It may not be an expensive lotion or potion with bold scientific claims and a designer price tag to match, but Sudocrem is a cult classic in any woman's bathroom cabinet. It's served people of all ages well for decades from to its powers to heal nappy rashes, all the way to its properties to tackle acne. However, there are actually a plethora of alternative uses for what seems like a simple and soothing white cream. It's a product that is gentle enough for sensitive skin, affordable, but also active enough to really make a difference.
We asked some skin doctors for their professional insight on how Sudocrem works on the skin and how it quickly became a saviour for so many different beauty concerns and they backed up the hype. Dr. Salome Dharamshi, dermatologist and founder of Sky Clinic says: “I absolutely love Sudocream, I think it is the most underestimated miraculous skincare product out there. it's mostly known as a treatment for nappy rashes, however there are many other benefits that maybe many people don’t know about.”
The hero ingredient comes in the form of zinc oxide, and that is what mostly allows it to treat so many conditions like rashes, dermatitis and nappy rashes, basically almost any type of damaged skin.
As much as many experts rave about this £3 tub of healing cream, there are things we should be precautions about. It's not usually recommended as a daily moisturiser as it’s packed lanolin. Dr. Salome: “It's a think cream and contains lanolin, which can be comedogenic and clog the pores. Ingredients like lanolin a benzyl alcohol can cause sensitivity and allergic reaction for some.” So it's important to flag that in case of any irritation after use, please be sure to discontinue the use of Sudocram.
Disclaimers aside, here, we round up the most bizarre but brilliant ways you can use Sudocrem in your beauty regime without breaking the bank.
Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream1. Soothe psoriasis
Skin complaints like psoriasis can wreak havoc with your confidence, as it's a condition that cause scaly skin patches causing severe itchiness and inflammation. However, Sudocrem has been proven to help soothe sore skin as it carries hypoallergenic ingredients like lanolin and zinc oxide. Dr. Usman Qureshi aesthetic doctor and founder of Luxe Skin by Dr Q says: “Sudacrem is a great cream that helps healing of inflammatory skin conditions. While it's not cosmeceutical it excels when it comes to treating damaged skin. It contains zinc which we know helps in eczema, psoriasis and skin repair. The alcohol in it helps disinfect the skin surface while lanolin puts back the moisture.”
2. During a DIY hair dye job
There's nothing more frustrating than dyeing your hair at home and being left with dark dye all over your head, ruining your new hairstyle. Next time you're switching up your hair colour, apply a layer of Sudocrem across your forehead to act as a shield.
3. When you're grooming your brows at home
Plucking or waxing your brows at home can be a godsend when you don't have time to book in for a professional appointment, but the bumpy rash that often rears its head afterwards isn't. However, beauty buffs swear by the power of Sudocrem for beating the bumps! Hallelujah!
4. Target wrinkles
If you're on a tight budget and don't want to splurge on a pricey cream, Sudocrem can do the job. Why? Because zinc is a natural astringent, so tightens up your skin's elastin fibre to reveal a smoother visage.
5. As a primer
Don't have a primer to hand? Fear not; Sudocrem will serve as the perfect base for your makeup. It will act as a semi-veil on your skin, allowing your base makeup to sit perfectly — and stay put without caking.
6. To stop chafing
It might not be a glamorous topic but everyone's experienced that pesky red rash between their thighs at some point in their life and with humid temperatures set to rise throughout the year, the awkward beauty blunder shows no sign of abating. That's where Sudocrem can help! Pop some on your thighs to keep things rash-free.
7. For soothing acne
Sudocrem is packed with acne friendly ingredients like zinc oxide and benzyl alcohol. The Zinc is a key nutrient in the body that fights infection and inflammation so it can target spot areas and soothe them, to reduce the redness and its size. “Sudocream works as a barrier protection cream, as it is based on some of the safest active ingredients, which is zinc oxide. Zinc is great product for acne spots and improving redness” says Dr. Salome.
8. To help heal minor cut, broken or burnt skin
Sudocrem is a great treatment for minor cuts, burns and scrapes as it acts a protective barrier to prevent infection and bad bacteria from entering the wound. It's also formulated with zinc which recent studies have shown it to speed up the healing time of wounds. “Sudocrem also contains benzyl alcohol that has anaesthetic properties and it is great to sooth the pain of damaged skin and antiseptic properties that protects the skin from infection.” says Dr. Salome.
9. For reducing soreness of sunburnt skin
Again, zinc serves as the hero ingredient for many of Sudocrem's skin benefits. The zinc helps to calm and soothe sunburnt skin much in the same way it works with other types of minor burns and scraped skin.
10. For even fake tan application
Since Sudocrem is a barrier cream, it means that it works as a barrier to even the ingredients you find in fake tan. This means you can apply to the extremities you want to keep the false tan away from, i.e. hairline, bottoms of feet and it then helps you avoid that orange hand look you can get from uneven application. Perfect for fixing fake tan mistakes as it does remove some of it when in excess after continuous application.
11. To soothe discomfort from insect bites
Sudocrem properties are useful to treat almost any minor types of damaged skin. Dr. Salome says: “For me it is a must have cream when I go on holiday, as works wonders for hydrating the skin after sunbathing and also for mosquito bites.” The product contains a mild local anaesthetic that helps soothe discomfort, it also forms a protective layer over the vulnerable area, which incidentally also reduces the risk of infection and helps the bites heal faster.
12. To sooth cracked heels
Sudacrem can do wonders to your dry, cracked feet. Applying a good, thick layer into your heels before bed means that the zinc oxide can work overnight while your skin cells regenerate and you will wake up with smoother and softer feet. Dr. Salome says: “My recommendation is to use it as a healing cream on the certain parts of the body (dry patches, elbows, pimples and burns etc) but not as a daily moisturiser.”
13. To help reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks
Sudocrem works hard in healing skin but it can also aid to reduce the appearance of scars as well as those that choose to mask their stretch marks (although we must always remember that stretch marks are perfectly normal and that its very much a matter of personal choice if you are keen to reduce their appearance.)
Talk about a beauty multi-tasker.
For more from Glamour UK Beauty Writer Shei Mamona, follow her on Instagram @sheimamona.
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