Smart skin sun care means more than just slathering on the sunscreen before you head outside. What you do to your skin after you’ve been exposed to the sun can make a big difference, too. Here are some ways to treat your skin after a long day in the sun.

Oil Up

Before the dangers of sunbathing were well known, it used to be standard practice to slather up with tanning oil, not sunscreen, when you hit the beach. Of course, we know better these days and choose sunblock over baby oil while we’re sunning, but we may be missing out by swearing off oils completely. The sun robs the skin of moisture, so it’s important to rehydrate it once you’ve come in for the day. Oils are one of the best products to boost moisture in the skin. Some oils that are particularly well suited for sun-damaged skin are rosehip oil, avocado oil, argan oil, jojoba oil, and olive oil.

Aloe To The Rescue 

Aloe vera is famous for its skin-soothing properties, and you probably already use it when you get a bad sunburn. But don’t confine aloe use strictly to sunburn care. Even if you just got a light tan, or no visible tan at all, aloe vera gel or raw aloe contains tons of vitamins and nutrients that rehydrate skin and help it recover from sun exposure faster. Plus, nothing feels better after a long hot day than a cooling aloe treatment.

Be Gentle

Skin is more vulnerable after heavy sun exposure, especially when it is sunburnt. Give your skin the chance to heal by avoiding any rough treatment. That means no heavy scrubbing, exfoliating, waxing, or picking at peeling skin. And though it may not always be possible, it’s best to wait until skin has calmed down before you shave, participate in intense exercise, or hit the sauna.

Does your skin need some TLC after too much sun? Stop by for one of our Skin Services.