Editor’s Picks: 12 of the Best After-Sun Lotions to Soothe, Hydrate and Repair Your Skin

As a beauty editor, I’ve tested and evaluated after-sun lotions from a range of brands. These are my top picks for every preference:

Best Moisturizing

• Burt’s Bees Aloe & Coconut Oil After Sun Soother

Best Cooling

• Vacation After Sun Gel
• Korres Cooling After-Sun Gel

Best Clean Beauty

• Babo Botanicals After Sun Soothing Hydrating Gel

Best K-Beauty

• Aromatica Organic Aloe Vera Gel
• Benton Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel
• Holika Holika Aloe 99% Soothing Gel

Best Aloe

• Badger Aloe Vera After Sun Gel

Best Sprays

• Kinfield Sunday Spray Cooling Aloe Mist
• Suntegrity Trifecta Power Mist
• California Baby Aloe & Arnica Soothing Spray

Best Splurge

• Dr. Barbara Sturm Aloe Vera Gel

For more details on each formula, read on.

If sun exposure has left your skin dry and dehydrated, Burt’s Bees Aloe & Coconut Oil After Sun Soother can help to restore moisture and softness. That’s because it contains a mix of water-binding humectants (like glycerin and aloe), along with coconut oil to lock them in. This lotion is 98.9% natural and formulated for the body. Besides after-sun, you can also use it as a regular daily body moisturizer.

• Pros: Moisturizing, natural ingredients
• Cons: Some may not like the scent

Burt’s Bees reviewer: “I’ve had my fair share of sunburns as a fair-skinned lass. And I’ve done the gels and creams, but Burt’s Bees After Sun Soother just hydrates the heck out of your skin. Since I’ve started using this, I haven’t had the post-burn peeling issue when I do get too much sun. Anytime I’ve been outside, I come home, shower, and apply this. Skin feels amazing, and the smell is great, too.”

With its retro packaging, Vacation After Sun Gel may look like the after-sun gels you grew up using, but the formula itself is 100% modern. This is a lightweight, non-sticky body gel that’s free of alcohol and dyes. It cools and calms your skin with aloe, cucumber and niacinamide while tremella mushroom, hyaluronic and and vitamin E work to hydrate and repair. 

• Pros: Cooling, soothing, lightweight
• Cons: Contains synthetic fragrance

Anthropologie reviewer: “I think this is the end-all, be-all of after-sun products. Lightweight, hydrating, cooling, soothing, and leaves the most elegant aquatic and citrusy fragrance on the skin. The packaging is handsome and durable enough to be carried around in your beach bag all summer. It’s everything you want after a long day in the sun, especially after that miraculous post-beach shower before you go out to a nice dinner.”

Greek yogurt has long been a home remedy for relieving sunburns, and now you can get the same benefits (without the mess) with Korres Cooling After-Sun Gel. This gel-cream contains probiotic-rich yogurt, which makes it soothing, moisturizing and reparative. You can use it on your face and body, and it has an immediate cooling effect—even more so if you pop it in the fridge beforehand. 

• Pros: Cooling, soothing
• Cons: Contains synthetic fragrance

Korres reviewer: “My skin gets so inflamed and itchy anytime I get a little sun (especially on my chest) and this is the only thing that truly soothes it. The tingly fresh feeling it leaves also helps me to feel cool on a hot day. My skin looks glowy and heals wonderfully. Any time I have any irritation, this is the perfect cure.”

Although it’s called an aloe vera gel, Babo Botanicals After Sun Soothing Hydrating Gel is really a blend of multiple ingredients to soothe and rehydrate your skin. They include anti-inflammatory arnica, hydrating glycerin, and calming calendula and chamomile. They’re in a base of witch hazel water, a diluted and non-irritating form of pure witch hazel, which is a well-known remedy for sunburns. This product can be used on both your face and body.

• Pros: Natural ingredients, anti-inflammatory
• Cons: Contains essential oils

Babo Botanicals reviewer: “Love this product so much! I’ve tried other aloe and after-sun products that have a bunch of chemicals, weird colours, [have a] chunky consistency and are sticky! NOT THIS! It glides on so smooth, is clear and smells so light and refreshing, not to mention is hydrating and cooling! Keep in the fridge for extra cool application!”

Aromatica Organic Aloe Vera Gel is not just an after-sun product—it’s also the number one bestselling body gel moisturizer in South Korea. This 99% natural formula features a 96% concentration of aloe in a silicone-free, fragrance-free and oil-free gel. So you can apply it from head to toe, and it’s especially ideal for sensitive skin. You’ll also appreciate the convenient pump packaging.

• Pros: High concentration of aloe, clean ingredients
• Cons: May not feel moisturizing enough

iHerb reviewer: “I love using this on sunburns or dry, cracked skin. It doesn’t sting or burn at all, and my skin feels very soothed after applying. The formula is not greasy or heavy, and the gel absorbs quickly into the skin. I would hate to use anything with synthetic dyes or nasty artificial ingredients on such delicate, sensitive skin, so this organic gel is perfectly safe to use and leaves skin soft and hydrated. The pump is easy to use and one full-size bottle lasts forever. This gel is perfect for anyone who needs a light moisturizer that doesn’t smell like anything or leave an oily residue.”

Benton Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel is a cult-favourite K-beauty product for both your face and body. This popular gel formula is packed with propolis extract and 80% aloe, so it has soothing, nourishing, and skin-protecting properties. It’s unlikely to clog pores or irritate, since it’s free of oil, silicone, fragrance and alcohol. The texture is light and never sticky. You can even use it as a regular face moisturizer.

