There's a viral trend going on social media about dealing with those painful sunburns and it involves soothing with a shaving cream.
Sunburns are pesky and excruciating, and may have already been encountered by everyone. Every move feels uncomfortable and sleeping is sometimes impossible. A woman, meanwhile, found a way to alleviate the pain, not by using the trusty aloe vera-infused lotions or creams or gels, but with shaving cream, the process which she shared on Facebook.
Fast Result
The do-it-yourself process has now reached more than 35,000 likes and over 220,000 shares on the social networking site, so probably there are tons of desperate souls who are experiencing the pains of sunburn. Anyway, the woman, Cindie Allen-Stewart, who thought of the brilliant idea, claimed this process is by far the best way she tried in soothing the pain.
To clear matters, the woman narrated she wasn't allergic to aloe vera and actually feels the soothing capacity of the product. However, it is her husband who seemed to have a reaction with it, so she opted not to resort to aloe vera for her sunburn.
"Yes, aloe does help too, but I think this way with the shaving cream is a lot faster," Allen-Stewart explained.
As obvious, the woman was bombarded by questions and comments on her sunburn hack, and she again edited the post to clear up the misconceptions on the DIY. She said the shaving cream doesn't have to be the brand Gillette, but it should be any brand of shaving cream that is menthol.
Add to this, it's not a one-time cure-all kind of thing, so basically it needs a lot of days because sunburn isn't something that goes away easily. Furthermore, she clarified that she just wanted to share the stuff that works for her for a decade now to her friends who have been experiencing the same pain.
Soothing Sunburn
To do the trick, just apply generously the menthol shaving cream on the sunburned part but don't rub it in. It is important that it stays on the skin for about 30 minutes. The user pointed out that itching is normal as it allegedly translates to healing.
Additionally, she said that the product releases the heat from the skin. In her post, it was obvious that her flushed back turned lighter after her sunburn hack. After 30 minutes, the shaving cream will expectedly dissolve and to rinse the product off, take a shower. But of course, the woman had a disclaimer on her post, saying the DIY worked for her and everything's from her own experience.
Dermatologists' Side
Meanwhile, dermatologists finally weighed in if this sunburn hack actually works wonders for the skin. Howard Sobel, a dermatologist from New York City, said that the shaving cream doesn't releases the heat per se, but the menthol element of the product is what cools the area.
"If there is aloe in the shaving cream, it will work as an anti-inflammatory, and help relieve the irritation of burnt skin," the dermatologist further explained.
Another dermatologist, Sarika Banker, echoed the same sentiment and added that shaving cream doesn't reduce the redness of the sunburned area at all. In short, most experts would say that the unconventional product would give temporary relief and will soothe the pain, but doesn't actually heal the sunburn.