Survival Guide: Post Spring Break Skin

Hours on the beach undoubtedly gave you that sun-kissed glow, but when drinking more piña coladas than glasses of water while tanning, you may have been left with a bit of a sunburn. VALLEY has curated a survival guide to cure your post-spring break sunburn while making sure you maintain that tan until the sun is out this summer!

Stage One: Red Hot

The bright red stage is as painful as it looks. Water, clothes, sand – anything that touches this irritated skin can feel like a million pins and needles. Applying any soothing cream can feel like a chore, but one tried and true product is aloe vera. With the constant application of an aloe vera cream or gel, that bright red hue may tone itself down. Not to mention, the dry and itchy stage that follows may be minimized. Some recommended products include Aloe Vera Body Gel, Aloe Vera Face Gel/Cream and Aloe Vera Body Cream.

Stage Two: The Itch

Once the pain of fiery skin has been minimized, you’re likely to enter stage two: The Itch. All of your skin cells have been burnt away by the sun and are now making way for a new layer of skin to grow. As a result, these lost soldiers are trying to remove themselves, leading to itchiness. Not everyone goes through this stage, especially if you are blessed with the natural tan genes, but for those who do, it can feel never-ending.

If you applied soothing gels during stage one, then continue that process during stage two. But, if you only pack tanning oils, then it’s time to start moisturizing. Aloe vera, once again, is a great choice for minimal itch, but if you need something with a bit more strength, colloidal oatmeal products are the way to go. Colloidal oatmeal cream is as thick and buttery as it comes, while over time soothing that unbearable itch. Some of VALLEYs favorites include Colloidal Oatmeal Body Wash and Colloidal Oatmeal Body Cream.

Stage Three: Peeling, Peeling, Peeling

Stage three, also known as the never-ending stage, is when the burn begins flaking away. After all that scratching in the middle of the night, you probably woke up to rings of dead skin across your entire body. Now, your first instinct may be to exfoliate all of this unwanted skin away, but that is actually the worst possible thing you can do! This stage is the most testing one as there is only one true solution: patience.

Continue applying those creams along with thick layers of sunscreen if you are still going out in the sun! If you were lucky enough to do a bit of skin prep before entering this stage, it should be over quickly. If you are just now starting to soothe your sunburn, however, it’s necessary to work overtime. Some recommended sunscreens include Chemical Sunscreen, Mineral Sunscreen and Full Body Sunscreen.

Stage Four: Tan

After all those treacherous steps following just a few hours out in the sun, the trophy has revealed itself. Bronzed skin is your reward! Maintaining this tan also ensures that you continue to build your skin barrier. In doing so, when you return to your favorite beach this summer, you may not face as bad of a sunburn as you did before.

A few tricks to maintaining this tan include: minimal exfoliation, avoiding hot showers, moisturizer–oils, gels and lotions. A few products can also help give the appearance of a natural tan such as tanning serums. The most important thing to remember is to build up that skin barrier so your next tanning session will be even more rewarding!

What’s your tanning routine? Tag us on Instagram @VALLEYmag!