You told yourself you’d reapply. You even brought sunscreen. But somewhere between the third swim and that accidental two hour nap on the sand, things went a little sideways. Now you’re hot, red, peeling—and Googling “how to heal a sunburn fast.”
First things first: you’re not alone. We’ve all ignored the SPF reapplication window at some point. But that tight, stinging, itchy feeling? That’s your skin telling you it needs help—ASAP.
Here’s what to do (and what not to do) if you got sunburnt, using a simple skincare routine built around calming, hydrating, and damage-controlling ingredients. Grimoire’s vegan, science-backed lineup can’t turn back time, but it can help your skin recover faster, feel better, and look less like a tomato.
Step 1: Rinse—Don’t Scrub
The second you’re indoors, hit the shower—but make it lukewarm, not hot. You want to gently rinse off sweat, sand, and leftover sunscreen without further irritating your skin.
Skip exfoliants, body washes with fragrance, and definitely skip face scrubs. Just pat dry with a towel and resist the urge to pick or peel. Your skin is in crisis. Be nice.
Step 2: Serum Is Not Optional
Use: Grimoire’s Beach Guise Face Serum
If your skin feels hot, tight, or inflamed, you need something that cools and repairs. Beach Guise is Grimoire’s post-sun MVP—a lightweight gel serum that calms irritation and rehydrates fast. Gotu kola and plant bisabolol work to reduce inflammation and redness, while wild indigo extract helps your skin chill out on a cellular level.
How to use: Apply a generous layer to clean, dry skin—morning and night—until the redness and tightness fade. Keep it in the fridge for an extra cooling boost.
Step 3: Don’t Forget Your Eyes
Use: Grimoire’s Eye Roll Eye Serum
Yes, even your under-eyes can get sunburned—or at least stressed out from squinting and dehydration. Eye Roll helps de-puff, hydrate, and calm that thin, delicate skin around your eyes.
Caffeine powder reduces puffiness, micro super greens hydrate, and acetyl hexapeptide-1 smooths fine lines—because sunburn is dramatic enough without creasing.
How to use: Tap a tiny amount around your eye area with your ring finger. Gently. Like you’re apologizing to your face.
Step 4: Moisturize Like It’s Your Job
Use: Grimoire’s Nightmare Away Face Cream
The final (and arguably most important) step is locking in moisture and protecting your compromised skin barrier. Nightmare Away is a rich, buttery face cream that deeply hydrates and helps your skin rebuild overnight.
With calming lavender, barrier-repairing shea butter, and brightening micro super greens, it’s like a weighted blanket for your skin—except you can wear it to brunch the next day.
How to use: Apply a thick but breathable layer over your serum. Reapply if your skin feels tight or dry throughout the day.
Sunburn Recovery Dos & Don’ts
DO:
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Stay hydrated (your skin’s drying out from the inside too)
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Keep skin cool—cold compresses, fans, and refrigerated products help
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Stick to gentle, fragrance-free skincare
DON’T:
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Exfoliate, scrub, or use active ingredients like retinol or AHAs
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Pick or peel flaking skin
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Assume one good product will fix it all—you need a routine
Let It Heal, Then Learn From It
Sunburns suck. But with the right care, your skin can heal faster and avoid long-term damage. Treat it gently, hydrate obsessively, and keep your skincare simple but consistent.
Grimoire’s gender-expansive, clean formulas are made to help your skin recover from real-life messes—sunburns included. And next time? Reapply your SPF every two hours. Set an alarm. Just…don’t make your skin go through this again.
