How To Get Peeling Skin Off

While you know the importance of wearing sunscreen, sometimes, you might still wind up with patches of sunburn that rapidly turn into peeling skin that then vacate your body with the vigour of a snowstorm. Yep, even when the closest you're getting to a European beach break is an afternoon in your local park.

Remember: you should always wear sun cream with a minimum factor 30 SPF, and factor 50 for your face

Sound familiar? If that's you, then, all good. Because WH has tapped up the skincare experts for their insider information on how to get rid of peeling skin, stat.

Why does sunburn cause the skin to peel?

'Sunburn occurs when you have spent time under the sun without proper protection from UVA and UVB rays. Depending on the severity of the burn, this will first be red and hot to the touch and then will peel later on,' explains Dr Kaywaan Khan, medical doctor and aesthetician at Hannah London.

'This is because although your skin cells are constantly dying and being replenished, the sun damages your outermost skin cells at once, resulting in a visible reaction of peeling to slough off the dead cells,' he adds.

Sunburn = skin damage, and so getting rid of these layers that can no longer live becomes important.

Why? Well, damaged skin cells that do remain have a chance of becoming cancerous – which is why layering up the best sunscreen is so vital, if you are wondering 'why do I burn so easily?'

If you are worried after a stint under harsh rays, go and see your GP.

How can you prevent peeling skin?

'The best way to prevent your skin from peeling is - to avoid sunburn in the first place,' advises Fatma Gunduz, a senior aesthetician at Skin & Sanctuary.

'Exposure to UV light is the most preventable risk factor for sunburn which is one of the major reasons for skin ageing, pigmentation, wrinkles (I could go one) as well as all skin cancers. Protect your skin from those harmful rays and always remember to wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher,' she adds.

How do you get rid of peeling?

Wondering how best to cmbat peelin skin? Here, skincare expert Margaret Weeds, founder of Odylique, reveals the 7 best ways to deal.

1. Take a cold shower

'When your skin begins to peel it takes around four weeks for it to heal properly,' explains Weeds. 'Swift action is needed to minimise inflammation, speed up healing and minimise damage to deeper skin tissues.'

Peeling skin from sunburn should be treated, stat. 'Firstly, you should reduce heat immediately with a cool shower to reduce any chance of blistering,' Weeds elaborates. 'Try to stay in the cool water for at least 10 minutes to make sure your body heat temperature has gone down.'

2. Pat your skin dry

'Pat away excess water with a soft towel (do not rub!) and leave skin bare to dry.' This goes for peeling skin on your face, peeling skin on your fingers or peeling skin on your hands and feet.

3. Apply a cooling lotion

Follow with a light application of a cooling lotion, avoiding anything petroleum-based as that will lock in heat.

Ingredients like Aloe vera juice, chamomile, calendula and St. John's Wort (hypericum) are all great calmers of inflammation and promote rapid healing. Reapply at least twice daily.

Kiehl's Calendula Serum-Infused Water Cream 50ml

Kiehl's feelunique.com

£39.50

4. Use a mild exfoliator

In the days after, know that skin that's suffering a peel from being dehydrated needs exfoliation and hydration. Use a mild body exfoliant in the shower, to gently buff away any skin that's peeling.

Ingredients like sugar will help get rid of dead skin cells without irritating or causing micro tears in your skin.

Smoothing Body Exfoliant

Ameliorate cultbeauty.co.uk

£17.50

5. Keep it hydrated

Afterward, use a nourishing moisturiser and massage it into your skin until it's completely absorbed. This will help attract moisture from your environment and lock it into your skin.

Odylique Repair Lotion 60ml

6. Take care of your face

Yes, the skin on your face is more delicate than elsewhere on your body, but the above rules still apply. Soothe the burn with cool water, before applying a cooling, aloe vera or chamomile-based face cream. In later days, use a super gentle face exfoliator to help the skin cells shed, before layering on a rich face moisturiser.

Peptide Moisturiser

THE INKEY LIST cultbeauty.co.uk

£14.99

Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer

Glow Recipe cultbeauty.co.uk

£19.50

Origins GinZing Ulta Hydrating Energy-Boosting Cream Moisturiser 50ml

Origins lookfantastic.com

£26.00

Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA [30ml]

The Ordinary cultbeauty.co.uk

£4.90

7. Keep it covered

Skin that's peeling should stay covered, to prevent any further damage. Wear loose clothing when you're out in the sun, and always use a high (45+) SPF.

Supreme Screen Hydrating Facial Skinscreen SPF 50+ by Ultra Violette

Ultra Violette spacenk.com.uk

£34.00

City Skin Age Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50

Murad cultbeauty.co.uk

£60.00

SPF 30 Daily Sunscreen

THE INKEY LIST cultbeauty.co.uk

£14.99

Glowscreen SPF 30

Supergoop! cultbeauty.co.uk

£15.00

Clarins Sun Care Gel-To-Oil for Body SPF 50+ 150ml

Sun Sport Cooling Invisible Body Mist SPF50

Lancaster cultbeauty.co.uk

£28.00

High Protection SPF 30-50

DARLING cultbeauty.co.uk

£29.00

The One For Your Hands - Hand Cream SPF 30

Hello Sunday cultbeauty.co.uk

£8.00

8. Increase your water intake

While your skin recovers, staying hydrated matters more than ever. 'We recommend 2L of water to ensure all your body's functions are well supported,' adds Dr Khan.

Why does dry skin make your skin peel?

Sunburn may not be the only reason your skin is peeling. When your skin is dry, rather than burnt, you may notice that a lot of it is shedding away. 'Skin cells die regularly, and our bodies shed between 30,000 to 40,000 skin cells every day. This process is called "desquamation" – new skin cells are formed in the deeper layers and dead skin cells at the top of the skin are pushed off, revealing fresh, new skin,' says Dr Khan.

'However, this does not occur when the body is dehydrated. When the skin lacks moisture, the desquamation process is disrupted, leaving undiscarded dead skin at the top that looks like dull, flaky skin,' he adds. The key to nixing this type of skin shed? Daily moisturising.

Bria Organics Relief Repair Replenish Skin Cream

bria organics briaorganics.com

£14.95

AVEENO® Dermexa Emollient Cream 200ml

CeraVe Moisturising Cream - Dry to Very Dry Skin 454g

cerave superdrug.com

£15.99

Should I moisturise my tattoo while it's peeling?

Similarly, part of the process of getting new ink means that it can sometimes flake or peel while it's healing.

It usually only lasts through the end of the first week. Remember, no picking, just as this can lead to ink fallout and ruin the artwork. Moisturising is essential.

Try Stories & Ink Tattoo Care Kit. It includes 4 body care essentials purpose-built for tattooed skin, including their cult Aftercare Cream that keeps new tatts looking fresh from the get go.

Perdita Nouril Perdita Nouril is the Beauty Editor for Women's Health UK.

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