After-Sun
Cools and rehydrates skin that already took a dose, without undoing any of the damage underneath.
Also called: aftersun lotion, aloe gel, sunburn relief, post-sun care
The basics
What to know about After-Sun
After-sun is comfort care, and being clear about that matters. A sunburn is inflammation triggered by ultraviolet damage to skin cell DNA, it peaks 12 to 24 hours after the exposure that caused it, and nothing sold over a counter reverses it. What these products can really do is cool skin, put water back into a dehydrated surface and take the tightness out of the days that follow.
Most formulas are water heavy gels or thin lotions rather than rich creams. This is deliberate, since a thick greasy layer on a fresh burn traps heat in skin already struggling to shed it. Aloe vera leads the ingredient lists because it cools and holds water, glycerin and panthenol pull moisture in. A stint in the refrigerator makes any of them work better. Watch for anesthetics ending in caine, as benzocaine and lidocaine sprays can sensitize skin and cause a reaction on top of the burn.
Body Lotion in the Bath and Body guide takes over once the heat has gone and the skin starts to flake. Self-Tanner should stay off burnt or peeling skin entirely, since it grips unevenly on damaged cells. Everything else in this guide exists so you need this one less often.
Anyone who has spent a long day out wants it, burnt or not, because sun and wind dehydrate skin without any redness appearing. Faces after skiing and shoulders after a boat trip are typical cases. A burn that blisters over a large area, or comes with fever, chills, headache or confusion, is not a shopping problem: that needs a doctor the same day, and so does any significant burn on a young child.
Cool the skin first with a lukewarm shower or a cool damp cloth for ten minutes, then apply while skin is still damp so the humectants have water to hold. An oral anti inflammatory taken early does more for pain and swelling than anything topical. Leave blisters alone and let peeling skin come away on its own, since pulling it takes living skin with it. Keep the burnt area out of the sun completely until it has healed, because it burns again at a fraction of the previous exposure.
Best for
When to choose this style
- Long days outdoors leave skin dehydrated even without redness, and a water heavy gel replaces what wind and sun took.
- Fresh burns feel dramatically better after a cool shower followed by a chilled aloe gel rather than a thick cream.
- Skin that has started to flake needs humectants and time, and picking at the peeling only prolongs it.
- Post skiing and post sailing faces take the worst of reflected light, so treat them the same evening rather than the next day.
Style comparison
After-Sun vs similar sun care
Sunscreen Spray
Delivers filters as an aerosol or pump mist, which reaches backs and legs but makes the dose impossible to measure.
Self-Tanner
Stains dead surface cells brown over a few hours and gives no sun protection whatsoever.
Sunscreen Stick
Sets filters in a wax base you swipe on, so it stays put on ears and eyelids and never runs into eyes.
Product details
What to compare when choosing After-Sun
Shared guidance
Buying, fit and care for sun care
Everything below applies to sun care of any style, so it lives on the main guide rather than being repeated here.
Keep comparing
Other styles of sun care
- Face Sunscreen
- Body Sunscreen
- Mineral Sunscreen
- Chemical Sunscreen
- Sunscreen Stick
- Sunscreen Spray
- Self-Tanner
The full sun care guide compares every style beside the product details and buying checks that help distinguish them.Read the sun care guideor check the universal buying checklist before you decide.
Related product guides