Assess your sunburn

First, you’ll need to determine the severity of your sunburn. If you have blisters, extreme swelling, a fever, or you’re vomiting, you should seek medical treatment. Severe sunburns, severe dehydration, and heatstroke can happen in tandem, so it’s important to take more intense burns seriously.

For super red and angry sunburns, it’s best to stick to pure aloe gel. Be particularly careful to avoid added fragrances and alcohols, as they can cause irritation and leave your burn feeling even more itchy and annoying. If your burn is on the milder side, you can opt for something more akin to an aloe moisturizer.

Apply aloe vera ASAP

The sooner you apply aloe vera, the sooner the healing process can begin. Dr. Lal says, “You should apply it immediately and you can re-apply as often as you wish.” Regular use won’t just minimize redness, pain, and swelling—it’ll help reduce the chances of your sunburn peeling, too.

Check the ingredient list

As a general rule of thumb—the simpler the ingredient list, the better. Aloe vera should be the primary ingredient in the form of aloe vera leaf juice or aloe vera extract. The best pure aloe vera gels are made with only aloe vera juice and a few added thickeners and preservatives (the good kind), not a lengthy list of hard-to-pronounce chemicals and additives.

Think about your end-use

Are you planning to use aloe vera to treat a sunburn? To soothe inflamed, acne-ridden skin? To naturally nourish your hair? You may want an aloe vera product formulated with additional ingredients that will make it even more effective for your desired end use.