The Afterburn: What Happens When Ivory Skin Turns Red

Are you the kind of person that is forced to use SPF 100 sunblock? You know the type: pale, Irish, freckled skin. You’d be a vampire if it weren’t for your love of sunlight and pretending to get a tan at the pool.

Sure, we try our hardest to make sure we’ve properly covered our skin in sunblock by applying every hour on the hour and making your friends check the level of your “tomato-ness,” but somehow and some way, the sun makes its way through and causes the lobster effect.

The lobster effect is a hard thing to cope with. Despite our knowledge of the fact that we never get tan, sitting out in the sun to get a perfect tanline doesn’t exactly put an end to the vicious cycle of the sun’s rays.

So, you’ve got the sunburn, and of course, you’re meeting in a client for a few days and would prefer not to show up looking like Elmo.

How do you rid yourself of the sun’s evil ways? Here are three different ways to tackle the big, red giant:

1. Aloe Vera: You know the type. The big green bottle of what could be actual goo, but really is the best invention since the telephone (Sorry Alexander Graham Bell).
2. You Say Pot-ato, I Say Po-tato: You heard right: potatoes can actually soothe a sunburn and lessen the redness. Potatoes are a starch and therefore cause the skin to lighten up and whiten up.
3. Ice, Ice, Baby: Ice packs and cold showers are ideal for sunburns because they draw the heat out from the burn and cool everything down.

Are you ready to be pale again? You know what to do: take a deep breath, buy some potatoes, and throw some water in an ice cube tray.