We really don’t recommend these sunburn treatments. Here are some safer alternatives.

The UK’s current heatwave has brought smiles and sunburns across the nation. 

If you’ve been unfortunate enough to catch one too many rays, you may be wondering how to get rid of sunburn fast and ease the burning it causes.

There are tons of ways to soothe sunburn. Some are downright dangerous, others are soothing and logical. Social media trends have got people trying all sorts of weird things that could be detrimental to your skin, as well as your health.

We’re here to debunk these for you. Here are the ways we don’t recommend healing your sunburn, as well as the safer alternatives.

1. Using mouthwash

We understand the logic here. Mint can feel soothing. But please don’t put mouthwash on your sunburn.

A TikTok creator used a spray bottle filled with mouthwash and sprayed it on areas that caught sunburn. 

Now imagine rubbing alcohol into a wound. That’s not pleasant, is it? Alcohol dries out the skin, meaning your burn is going to get irritated AF. 

The video has since been deleted. We’ll leave you to guess why.

The fix? Avoid any alcoholic/methanol products on sunburn if you want it to heal fast.

2. Sour cream

We get why someone would use sour cream to soothe their sunburn. Lactic acid on the skin, when used correctly, can feel great. 

To keep things safe (and to avoid smelling kinda gross), use traditional products like aloe vera and soothing moisturisers designed to help heal sunburn.

Want that soothing factor? Pop your products in the fridge for an extra cool hit. Here are two products we recommend to soothe your sunburn safely.

Ambre Solaire After Sun Lotion 100ml — £4

Get a Superdrug student discount.

Aloe Pura Aloe Vera Gel 200ml — £6.49

Get a Holland & Barrett student discount.

3. White vinegar

Absolutely do not put white vinegar or any kind of vinegar on your sunburn, or your skin in general, for that matter.

Vinegar has a very high acidity rating. Imagine adding that to a burn. Ouch!

Adding vinegar will only aggravate the burn more so and cause your natural skin’s barrier to get damaged. Save yourself the trouble and apply soothing products like lotions and aloe. 

4. Sun contouring

We can’t believe this is actually a thing

While we get the logic behind tanning certain parts of your face to create natural contouring, you’re basically making your SPF protection redundant by exposing areas of your skin to the sun that aren’t covered. This in turn increases sun damage and causes an increased risk in skin cancer.

In case you have no idea what we’re talking about, this is the video in question:

The fix? Apply suncream absolutely everywhere and don’t miss a single spot. SPF 50 will get you the highest protection against sun damage, and we’re huge fans of this one:

Ambre Solaire Ultra-Hydrating Shea Butter Sun Protection Cream SPF 50 200ml — £6

Get a LOOKFANTASTIC student discount.

Seen any other weird sunburn hacks that look totally unsafe? Tell us about them and we’ll add them to the list. For now, why not sign up for Student Beans? You can redeem our fabulous health and beauty student discounts, and save on sunburn treatments!