Summer is here, and you can't wait to finally relax in the warm sun. You quickly pack your swimsuit, a towel, and your favorite book and cycle to the lake. A few hours and laps later, you notice your skin feeling tight and itchy – one quick glance at your red shoulders and you know: you forgot your sunscreen!

Does this sound familiar? 😉 Don't worry, it's happened to all of us! The important thing is to give your skin plenty of care and a strict time-out from the sun so it can recover as best as possible from its inflammation.

The most important things about sunburn at a glance

– Sunburn occurs when UV rays can penetrate the upper layers of your skin unhindered and for a long time.
– There they damage the skin cells and cause an inflammatory reaction.
– The inflammation manifests itself with redness, swelling and pain in and on the skin.
– You can get sunburn anywhere on your body, including your lips.

– You can recognize a mild sunburn by the tightness, dryness, and itching of your skin. It may also feel warm or hot.
– Severe sunburns can lead to the formation of blisters and peeling of damaged skin.
– If you have sunburn, avoid the sun at all costs and cover affected areas of skin with clothing.

– After a sunburn, your skin needs intensive care to regenerate.
– Cold compresses and cooling gels can reduce your skin’s inflammatory response.
– For mild sunburns, you can care for and regenerate your skin with moisturizing lotions – e.g. with the body lotion intensive from newkee.
– Sunburn on the lips is particularly unpleasant. Here, too, lip care with regenerating ingredients, such as our lip balm SPF 30 , can help.
– In case of severe burns with blistering and severe and painful redness, you should definitely see a doctor.

This is what happens to your skin when you get sunburned

Sunburn occurs when your skin is exposed to the sun for too long without sunscreen. UV rays penetrate the skin and damage the cells in the uppermost layers. This process causes inflammation. Sunburn is an inflammatory reaction in your skin , similar to a burn. UV rays can trigger the following reactions in and on your skin:

– Inflammation: The affected area of ​​skin becomes red, swollen and may be tight and itchy.
– DNA damage: UV rays can damage the DNA of skin cells, which can lead to mutations and significantly increase the risk of skin cancer.
– Free radicals: UV rays can produce free radicals that can cause further cell damage.
– Weakening of the skin barrier: Too much unprotected time in the sun weakens the skin barrier, causing the skin to lose moisture and dry out.
– Blistering: Severe sunburn can lead to blisters on the skin's surface. These blisters are caused by increased permeability of the blood vessels, which in turn allow fluid to leak into the affected areas of the skin.

How quickly you get sunburned depends on your skin type and its natural protection time . The lighter your skin type, the faster the skin's natural protection time is exceeded – for people with particularly pale skin, just 10 minutes in the sun can be enough to show the first signs of sunburn.

The intensity of a sunburn is divided into three different degrees:

• First-degree sunburn: The skin is tight, itchy, and red. It may also feel warm and painful to the touch.

• Second-degree sunburn: The redness is clearly visible, the skin is very painful, and may blister on the surface. Additionally, the skin peels during healing.

• Third-degree sunburn: The skin is severely burned and so damaged that it peels off over large areas. In addition to open wounds, scarring may also occur during healing.
  
  

Note: Please consult your doctor if blisters form, large areas of your skin peel off, or you notice other symptoms such as headache, nausea, and fever!

What you need to pay attention to when caring for your skin if you have sunburn

If you get sunburned, it's crucial to remove your burned skin from the sun immediately and soothe it with a regenerating skincare product. Make sure your skin doesn't come into contact with irritating substances like perfume or fragrances. You should also avoid products containing alcohol and dyes. Irritating ingredients can intensify your skin's inflammatory response and cause further damage. You should also only apply skincare products if your skin is free of open wounds and blisters.

These are the things you must avoid if you get sunburned

If you have sunburn, it's important to protect your skin from further irritation and damage to prevent slowing the healing process. You should definitely avoid the following:

• Going out into the sun unprotected: After a sunburn, your skin is already damaged and sensitive. Therefore, avoid further sun exposure. Sun exposure can worsen symptoms and prolong healing time. Stay in the shade and avoid direct sunlight, especially during peak hours. Until your skin has healed, you should cover the affected areas with clothing when going outside.
  
  

• Applying irritating ingredients: Avoid applying irritating substances such as perfumed lotions, alcohol-based products, or strongly scented creams to your sunburned skin. These can further irritate the skin and impair the healing process. Instead, use gentle, regenerating, and moisturizing products.
  
  
• Scratching or rubbing skin: Even if the itching is very unpleasant, you shouldn't scratch or rub sunburned skin! Scratching can further irritate the skin, cause inflammation, and increase the risk of infection. Try to relieve the itching by gently patting the skin or using a cooling compress.
  
