What to do if you got a sunburn: a guide

Let me be brutally honest: if you got a sunburn, you either a) spent too much time in the sun b) did not protect you skin, which means the god of SPF is now mad at you – as am I! Wearing sunscreen, and protecting your skin from the sun when it shines too bright, is IMPORTANT! All caps, so = the situation is very serious. That said, here we are, and there’s no point crying over spilled milk. Let’s focus on the issue at hand and see what to do with that sunburn of yours.

First, important step, encapsulated in an easy acronym: GTFOOTS (get-the-f***-out-of-the-sun, and into the shade). Getting into the water or taking a quick cold shower could help – but don’t stay in the sun any longer! Every extra minute will make it worse for you. If you opt for a shower, avoid aggressive soaps, with ingredients that could damage your skin further. And no touching that scrub!

Second step: moisturize and moisturize some more. Apply body cream in generous amounts on your wet skin. Don’t use products that are too artificial and contain petrolatum: they could trap the warmth underneath and make it worse.
The third step is optional: it depends on how bad the situation is. If you’re sore all over, pop an ibuprofen or another anti-inflammatory. It will help combat the sunburn from the inside and outside, helping you heal faster.

Last tip: drink up. Not everybody knows that sunburns tend to attract water from the rest of your body, so dehydration is a real risk. Once again, the problem will be solved so much faster is you work on it from both ends.
But let me say once again: you know what the best way to avoid a sunburn is? Wearing sunscreen! 🙂