Many videos and storylines go viral on social media for a variety of reasons, but every once in a while, one you can truly make use of makes itself apparent. Such is the case with a post by Cindie Allen-Stewart for sunburn relief. The Texas woman took to her Facebook page recently, sharing the news that she turns to shaving cream as a topical reliever of the pain experienced with sunburn.
Those of you who enjoy the great outdoors in Texas know that without the proper skin protection, the likelihood you’ll get a sunburn increases greatly. Whether your protection is additional clothing (tough to do in the heat of a Lone Star State spring and summer) or a favorite brand of sunscreen, you’re probably planning in advance for the numerous days you’ll be out enjoying the heat this year. If protecting your skin is a priority, you may want to invest in some shaving cream, like Allen-Stewart has, to soothe the itching and burning that results from a sunburn.
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Specifically, Allen-Stewart’s Facebook post recommended a menthol-based product. She recommends foam, not gel, and she says that multiple brands generated the same relief. For a full edited update of her original post, see Cindie Allen-Stewart’s detailed Facebook link here. Her original link (which was posted in 2018) advised, “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 recommended leaving the cream on for approximately 30 minutes. In this instance of viral social media details, dermatologists have actually concurred that Allen-Stewart’s post could have some words of wisdom in it. Howard Sobel of New York City explained to Allure, “Menthol has a cooling effect, which will help calm the discomfort of a sunburn. Especially if there is aloe in the shaving cream, it will work as an anti-inflammatory, and help relieve the irritation of burnt skin.” Despite the fact that some sunburn relief has been identified as having been attained through the use of a menthol shaving cream, in truth, the preventative measures will far outweigh the relief measures if you’re able to avoid such a burn in the first place!