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After-sun lotion is a must after a long day outdoors
Whether you’re an avid sunscreen user who never leaves the house without your favorite sunscreen stick, or someone who likes to sunbathe on beautiful summer days, anyone can make a mistake. All it takes is getting distracted and forgetting about the back half of your legs or not quite reaching that area on your back, and you’re at risk of sunburn.
If that happens, after-sun lotion is the perfect product to soothe and hydrate your skin. It’s also ideal for those days you spend all day enjoying the summer sun, even if you don’t get a sunburn. Regardless of skin type, budget or preference, these are the top after-sun lotions to care for everyone’s summer skin.
In this article: Sun Bum Cool Down Aloe Vera Lotion, Burt’s Bees After-Sun Soother Lotion and Advanced Clinicals Aloe Vera Lotion Sunburn Recovery Cream
The purpose of after-sun lotion
After-sun lotion is designed to soothe and hydrate the skin following exposure to UVA and UVB radiation from the sun. Regardless of whether you get slightly sunburned or just sunkissed from spending all day in the sun, both situations can damage your skin cells, causing your skin to feel hot or dry. To combat dehydration and hopefully prevent peeling, after-sun lotion contains specific ingredients designed to cool and nourish the skin. So, whether your skin is feeling dry from too much sun exposure or it got slightly red, after-sun lotion can help.
What to consider when choosing after-sun lotion
- Formula: The best way to choose an after-sun lotion is to examine the ingredients. A hydrating formula is essential to soothe your skin. So look for ingredients like shea butter and glycerin, which are superb emollients. Ceramides and certain oils can also lock in moisture and keep your skin feeling smooth and hydrated while restoring your skin’s moisture barrier. To neutralize free radicals and repair damage, antioxidants like vitamins E and C are helpful to have in any formula.
- Fragrance: While an intoxicating scent is the main reason many people choose a body lotion, it’s probably not a good determining factor in after-sun lotion. Fragrance can be irritating after sun exposure, especially if you already have sensitive skin.
- Feel: The consistency of your after-sun lotion can impact how often you use it, so make sure to find one with a feel that you love. For example, an after-sun lotion with ample aloe vera may feel more gel-like, while others have a thick body butter consistency. Of course, you can also find some that aren’t too thick or too thin—but just right. So make sure you love the feel of your after-sun lotion.
What is the difference between after-sun lotion and body lotion?
The formula is the main difference between after-sun lotion and your everyday body lotion. After-sun lotion focuses on hydrating the skin and repairing the skin’s moisture barrier with calming ingredients. On the other hand, body lotions can have many purposes, from simply hydrating with gentle ingredients to sloughing off bumps and dead skin with chemical exfoliators. If you don’t have after-sun lotion after a long day in the sun, you can opt for an extremely gentle, fragrance-free, hydrating body lotion.
Best after-sun lotion to soothe your summer skin
Piz Buin After-Sun Tan Intensifying Moisturizing Lotion
While we all know how damaging the sun can be to our skin, staying out of the sun entirely makes it challenging to have glowy, sun-kissed skin. This after-sun lotion is unique in that it contains Tanimel, an ingredient that helps you maintain your body’s natural melanin production. So, it’s perfect for those who want to hydrate the skin while keeping that bronzy glow. It also contains vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant.
Sun Bum Cool Down Aloe Vera Lotion
This after-sun lotion is a jack of all trades. It’s formulated with aloe vera and jojoba oil to cool down your skin immediately and ease any pain caused by a pesky sunburn. On top of that, cocoa butter and vitamin E work to add moisture and restore your skin, thanks to the power of antioxidants. It’s also designed to preserve and intensify your tan, so you can continue looking bronzy.
Maui Babe After Browning Lotion Tan Enhancer and Healer
Stop peeling and flaking long before it happens with this lotion. This Maui Babe nourishing formula uses tropical oils designed to emulate ingredients used by Hawaiians and Polynesians, who know a few things about after-sun care. It’s formulated with aloe vera, glycerin, macadamia nut oil and vitamins A, C and E.
Coola Radical Recovery Eco-Cert Organic After-Sun Lotion
Not only is this after-sun lotion packed with powerful ingredients, it’s also vegan, cruelty-free, certified organic and Hawaii Reef Compliant. Named as a sun-recovery lotion, organic aloe vera, organic rosemary extract, sunflower oil and lavender oil work together to calm your skin and defend against environmental aggressors.
Tower 28 Beauty SOS Daily Skin Barrier Redness Recovery Moisturizer
Since SOS stands for Save Our Skin, you can be confident this after-sun lotion will help your skin feel nourished. The brand’s entire line is designed for sensitive skin, and this product is no exception. This super-gentle lotion contains hyaluronic acid, ceramides and allantoin to soothe irritation, hydrate and replenish the skin barrier. Plus, you can use it night and day.
Solar Recover After-Sun Moisturizing Spray
For those with texture issues who don’t love the feel of thick cream on their skin, opt for this moisturizing spray. It’s formulated with vitamin E, lavender and calendula to soothe, calm and hydrate. What’s more, it’s also perfect to nourish the skin after getting out of a chlorinated pool.
Advanced Clinicals Aloe Vera Lotion Sunburn Recovery Cream
With aloe vera, vitamin C and vitamin E, you can be sure this after-sun lotion packs a soothing punch. It also contains hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin. Plus, it’s dermatologist-tested and allergy-tested to be safe for all skin types.
Burt’s Bees After-Sun Soother Lotion
Instantly hydrate and soothe your sun-kissed skin with this Burt’s Bees after-sun lotion. With aloe vera and coconut oil, it not only moisturizes your parched skin after a long day of sun, but also smells like summer. It’s also formulated without parabens, phthalates and sodium lauryl sulfate.
Maui Vera Sunburn & After Sun Gel
This sunburn and after-sun gel is formulated to restore sun-damaged skin. Its star ingredient is aloe vera, which is high in minerals and amino acids and has anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains organic peppermint to soothe painful skin.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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