During the summer, my son goes to day camp . It's an awesome camp -- very structured, very active, and he always comes home with stories of the fun things he did that day. Last Thursday they went on a field trip to the beach. My son came home prickly and hot from a sunburn. (They applied sunscreen on all the kids when they got to the beach, but never reapplied throughout the day. I bet there were a lot of sunburned kids that day!)

But what exactly happens to your skin when you get burned? After exposure to the sun, your capillaries dilate, causing the skin to appear pink. Then, skin cells release a chemical that triggers inflammation. Within 12 hours, skin cells begin to die and the inflammation reddens. A tan forms when your skin cells release a pigment to help block your skin from UV rays. (And, no, you shouldn't consider a tan "protection" from the sun. Burn or tan, it all boils down to one thing -- skin damage.)

So take steps to protect your skin from the sun. If you do get burned, Bethany has some tips.

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Hopefully, you practiced good sun safety this weekend and didn't end up with a painful sunburn. Staying in the shade, avoiding the hottest part of the day, wearing protective clothing, and slapping on the sunscreen are all good ways to keep your skin safe from the hot summertime sun.

If you did forget the sunscreen or stay out a little too long, however, it's always good to know how to soothe that painful burn. About.com has some good advice, including:

• Take a cool shower or bath.
• Check for blisters, which indicate second degree burns. If the burn covers a large portion of the body (like a whole arm), seek medical attention right away.
• Apply aloe to the affected area -- NOT butter or oil.
• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever like acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain relief.
• Wear natural, loose, breathable fabrics like cotton until you heal.
• Stay out of the sun, which will only make your burn worse.

Call 911 or head straight to the nearest ER if the person with the sunburn has trouble breathing or if swelling gets so bad that circulation to any area of the body (such as hands or feet) seems to be compromised.

Sunburns are painful and, in severe situations, can be serious. Refresh yourself on sun safety rules before the hottest days of summer arrive, and find a sunscreen that's right for you at the Environmental Working Group's database.

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Now there's a soap that gets you squeaky clean and protects you from the sun's harmful rays. The all-natural soap provides an all-over layer of SPF 10 protection.

SPF 10 isn't enough for a day at the beach or for when you're spending prolonged periods of time in the sun. But I think a soap that provides a good base layer of protection is a great idea. It's also a perfect low-level protector for days when your exposure to the sun is minimal. You can purchase the soap online for $8.

Despite our knowledge about the importance of sun protection, sunburns seem to be on the rise. The numbers of reported sunburns in the US rose roughly 2% from 1999 to 2004. Check out the gallery for additional ideas on how to protect your skin from the sun. And don't forget to go to AOL Body for more sun safe tips.

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