After-sun care: 8 simple ways to soothe & support your skin after a day outside

A little sunshine can make you feel amazing – but your skin may not be quite as impressed.

After a long summer day outdoors, your skin can feel hot, tight, dry or irritated, even if you haven’t developed visible sunburn. Sun and UV exposure can increase oxidative stress and temporarily affect the skin barrier, which is why after-sun care matters just as much as protecting your skin before you head outside.

The good news? You don’t need a complicated routine. A few simple steps can help soothe, hydrate and support your skin after sun exposure.

Here’s how to give your skin some post-sun TLC.

1. An after-sun basic: cool it down!

If your skin feels hot after a day in the sun, start with a cool (not icy) shower. This can help soothe the sensation of heat without adding further irritation.

Avoid very hot water, vigorous scrubbing and exfoliation for a few days. If your skin is already feeling stressed, it doesn’t need more stimulation – it needs gentle care.

Pat your skin dry rather than rubbing it, then follow with a gentle lotion while your skin is still slightly damp.

2. Hydrate from the inside out

Sun, heat and sweating can all increase fluid loss. Replacing those fluids is important for your overall wellbeing and normal skin function.

Keep sipping water throughout the day and include water-rich foods such as watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, berries and leafy greens.

Looking for a refreshing summer drink? Check out our hydrating electrolyte drink.

3. Support your skin barrier

Your skin barrier helps keep moisture in and potential irritants out. After prolonged sun exposure, it can become temporarily more vulnerable, leaving it dry, tight or sensitive.

This is the perfect time to keep your skincare routine simple and gentle.

If your skin feels irritated, avoid:

Harsh scrubs
Strong acids
Retinoids
Heavily fragranced products
Very hot water

Good after-sun care doesn’t need to be complicated! Instead, reach for nourishing moisturisers and products designed to support dry or sensitive skin.

For a natural option, our Super Sensitive Skin Balm contains soothing botanicals including plantain, chamomile, chickweed and comfrey, traditionally used to help calm and comfort dry, sensitive or irritated skin.¹ Combined with nourishing sunflower oil and beeswax, it creates a protective layer that helps keep moisture in while your skin recovers. Curious to learn more about our balm? Find out more here.

Many of our customers also love our Calm-Down Kefir Lotion after a day in the sun. It contains lavender essential oil, which has demonstrated antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.² The goat’s milk and Probiotic Kefir in it also deliver anti-inflammatory properties, helping to support damaged skin.³ Read more here.

Just remember: a moisturising balm or lotion can help soothe and support dry or irritated skin, but it isn’t a treatment for a bad sunburn. If your skin is blistered, severely painful, or you feel unwell after sun exposure, seek medical advice.

4. Nourish your skin from within

Your skin doesn’t exist in isolation. It relies on a steady supply of protein, essential fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to maintain its structure and protect itself from everyday environmental stress.

After a day outside, fill your plate with colourful, nutrient-rich whole foods such as:

Berries, tomatoes, peppers, leafy greens, avocado, nuts and seeds, oily fish, extra-virgin olive oil, herbs and spices.

These foods provide nutrients and plant compounds that support your body’s natural antioxidant and inflammatory defence systems. Check out this anti-inflammatory diet guide.

And there’s another key player worth thinking about…

5. Look after your gut-skin connection

Your gut and skin are in constant communication through what’s known as the gut-skin axis.⁴

Your gut microbes don’t simply help digest food. When they ferment dietary fibre, they produce metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including acetate, propionate and butyrate. These compounds, also known as your postbiotics, can interact with the immune system, support the gut barrier and influence inflammatory and metabolic pathways throughout the body.⁵ Your microbiome also transforms dietary compounds into a wide range of other bioactive metabolites that can influence antioxidant and inflammatory processes.⁶

So while your gut isn’t going to magically undo a day of UV exposure, supporting a diverse, well-nourished microbiome may help support the body’s natural defences against oxidative stress and inflammation.

6. Feed your microbes too

Your beneficial bacteria thrive on fibre and plant diversity. It’s important to include plenty of colourful vegetables, fruit such as berries, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices and fermented foods in your after-sun care routine. Different microbes feed on different fibres, so variety matters!

That’s exactly why our Gut Health Protocol combines traditionally fermented kefir with Complete Prebiotic. Our kefir introduces beneficial bacteria, while our Complete Prebiotic provides 18 different fibres to nourish the microbes in your gut.

Together, they help create an environment where beneficial microbes can thrive and produce the compounds that support a healthy gut ecosystem – and potentially, the wider systems connected to it, including the skin.

Did you know? While your beneficial microbes naturally produce postbiotics when they ferment certain fibres, you can also supplement these beneficial microbial compounds directly to complement your Gut Health Protocol. Discover our Complete Postbiotic.

7. What about collagen?

Collagen is one of the main structural proteins in your skin, helping provide strength and elasticity. Your body naturally produces collagen, but production changes as we age.

Adequate protein and nutrients, including vitamin C, zinc, and copper, are important for normal collagen formation.

Our Pure Fish Collagen can be easily added to smoothies, kefir, yoghurt bowls or your morning drink if you’re looking for a convenient way to supplement your diet. Check out these 3 collagen ‘cocktails’ for a summer glow.

8. And tomorrow? Protect and prevent!

After-sun care is helpful – but preventing excessive UV exposure is even more important.

Give your skin a helping hand by:

Using broad-spectrum SPF
Wearing a hat and protective clothing
Seeking shade during the strongest sunshine
Wearing UV-protective sunglasses
Reapplying sunscreen as directed, particularly after swimming or sweating

And remember: a tan is still a sign that your skin has been exposed to UV radiation. There is no completely “safe” tan.

After a long day outside, think cool, hydrate, nourish, moisturise and protect.

You don’t need a complicated after-sun skincare routine – or a cupboard full of products. Give your skin some gentle care, replenish your fluids and nutrients, nourish your microbiome and let your body get on with doing what it does best: repairing and recovering. Remember, healthy skin starts with more than what you put on it.

If you enjoyed this article, check out our Summer self-care: 5 tips to glow naturally this season.

Any questions? Contact one of our Nutritional Therapists via live chat, weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm.