If you’ve found this page, today’s sun protection wasn’t enough and your skin is already red, hot and tight. This isn’t about preventing it — that’s covered in SPF and sunscreen: how much to apply and when to reapply — it’s about what to do in the next few hours so it hurts less and doesn’t get worse.
What to do right now
Get out of the sun. Obvious, but it’s the step most people skip because they don’t want to cut a beach day short. Every extra minute of direct sun makes the burn worse, even if you don’t feel it as much as you should in the moment.
Cool the skin with water, not ice. A lukewarm or cool shower or bath (never sudden cold or direct ice) for 10 to 15 minutes calms the heat in the skin. Direct ice can damage already-inflamed skin further.
Rehydrate from the inside. An extensive sunburn pulls fluid into the skin and away from the rest of your body — drink water regularly, especially after a hot beach day with little shade.
After sun with aloe vera or panthenol, applied several times a day to clean, dry skin. It soothes more than it moisturises, which is exactly what’s needed in the first hours.
A painkiller or anti-inflammatory you already tolerate well (paracetamol or ibuprofen) helps with pain and, with ibuprofen, with inflammation too. Stick to the usual adult dose, or a paediatric dose by weight for a child.
Blisters: don’t pop them
If a blister has formed, the burn is second-degree and the skin needs more care, not less. The blister is a natural barrier against infection — popping it leaves the skin exposed right when it needs protection most. Cover it loosely with sterile gauze, not tape stuck directly to burnt skin, and let it reabsorb on its own.
What doesn’t help, however common the advice
- Butter, oils or toothpaste. None of them cool anything, and some can trap heat or encourage infection.
- Alcohol or cologne, even “cooling” ones. They dry out and irritate skin that’s already damaged.
- Going back out the same day “so the tan doesn’t fade.” Burnt skin has lost the natural protection you think it still has — it burns much faster the second time.
- Exfoliating or waxing the area until the skin has fully recovered.
At Farmàcia Arqué, today
No appointment needed. Ask us for aftersun with aloe vera or panthenol for the burnt area, an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream if there’s localised itching or inflammation, blister dressings if you need them, and we’ll advise on which painkiller suits what you already take. We’re at Passeig de Miramar 72, right on Ponent Beach, and we speak Spanish, Catalan, English and French — no need to explain the problem with gestures.
When this isn’t something a pharmacy counter can resolve
Go to a medical centre or call 112 if you notice any of the following:
- Extensive blistering covering a large part of the body
- Fever, chills or a severe headache alongside the burn
- Nausea, vomiting or dizziness — this can be heatstroke, not just the skin
- The burn affects a baby or young child
- Signs of infection in the following days: pus, increasing heat, or fever
Outside our opening hours, the duty pharmacy in Salou covers the 24-hour shift.
This article is for information only and does not replace assessment by a healthcare professional for a specific symptom. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if the burn is extensive or affects a young child. Sources: Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS), Spanish Ministry of Health — sun protection, World Health Organization — UV index.