I Tried Ouai's New After Sun Body Soother & It Was A Hydrating Dream For My Sunburned Skin
Despite the fact that every other member of my family can spend hours in the sun and develop a glorious, glowy tan, I'm the kind of girl who spends fifteen minutes outside and burns to a crisp, regardless of how much SPF I apply. I might be the only one in my family with a tendency to burn, but I know there are tons of other people who also experience sunburn struggles, so I'm always on the hunt for the best products to soothe and nourish my tender post-beach skin. For a long time, my go-to has been a monsterous vat of pure aloe vera, but this Ouai After Sun Body Soother review allowed me to put a brand new product to the test, and I have to say my first impressions are pretty positive. After spending all last week in the sun, I was more than ready for a little relief, and this cooling formula truly did the trick.
While I love nothing more than a springtime getaway, my most recent trip to the beach left me cranky and burned after too many hours in the sun. I always unintentionally overdo it, and I regret it every single time.
On Instagram, it looked like I was having a beachy blast:
But the reality was much more red and splotchy:
So, imagine how thrilled I was to return home from the airport and see the brand-spanking-new Ouai After Sun Body Soother ($25, theouai.com) on my doorstep:
Ouai began as a haircare brand, but since then, founder and celeb hairstylist Jen Atkin has managed to build a total lifestyle empire, complete with constantly-sold-out fragrances, merch chicer than my entire wardrobe, and aesthetically pleasing Instagram flatlays that get more likes I could ever dream of for my selfies. I'm a devout drinker of the Ouai Kool-Aid, so when I saw this product, I knew right away it would be good.
What I didn't know was how unique the formula would be. Think aloe meets champagne bubbles meets Pop Rocks-esque sound effects:
The product is released when the nozzle is pressed down, after which a spritz of foam is dispensed fairly inconsistently. Sometimes I got bursts, other times a steady stream, but regardless, the product started to work the second it hit my skin, and it was loud. Instantly, a crackling buzz became the soundtrack of the formula at work, and I rubbed the bubbling foam in quickly. Sunburn-soothing hero ingredient aloe leaf juice worked to moisturize, relieving redness and inflammation, while cucumber extract provided a refreshing, cooling sensation, a welcome treat for my burnt skin giving off heat. Rich rose hip oil added to the mix further hydration and healing, and believe me when I say I was aware of all three main ingredients at work while the product settled on my skin. Obviously, my sunburn didn't magically disappear, but it felt cooler and more calm than it had prior to application, and a quick spritz was definitely preferable to piling on layers of body lotion or sticky pure aloe.
A word to the wise: Because the formula is so cooling, I recommend spritzing foam onto hands and then rubbing it in, as direct contact with a painful burn straight from the can can be a bit intense:
Did I wake up the next day after using the product with miraculously tanned, supple, flawless skin? No, of course not, but it did do its job in soothing my irritation and combatting the excess heat given off by my burn, as well as lessening my redness, and for these reasons I'm super impressed. I was instantly tempted to apply again, and will definitely keep this baby in my beach bag for the next time I end up with a burn. I'm blown away by the non-sticky, natural finish, and weirdly into the Pop Rocks sound effects. While I encourage you to wear an ample amount of SPF whenever you find yourself in the sun, I also strongly recommend snagging the After Sun Body Soother to treat your skin after sun exposure. After all, I travel with upwards of ten serums, oils, and creams for my face, so why shouldn't my bod get a little extra TLC in the summertime, too?