• Pros: Lightweight, soothing, non-comedogenic
• Cons: May not feel moisturizing enough

Lookfantastic reviewer: “This product has been a skin saviour for me many times and I can always count on it to soothe and calm my skin. You can put many layers on your skin without it pilling and it works very good over/under other products as well. It’s not a miracle worker (not much is) but it definitely makes a difference to my skin. It’s not sticky and sinks into the skin very fast. The tube lasts a long time and the price is great. Will work for most skin types (oily, dry, sensitive and combination skin) and it’s safe to use for those with fungal acne. I always want it in my skincare stash for those days that I need it. Love it and can definitely recommend!”

Not only is Holika Holika Aloe 99% Soothing Gel one of the most affordable after-sun products on the market, it also boasts the highest concentration of aloe: 99%. Among its other ingredients are cica (Centella Asiatica) and cucumber, which are both superstar skin-soothers. Unlike other products at this price point, it’s free of alcohol, oils and silicones, and you can use it on your face and body. Oh, and there are no dyes in here—the green is the colour of the bottle!

• Pros: High concentration of aloe, affordable
• Cons: Contains synthetic fragrance, can be hard to squeeze out of bottle

iHerb reviewer: “This product is a true lifesaver for my skin. The lightweight gel texture absorbs quickly, leaving my skin feeling incredibly hydrated and refreshed. The aloe vera extract works wonders in soothing any irritations or redness. I also love the generous size of the bottle—it lasts for ages! If you’re looking for a soothing and nourishing skincare staple, look no further than this fantastic gel. Five stars all the way!”

If you’re looking for a high concentration of aloe vera, with few other ingredients, look no further than Badger Aloe Vera After Sun Gel. This simple, natural formulation contains 96% organic aloe, with no fragrance, essential oils, alcohol, oil or silicone. It has a thin and spreadable consistency that absorbs quickly, and it doesn’t leave your skin feeling sticky. Plus, you can use it on your face and body.

• Pros: High concentration of aloe, natural ingredients
• Cons: Some may not find it moisturizing enough

Badger reviewer: “This aloe vera is the real thing, not like the cheap bright green stuff that barely has any real aloe. This is the best, purest aloe vera gel obtainable, so it works much better on protecting, healing, and soothing skin. I always need some on hand.”

When you need to cool down your skin fast, but don’t want a thick layer of lotion, reach for Kinfield Sunday Spray Cooling Aloe Mist instead. This is a lightweight, non-sticky mist with an instant cooling effect thanks to spearmint and eucalyptus. Meanwhile, aloe, prickly pear and cucumber work to soothe, repair and hydrate. You can use it on both your face and body, and it’s formulated to be safe for sensitive skin.

• Pros: Cooling, soothing, clean ingredients
• Cons: May not feel moisturizing enough

Credo Beauty reviewer: “I am an SPF-100, sunburn-in-the-shade, maybe-lives-in-the-attic, verified ghost person. On the occasion that I forget to put on sunscreen or spend a little too long outside at lunch, I pay heavily for it. This spray is my skin’s saviour—small enough to throw/keep in your bag, not sticky or thick like normal aloe, can easily reapply as needed, and so soothing. I’ve used it everywhere from casual picnics near my house to sailing trips in the Caribbean. Could not more highly recommend!”

The star ingredient in Suntegrity Trifecta Power Mist is hypochlorous acid, which our white blood cells produce naturally to fight inflammation. By applying it topically in this face and body mist, it works the same way—and speeds up the healing of damaged, irritated skin. It’s non-sensitizing, doesn’t sting, and can be used as an everyday toner mist as well as an after-sun mist.

• Pros: Soothing, anti-inflammatory
• Cons: May not feel moisturizing enough

Safe & Chic reviewer: “This mist is great when my skin is feeling congested and broken out, but it is also great on sunburns and skin wounds.”

California Baby Aloe & Arnica Soothing Spray is not just for babies—it’s great for adults, too, especially if you have sensitive skin. What makes it unique is the infusion of anti-inflammatory arnica and soothing calendula into a base of hydrating glycerin and aloe. It’s made without alcohol, oils or silicones, and is lightly scented with lavender and sage essential oils.

• Pros: Soothing, anti-inflammatory, clean ingredients
• Cons: Contains essential oils

California Baby reviewer: “This is an amazing multipurpose spray! I use it for soothing dry, itchy skin after sun exposure and swimming. It’s cooling and moisturizing. It stops itching and reduces inflammation from bug bites. It’s also a fantastic facial toner! Love, love, love!”

Leave it to the most sought-after skincare brand to give aloe a splurge-worthy upgrade. Dr. Barbara Sturm Aloe Vera Gel is a cooling, soothing and hydrating gel with 90% organic aloe vera and zero stickiness. It features the brand’s star ingredient, purslane, to fight free radicals and inflammation, and is free of fragrance, alcohol, oil and silicone. With its elegant texture and immediate benefits, it’s not just an after-sun product—it’s one of the best all-over moisturizers. I love using this on my face (and if I could afford it, I’d use it on my body, too!).

• Pros: High concentration of aloe, non-sticky
• Cons: Pricey

Sephora reviewer: “I love the ingredients in this so much so that I use this as a serum, toner and moisturizer. I wash my face and apply this onto wet skin and let it dry down for about 15 minutes, then apply tretinoin. If I need more moisture, I put more of this on and/or CeraVe. It has really streamlined my skincare routine and ended up making my routine cheaper. I also use this as after-sun gel and to help heal rashes.”