The best way to find out what to do about burnt skin is to ask the palest person you know. Trust me, we have all the tricks (also, we have all the sunscreen). I wear sunscreen every single day. I go through a tube of sunscreen in roughly three or four days. I am going to look young forever, I am also never going to get another sun burn ever again.

The last time I got a sunburn was over a year ago and everyone who knows me was shocked because they’ve seen me buy sunscreen in bulk for years.

The trouble is, sunscreen expires. And I’d been lathering myself all day in the tube of sunscreen I’d pulled out of my golf bag…which had been in there since who only knows when. This little redhead was out in the sun ALL DAY smothering herself in expired sunscreen, blissfully ignorant of the pain to come.

I ended up with honest to goodness sun poisioning. I had to call in sick to work. And y’all, I was SICK. It was one of the most miserable experiences of my young life. Your body develops a fever thinking it is helping by fighting off an infection, except it’s trying to fight the skin that is attached to the rest of you. And you’re naucious, can’t keep anything down, have a migrane that makes you see spots, and to top it off, you still have a nasty sunburn so you can’t touch anything.

Obviously this was not how I wanted to spend any of my time so I pulled out all the stops. Every trick I knew about how to get rid of a sunburn was employed and three days later people couldn’t even tell I’d had a sunburn at all.

So I’m sharing my secrets with you.

First, as soon as you realize you’re burnt, get into a cold shower. The cold water will stop the skin damage from getting any worse. Get into the water when it is room temperature and gradually increase the chill factor so your body doesn’t go into shock from jumping straight into freezing water.

Everyone will tell you to apply aloe like it’s some sort of magic potion. And they’re very nearly right, except, not quite. You see, most aloe lotions have alcohol as one of the ingredients. WHY? I have no clue. But alcohol actually does the exact opposite of what you want; it dries out your skin. But your skin is already horrifically dry thanks to the sunburn that is dehydrating you.

What you need instead is aloe gel free of any alcohol. Read all the ingredients on the list because I promise you it’ll be on more brands than you think.

Next, mix the aloe gel with coconut oil, lavender and peppermint essential oils, and spread it all over the burn. Reapply once it has been absorbed into the skin. Keep doing this until it stops absorbing into the skin.

In the meantime, drink more water than you could have possibly imagined. I’m talking gallons, people.

Grape water spray is also your new BFF. Caudalie makes the absolute best. Spray it on your face every time you’re about to reapply the aloe/oil mixture.

The final trick is gross and I’m sorry but it works so well I had to add it anyway. Greek yogurt. Plain Greek yogurt (none of that flavored or sweetened stuff) is phenomenal at cooling burns and hydrating your skin. But it does not absorb well and is sticky so if you take this route put towels down anywhere you plan to sit, stand, or lay down.

Finally, invest in some sunscreen for next time! Here are the ones I never go anywhere without!

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen SPF 100+ for all over and Drunk Elephant Umbra Sheer Physical Daily Defense Protection Quotidienne SPF 30 for my face.

Stay safe out there friends!

xo,

Kate