If you’re sunburned and don’t have aloe vera on hand, you have plenty of effective alternatives. Cool compresses, oatmeal baths, everyday moisturizers, and over-the-counter pain relievers can all reduce pain, redness, and peeling just as well. Here’s how to treat a sunburn from start to finish using what you likely already have at home.
Cool the Skin First
The single most important step is bringing down the temperature of your skin. Dampen a clean towel with cool tap water and drape it over the burned area for about 10 minutes. Repeat this several times a day, especially during the first 24 to 48 hours when inflammation peaks. A cool (not cold) bath works too. Adding about two ounces of baking soda to the tub can help calm itching and irritation.
Avoid ice or ice-cold water directly on the burn. Your skin’s barrier is already compromised, and extreme cold can cause further damage and constrict blood flow right when your skin needs it most.
Take an Anti-Inflammatory Early
Sunburn is, at its core, an inflammatory response. Taking ibuprofen or naproxen as soon as you notice redness can meaningfully reduce swelling, pain, and the cascade of damage that continues for hours after sun exposure. Ibuprofen can be taken as one to two 200 mg tablets every four to six hours, up to 1,200 mg per day. Naproxen sodium works with one to two 220 mg tablets every eight to twelve hours, up to 660 mg per day. Starting early matters more than the specific drug you choose.
Try an Oatmeal Bath
Colloidal oatmeal is one of the best-studied alternatives to aloe for inflamed skin. It contains compounds that calm cytokines, the inflammatory proteins responsible for the redness, itching, and swelling you’re feeling. It also delivers vitamin E, which acts as an antioxidant and helps limit further cell damage. You can find colloidal oatmeal packets at most drugstores, or make your own by grinding plain, unflavored oats into a fine powder in a blender.
Add the oatmeal to a lukewarm bath and soak for about 15 minutes. Pat your skin dry gently afterward rather than rubbing. You can repeat this daily while your burn is healing.
Raid the Kitchen
Cool milk compresses are a surprisingly effective home remedy. Milk contains lactic acid, which gently removes dead skin from the surface of the burn, and antioxidants that help reduce inflammation. Use skim or low-fat milk, soak a soft cloth in it, and apply to the burned area for 10 to 15 minutes. The coolness provides immediate relief while the milk proteins go to work on the damage underneath.
Plain, cold black tea bags also work well for smaller areas like the face or shoulders. The tannins in tea have natural astringent and anti-inflammatory properties similar to those found in witch hazel.
Witch Hazel for Targeted Relief
If you have witch hazel in your medicine cabinet, it’s an excellent topical option for sunburn. Its primary active compounds, tannins, provide astringent effects that tighten and soothe irritated skin. It also contains flavonoids and catechins that reduce inflammation and help maintain skin elasticity during the healing process. Apply it with a cotton pad or soft cloth to burned areas. Look for alcohol-free formulations, since alcohol will sting and dry out already damaged skin.
Moisturize While Skin Is Damp
After a cool bath or compress, apply a fragrance-free moisturizer while your skin is still slightly damp. This locks in moisture at a time when your skin desperately needs it. Sunburned skin loses water through the damaged barrier at an accelerated rate, and keeping it hydrated reduces peeling and speeds recovery.
Soy-based moisturizers are a particularly strong choice. Research published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that soybean germ oil inhibited UV-induced redness by nearly 47%, more than twice the effect of vitamin E alone. Soybean-containing products also improved the skin’s ability to retain moisture within 30 minutes of application. Check ingredient lists for soybean oil or soy extracts in basic, unscented lotions.
Coconut oil and petroleum jelly are popular suggestions, but be cautious. Heavy, occlusive products can trap heat in the skin during the acute phase (the first day or two). Save them for later in the healing process when your skin is peeling and dry but no longer hot to the touch.
Use Hydrocortisone for Stubborn Itch and Swelling
Over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream (1%) can help with the intense itching and swelling that often kicks in a day or two after a burn. Apply a thin layer to the affected area two to three times per day. This is especially useful for localized burns on the face, shoulders, or chest where clothing friction makes the itching worse. If your symptoms don’t improve within a few days, or if they get worse, that’s a signal to have it evaluated by a doctor. Don’t use hydrocortisone for extended periods, as prolonged use carries its own risks.
Drink Extra Water
A sunburn pulls fluid toward the skin’s surface as part of the inflammatory response. If the burn covers a large area, this fluid shift can lead to dehydration even if you don’t feel particularly thirsty. Drink water consistently throughout the day for the first 48 to 72 hours. You’ll know you’re on track if your urine stays pale yellow. If you were also sweating heavily during the sun exposure, adding an electrolyte drink helps replace what you lost.
What to Avoid on Sunburned Skin
Skip any product containing benzocaine or lidocaine, the numbing agents found in many “after-sun” sprays and gels. These feel soothing in the moment, but they carry a real risk of allergic contact dermatitis. Studies have found lidocaine allergy in about 2.3% of tested patients, and benzocaine allergy in 1.2%. On already-damaged skin, the risk of a reaction goes up. An allergic response on top of a sunburn means more redness, more swelling, and a longer recovery.
Also avoid products with fragrance, retinol, or exfoliating acids (like glycolic or salicylic acid). These are irritants under normal conditions and can be genuinely painful on burned skin. Stick to the simplest, most boring products you own until the burn fully resolves.
When a Sunburn Needs Medical Attention
Most sunburns, even painful ones, heal on their own within a week or two. But if blisters cover more than 20% of your body (roughly a whole leg, your entire back, or both arms), you need medical treatment. The same goes for fever, chills, nausea, or confusion, which can signal sun poisoning, a more systemic reaction that goes beyond skin damage. Blisters on their own aren’t necessarily an emergency, but large, widespread blistering means the burn is deep enough to require professional care.