Mom's 'Shaving Cream on Sunburn' Life Hack Gets Over 225,000 Shares Because It Works
As a kid growing up in the rural American south, I got more than my fair share of sunburns, and I well remember the stinging ache they caused. Ointments, compresses, aloe — they all helped to one degree or another, but none were perfect.
Now, though, a woman from Mount Calm, Texas, has said she has a new treatment for sunburns.
In a Facebook post, Cindie Allen-Stewart said that tanning was never her thing, and she experienced more burns than a golden-brown glow.
“My skin isn’t the greatest at tanning,” she wrote. “I normally burn and return to white.”
Cindie also noted that ordinary sunburn remedies never worked well for her family: “My husband can not use aloe. He has said it feels like acid on his skin. There are people with an allergy to aloe.”
Noxema, the classic Unilever skin balm, also left her feeling sticky and made it hard for her to sleep. So she decided to try an unorthodox remedy: menthol shaving cream.
On her post, Cindie urged people suffering from sunburn to apply a menthol foam across the red area, let it sit for 30 minutes, and rinse. She said she got the idea from her mother-in-law, who always used to try it on Cindie’s husband when he was a child.
The treatment sounds odd, right? However, some dermatologists have actually said that Cindie may be onto something.
Dr. Howard Sobel explained to Allure that “menthol has a cooling effect, which will help calm the discomfort of a sunburn.
If there is aloe in the shaving cream, it will work as an anti-inflammatory, and help relieve the irritation of burnt skin.”
Don’t think, though, that shaving cream will help remove any redness or prevent peeling. Dr. Rey Hamidi explained, “I agree the menthol can be cooling, and that I don’t see how it would help with the redness.
“I do prefer a fragrance-free product, as I worry about sensitivity to fragrance, which is so common — especially with already inflamed skin. Another layer to the hack might be to put the foam in the refrigerator so it’s cool — and extra soothing — when it goes on.”
Cindie herself pointed out that the first thing you should apply is sunscreen prior to going outside. “I burn with sunscreen as well and know of the hassle, but it is worth it to wear it!” she said.
Would you give the shaving cream hack a try? Quite a few people seem willing to. As of press time, Cindie’s post has been shared more than 229,000 times.
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