The Best Lotions For Peeling Skin After A Sunburn

Even if you’re extra diligent about wearing sunscreen, you can still get a sunburn; whether you unintentionally missed a spot or spent the day swimming in the ocean, accidents happen. As a preventive measure, be sure to keep a bottle of after-sun lotion on hand — these will come especially handy if you’re experiencing dry, peeling skin. The best lotions for peeling skin after a sunburn contain aloe and other soothing ingredients to nourish and repair skin that’s been dried out and damaged from the sun. Whether you’re experiencing burned skin on your face or body, you’ll find a lotion on this list that can offer you immediate relief, and help your skin heal faster.

What to put on a peeling sunburn:

Pure aloe is always a great treatment for sun-burned skin, but if you find that aloe leaves your skin feeling sticky, there are lots of elegant lotions out there that contain aloe, but have a more traditional, lotion-like feel. Be sure to moisturize consistently — both immediately after a day in the sun and while your skin is peeling — and also, when you have a sunburn, it’s important to wear protective clothing and avoid hot showers. The Mayo Clinic also advises taking a pain reliever if your sunburn is really painful, drinking lots of water, and if your skin is itchy, you can take an oral antihistamine.

How to prevent sunburn:

Of course, when it comes to sun-protective skin care, prevention is the best treatment. In other words? Wear sunscreen daily, cover up with hats and clothing, find a shady spot if you’re at the beach, and try to avoid the sun during its peak hours. Last but not least, keep one of these post-sun lotions on hand to relieve the itchy and peeling side effects from accidental sunburns.

1. Best Face Lotion With Aloe

If you have peeling skin on your face from a sunburn, try this aloe vera lotion from K-beauty brand ISNTREE. This light, fluid lotion doesn’t feel heavy or greasy on your skin, so it’s perfect for warm weather and layering under other products (though in the summer, or even year-round if you have oily skin, it may just provide plenty of moisture on its own, and you won’t need a richer cream on top). The key ingredient in here is nutrient-rich aloe that was sourced on the Korean island of Jeju, but glycerin, green tea extract, and allantoin provide plenty of other soothing and nourishing benefits. It’s free of fragrance, alcohol, and essential oils, so it’s safe for sensitive skin, too.

2. Best Body Lotion With Aloe

For a soothing and refreshing moisturizer you can use from neck to toe, keep a bottle of Sun Bum’s Cool Down lotion around. In addition to aloe leaf extract, it contains nourishing cocoa butter and jojoba seed oil to provide plenty of moisture to dried-out, damaged, peeling skin.

Personally, I’m a fan of all of Sun Bum’s post-sun products; their aloe gel and aloe spray are also worth shouting out.

3. Best Aloe Body Lotion Under $10

Burt's Bees Aloe & Coconut Oil After-Sun Soother is a great choice if you’re looking to spend less than $10. Designed for use on post-sun skin, it uses refreshing aloe and nourishing coconut oil to restore moisture and soften skin that’s become dry and damaged in the sun (though honestly, it makes a nice body moisturizer for year-round use). You could put this on your face, too, but if you’re sensitive to scented products or prefer to avoid them, note that it does contain fragrance.

4. Best Aloe Gel

Aloe vera gel in its simplest form is the most traditional at-home treatment for sunburned, peeling skin. That said, unless you keep an aloe vera plant on hand — which honestly, is a great idea — it’s pretty hard to find a 100% pure aloe vera gel. AROMATICA’s aloe vera gel keeps things nice and simple with a 95% naturally derived formula that comprises just eight ingredients, including organic aloe vera extract, which forms the base of this product, rosemary leaf water, and a few other good-for-skin herbs. I also love that it comes in a convenient pump-top bottle for easy, mess-free application. Pro tip: keep it in the fridge — it’ll feel amazing on your painful, peeling skin.

5. Best Aloe Gel Cream

Though still lightweight and refreshing, this gel cream is richer than a lotion and creamier than a gel, so it may be the best choice for very dry skin, whether you’re suffering from a sunburn or not. Still, it doesn’t leave any greasy residue behind — in fact, it sinks into skin so beautifully that you can get dressed almost immediately after applying it. The fragrance-free formula also contains nourishing vitamin E and soothing allantoin, and is safe for sensitive skin.

6. Best Aloe Vera Sunscreen

This is a cult-favorite sunscreen among those in-the-know — and it’s great for both protecting peeling skin from further damage and for preventing a sunburn in the first place. Less like a traditional, chalky sunscreen and more like a lightweight lotion, COSRX’s Aloe Soothing Sun Cream has a high SPF of 50 PA+++ — perfect for days in the sun — and doesn’t leave behind the dreaded white cast. If you’re spending the day in the sun, be sure to reapply it every two hours (or more frequently if you’ve been swimming) per the recommendation of the American Academy of Dermatology Association.

7. Best Value

If you love a great deal, this massive, 32-ounce bottle of lotion from Avalon Organics offers a pretty amazing value. The one-time, $15 purchase will last you at least six months if used regularly, if not longer. Great for your hands and body, this NSF-certified lotion is completely unscented, safe for sensitive skin, and made with soothing aloe, calendula extract, shea butter, and several plant-derived oils to keep your dry, peeling skin comfortable and soft.

You Might Also Like

A Cooling Face Mask With Aloe

For the ultimate treat if you’re experiencing sunburn-induced peeling — or any other form of irritation — on your face, keep a tub of Peter Thomas Roth’s Cucumber Gel Mask in your fridge. It’s made with all sorts of soothing and comforting botanical ingredients, like aloe, cucumber, and chamomile, as well as gentle natural exfoliants like papaya, sugar maple, and sugarcane, which help promote softer skin. You can apply this mask up to three times a week, and can either leave it on while you sleep or rinse it off after about 10 minutes.

A Line Of Aloe-Themed Products From A K-Beauty Brand

Whether you’re looking for a lightweight aloe sunscreen or a cleverly packaged aloe gel, K-beauty brand Holika Holika has you covered. Their aloe-themed product line includes an amazing sunscreen essence — the perfect sunscreen for people who hate sunscreen, in my opinion — a milky soothing lotion for post-sun use, a classic aloe gel, an aloe sheet mask, a light, calming emulsion, a refreshing face cream, and even some aloe under-eye patches. Add a few of these products to your cart so you have a full stock of skin-healing products for summer in case you get a sunburn.