Beauty Inside & Out | Skincare in mind while still having fun in the sun

Since it’s nearly summer, that means it’s time for sunburns.

Everyone has heard the lectures on what the proper sunscreen is from UVA to UVB protection, the type of SPF to use, and the danger of hanging out in the sun too darn long.

The short of it is: Skin cancer is real. When your skin burns, that means it’s being damaged.

There are two products you can use after a day at the beach or waterpark that will soothe and repair better than any aloe cream at Walgreens:

▪ Burt’s Bees Aloe & Linden Flower After Sun Soother – This product is a little on the high end in terms of price, but it’s well worth it. At about $11 a bottle, this creamy, milk-like cream has the slightest scent of citrus. It absorbs into the skin pretty quickly and neutralizes any achy, red skin.

▪ Coconut Oil – The brand of coconut oil I use regularly is LouAnna, and for a small jar (which will last ages) it’s about $8 at Wal-Mart. I got badly burned on my back last summer, and with my dear mother’s assistance, she applied a quarter-sized amount to the affected area on my shoulders. Not only did it soothe the burn … I DIDN’T PEEL. Repeat – I. Did. Not. Peel. So, so worth it.

Be safe in the sun, and have tons of fun!

This story was originally published May 6, 2015 at 8:55 AM.