How to Heal Quickly from a Sunburn on a Beach Trip

When on a trip to the beach, there are only a few must-do’s—one, wear sunscreen; two, avoid direct sunlight at midday; and three, reapply your sunscreen regularly. A nasty sunburn can ruin the trip to the beach, but if you find yourself nursing a bad one, do not despair. You can still have a nice vacation if you keep a few things in mind.

Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin are all over-the-counter pain relievers that can ease the discomfort of your sunburn. Take a pill within the first few hours of getting sunburnt and repeat every four to six hours until the swelling recedes.

Help yourself bounce back from sunburn by drinking a lot of water. Cooling down internally is important in helping yourself heal from overexposure to the sun. That doesn’t mean that you should take any cool drink, though; avoid carbonated soda, caffeine, and alcohol. These will not restore moisture to your skin; instead, they might even cause further dehydration. Unsweetened coconut juice or drinks with electrolytes are also a good choice if you get tired of plain old water.

If you want to heal from a sunburn, you must stay out of direct heat. However, it can be a drag to stay in your room during a vacation. You should be lounging or appreciating the view, especially when you do not have plenty of days to spend at the beach. Fortunately, most resorts have shaded areas where you can let your skin recover without cooping yourself up in your hotel room. For example, The Waters Khao Lak has spaces that can keep you entertained while you stay in the shade. Spa Khaolak can help you relax with their Aloe Vera Cooling Wrap. It helps fight inflammation and is perfect for sensitive or sunburnt skin. Meanwhile, the Bubble Bar is a swim-up pool bar with a covered area. Here, you can go from daytime lounging to nighttime swimming, as it lights up after dark and gives a new ambiance to the pool area.

For instant relief to your burnt skin, you can use an ice pack or a cold washcloth. Apply a wet towel on the worst-hit areas for up to 15 minutes, two to three times a day. If this is not working, wrap a cold pack with a towel and use that as a compress instead. You can also take a cold shower. Running water over a sunburn is a safe and quick way to get the worst of the swelling out. You will feel some tingling in the areas with the worst sunburn, but that will not last long.

Use unscented soaps when scrubbing your sunburnt skin. Soap with heavy perfume and oil can cause further irritation and prevent you from healing quickly. You should also ease up on your skincare routine, especially if the sunburnt area is your face. Wait until you are mostly healed before you start using your cleansers and serums again. Sun damage makes the skin extremely sensitive to acids, oils, and perfumes. Even if your skin can normally take the products you use, a sunburn destabilizes its chemistry. What you do need to use, though, is an aloe-based moisturizer. Medicated creams like cortisone can also help speed up the healing process.

A sunburn is never a good experience, and sustaining one during a beach trip can be one of the worst holiday experiences. You do not need to throw away your entire vacation, though; use our tips to help get your skin in tip-top shape so that you can hit the beach sooner rather than later! For a memorable resort experience that will not burn a hole in your wallet, book a stay at The Waters Khao Lak.