Sunburn makes your skin feel hot, tight, dry and painful, and in desperate need of some relief. Usually, when it comes to sunburn, you reach for the aloe vera or calamine lotion, but if you don’t have either of those to hand, can you use Vaseline as an alternative, and apply it to your sunburn?
What Is Sunburn And How Does It Affect Your Skin
Sunburn is an acute inflammatory reaction, and it happens when your skin absorbs more ultraviolet radiation from the sun or from a tanning bed, that it can safely handle.
The most common causes for sunburn are excessive UVB exposure, fair or unprotected skin, the peak sun hours and reflective surfaces like water/now. The UV light injures your skin cells’ DNA, which is what causes the redness, the heat, the swelling and also the pain.
This kind of skin damage doesn’t just sit on the skin’s surface. It penetrates the skin’s deeper layers, breaking down the collagen and elastin, increasing the risks of premature aging and also skin cancer.
During the sunburn healing process, your body removes the damaged cells, leading to peeling, itchy and a temporary change in your skin’s color.
Is Vaseline Safe To Put On Sunburned Skin?
Vaseline (petroleum jelly) doesn’t cool or treat sunburn, but it can help with the skin healing process in the right conditions.
Vaseline helps with strong moisture retention, and creating a protective barrier on the sunburn, reducing any water loss.
If your skin feels hot to touch, is freshly burned, blistered or oozing, Vaseline can trap heat and fluid, which will worsen the discomfort and increase your risk of infection.
It is only safe to apply Vaseline to sunburn, once the skin has cooled and isn’t actively weeping anymore.
How To Soothe Sunburned Skin At Home
You can usually calm mild to moderate sunburn at home, with some simple steps to protect your skin, and support its healing.
Start by cooling the area, by taking short and lukewarm showers, and apply a soft and cold compress to the area for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, to help reduce the heat and reduce the swelling.
Next, use an aloe vera gel or aloe vera lotion with minimal additives and fragrance, to soothe the stinging sensation and any tightness.
You can also try an oatmeal bath, pouring finely ground colloidal oatmeal in to cool bathwater can ease any itching and irritation, without harshly rubbing the skin.
When you step out of the bath, gently pat dry the skin, and apply a light and fragrance-free moisturizer, that contains vitamin E, to help support your skin’s natural barrier.
Does Vaseline Help Peeling After Sunburn?
When your skin starts to peel after a sunburn, Vaseline can help to lock in moisture, and protect any raw and tender areas, but it shouldn’t be your first choice for your sunburn relief.
When your skin is still hot to touch, focus on cooling peeling remedies like aloe vera, as I mentioned above, and also cool compresses, as that’ll help to reduce the inflammation, and the discomfort you’re experiencing.
If you apply Vaseline to your sunburn, when it’s no longer hot or oozing, apply a light layer over damp skin, or on the top of a water-based body lotion, to boost your skin’s hydration levels, and reduce any tightness.
Don’t pick at the peeling flakes – you need to let them shed naturally, so you don’t end up with an infection or scarring.
Vaseline should be used as a barrier that supports other soothing products, and not a standalone product, when treating sunburn, while you protect the new skin, and let it recover fully.
