Sunburn

[mamasanG]

my daughter 14 years old-she is of Indian decent. she takes care of her skin religiously-night and day. she puts on  ce freulic, & sunblock for day time. Night time she puts on: washes face with the salicylic acid & then

eucerin, adaplene & moisturizer. The one issue she has is she burns everytime she goes in the sun. She burns really bad. We have seen her dermatologist and she says that’s just her skin. Anyone ever had this issue? Any remedies?

[JoSometimes]

Hi @mamasanG. That’s horrible. Sunburn is painful. What SPF is she currently using? If she spends a lot of time in the sun and her current sunscreen is not working well, she may need to find something stronger. Also, many sunscreen products are not water proof, so if she sweats or gets wet, she will need to reapply. Clothes can make a difference too. Some athletic clothing companies make clothes with built-in SPF that she can wear specifically when she’s outside. Hydration is also incredibly helpful in beating the heat. If she doesn’t do so already, send her out with a bottle of water to drink she she goes out. 

A cool, wet towel can help immediately after she gets a sunburn. Aloe Vera is also good for calling down burns. I have a plant and will just slice off a leaf and rub it on the burn. Any moisturizer that contains aloe vera will help. If it gets flakey or itchy, anything with colloidal oatmeal can help with the irritation. Skinfix at Sephora has an line of products meant for eczema that contains oatmeal. You can also make your own oatmeal bath using rolled oats from the grocery store. Pour a cup of oats into a blender and blend until it’s a fine powder. Add it to a bath and soak in it for a while. If you don’t have any of these handy, at minimum, keep it moisturized with a simple, non-irritating lotion or moisturizer. Vaseline or Aquaphor can be applied on top to seal in the moisture. 

If nothing works to help rescue her skin after, you can try hydrocortisone cream. I’m not sure where you live, but in North America, you can usually get it over the counter without a prescription. Otherwise, you might have to speak with a doctor or pharmacist. I would save this as a last resort. It can sometimes lead to thinning of the skin, making it more fragile for a while. And the body can also start getting used to it, making it less effective as you continue to use it.

I hope this helps!