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Just 28 Mildly Embarrassing Things To Buy Online To Avoid An Awkward Checkout Encounter
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We hope you love our recommendations! While every product is independently chosen by our editors, BuzzFeed and our publishing partners may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. You can read more about how our affiliate partnerships work in our Editorial Standards & Ethics Guide. Skip any imagined judgement at the checkout counter by nabbing these must-haves with a *click*. Promising review: "I wish I had found these sooner!! These cold sores were probably the worst I’ve had and wouldn’t clear up or stop itching/hurting. I googled cold sore remedies, and these happened to pop up. After reading the reviews, I immediately ordered them. They came right on time, and I put them on before bed last night. It’s been less than 36 hours and already these cold sores are healing up beautifully. I plan to order another pack or three, so I can keep one at home, one in my purse, and one in my locker at work so if I ever feel the warning tingle/itching of a new breakout, I can slap one of these bad boys on and get rid of it quickly! Highly recommend for my fellow cold sore sufferers." —Jessica Hill Get a pack of 15 from Amazon for $10.67. Read more about tea tree oil: how it can help with acne from Mayo Clinic. Promising review: "This product works, but takes time! I have really bad stubborn acne on my butt and thighs... this product did not clear them up right away, considering I have bad acne so that was to be expected. I am now on week three and am finally noticing a difference in the acne. It is actually mostly clear! if you are willing to wait for the results then this is a good product for you. I noticed if you stop using (which I did for a period of time) the acne does come back! So I would use for awhile after skin has healed as well. This is definitely needed for summer time! Thank you so much for making this product, seems to be the only thing that worked for me!" —Anonymous Promising review: "More than six years with a large, sometimes painful plantar wart on the bottom of my foot. The doctor tried freezing. I tried apple cider vinegar, aspirin, freezing at home, over and over again...nothing worked. Never showing the bottom of my feet, refusing to get a pedicure with the girls, and so, so embarrassed. It felt as if I was doomed to have it for forever; it was resistant to everything. Literally six years of fighting it, and on a whim I tried these because of the good reviews. ONE APPLICATION. I wore the bandage overnight. I didn’t think it did anything, but a few days later, the wart just came off. I know it’s silly to be so emotional over a stupid wart, but I’m telling you, I nearly cried. I’ve never been so happy with a product in my life. Highly, highly recommend giving these a try if you’ve got stubborn plantar warts." —Liz Dube Promising review: "I’m big, so my inner thighs have always been darker than the other parts of my legs. I’ve tried other products for it but nothing has worked. I HAVE BEEN USING THIS SOAP FOR THREE DAYS AND OMG!!!! My inner thighs are SMOOTHER, and they are ALMOST THE SAME COLOR AS THE OTHER PARTS OF MY LEGS, I'M SO SO SO HAPPY!!!! I hate that I didn’t take a before picture but trust me!!!! BUY IT!!!! My face also looks brighter and fresher, agghhh!!" —Daphney Promising review: "I get corns on the bottom of my foot. This has been going on for 30 years. I’ve tried all the pads sold in drug stores. None of those are anywhere as good as this brand. They stick to the skin very well, and the medication really works on the corns and the thickened skin around them. Well worth it." —Al Symbal Get a pack of 30 from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in two styles and also in a pack of 60). Promising review: "Best foot callus remover I have ever used! I read a lot of the reviews before purchasing this product. Most callus removers I have purchased in the past were not very effective. So I was encouraged by the reviews. I saw that a lot of reviewers mentioned to be very careful not to leave it on longer than three or four minutes. My feet were the softest they have ever been. Love love love." —Cheri whisker Get it from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in two sizes and three scents). Promising review: "OMFreakinG!!! I just received this foot file today, and I'm officially a believer!!! I hate the thought of anyone touching my feet, so I have been trying to find something to do pedicures by myself, and nothing worked well. I was scrolling Facebook and came across a post about Amazon's top-rated products. When