The sun is on its way! And yes, if does feel like we’ve been waiting forever for it. But, before we all rush outside to soak up its rays ASAP, we should probably take a second to think about staying safe. Because staying safe in the sun not only saves you from issues in the here and now, it saves you from irreversible sun damage to your skin in the long term too!
But, even if we’re all clued up on what to do to prevent these unwanted situations, accidents can happen. So, if you do find yourself suffering with a little sunburn, what should you do?
We found out the dos and don’ts of dealing with sunburn to help!
How To Treat Sun Burn – What To Do
1. DO get out of the sun and into the shade
If you feel yourself burning, immediately get out of direct sun rays and head for shade or shelter. If you can prevent burning from getting worse as soon as you notice it happening, you most definitely should!
2. DO take a cold shower, bath or find a damp towel
Cool your skin by jumping in a cold shower or bath or by covering with a damp towel. This will help to reduce damage, redness and swelling and soothe burnt areas of skin.
3. DO apply after sun (that includes aloe vera!)
For fast, effective relief from sunburn – or simply just to soothe and revitalise skin that’s been sun kissed – the Rapid Recovery After Sun Gel from MineTan in your May ‘Let The Sun Shine’ GLOSSYBOX is ideal!
A blend of powerful key ingredients, this product has a cooling effect on the skin which is exactly what sunburnt skin desperately needs. A natural anti-inflammatory, aloe vera soothes whilst providing a protective layer to the skin, while Niacinamide helps retain your skin’s hydration and reduces the appearance of sun damage and fine lines.
We may not be able to blissfully enjoying the sun on a holiday abroad just yet, but sunburn can still very much happen here in the UK! So, wherever you are and whatever you're doing, having this nifty skin soother (worth £13.35!) to hand is a clever idea!
4. DO drink plenty of water
To cool down your skin further and prevent dehydration up your water consumption levels for the next few days!
5. DO take painkillers, if necessary
Painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can really aid in reducing pain swelling, redness and discomfort that sunburn can cause!
How To Treat Sun Burn – What Not To Do
1. DO NOT use petroleum jelly on sunburnt skin
You may think Vaseline can soothe sunburnt skin just like it does when your skin is feeling dry and tight – but it won’t. It can actually make sunburn worse!
2. DO NOT put ice or ice packs on sunburnt skin
Yes, you should cool down sunburn, but do not put ice directly onto your skin to do so! It’ll only cause pain and potentially more damage. If ice is the only thing you have around to cool you down, make sure you wrap it in a towel or a flannel first, then apply that to your skin to take the heat out.
3. DO NOT pop any blisters
If your sunburn has blistered, then you may have suffered a second-degree burn... Yes, it can be that serious! As tempting as it can be to pop these blisters to get rid, DO NOT! This can make the whole situation worse and could even lead to infection. Blisters should heal on their own within a week or so, therefore it’s important you leave them to do just that! If they don’t get better – that's when you go see your GP!
4. DO NOT pick at peeling skin
Similarly, you should never pick at peeling skin either. It may be tempting to try and exfoliate peeling skin yourself, to speed up its removal. But this isn't a good idea. Instead, allow it to naturally fall off itself. Peeling usually stops when your burn has healed - which could take around a week!
5. DO NOT wear tight-fitting clothes over sunburnt skin
To allow sunburn to heal, you should definitely cover up. Especially if you’re out in the sun again afterwards. But don’t wear tight fitting clothes on top if you can help it. Loose fitting garments allow your skin to breathe more and won’t cause as much friction on delicate areas of skin.
Subscribe To GLOSSYBOX
Want to try MineTan’s Rapid Recovery After Sun Gel for yourself? Sign up to GLOSSYBOX today and you’ll receive this, plus four other fab beauty buys, delivered straight to your door! Want to know what these products are this month? Have a read of our May full reveal!
Being a Glossy also comes with plenty more Glossy benefits – exclusive discounts and priority access on our Limited Edition boxes, 25% discount on the full GLOSSYBOX Skincare range and access to the Glossy Lounge to name a few!
