The Anti-Itch Cream That Made Shingles Bearable
I have shingles. For the SECOND time. And I am young! But I’m also immunocompromised and once I started thinking about it, I had been stressed for the past month or so. The first time I had shingles it was so, so painful, and this time it’s actually been pretty low key. I have a gnarly looking rash on my arm, and I’m exhausted, but other than that, no pain. Shingles can last for months (it’s been almost three weeks and my rash is still sticking around), but once your rash scabs over (gross) you’re not considered contagious anymore. I have watched this rash get worse and then better, and now it’s basically just the ghost of shingles, but I have had no scabs. A full course of antivirals and three weeks of recovery and still no scabs, the thing that is supposed to tell me when I’m “better.” But I have a theory: I found the best, most moisturizing anti-itch treatment, and it has kept me from getting scabs.
I didn’t know Aquaphor made hydrocortisone cream — the box says “new” but sometimes products are labeled “new” for years — but when my arm was first itching I was desperate for relief, so desperate I went with the name brand hydrocortisone cream. The first thing I noticed when I applied Aquaphor’s hydrocortisone is that it’s clear. It is called “ointment” and not “cream” so maybe that was to be expected, but I was shocked to see a clear anti-itch products. Maybe it’s because I typically buy the cheapest one I can find, but in my experience hydrocortisone creams are thick and white and the least low-profile products to ever go on your skin. Aquaphor Hydrocortisone Ointment is just like regular Aquaphor, BUT with added anti-itch properties. It’s ultra-moisturizing, soothing, and best of all, covert.
I’ve been wearing long sleeves and occasional bandages — my rash still looks alarming — but I have had nary a scab and hardly any itching. When my shingles were at their itchiest I put on a big glob of Aquaphor Hydrocortisone and slapped a bandage on top. After one and a half, maybe two days, I was totally itch-free. I am a magnet for bug bites and come summertime, I’m going to be keeping a tube of Aquaphor Hydrocortisone Ointment within reach at all times. This stuff is that good.
