So, could THIS be the ultimate cure for that terrible summer sunburn? Well, a mom from Texas has a pretty unorthodox “fix” and a dermatologist has weighed into whether it actually works.
The Texas mom’s solution? Menthol shaving foam. Yes… shaving foam. She said she heard about the fix from her mother-in-law, who “heard it from a doctor 40 years ago.” So how does it work? Well, she claims that all you have to do is apply one layer of the foam on the sunburned areas and leave it on for 30 minutes before rinsing it off. If it feels bad the next day, do another 30 minutes.
She cautions that it’s not just “30 minutes and done”, but that you’ll be less hurt and be able to sleep better after doing it even the first time.
What does the dermatologist think? Well, Dr. Julia Carroll, a director at Compass Dermatology in Toronto says that they even use menthol all the time, to combat “itch and sometimes pain as well” — the method has some risks though (shaving cream isn’t supposed to be on your skin for that long, could cause irritation), but that it makes sense that menthol would make the burn better. She says the best option is “aspirin, cool compresses, and hydrocortisone cream.”
Have you tried this fix? Does it work for you?