The only real remedy for sunburn is not to get it. Once you've got it, ibuprofen or other OTC pain killer can help, and aloe, but in the end, you're just going to have to tough it out.
I recommend Bullfrog sunblock. I use the spray-on stuff. I can go an entire day kayaking (6-8 hours) in the surf (i.e. I'm getting wet, not just sitting dry in my boat) and maybe reapply once halfway through if I remember or get hungry, and I don't get burnt anymore.
One of my favorite memories is my first day in Cancun last May. I went down to the beach with all my buddies who wanted to be cool so they sat there on the beach with their shirts off, "tanning." They kept telling me to "be a man" and take my shirt off so I could get a tan.
Funk that. I wore my T-shirt and my wide-brimmed hat and plenty of bullfrog when I went in the water.
The next day most of them didn't even go out drinking because of their sunburns.
Suckers. Trust a guy who spent his whole life at the beach
