Cool water, aloe vera, and a fragrance-free moisturizer are the best things to put on a sunburn. The goal is to cool the skin, reduce inflammation, and lock in moisture while your body repairs the damage. What you avoid matters just as much as what you apply, since several common products can actually make a sunburn worse.
Cool the Skin First
Before you reach for any product, bring down the skin’s temperature. A cool (not cold) shower or bath is the fastest way to do this. Ice and ice-cold water can shock already damaged skin, so aim for a temperature that feels comfortably cool. If a bath isn’t practical, drape a clean cloth soaked in cool water over the burned area for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
Adding colloidal oatmeal to a cool bath can help with the itching and redness that develop as a sunburn progresses. Colloidal oatmeal works by calming inflammatory proteins in the skin called cytokines, which are responsible for that maddening itch. You can buy it pre-made at most drugstores, or make your own by blending plain oats into a fine powder and stirring it into the water. If you’re boiling the oatmeal first, let it cool to room temperature before using it.
Aloe Vera and Moisturizer
Aloe vera is the classic sunburn remedy for good reason. It contains antioxidants like vitamins C and E that help reduce skin stress, and it has natural anti-inflammatory properties that ease redness and swelling. For the best results, use pure aloe vera gel rather than products that contain alcohol or heavy fragrances, both of which can sting and dry out burned skin. Gel straight from an aloe plant works, or look for store-bought versions where aloe is the first ingredient.
After applying aloe, follow up with a fragrance-free moisturizer. Sunburned skin loses moisture rapidly, and keeping it hydrated speeds healing and reduces peeling. Look for lotions containing ceramides or hyaluronic acid, which help rebuild the skin’s moisture barrier. Apply moisturizer while your skin is still slightly damp from a shower or bath to trap that extra water in.
Reapply both aloe and moisturizer several times a day, especially during the first 48 hours when inflammation peaks. If a particular area feels tight or dry, that’s your signal to add another layer.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relief
Sunburn pain comes from inflammation deep in the skin, and topical products alone often can’t reach it. Taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen as soon as possible after getting burned helps reduce swelling and pain from the inside. Ibuprofen is particularly useful because it targets the inflammatory process directly, not just the pain signal.
A 1% hydrocortisone cream, available without a prescription, can also help with swelling and itching when applied to the burned area. Use it sparingly and only for a few days. It’s especially helpful on areas where clothing rubs against the burn.
What Not to Put on a Sunburn
Some products feel like they should help but actually slow healing or cause additional damage.
- Petroleum jelly, butter, or oil-based products. These create a seal over the skin that blocks pores, trapping heat and sweat underneath. That trapped moisture creates a breeding ground for infection.
- Numbing sprays with lidocaine or benzocaine. These topical anesthetics can irritate already damaged skin and may trigger allergic reactions, leaving you worse off than before you applied them.
- Alcohol-based products. Aftershave, rubbing alcohol, and alcohol-based toners dry out the skin further and increase pain on contact.
- Exfoliants or retinoids. Anything designed to remove or turn over skin cells will intensify the damage. Pause your normal skincare actives until the burn fully heals.
Hydration From the Inside
Sunburn draws fluid to the skin’s surface and away from the rest of your body. You may not feel especially thirsty, but dehydration is one of the most common complications of a significant burn. Drink extra water for the first two to three days. Signs you’re falling behind include dizziness, dry mouth, fatigue, and urinating less than usual.
What the Healing Timeline Looks Like
A mild sunburn typically peaks in redness and pain 12 to 24 hours after exposure, then gradually fades over three to five days. Peeling usually starts around day three as the body sheds its damaged outer layer. Resist the urge to peel it manually. That loose skin acts as a natural bandage for the new skin forming underneath, and pulling it off too early can cause scarring or infection.
Moderate burns with small blisters take longer, often a week or more. Leave blisters intact whenever possible. They’re filled with fluid your body sent to protect and heal the underlying tissue. If a blister pops on its own, gently clean the area and cover it with a light bandage.
Signs a Sunburn Needs Medical Attention
Most sunburns heal on their own, but some cross into territory that requires professional care. Seek medical treatment if you experience blisters covering more than 20% of your body (roughly the size of a whole leg, your entire back, or both arms), a fever above 102°F, chills, extreme pain that over-the-counter medication doesn’t touch, or signs of infection like pus seeping from blisters. Any sunburn on a baby under one year old warrants immediate medical attention regardless of severity.