We Asked A Dermatologist The Best Ways To Treat A Sunburn

Maybe you had a little too much fun in the sun.

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Summer is upon us, and that means facing the consequences of forgotten sunscreen application is upon us too. We asked dermatologist Dr. Anthony M. Rossi for his recommendations for over-the-counter products that could help us deal with our hot, achy skin.

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Dr. Rossi is the assistant attending at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medical College, and the assistant attending at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Through his work, he's fought the aftermath of too much sun exposure and has some serious over-the-counter recommendations that may help to ease your flaming skin woes. (But always consider consulting your dermatologist before you introduce new products into your skincare regimen — everyone's skin is unique, and nothing can replace an in-person visit to a professional!)

Here are a few of his recommendations:

1. Avoid a freakin' sunburn altogether with a sunscreen with at least SPF 30, and reapply every two hours — so set that alarm on your phone!!!

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Okay, this was obviously your plan and probably goes without saying. But we just wanna make sure you remember that the best way to deal with sunburned skin is by avoiding it with some serious SPF action! "Of course for sunburns, we always like to prevent them from happening!" Dr. Rossi says. "Sunscreen SPF 30 reapplied every two hours and sun protective clothing is ideal."

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Now, that we've got that (and hopefully you) covered, if you do get a sunburn and the damage has been done — any level of redness on the skin is considered damage BTW — Dr. Rossi says, "There are certain things you can do."

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2. Drink lots and lots and lots of water to help remoisturize your skin.

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Dr. Rossi stresses the need to stay hydrated during this very painful time, pointing out that "damaged sunburned skin loses moisture and water, staying hydrated by drinking water can be very helpful."

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3. Get your aloe on! Finding a cooling gel whose primary ingredient is aloe can help calm your skin.

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Dr. Rossi notes that raw aloe is ideal, but "if you don't have access to a raw aloe plant consider finding aloe vera gels — look for one that has one of the first ingredients listed as aloe vera and that has minimal added ingredients, such as Fruit of the Earth aloe vera gel."

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4. This soothing and ultra-cooling Bare Republic After-Sun Spray Mist with aloe and seaweed can also help calm the fiery hell that your skin currently lives in.

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Get it from Amazon for $16.13.

5. Aveeno's Baby Eczema Therapy Soothing Bath Treatment is a great way to protect the barrier of your skin from that awful burn, thanks to its soothing oatmeal.

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In addition to aloe, Dr. Rossi notes that oatmeal can help calm the inflammation and pain caused by a sunburn as well.

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6. Another gentle way to soothe your burn is with a moisturizer like Cetaphil Restoraderm Moisturizer, which'll help hydrate and protect your aching skin.

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It's important to use products that'll be gentle on your skin, and this Cetaphil lotion fits that bill perfectly. "I tell people to avoid any topical anesthetics such as benzocaine because these can be quite irritating," notes Dr. Rossi.

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7. Take some ibuprofen to help cope with the pain and reduce some of the inflammation caused by a sunburn.

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Dr. Rossi recommends using an anti-inflammatory "such as ibuprofen, which can be helpful to calm down inflammation," and if you can take anti-inflammatories, they "may be helpful if you are having pain."

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8. Hydrocortisone 1% cream will be a godsend if your skin is really red and irritated, and could help relieve the itching and the pain.

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"Topical hydrocortisone cream can be useful to calm down irritation," says Dr. Rossi — especially a maximum-strength cream that's designed to help soothe and cool. It also doesn't hurt that it's enriched with aloe, which, as mentioned above, can be super helpful for alleviating the burn.

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $5.49.

9. Wear some sun-protective clothing, like Coolibar Sun Clothing, that has UV protection in it — it'll help protect your already aching skin and prevent any further damage!

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Promising review: "I have lupus (of the skin) and cannot be in the sun or even near bright windows, so this shirt is a godsend to me. It's sooooo comfy, and I've worn it outdoors in the heat and it really does not feel hot. It's stretchy and silky and light, and I love it to pieces. It can be for dress, play, or work. It's cool and it's warm — it's hard to explain but it really is!!! Love, love, love it. I'll bet people think I don't have anything else to wear because I wear them every day. Excellent product. I hope they make more in more styles. Oh, I do have their jacket also." —Mrs. B.

Get this UPF 50+ T-shirt for $39.50+ (available in sizes XS-3X and in 18 colors).

And guys, not to be a pain but please don't forget to apply sunscreen — it could literally save your life!! Happy summer!

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The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.

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