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The weather has been a little up and down lately, but we're so happy to have been treated to a few hot, sunny days. However, unfortunately, we can get a little overexcited and forget to take the proper precautions to avoid sunburn. 

We've all been there - it's red, it's hot, it can be blistery, painful and peeling. When we get sunburnt we want to heal it as quickly as possible so we can enjoy the sun again (armed with plenty of factor 50 this time). 

So here are our top tips to heal sunburnt skin as quickly as possible...

1. Cool the affected skin as soon as possible, ideally using ice. Follow with a cold bath or shower, and avoid hot or warm water. 

2. Use products with a high water content, and look for the following ingredients:

Aloe Vera

Cucumber

Shea butter

Rose water

Calamine

Lanolin balm

Fresh cucumber can also be applied directly to the burnt areas to cool and hydrate. 

3. Avoid using exfoliates and skin products that contain the following ingredients for a few days:

Petroleum

Benzocaine

Lidocaine

4. Keep the area moisturised to avoid peeling. Look for moisturisers containing high levels of vitamins C and E. 

5. Avoid the sun until the redness has disappeared. If you must go out in the sun, cover the affected areas and use plenty of sun cream. 

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 Anyone who's been sunburnt before will probably agree that prevention is better than cure. So ensure that you're using the correct sun cream - one that is high factor and says the words 'broad spectrum' on the bottle. Reapply every two hours and take regular breaks in the shade. 

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Using sunbeds in advance of your holiday can kick start your tan and begin to build up a resistance to burning. Check out our top tips to use sunbeds safely and avoid getting burnt. Keep an eye on the blog to find out all the latest sunbed and spray tan news.