Cool the skin with a cool bath or wet cloths, drink extra water, take a nonprescription pain reliever, and skip ice — blisters, fever, or severe burns mean seeing a doctor.
A day at the beach turns into a sleepless night when your shoulders feel like they’re radiating heat. Healing a sunburn is less about any single miracle product and more about doing four unglamorous things in the right order, then leaving your skin alone long enough to repair itself. Most redness peaks within 6 to 24 hours and fades over a few days, but what you do in that first window decides how rough those days feel.
Cooling Down Without Making It Worse
Get out of the sun and cool the skin gently, either with a cool (not cold) shower or bath, or by pressing cool wet cloths against the burn.
Here’s the one rule people break: do not put ice or ice packs on sunburned skin. Ice can further damage already-injured tissue and make the pain worse, so stick with cool water. Pat dry instead of rubbing, and be cautious with babies and young children during cooling so they don’t get too chilled.
Pain Relief, Hydration, and What to Put On It
Take a nonprescription pain reliever — aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen — as soon as possible after you notice the burn. Ibuprofen earns its keep here because it targets both pain and swelling. Drink extra water to replace the fluid you lost, and skip alcohol, which only pushes you toward dehydration.
For the skin itself, a few options actually help. Aloe vera gel, a plain moisturizing cream, calamine lotion, or an over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone cream. If you’d rather not guess which formula to buy, our rundown of the best after sunburn cream options covers what’s worth keeping in the fridge.
Sunburned eyes get their own treatment: lay a clean towel dampened with cool tap water over them and leave contact lenses out until the irritation clears.
Mayo Clinic’s guidance lists the same core steps — cooling, extra fluids, and nonprescription pain relief — and notes that first-aid care for sunburn should begin the moment you notice the burn.
| Symptom Level | What Helps Most | When to Get Care |
|---|---|---|
| Mild redness, warm skin | Cool compress, aloe or moisturizer, water | No care needed if it improves |
| Tender, swollen, tight skin | If pain hasn’t eased in 48 hours | |
| Blisters forming | Keep them covered and intact — never pop them | If blisters are widespread |
| Fever over 101°F | Fluids and pain relief while you arrange care | See a doctor promptly |
| Nausea, chills, dizziness | Hydrate, rest, monitor symptoms | Seek medical help — possible heat illness |
| Swelling, pus, or red streaks | Keep the area clean and covered | Get evaluated for infection |
| Burn covering over 15% of your body | Nothing home-based is enough here | Emergency care |
Blisters, Healing Time, and Harmless Mistakes
You’ll often feel better within a few days, though deeper burns can peel and itch for a week or more. Blisters push that timeline out.
Never pop a blister. If one bursts on its own, trim the dead skin with small clean scissors, wash the area gently with mild soap and water, apply antibiotic ointment, and cover it with a nonstick bandage.
Until the burn fades, stay out of the sun. Freshly burned skin is extra sensitive and a second round of exposure slows everything down. That’s it — no elaborate routines, no kitchen-cabinet hacks, no ice.
FAQs
Should I pop a blister to relieve pressure?
No. Keep blisters covered with a loose nonstick bandage and let them drain on their own. If one opens by itself, clean it with mild soap and water, apply antibiotic ointment, and bandage it.
Does aloe vera actually help, or is it a myth?
Aloe vera gel is a legitimate soother for mild to moderate sunburn, which is why it shows up in standard care advice alongside moisturizers and calamine lotion. It eases warmth and tightness rather than reversing skin damage.
When is sunburn serious enough to see a doctor?
Get medical attention if the burn covers more than 15% of your body, if you have a fever over 101°F or signs of dehydration, if extreme pain lasts beyond 48 hours, or if you notice nausea, chills, dizziness, or signs of infection like pus, swelling, or red streaks. Blistering combined with those symptoms also warrants a call.
References & Sources
- Mayo Clinic. “Sunburn: First aid.” Core first-aid steps for sunburn.
- Mayo Clinic.
- NHS. “Sunburn.” Cooling methods, hydration, and warning signs.