“God forbid you get a sunburn. It happens to the best of us.”

That’s our expert: Lauren Leavitt, a dermatology physician's assistant.

So what happens when you had a great day out in the sun, but now that it’s over, you’re feeling the pain? Here are her three recommended remedies.

Heal your skin

Leavitt’s first tip is to use something called an “emollient” — most commonly, we know these as Vaseline or Aquaphor. According to her, these are the best things you can apply to sunburned skin.

(MORE: What you don’t know about sunburns can really hurt you)

“It really just helps bring back the water and moisture in your skin and gives it a protective barrier while it's healing,” she said.

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Protect your skin

When your skin is sunburned, it’s already extremely dehydrated, so you want to be careful not to worsen things — hot showers can do that, Leavitt says.

(MORE: It’s not sunburn: what to know about sun rashes)

“What we recommend is taking lukewarm or cooler showers if you can,” she explains.

And the best time to put on that moisturizer is right when you get out of the shower, while your skin is still damp. 

“At that time, all the water is evaporating from your skin, so it's helpful to lock it back in there and put that moisturizer on,” she said.

Rehydrate your skin

Our skin's ability to produce the proteins that it needs to stay moisturized also depends on how much you hydrate.

Leavitt’s last tip?

“Just making sure that you stay hydrated is extremely important from the inside out, not just moisturizing your skin.”

Content writer Ada Wood enjoys exploring the stories that science and climate teach us about our natural world and how it influences the way we live in it.