I saw this, I was skeptical but thought I would try it out, and I'm so glad I did. This file got my feet baby smooth within minutes with such ease after months of built-up dead skin. With this on the market, I don't know why anybody would want to go spend a ton of money at a nail salon." —Tasha P Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in five colors). The silicone material means these kegel weights are very simple to clean, with either sex toy cleaners or mild soap and water. Read more about Kegel exercises at Cleveland Clinic. Promising review: "Since starting, my bladder control has significantly improved. I am now able to sneeze or cough without peeing myself. Yes, that's right. I am able to hold my pee longer, which means I can actually make it to the bathroom without dribbling on myself. The best part is that just a few short weeks into the program you will have results you can feel. I think anyone who has ever had kids should try this out. The overall quality of my life has improved. Ditch your panty liners, stop the embarrassing dribbles, and no more mad dashes to the restroom because of a weak bladder. Even my sex life has improved; I have control of those pelvic muscles now. Just remember to wash the weights before and after each use with an antibacterial spray, and allow time to air dry before putting them away. I say air dry because if you wipe them dry with a cloth you run the risk of giving yourself a bladder infection or urinary tract infection, and those are no laughing matter. Easy to use, easy to clean, stores away quickly." —Julie Tauber Get a set of six weights from Amazon for $49.45. I've been using this stuff for almost a decade, and I'm v v v excited people are finally getting hip and talking about it! I used to have horribly waxy ears and I was prone to ear infections as an adult, so I wanted to make sure my ears were as clear as possible, all the time. Ever since I started using this — which, the first time the crackling of the solution and the wax in your ear may startle you, but it's normal — my ears have been practically wax-free, to the point where even my doctors are impressed! If you don't believe me, just check out the customer reviews to see the GOBS of earwax being removed from people's ear canals. 🤢 Promising review: "I knew I had earwax build up problems when my hearing would randomly become muffled and wouldn't unblock for 2–3 days. I started applying the drops twice daily with a warm water bulb flush once a day. The first day only a little bit of wax came out but the ear wax build up was dissolving. The second day, after I applied the drops, my right ear was muffled the entire day but when I did the ear bulb flush, a ton of wax came out and my hearing was restored. I continued the treatment for both ears and by the third day, my left ear was cleared of most of the ear wax as well. By the fourth day, all of the built up ear wax was cleared out and my ears were no longer itchy or muffled. These drops are amazing and worked way better than I expected as I thought it'd help get rid of some wax, but that I would need to go to the doctor to get the rest out. Trust the process and continue using the solution for the recommended four days; it works!" —RnG Promising review: "I never realized how much gunk was on my tongue in the mornings. Pretty disgusting actually. My mouth feels extra clean after using this. Great quality stainless steel. To sanitize it, I just dip it in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes. The only thing others may have an issue with is storage as it doesn't come with a case or anything. Simple solution, though. I put up a small hook next to my toothpaste and toothbrush and hang it on that." —Alexis T. The brand recommends using it every three to four days for up to eight weeks for best results. Promising review: "For so many years I couldn't wear black, would have to dust my chair off, and was constantly moisturizing my nose and face. One day, a doctor friend suggested I try this out for my nose, she didn't know I suffered with severe dandruff as well. She then told me to use it on my scalp as well. At first it did nothing. Then magically after say, the third week of using this off and on, I noticed a difference. I now have almost zero dandruff, 10,000 percent better and I no longer have a dry flaky nose, brow, or beard area. My face is no longer red as well. This has been a miracle cure for me. One I take for granted but quickly remember when I put on a black shirt or check my chair for an embarrassing snow storm. Try it!!!" —Grumpy Dad Here's why my BuzzFeed Shopping colleague Emma Lord loves this thing: "Hello, my toenails are problem children for two reasons: One is that they're