The Cooling After-Sun Lotion You Need When You're Feeling the Burn

Wearing sunscreen year-round is a cardinal beauty rule, and I apply it diligently every morning. (I don't even like to sit in the sun too long because I know how harmful UV rays can be.) But even I — the girl you'll always find under the umbrella — can miss a spot or two, and that's exactly what happened two weeks ago.

After just an hour in the sun, my left shoulder was charred to a bright red crisp. I promptly freaked out and ran to my friend's medicine cabinet to grab this Sun Bum Cool Down Hydrating After Sun Lotion ($11). It smelled like a really delicious coconut, which was nice, and frankly, I was desperate. But its aftereffects surprised even me: not only did the hypoallergenic, cruelty-free, and vegan formula moisturize my skin, but it also took the burn all the way down. In fact, I woke up the next morning without a patch or peel in sight. It's so good, I might even make it my everyday body moisturizer.

Bottom line: sunburns can sneak up on you, and nobody should be without this calming lotion.