Summer skin survival guide

Story Highlights
You can't have fun if your skin is making you say, "ouch"
Use moleskin or blister bandages for sore feet
Anti-inflammatories and chilled aloe gel help sun burn
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(Real Simple) -- Don't let itches, blisters, breakouts, or burns sabotage your summer.

To avoid sun burn, use a high-SPF sunscreen and don't forget to reapply!

Blisters

How to avoid them: Severe sunburn and tight clothing can cause blisters, but most often the culprits are shoes, so wear a sensible pair. Ha! As if! OK, then. Attaching a small piece of moleskin to the areas of your feet that rub against the most carnivorous parts of your shoes will help. Try Dr. Scholl's Moleskin Plus Padding which can be cut to size.

Once you've got them: An adhesive bandage will stop the friction and create padding. Blister bandages are a good option. If you don't have one, lubricate the area with hand lotion or Vaseline to help the shoe glide over the painful spot. When you get home, soak your feet in a bath of Epsom salts and warm water for 20 to 30 minutes.

"If there is fluid in the blister, the salt will draw it out," says Cary Zinkin, a podiatrist in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Apply an antibiotic ointment, like Neosporin, and put a gauze bandage over the blister to keep the medicine in and bacteria out. Real Simple: Blister bandages

Heat rash

How to avoid it: Heat rash, also known as prickly heat, occurs when sweat becomes trapped under the skin. The tiny red bumps feel prickly and often itch, explains Ava Shamban, a dermatologist in Santa Monica. The blockages also disrupt the cooling effects of sweating and can, in extreme conditions, contribute to heat exhaustion.

To prevent heat rash, use an exfoliant or a washcloth a couple of times a week in the shower to slough off dead skin cells, and try to stay cool and dry.

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Once you've got it: If you do develop heat rash, apply a soothing lotion with camphor and menthol; or a 1 percent hydrocortisone cream. You can also take a lukewarm bath with a handful of colloidal (milled) oatmeal or a product that contains oatmeal, such as Aveeno Skin Relief Bath Treatment. With treatment, the bumps should disappear in two to three days.

Sunburn

How to avoid it: You know the drill, but every summer you forget at least once and wind up with a sunburn. Here's another reminder: Use a high-SPF sunscreen, limit sun exposure, and don't forget to reapply!

Once you've got it: Taking ibuprofen pills, such as Motrin or Advil, will treat the pain and reduce the inflammation. So will refrigerated aloe gel, which creates a protective barrier over skin. Try Banana Boat Soothing Aloe After Sun Gel or Propoline After Sun Body Spray With Aloe & Chamomile.

"A wet washcloth that has been placed in the freezer for 10 minutes will also help," says Zoe Draelos, a dermatologist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Peeling usually occurs a few days after a bad burn, but "don't pick!" says Renee Snyder, a dermatologist in Austin, Texas. "When you pull skin off before it's ready, you risk causing scars." E-mail to a friend