Sunburn Skin Care Routine

Sunburn Skin Care Routine

Hey everyone,

I had shared in an earlier post that I got sunburned when I visited Goa. I had used a lot of sunscreen, reapplied within 2 hours generously, but my skin is very sensitive to sun.  I get tanned and sunburned easily, and with the climate, and mucking around in salt-water, I got sunburned very badly. My cheeks were red and flaming, horribly dry, and it burnt to the touch. Even applying sunscreen hurt. I don’t have a lot of access to home remedies since I stay in a hostel, so I just switched my skin care routine and thought I would share it with you.

Sunburn Skin Care Routine

First and foremost, wash your face with lots of water. Switch your face wash to a moisturizing face wash, instead of an oily-skin one. I have combination skin, so I use mostly oily-skin face washes but those were harming me. Dove moisturizing face wash helped me a LOT.  A lot of us think that applying moisturizer will exacerbate the burns, but that is not true! Apply moisturizer regularly before going to sleep. When skin gets sun burnt, it becomes dry and flaky; provide it the moisture it has lost.

Do not use anything containing alcohol, like facial wipes or toners containing alcohol. They burned my skin like nothing and were horrible. I somehow stupidly thought that a facial wipe would provide cooling sensation, but it didn’t.

Use lots of aloe vera gel.  I used the Patanjali Aloe Vera gel which cooled my face a lot and it felt really good on my skin. Reapply as often as necessary. Remember that aloe vera gel makes your skin more susceptible to sun, so apply more sunscreen.

Sunburn Skin Care Routine

Since this happened on the second day and I had about 4 more days left, I was wondering what to do. I covered my face with scarfs dipped in water which cooled my face as I drove the two-wheeler, it also protected me from the sun. Stay away from the sun as much as you can. Try to stay away from salt-water as it is literally like applying salt to your wounds!

After I came back, I followed this routine:

1. Wash my face with a moisturizing face wash, like Dove face wash.
2. Apply aloe vera gel in copious quantities, let it dry.
3. Once it starts to feel slightly stretchy, apply a good moisturizer. I used Neutrogena Combiskin moisture, and Fab India Green Tea moisturizer. You can use something heavier.
4. Use a very mild facial scrub. I know it would seem against logic, but we need to exfoliate the dead sun burnt skin and expose the skin underneath, so exfoliation is a must. I actually used the Lotus Tea Tree face wash which has tiny exfoliating beads and feels milder than other scrubs. Soon I switched to Neutrogena Blackhead Removing Scrub.

Sunburn Skin Care Routine

5. Do not apply makeup. This seems like a no-brainer, but please give your skin some rest, and do not use facial products. They can strip your skin of moisture and make your skin burn.
6. Keep using SPF and cover your face regularly wherever you go.
7. At night, I again washed my face, applied aloe vera gel, and then used a thick night cream – Lotus Whiteglow Night Cream.  This helped immensely and was very moisturizing to my skin and helped it recover very quickly.
8. I did procure some cold milk and applied it to my face, but even if you don’t have access to that, the skin care products will definitely help you.
9. Use a mild soap-free body wash because soap also causes burning sensation.

I hope that somebody else finds this routine helpful as the summer has already started getting unbearable. It’s always better to prevent, but in case it happens, we should be equipped with the know-how to get back to normal.

Take care until next time!

Home Remedies for Sunburn
Sunscreen: Sunscreens Facts, SPF and Application
Eyes Sunburn: Causes and Precautions
Sunburn & Pigmentation Problem : Ask IMBB
My Skincare Routine
Skin Care Routine Normal to Dry Skin
Skin Care Routine For Combination Skin
My Skin Care and Hair Care Routine

IMBB RECOMMENDS

19 thoughts on “Sunburn Skin Care Routine

  1. Triya, I am extremely sensitive to sun and get tanned easily even with a good sunscreen. These tips will come in handy when I have a sunburn, thank you *woot*

    1. *thankyou* Lisha, it’s definitely becoming very hot now, and we really need to take care of our skin more now! *nails* *nails*

  2. I literally get baked, fried and burnt in the sun even if I go out for 2mins! Thats my horrible sun sensitive skin! *cry*

    These tips are gonna be so so useful now Triya *pompom* thank you *powder*

    1. Okay, mine is not SO sensitive, yours sounds bad 🙁

      Be sure to take good care of it, and cover your face all the time!

  3. very useful tips triya…I have sun-shaded skin on my hands and feet and at times on face as well 😛 but I do enjoy having the tan sometimes 😛 great post will keep it marked *clap* *clap*

    1. Hehe, Thank you so much for the compliment! *thankyou*
      My feet are a completely different color from the rest of my body! Lol 😛

  4. Nice post dear!
    Patanjali alovera gel didnt suit my skin I developed pimples…..though it is nice one..and many of my friends use it daily and have a beautiful skin….

    1. Oh, sorry to hear that ! You should try natural aloe vera gel then, all products may contain some harmful ingredients.

  5. *thankyou* for sharing. It is very thoughtful of you to do so, especially with the summer just beginning. I hope you are feeling better now. *puchhi*

  6. nice post Triya…..m nursing a broken foot and my orthopedic has asked me to take sunbath…in this weather!!! dat also without using a sunscreen and with minimal clothing…..m dreading already….

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