Sunburn. It’s like a hangover – painful, awkward and no-one’s fault but yours. And after a weekend of warm weatherlike the one we’ve just had, you’re probably suffering, right? After all, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the sunshine considering we barely ever see it.
But how to disguise those cringe T-shirt marks you got from forgetting to roll up your sleeves in the beer garden you spent pretty much all weekend parked in now you’re back at work? Or how to stop your too-pink shoulders from killing every time you swing a bag strap over it?
Here are some tried and tested tips for soothing the burn:
If you have a particularly bad burn – say one arm was scorched in the car or you forgot to apply sunscreen to your neck – treat it as you would any other kind of burn. That means cooling it quick. Soak the area in cold water (not freezing) or hold a cold compress to the skin for 15 minutes or so.
A cool oatmeal bath will literally have you sighing with relief. Pack dry porridge oats into the sock of a pair of tights (clean obvs) and tie it around your tap as you fill your bath. The water will turn a murky milky colour, but it will make your skin feel so much better. Try and pack in as many oatmeal baths as you can until your skin is back on form.
Whenever you get burnt, you unleash a free radical shit-storm. Free radicals are damaging in many scary ways, but mainly, they will prematurely age your skin and increase your chances of developing cancer. Antioxidants are your new best friend – they won’t completely eliminate all the free radicals that are generated from a burn, but they will undo some of the damage. Eat plenty of antioxidant rich foods, such as green vegetables and fresh berries (the fresher the food, the more antioxidants there will be), and swap your regular brew for green tea.
When I suffered a harsh burn while on holiday last year, I went to town applying antioxidant serums all over my arms and legs to try and limit the damage. It’s a pricey method but it worked: I didn’t freckle and the burn cleared up a hell of a lot faster than it would have if I had left it to its own devises. My serum of choice is SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic Serum, £129. It’s eye-wateringly expensive, yes, but in my opinion it’s the best and most potent antioxidant serum available and your skin is worth the expense.
You should also smother burnt skin in aloe vera gel. There are studies to show that burns and lesions heal faster when they’re treated with aloe vera. You can by it by the tube in health stores or you can grow the plant at home. Just make sure you pack as much of that stuff onto your skin as possible.
Here’s the most important part: whatever happens, do not allow yourself to burn on top of a burn. Keep the area covered until it has healed and up your SPF to a 50. La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF50+ Ultra-Light Tinted Fluid, £16.85, is pretty amazing. It’s really lightweight so doesn’t feel any different to your regular face cream and it has a tiny amount of pigment to even out your skin tone.
For the body, I recommend La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF50+ Invisible Nutritive Oil, £11.67. In fact, I recommend this even if you’re not burnt. It’s silky and hydrating, easy to apply and, of course, broad spectrum, so it will filter out both UVA and UVB.
See you next weekend...
Follow Suzanne on Twitter @Suzanne_M_Scott
Picture: Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.