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6 of the best after sun care products for soothing burnt skin

Curse you sun

By Briar Clark

BEAUTYcrew Beauty Editor / January 28 2022

Despite our best efforts to stay sun safe, sometimes that blasted UV is just too strong.

And that’s coming from folks who do their research.

Heck, we’ve created a summer sunscreen guide, an extensive list of face sunscreens to wear under makeup, and even scoured the market for every tinted sunscreen available in a near 50 mile radius just to be safe.

But alas, every now and then, the burning hot ball of fire that is the sun has other plans for our skin.

And that’s why it’s always a great idea to keep reliable after sun care products in your arsenal for those especially potent sun rays – here are six that we really rate.

We Are Feel Good Inc After Sun Cooling Lotion

Aloe vera, cucumber and peppermint are the cool ingredients set to elevate your skin to new heights after being burned to oblivion. The emollient formula makes for a moisturising experience that alleviates the risk of any flaking or tightness post-sun too. Rest up and rest easy with a healthy serving of this stuff slathered on your lobster red limbs.

$19.95 at We Are Feel Good Inc

Bondi Sands Aloe Vera After Sun Gel

You can’t go wrong with a classic after sun gel formula. Lightweight, non-greasy and (most-importantly) cool to the touch, this aloe vera-infused and vitamin E rich pick aims to soothe and hydrate hot, uncomfortable sunburn quicksmart.

$8.95 at Bondi Sands

Sun Bum Cool Down After Sun Aloe Gel

Take a second to cool down and cool off with this tea-tree oil and vitamin E-centric aloe gel that’s best served fresh out the fridge. Prevent peeling, calm sunburn and rehydrate particularly parched skin with every hit.

$13.99 at Oz Hair & Beauty

Mecca Cosmetica To Save Skin After Sun Mist

Not a fan of gels and creams when your skin’s sunburnt? Try this mist instead. Aloe vera leaf, chamomile extract, kakadu plum and grape seed oil are blended together to impart cooling, calming hydration without overloading skin. Spritz as needed and store in the fridge for an extra chilling experience.

$32 at MECCA

L’Occitane Cactus Verbena After-Sun Care

Cactus extract and verbena may seem like unusual allies in the fight against sunburn, but this formula will refresh and moisturise skin that’s been exposed to harmful UV with a relieving bout of coolness that’s sure to take the edge off. The luxurious scent adds a touch of spa-like indulgence that can’t be beat when all you want to do is plunge yourself into an ice bath.

$45 at L’Occitane

innisfree Aloe Revital Soothing Gel

This multipurpose moisturising and revitalising gel utilises Aloe Vitalizing Energy™ a complex comprised of Jeju aloe vera and madecassoside. Madecassoside is particularly helpful in calming the appearance of the skin while also improving barrier function, so it’s definitely a great ingredient to have on your sunburnt skin’s side.

$12 at Adore Beauty

While most of us are trying to make intelligent decisions when it comes to sun care others are not. Case and point: TikTok's sunscreen contour hack is ridiculous and concerning.

Main image credit: @wearefeelgoodinc

Briar Clark

Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).