Your Favorite Anti-Aging & Peptide-Heavy Products May Also Help Ease A Sunburn

Whether you're a skincare fanatic or not, it's known that you should do your best to prevent sunburn. Not only is it a sign of skin damage, but a bad sunburn can be incredibly painful. Using sunscreens with the proper amount of SPF, reapplying every two hours, and limiting your time directly in the sun can prevent your skin from burning. With long summer days fast approaching, it's important not only to know how to prevent a sunburn, but also how to treat them.

You may miss a spot or forget to reapply in time, and those honest mistakes can lead to red, burnt skin. But if you do sustain a sunburn, jumping into action as soon as possible can encourage the healing process. You want to get out of the sun and stay out of the sun as soon as you notice you're burning. Cooling yourself down with a cold compress or ice wrapped in a towel can soothe some of the initial inflammation.

When it comes to the days after a sunburn, taking care of your skin properly helps nurse it back to health. You'll want to avoid some of your skincare go-tos like retinol and exfoliating acids that can increase irritation and exacerbate a sunburn. However, there is one skincare ingredient that can help your sunburn: peptides. These can help the healing process and renew your skin.

Our bodies make peptides on their own, but getting a boost from beauty products can benefit our skin. Peptides are made from amino acid chains and amino acids make up proteins, per WebMD. There are different types of peptides, but the one most common in beauty products comes from collagen. These peptides make collagen and elastin, which can help create more youthful and elastic skin, as well as help with hyperpigmentation. But peptides can also have antimicrobial properties, which can aid in wound healing.

These benefits are typically great in your general skincare routine, but they're also ideal if you're trying to fight off a nasty sunburn. Rebuilding of collagen deep within the skin layers can help replace the skin damaged by UV rays with healthy cells, per The Healthy. And any dark spots exacerbated by the sun may also see some lightening. The nourishing properties of peptides, along with antioxidants, will repair damage you may see from the sun. Consider pairing peptides with vitamin C and E and ferulic acid to restore your skin.

Your skin plays an essential role in keeping your body hydrated. Damaged and burned skin loses water, leaving you dehydrated. And dehydrated skin has a harder time healing. Staying hydrated from the inside should also be a strategy when dealing with a sunburn. Rehydrate your insides by drinking plenty of water, fluids, and drinks with electrolytes to replace the water you may have lost. Fruits and vegetables with high water content, such as cucumber and watermelon, can help with hydration as well.

When it comes to exterior hydration, you'll want to use a gentle moisturizer. Products with ceramides can help repair the broken skin barrier and take care of new skin cells (via CeraVe). You'll also want to look for thicker moisturizers that can help lock in moisture. It's a good idea to put a moisturizer on while your skin is a little damp, like after getting out of the shower, to help keep some of that moisture in your skin as well. Continue moisturizing even as your skin might peel and flake off. And, of course, wear sunscreen to prevent any further damage.