Did you get a bit too much sun and now find yourself looking for a quick fix to your redness?
Photo: 123RF
Most Australians and New Zealanders have been caught out by the sting of sunburn at some point in their lives.
Sunburn is caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation - an invisible threat to your skin that's still there on cloudy days and in snowy areas.
Some skin types can burn within 10 minutes of being unprotected in the sun, although prevention is something everyone should do.
But what happens when it's too late and you've woken up looking like a lobster?
How long does it take sunburn to heal?
Cosmetic chemist Dr Michelle Wong from Lab Muffin Beauty Science said how long it took for sunburn to heal depended on the depth of the sunburn or its intensity.
"What happens when you get a sunburn is that your skin cells have been damaged and a lot of them will die," Wong said.
"That means your body just has to go through the process of processing them and getting rid of them and having that inflammation die down.
"Sometimes people don't' realise that even slight reddening of the skin is still a sunburn - that sort of thing might go away in a day.
"Whereas if you have a really intense sunburn that has blisters, then that's going to take a lot longer."
But sunburn doesn't just cause redness, pain and peeling - it damages the DNA in your skin cells.
Cancer Council Queensland chief executive Chris McMillan said it could take just one really severe sunburn to trigger that reaction.
"The ultraviolet rays, they actually penetrate the skin and that then causes that reaction of damaging the DNA in your skin cells," McMillan said.
"It causes premature ageing and then can cause skin cancer in later years."
Sunburn doesn't just cause redness, pain and peeling - it damages DNA in your skin cells Photo: 123RF
How do you stop itchy sunburn?
Wong said hydrating the skin with a light moisturiser can help stop sunburn from itching, which is caused by the dryness and tightness of the skin.
But check the label for ingredients before you apply.
"I'd recommend a moisturiser that has glycerine in it," she said.
"Glycerine is a humectant; it draws water into the skin but it doesn't form a film on the skin so it won't interfere with trapping heat or anything like that.
"You can also look for anti-inflammatory ingredients like oatmeal extract, niacinamide - those are two big ones."
Just don't put on too much moisturiser as that can trap the heat in your skin, Wong said.
Similarly, cocoa butter can form a film on the skin that can potentially trap heat.
If you have really bad sunburn, Wong said, you should see a doctor and see if they could give you a steroid cream.
"You can also take some ibuprofen, which will be anti-inflammatory, and that can help with swelling and any of the redness that might be on your skin," Wong said.
Does aloe vera help sunburn?
Aloe vera is commonly recommended as a treatment to soothe sunburn, but Wong warned there were a lot of inconsistencies with the plant extract.
"Sometimes the inner leaf actually has some irritants, so if you just grab some aloe vera from the garden and put it on your skin, sometimes that can risk making it worse," she said.
Wong said it might be better to use a product that contained aloe vera.
"They might be a bit more careful about making sure it's the right extract but I don't think that's a guarantee."
Should you use essential oils on sunburn?
Some essential oils are marketed as a way to reduce the symptoms of sunburn and heal the skin, but Wong said they could be harmful.
"Essential oils are commonly irritants and their effects on skin are not very potent," Wong said.
"It's a big risk with little return.
"I would avoid using essential oils, and definitely not use undiluted essential oils."
When should you get a skin cancer check?
McMillan from Cancer Council Queensland said getting a skin cancer check is something to work into your routine of visiting a doctor.
She said it was also important to know your own skin and check it regularly.
"Look for any new or changing shape, size, colour, thickness of any areas of your skin," McMillan said.
"It doesn't always have to be a dark-coloured mole that is a suspicious thing - it could be something that's a small pink lump.
"It could be something simple, it's a lesion that hasn't healed properly over, you know, a month, six weeks or so; again that could be the start of the skin cancer."
How can you protect your skin from sunburn?
Wong said to protect your skin from sunburn, make sure you use a high-SPF sunscreen and reapply every two hours.
"Don't just rely on sunscreen, maybe also wear long-sleeved shirts or a hat or try to stay in the shade when possible," she said.
"Also avoid being out in the sun during the highest UV parts of the day.
"Check the UV index during the day as well because even though it's cloudy, sometimes there can still be a lot of UV around."
McMillan said it was important to apply enough sunscreen and that it had not expired.
"Check the date of them because they are just like any medication, there are expiry dates where the actual potency of the product or the effectiveness of the product reduces over time," McMillan said.
"Just be mindful to check that because you may well be putting sunscreen on but it might have expired a year ago."
- ABC
