If we beauty editors had our way, everyone would be walking around with SPF 50 in their bags and on their bodies all the time. Just in case we have to tell you again: Sunscreen is the most important part of any beauty regimen. In fact, it's more like a health regimen. But for those rare days when you forget your sunscreen at home or accidentally fall asleep in the sun, Facebook is here with the latest viral sunburn hack.
As first spotted by NewBeauty, Facebook user Cindi Allen-Stewart's post went viral when she shared her and her husband's at-home sunburn trick with friends. Instead of aiding a few BFFs, the post blew up, with almost 50,000 comments from believers and skeptics alike. The tip: Soothe sunburn with menthol shaving cream, specifically Gillette Foamy Menthol.
Allen-Stewart shared progress pictures of her lobster-red back fading into a more respectable blush after spending a half-hour coated in shaving cream. She advises her friends to apply the shaving cream directly to the burn, the same way you would a moisturizer or an aloe.
"It may seem like it's a strange shaving ritual, but trust me! Don't rub it in, just let it sit on your skin. It will start bringing all that heat out (you'll be able to feel it). You may feel like you are itchy too, but that's a good thing! Itching means healing," she writes.
She recommends leaving the cream on for 30 minutes, after which "you will feel as if you're becoming a little cold." If the burn is still present, she claims a second day of shaving cream solution will dissolve the burn for good.
Dermatologists agree that menthol will help cool the skin, but it's not exactly drawing out the burn, as Allen-Stewart claims. "Menthol has a cooling effect, which will help calm the discomfort of a sunburn," Howard Sobel, a New York City-based dermatologist tells Allure. "If there is aloe in the shaving cream, it will work as an anti-inflammatory, and help relieve the irritation of burnt skin."
That being said, menthol shaving cream may help with temporary relief, however, as dermatologist Rey Hamidi explained to NewBeauty, the foaming hack won't reduce sunburn-induced redness.
So go ahead, slather your back in shaving cream. Just remember that even after the red disappears, nothing can really reverse the effects of a sunburn. Our advice? Next time, don't forget that all-important sunscreen.
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