Q. For over 25 years I have been using Listerine full strength in a spray bottle for sunburn. An old fisherman told me about it when I got a severe sunburn from sitting in a boat on a lake and got burned so bad that I looked like a lobster.
The people I tell say this remedy works for them too. It stops the pain instantly. I keep it in my travel bag, in a zipper-top plastic bag to avoid spilling.
I don't like Listerine as a mouthwash but it’s great as a sunburn treatment. You don't have to touch the skin and hurt yourself even more while you’re applying it.
A. This is a fascinating use for Listerine we’ve not encountered before. Perhaps the menthol or eucalyptol in the original flavor Listerine have cooling properties. Thanks for sharing your remedy.
We’d be disappointed, however, if you had many opportunities to use it. Dermatologists tell us that multiple sunburns increase the risk of melanoma and other skin cancers. Why not put a bottle of sunscreen in that plastic bag along with the Listerine, so you’ve got prevention as handy as the cure?