  
• Popping blisters: If blisters form on your skin, you should never pop them. Blisters act as a protective barrier for the underlying skin and protect against infection. Popping blisters can lead to pain, infection, and scarring. Have the blisters evaluated by a doctor and protect them from further irritation.
  
  
• Showering too hot or too cold: Avoid showering too hot or too cold, as these can further irritate sunburned skin. Lukewarm water is ideal, as it is gentle and soothing to the skin. Also, avoid using rough washcloths or abrasive exfoliating products, which can further damage your sensitive skin.
  
  
• Tight or rubbing clothing: When you're sunburned, your skin is especially sensitive. Avoid wearing tight or rough clothing that could rub against the affected areas. Instead, wear loose, breathable clothing made of natural materials like cotton that won't further irritate your skin and allows for sufficient air circulation.

Quick help for sunburn: 6 tips that are guaranteed to help you

Sunburn can be incredibly uncomfortable, especially if your skin feels tight or itchy. With our tips, you can help your skin heal, strengthen your skin barrier, and relieve symptoms like itching:

1. Cool sunburn

Using a cold compress, cold pack, or cooling gel several times a day can reduce the heat and soothe your skin. The cooling sensation not only feels pleasant but also helps reduce your skin's inflammatory response. You can wrap cold packs from the refrigerator in a clean cloth before applying them to the affected area. This prevents the pack from sticking to your skin.

2. Moisturizing lotions

Sunburn doesn't just damage your skin superficially—it also dries it out. Therefore, it's important to restore lost moisture to your skin to help it regenerate. Apply a moisturizing lotion several times a day. Make sure the lotion doesn't contain any irritating ingredients—perfumes, fragrances, and alcohol can further irritate your skin. Lotions with soothing ingredients like panthenol, on the other hand, are particularly beneficial, as they form a natural protective layer on your skin, preventing it from drying out further.

Apply sunburn cream with newkee body lotion soft

If you suffer from mild sunburn, you can treat your skin with the gentle care of our body lotion soft . It contains particularly soothing ingredients such as licorice root, eyebright, and linden blossom, which reduce redness and tightness with every application. Panthenol and bisabolol also ensure that your skin barrier is regenerated and strengthened.

Intensive care for sunburn with the newkee body lotion intensive

If you have a more severe sunburn, your skin will appreciate the rich care of our intensive body lotion . It also provides you with the anti-inflammatory effects of linden blossom, eyebright, and licorice extract. Cactus extract, hyaluronic acid, and coconut oil give your skin an additional moisture boost, while mango butter and shea butter ensure that your skin's barrier function is restored.

Gentle relief from sunburn on the face with our face cream bundle

If your face suffers from mild sunburn, our face cream day and face cream night provide you with the optimal combination of rich moisture and strengthening ingredients like panthenol, hyaluronic acid, plankton extract, and squalane. This way, redness and irritation quickly disappear, allowing your skin to recover from the stress.

3. Nourishing balm for sunburn on the lips

Sunburn can be particularly painful on the sensitive skin of your lips. With a gentle and regenerating lip balm, you can soothe damaged skin. Our lip balm SPF 30 is ideal for this: Its formula contains berry wax and shea butter, which provide dry lips with rich moisture and soften chapped skin. It also incorporates the soothing effects of bisabolol, linden extract, and eyebright. With its high SPF of 30, it effectively protects your lips from further damage caused by UV rays.

4. Drink plenty of water

Sunburn can lead to dehydration, so it's important to drink plenty of water to replace lost fluids and support your skin from within.

5. Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe vera gel has cooling and anti-inflammatory properties that can soothe your skin and aid healing. Make sure to use pure aloe vera gel without additives—if you have an aloe vera plant at home, you can even apply the gel directly from the leaves to your sunburn.

Note: Aloe Vera is very well tolerated – however, if you are using it for the first time, we recommend that you first try the gel on a small area of ​​skin that is not sunburned.

6. Give your skin time

If your skin is peeling after a sunburn, it's important not to pull on the flakes or force them away. Tearing skin off can create wounds that allow germs and bacteria to penetrate the already inflamed skin. Allow dead skin cells to fall off naturally.

Conclusion – Why your skin needs intensive care after a sunburn

Sunburn occurs when the skin reacts to excessive and unprotected exposure to UV rays with inflammation. How long it takes for the first signs of damage to appear depends on the individual skin type—but in general, lighter skin types tend to get sunburned sooner than people with darker skin.

Sunburned skin is easily recognized by its typical redness. The skin also often feels overheated and may be uncomfortably tight and itchy. In severe cases, sunburn can also lead to the formation of blisters and peeling skin – in this case, you should have the affected areas examined by a doctor.

For mild sunburns, you can help your skin heal with cooling gels and moisturizing lotions, applied several times a day without rubbing. However, it's best to protect your skin from UV rays with the right sunscreen and clothing to prevent long-term skin and subsequent damage.