Best 10 Sunburn Relief Products Recommended By Dermatologists

 Sunburn's Side Effects 

 Spending time in the sun is not necessarily a bad thing as long as you are not in the sun for very long.  You can maybe get away with being in the sun for a while if you keep on reapplying sunblock every couple of hours. But avoiding the sun is sometimes unavoidable and putting on a lot of sunblock daily is sometimes not enough to beat the suns intense UV rays. That is why buying sunburn relief products recommended by dermatologists is so important for everyone to use, no matter their skin color, skin type, or the intensity of the sunburn! 

Sunburns can burn, peel, blister, itch and be painful to touch. Plus, waking up in the morning to see a pink body staring back at you in the mirror is never a fun experience. There is, however, a lot that can be done about it until the sunburn heals. A sun burns healing time, first of all, depends on the severity of the burn itself. A mild burn might take just a few days to heal. A moderate burn could take close to a week to heal. A serious burn where your skin is in sever pain, peeling, blistering and other major discomforts, will probably need medical attention. But even with the most uncomfortable sunburn, there are ways to sooth the discomfort and pain with topical gels and lotions until it heals or medical attention is sought. 

While there are easy home remedies- staying out of direct sunlight, drinking lots of water and taking a cold shower- that give quick, easy and affordable relief to sunburns, in order to completely heal sunburned skin, applying natural based gels and creams to the burnt area will not only  sooth and relieve the burnt skin, it will help restore skin back to health. Dermatologists are great sources to find the right products because they know what works to treat specific sunburn problems

Dermatologist Recommended Products

The redness that is perceived after a sunburn exists because of the blood vessels bringing in more blood to the dead and damaged area and the inflammation coming in to remove the dead, damaged skin cells. The skin also becomes very dehydrated after a sunburn and so, as Dr. Andrea Suarez, also known as Dr. Dray says, hydrating it with moisturizers like aloe vera gels is very helpful because it works to cool the damaged skin and bring moisture back to the area. She is a Board Certified Dermatologist and Skin Care expert who specifically recommends aloe vera gels without any added fragrance, alcohol or dye to sunburned skin, whether or not the skin is sensitive.  Sunburned skin is already damaged, so the best thing to do is to keep the gel as natural as the plant itself so the skin does not get more irritated. Specifically, Dr. Dray recommends Amara Beauty Aloe Vera Gel because it is fragrance free and moisturizes skin.

Dr. Bobby Y. Reddy also recommends Amara Beauty aloe vera gel. This type of aloe vera gel is recommended by two dermatologists on this article because it contains the highest amount of pure, organic aloe vera. In like manner, Dr. Nazanin Saedi  , a laser surgeon and cosmetic dermatologist explains that Seven Minerals Organic Aloe Vera Gel is also great aftercare gel to use on sunburns because it contains pure, freshly cut aloe vera leaves. She also specifically recommends this one because it has 100% Natural Thickener Seaweed Extract that, unlike other brands of aloe vera gel, does not leave residue on your skin and gives your skin a hydrated smoothness. 

While, interestingly, aloe vera is not scientifically proven to have healing qualities or qualities that clearly deal with sunburns, many people, including dermatologists, recommend people using it because it does sooth, moisturize and heal the skin while it is repairing itself. Even in the health information site, Medical News Today,it states that in the American Academy of Dermatology, any gel or lotion containing aloe vera can help relieve the symptoms of a sunburn! It is also found in the Journal of Herbal Medicine that "Aloe vera is well known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, sunburn relief, immune boost, anti-ageing and anticancer properties (Langmead et al., 2004)" . While it is true that aloe vera based creams and gels have many great sunburn relief qualities to it, there are other great  dermatologist recommended products that are also  effective sources to turn to.

For another perspective on sunburn aftercare treatment, professor of dermatology, Adam Friedman, MD ,FAAD  recommends using Aveeno Eczema Therapy that contains colloidal oatmeal and ceramide. Colloidal oatmeal is great because it has properties that reduce inflammation and repairs dead skin cells. Ceramide oatmeal keeps moisture inside of skin, keeping it hydrated and less prone to itchiness. I know personally that this treatment works because I have used it in the past as well!

From New York City, Dr. Michele Green recommends using Hydrocortisone, something you can get over the counter (OTC) or prescribed by a doctor depending on the severity of the burn. The Specific Hydrocortisone cream she recommends people using is Aveeno 1% Hydrocortisone Anti-Itch Cream. It contains triple oat complex, vitamin E and, you guessed it, aloe vera!!! This hydrocortisone cream helps reduce inflammation as well as healing dry and itchy skin! Additionally, it is recommended by dermatologist, Dr. Morgan Raback, that sunburned patients use a mixture of Hydrocortisone 1% cream and Aquaphor. Aquaphor moisturizes and heals damaged skin by allowing oxygen to come through the skin. Dr. Roback also  recommends sunburned patients to use Hydraboost Collagen + Peptide Water Cream because it helps to heal and hydrate (as the name implies) damaged skin cells. Any cream or gel used for sunburn relief should be revitalizing skin cells through hydration. Since the adult human body is about 60% water, it only makes since to heal it from sunburns by restoring water to it. It is additionally noted that Dr. Rebecca Baxt  says to use Aquaphor for sever sunburns that turn into blisters.

Furthermore, it is recommended by dermatologist Dr. Neil Sadick that a quick way to alleviate pain and take away red inflamed skin (also referred to as 'hell's itch') is to take an Advil.  Advil reduces inflammation and takes away the pain of the sunburn. Although Advil acts more as a band-aid than a solution to heal the sunburn, it is helpful to ease discomfort and pain while the skin heals itself. 

For those that are worried that a sunburn will lead to dry skin or that their sunburns will give them early onsets of wrinkles and deep lines, Dr. Dendy Engelman recommends using Bio-Oil Skincare Oil. It helps dead and damaged cells repair itself and and takes care of inflammation while hydrating the skin.

Finally, for those that want to repair sun-damaged skin with colloidal oatmeal to reduce inflammation, moisturize skin and sooth the sensation of itchiness in a more relaxing way, dermatologist Michelle Henry says to use Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment in your bath. It is made with 100% Colloidal Oatmeal and Dr. Henry says soaking in the Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment for up to 30 minutes will give you the best results. It seems like a more fun solution, anyway,than drinking lots of water and taking a cold shower!

Concluding Thoughts

The dermatologist recommended products listed in this article do not mean that you should allow sunburns to happen in the first place. In order to prevent sunburns from causing early aging, deep wrinkles, and skin cancer, applying sunblock to exposed parts of your body consistently while the skin is exposed to the sun should be a daily regiment. It's also not a bad idea to just head for shade if you can feel or see your skin beginning to burn. Assuming, however, that you are having a great time out, for adults, about a regular shot's worth of sunblock should be applied to the skin every couple of hours while out in the sun. The sun block should say that it is Broad Spectrum, meaning it protects the skin from Ultraviolet A and B rays. It should be at least SPF 30, but higher is always better to help protect against UV rays. Last but not least, the sunblock should be water resistant. It does not matter, however, how water resistant the sunblock is. As said before, sunblock should be reapplied every couple of hours, while you are out having fun in the sun, to get the best protection !!!!!