its been a killer this year with the sun. Still its good for you , alittke bit with protection of course.
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this is useful now that it is summer
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Any time I am in the sun for prolonged periods I usually use the Clinique after sun, even with sunscreen on I know my skin might be more susceptible to sunburn or dryness
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Use sunscreen daily and aloe Vera spray after going to beach
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I stay out of the sun as much as possible and always use sunscreen so sunburn is not something that I have to worry about thank goodness.
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Thankfully I've had no sunburns so far!
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Aloe burns my skin. Yup, it is a thing. It is too astringent , my skin goes too tight, dry and red.
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Same here! As I burn easily, I have to use after sun lotion always. And usually my skin peels and gets discolored and I hate it! I have tried a lot of different other lotions, but none of them comes even close to the Made from Earth Aloe & Jojoba Lotion. I needed it ASAP and purchased from Amazon with prime shipping. It removed my sun burnt red skin overnight!
Bear in mind this is a 8-ounce bottle, and lasted me and 2 kids about 1 month in the summer.
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Thank god I haven't had to deal with this, but I didn't realise there were more options out there!
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I don't think you can beat using Aloe Vera straight from the plant.
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Great tips. I am always careful in the sun but I love having a tan. Balancing the two is so important. Be sun safe ladies
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Great tips! Unfortunately, had to use a couple of those on a cloudy day in Phuket in January that got the best of me when I was napping in the shade.
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Good tips! Unfortunately summer sun is brutal - my partner got burnt from being outside for half an hour on a cloudy day!
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