How to Treat Sunburn: Dermatologist-Recommended Tips
While sunburn prevention is ideal and crucial to maintaining healthy skin, if you do find yourself with red, peeling skin from the sun, there are a few dermatologist-recommended tips you can follow to treat sunburn. Here’s how to properly treat and care for sunburned skin so you can recover faster and reduce the risk of scarring and other complications. Then, be sure to follow sunburn prevention tips so you don’t have to go through treating a sunburn again.
To treat sunburn, focus on applying anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ingredients.
Do not exfoliate the skin or peel flaking skin or blisters.
Wear sunscreen to protect new skin and avoid future sunburns.
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Use DNA Repair Enzymes
DNA mutations caused by ultraviolet rays lead to skin cancer and skin aging. Your body naturally makes enzymes to repair this damage called DNA repair enzymes. There are several types of these.
When we get older or max these out with a large amount of sun exposure, they cannot do their job properly to protect and repair the skin after sun exposure.
Studies have suggested that using topical DNA repair enzymes like those in Photozyme, can help the skin protect itself after sun exposure. Use this whether you get a sunburn or not.
Take Ibuprofen for Inflammation and Pain
Sunburn often causes redness, inflammation, and some discomfort. Taking 400 mg of (Advil) ibuprofen every four hours can help to ease these symptoms while your skin heals. For mild sunburns, this may only be necessary in the first day or two after sun exposure. If your sunburn is more severe, redness and pain may persist up to a week.
Do not go back into the sun because the ibuprofen can increase sun sensitivity- plus you do not want any more sun exposure if you are already burned.
Apply Skin-Soothing Ingredients
Aloe vera is a natural ingredient with very strong anti-inflammatory, cooling, and skin-soothing properties. If you have smaller areas of sunburnt skin, you can apply topical aloe either directly from an aloe plant or an aloe gel that you can buy from most drugstores. I like to keep an aloe plant in the kitchen for minor burns.
To soothe larger areas, you can apply topical argan oil, which also has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Argan oil has also been shown in small studies to aid in wound healing and can help to hydrate and protect sunburnt skin while it heals (3,4).
You can also apply a soothing moisturizer such as Zerafite Soothing and Calming Moisturizer to help calm the skin and smooth peeling and flaking skin.
Best Sunburn Treatment Creams
Look for creams and moisturizers that contain anti-inflammatory ingredients and that do not contain exfoliants. Some of the best sunburn treatment creams and oils include:
Apply a Cool Compress
While you should never apply ice directly to your skin, you can make a cool compress using a clean towel or washcloth soaked in cool water or even in cooled green tea to soothe your skin and reduce redness. The polyphenols in green tea contain strong antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory, so they can help to reduce redness and scavenge free radicals caused by sun damage (5).
Apply Vitamin E to Blistered Areas
If your skin begins to blister, you can apply topical vitamin E to the area, which can help to reduce inflammation and the risk of hyperpigmentation and other signs of skin damage caused by UV exposure (6). Some moisturizers, like SkinMedica Ultra Sheer Moisturizer , contain vitamin E in addition to soothing and hydrating ingredients, which can also be helpful on peeling, sunburnt skin.
Do Not Peel Blistered Skin
Picking at or peeling blisters and flaking skin after a sunburn can slow your skin’s natural healing process and can increase the risk of infection, hyperpigmentation, and other complications. Keeping your skin moisturized can help to smooth the appearance of flaking skin while it heals and keep you more comfortable. However, do not exfoliate during this time, as this can also damage healing skin.
If a blister does rupture on its own, do not peel the skin away. Leave it in place to heal on its own to protect the fresh skin underneath.
Take Antioxidant Supplements
Antioxidants neutralize free radicals that are caused by sun exposure. If left unchecked, free radicals can cause DNA damage and premature aging. To increase your antioxidant intake after a sunburn, you can take antioxidant supplements such as Heliocare or 500mg of vitamin C twice per day. You can also eat antioxidant-rich foods like citrus fruits, bell peppers, and berries or use a topical antioxidant serum such as Alastin C-Radical Defense or La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 AOX .
Wear Sunscreen
Apply sunscreen to new skin to keep it protected from further sun damage. You can also wear UV-protective clothing over sunburnt areas. Regular clothing, however, only offers the equivalent of SPF 5, so this is not enough to keep new skin protected from the sun. Many companies now make UV-protective clothing with high UPF values.
How to Prevent Sunburn
Getting even just one severe sunburn can increase the risk of melanoma and other types of skin cancer (7). To reduce this risk – and to avoid uncomfortable sunburn symptoms – practice healthy sun protection habits like:
Wear SPF 15 every day.
Wear SPF 30 or higher on days when you plan to be outdoors.
Reapply sunscreen every two hours or after swimming or sweating.
Make sure you apply enough sunscreen. Use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of sunscreen to your face and 1 ounce (a shot glass) to your body.
Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and other sun-protective clothing when outside for long periods of time.
Bottom Line
It is always best to prevent sunburn before it happens – but if you find yourself with a sunburn, follow the tips in this guide to help your skin heal and prevent hyperpigmentation and other complications during the healing process. If you need to shop for a new sunscreen, make sure you choose one that’s right for your skin type so you will want to use it every day!
Dr. Leslie Baumann MD, FAAD
How can I treat sunburn fast?
It will take some time for the skin to heal and replace itself. However, using a moisturizer and anti-inflammatory ingredients can help to improve the appearance of flaking skin during this time.
How can I get rid of sunburn redness overnight?
Although redness won’t disappear completely overnight, applying anti-inflammatory skincare ingredients and using cool compresses can significantly reduce redness and irritation and promote faster healing.
Does hydrocortisone cream heal sunburn?
Hydrocortisone cream can help to relieve redness, swelling, and itching from sunburn, but it doesn’t speed up the healing process itself – it mainly helps to manage symptoms. Note that using hydrocortisone cream for too long can come along with side effects, so talk to your dermatologist about the best sunburn treatments for your situation.
Best References and Scientific Publications on How to Treat Sunburn
- Baumann L. Antiaging Ingredients in Ch. 37 of Baumann's Cosmetic Dermatology Ed 3. (McGraw Hill 2022)
- Baumann, L. Ch. Cosmeceuticals and cosmetic Ingredients (McGraw Hill 2015)
- Avsar U, Halici Z, Akpinar E, Yayla M, Avsar U, Harun U, Harun U, Hasan Tarik A, Bayraktutan Z. The Effects of Argan Oil in Second-degree Burn Wound Healing in Rats. Ostomy Wound Manage. 2016 Mar;62(3):26-34. PMID: 26978857.
- Dakiche, H., Khali, M., & Boutoumi, H. (2017). Phytochemical Characterization and in vivo Anti-inflammatory and Wound-healing Activities of Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels Seed Oil. Records of natural products, 11(2).
- Pinnell, S. R. (2003). Cutaneous photodamage, oxidative stress, and topical antioxidant protection. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 48(1), 1-22.
- Burke, K. E., Clive, J., Combs, G. F., Commisso, J., Keen, C. L., & Nakamura, R. M. (2000). Effects of topical and oral vitamin E on pigmentation and skin cancer induced by ultraviolet irradiation in Skh: 2 hairless mice. Nutrition and cancer, 38(1), 87-97.
- Wu S, Cho E, Li WQ, Weinstock MA, Han J, Qureshi AA. History of Severe Sunburn and Risk of Skin Cancer Among Women and Men in 2 Prospective Cohort Studies. Am J Epidemiol. 2016 May 1;183(9):824-33. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwv282. Epub 2016 Apr 3. PMID: 27045074; PMCID: PMC4851991.
