Summer Guide: The Best Aftersun Skincare Routine for a Sunburned Face
Sun seekers, here’s your go-to guide for caring for skin after a day under golden rays. Maybe you’re just a little rosy from an afternoon paddleboard session or seriously sunburned after forgetting to reapply SPF. Read on and learn how the right aftersun skincare routine can mean the difference between a quick recovery and days of discomfort.
We’ll cover what to put on burnt skin to calm redness, and the best aftersun skincare products for gentle, effective healing.
Start with protection.
READ: Mineral Sunscreen: What It Is, How It Works, and Why Your Skin Is Going to Love It
QUICK RECOVERY TIPS FOR A SUNBURNED FACE
When wondering how to heal burnt skin on your face fast, start with cooling it down and locking in hydration. Apply a soft, damp cloth, use aloe vera gel or a hydrating serum, and avoid exfoliation until your skin barrier has fully repaired.
Here's your checklist:
- A cold compress or rinse can help reduce heat and swelling
- Drink water
- Use a replenishing moisturizer
- Avoid exfoliation until your skin has fully recovered
- Aloe vera, Mānuka honey, and hyaluronic acid are aftersun heroes
- If you have severe blistering or dizziness, seek medical advice
HOW TO GENTLY CLEANSE A SUNBURNED FACE: YOUR FIRST STEP TO HEALING
The first step in any aftersun skincare routine for the face is removing sunscreen, sweat, and impurities without stripping moisture.
VINTNER'S DAUGHTER ACTIVE RENEWAL CLEANSER
Thoroughly remove sunscreen, makeup and daily build up in one step with this gently foaming 2-in-1 cream cleanser. Staying true to Vintner's Daughter's minimal ethos, this is a multi-step oil and water cleanse in just one product.
MONASTERY ROSE CLEANSING OIL
Sweat, sunscreen, and pollution cling harder to the skin in summer heat. Melt off impurities and makeup with Monastery's rich oil cleanser made with rose and hazelnut oils. Both oils are antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, helping to repair sun damaged skin.
LESSE CALMING CLEANSER
This cream-gel cleanser works to instantly soothe hot, irritated skin. The combination of hinoki, rose and tamanu seed restore the skin barrier and deeply hydrate. A must for ultra-sensitive skin.
BEST FACE MASKS TO HEAL BURNT SKIN
If you’re unsure what to put on burnt skin for immediate relief, start with a mask rich in healing botanicals. Aloe vera, Mānuka honey, and amino acid–rich botanicals help restore hydration, promote cell regeneration, and reduce inflammation on sun-stressed facial skin.
ACTIVIST MĀNUKA HONEY MASK
A cult fave, this healing beauty treatment is especially suited for sunburnt skin. Mānuka honey is extremely hydrating, promotes skin regeneration, repairs cellular damage, and calms inflammation. The Mānuka Honey Mask can be used for topical natural treatment of rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, acne, wounds and sunburns. Use as a face mask, skin cleanser and spot treatment.
LEESE BIOACTIVE MASK
This deeply healing face mask will soothe inflammation and redness with its star ingredient, aloe vera. This active botanical is highly anti-inflammatory and rich in amino acids. It promotes healing and natural collagen production while reducing damage from UV rays. Store it in the fridge for a refreshing experience.
AMETTA AFTER SUN COLLAGEN MASK
The gooey, single-use mask is thick with marine collagen, hyaluronic acid, cactus, and aloe vera to increase moisture and soothe irritation caused by sun exposure. Pop it in the fridge before use.
HYDRATING ESSENCES, MISTS AND TONERS FOR FACIAL SUNBURN
Replenishing hydration is the key to how to heal burnt skin quickly. Lightweight mists and essences with aloe vera, coconut water, or tremella mushroom lock in moisture, calm redness, and help reinforce your face’s natural barrier after UV exposure.
MONASTERY HYDRATING FLORAL ESSENCE
This is like spraying a bouquet of flowers on your face, with the added benefit of improving epidermal hydration, soothing tissues of the skin, and reducing inflammation.
VINTNER'S DAUGHTER ACTIVE TREATMENT ESSENCE
This essence is a vanity worth of products in a single bottle. The hydrating botanicals in this essence are aloe vera, coconut water, apple pectin and lactic acid. In combination, they restore hydration and help protect, balance, soften and smooth sunned skin.
LESSE REGENERATION MIST
The key ingredients in this hydrating mist are aloe vera, gotu kola and rosemary leaf. This bottle is brimming with anti-inflammatories and vitamins to repair the skin barrier throughout hot days. We recommend keeping it in your beach bag and spraying often.
OVERNIGHT OILS, BALMS AND SERUMS FOR SUN-DAMAGED FACIAL SKIN
Nighttime is prime time for skin recovery in an aftersun skincare routine. Hyaluronic acid serums, facial oils with prickly pear or apricot, and ceramide-rich balms work while you sleep to speed healing and reduce peeling.
CURÙ SKIN AFTER SUN FACE OIL
This oil is an overnight wonder. Repair visible signs of sun damage and relieve the look of redness and dry, peeling skin quickly. Let your skin soak up the ancient reparative benefits of ingredients like Sicilian prickly pear, apricot, borage and wild immortelle.
Feeling extra crispy? Use as an overnight mask and apply liberally before bed.
MONASTERY ALOE HYALURONIC MOISTURE BOOST SERUM
This gel serum feels ultra-light and gives skin a serious boost in hydration thanks to two molecular weights of hyaluronic acid (famed for holding 1000x its weight in water) suspended in a base of soothing aloe vera. To use, keep the serum wet on the face after application and follow with a cream or oil.
AFTERSUN BODY CARE + HOW TO TREAT THE NECK AND DÉCOLLETÉ
While your face takes priority, the neck and décolleté are just as prone to burns. The best aftersun skincare for these areas includes nutrient-dense oils, collagen-rich masks, and moisturizers that absorb quickly, leaving skin calm, nourished, and less inflamed.
LIVING LIBATIONS EVERYBODY LOVES THE SUNSHINE
A must for sun seekers. Harmonize your skin and the sun’s rays with this nourishing serum perfect for sun soaking and for sun-soaked skin. This body oil combines four moisturizing oils with fourteen super sun and skin-loving essential oils. This oil can also be used as a facial oil cleanser at the end of a beach day.
THE CURE SKINCARE BODY WHIP
Feel nourished and moisturized after a day in the sun with this rich formula made from four potent plant oils. The warm chocolate scent of this whip comes from the natural cocoa butter. This product is free of essential oils.
LEAVES OF TREES ARGAN HAND AND BODY LOTION
Containing high levels of vitamin E, phenols, carotenes (pro-vitamin A), squalene and fatty acids, this argan oil-based lotion is a healing option for a sun burn. Deeply penetrating with a matte finish, this lotion is available in both scented and unscented options.
TOOLS TO COOL AND CALM A SUNBURNED FACE
For immediate relief, pair your aftersun skincare routine with cooling tools. A chilled facial roller, organic cotton cloth or cryo tool can help reduce facial swelling and redness within minutes.
THE CURE SKINCARE COLD ROLLER TOOL
Relieve the burn with an at-home cryo facial. Pair these ultra cool rollers with a face oil and massage the heat away. Store in the fridge or freezer prior to use.
BAINA FACE CLOTH
After cleansing, cool burned skin down with a cold cloth for a few minutes before continuing your skincare routine. Allow cloth to gently rest over the face.
AFTERSUN SKINCARE
Final Word: Your COMPLETE AFTERSUN SKINCARE ROUTINE FOR THE FACE
From gentle cleansing to overnight repair, the best aftersun skincare combines hydration, soothing botanicals, and barrier-strengthening ingredients. Keep this guide handy so you’ll always know what to put on burnt skin and how to heal burnt skin quickly and safely.
Get out of the sun and gently cool the skin with a soft, damp cloth or a cool (not cold) shower. Board-certified dermatologists recommend “frequent cool baths or showers to help relieve pain” and then applying a gentle moisturizer while your skin is still slightly damp to lock in hydration (aad.org, yalemedicine.org).
Choose moisturizers with aloe vera and/or hyaluronic acid, both of which hydrate and help calm inflammation (aad.org). Avoid thick occlusive balms immediately after a burn, as they can trap heat in the skin (yalemedicine.org).
Apply cool compresses to the face for 10–15 minutes at a time, several times a day (Dr. Patel, a board certified by the American Board of Dermatology, glamour.com). Avoid ice directly on facial skin, as it can cause further damage.
No, resist the urge to scrub or peel. Exfoliation can worsen irritation and delay healing. Instead, focus on gentle hydration until your skin fully recovers (skincancer.org).
It’s best to skip makeup for a few days to allow your skin to recover without extra stress. If you must wear makeup, opt for mineral-based, non-comedogenic products layered on top of a moisturizer and broad-spectrum SPF (aad.org).
Keep your skin hydrated around the clock. Layer a hydrating serum (like hyaluronic acid) under a moisturizer with ceramides. Avoid hot water, harsh cleansers, and any active ingredients (retinoids, AHAs, BHAs) until your skin feels good again (yalemedicine.org, skincancer.org).
COMPLIMENTARY 1:1 SKINCARE CONSULTATIONS
Need help finding the right aftersun skincare? Book a complimentary 1:1 skincare consultation with an HH team member for personalized recommendations.