kinda thick, the other is that I'm a long-distance runner, which doesn't play nice with toenails. I bought this recently, and the difference it made immediately was ENORMOUS. Like, I usually dread approaching my big toenails because they are so thick, but these painlessly and seamlessly lobbed the tops right off; I was also able to ~gently correct~ a toenail that was starting to get ingrown and help cut down a dead toenail that needed trimming but would have been painful to approach with a regular clipper." Promising review: "We bought this for our teen grandson to use for an ingrown toenail because he was not able to go to a nail salon that he trusted to fix this problem. It worked perfectly. He was so pleased with the result, as it took care of his painful problem! Thank you for making a fantastic product. Every household should own one!" —T.S. Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (clip the coupon on the product page to get it for $8.49; also available in a version with an extended handle). Promising review: "I use these for nighttime. They are the best ones for me so far. Regular length, they don't scrunch up, they stay put and absorb really great. Plus, they are not perfumed. I have tried many other brands, and Poise is the one for me! I also use Poise Light during the day (regular length). You can't tell you have them on like the old days when wearing a period pad." —Leeloo Get a box of 144 from Amazon for $30.81 (also available in a smaller pack size). Promising review: "Got these for my husband. He was using guards. He is incontinent, and because of radiation treatment for prostate cancer, he has lost feeling down there. Now, with these pull-ups, there is no more leakage, and he (we) can enjoy going out without worry. He uses the overnight ones, which are great. They cost more, but to me, it's well worth it. Much less laundry to do now. So glad I found them." —Ollie Rotello Get 19 medium-sized diapers from Amazon for $29.99 (available in unisex sizes S–3XL, and also available in other sizes and various multi-packs). Read more about tea tree oil — how it can help with athlete's foot, from the Mayo Clinic, and with jock itch, from the Cleveland Clinic. Promising review: "I had just about given up getting relief from jock itch. I'm 70 years old but very active; I exercise six days a week for about 90 minutes. We also live in Florida, which is very humid and hot in the summer. I'm outside a lot during the day. I developed a stubborn case of jock itch. NOTHING WORKED! I ordered a jar of Wonder Balm. Within a couple of days, I started getting sweet relief!! I still get minor flare-ups, but I'm keeping this around for everyday use!" —Gary C. The kit includes 100 grams of nose wax beads, 30 wax applicators, 10 mustache protectors, a measuring cup, and 15 paper cups. The hairs in your nose play an important role in filtering out any harmful debris. But of course it's your body and if you want to wax your nose hairs you're more than welcome to — just be careful as plucking nose hairs can lead to infection and ingrown hairs. Promising review: "I highly recommend this product. The instructions were super easy to follow, and it worked perfectly! I was a little nervous to pull the sticks out once the two minutes were up; however, it didn't even hurt. I expected it to hurt momentarily and my eyes to water, but neither was true! If you wanna get rid of them pesky nose hairs...snag this product!!!" —Julie J. Promising review: "This is one of those things that I wish I'd found years earlier. I've suffered from mortifying stress-induced under-boob sweat for most of my adult life. Also, I'm a lifelong Seattle girl who gets upset when it's warmer than 65 degrees outside. So when I stumbled upon this product, I was curious enough to buy a small pack. And yes, I've come back for MORE! For real, I won't put on a bra without one of these liners now. It absorbs all the moisture from heat and stress. And because it's a really soft bamboo/cotton mix, my skin is finally not feeling tortured under there! To the makers of this ingenious life-changing product: thank you thank you thank you! Sincerely, all the grateful ta-tas you've helped to care for." —Niko Get a three-pack from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in women's sizes M–XXL and in four color combos). Promising review: "This stuff really is awesome. It really works and I don't know where it has been all my life. I started looking for something for thigh chafing after running into a few issues (not fun). It is super easy to use, just slide it on like you'd use deodorant." —SweetPea Get it from Amazon for $11+ (available in two sizes). Promising reviews: "This provides relief to the heartbreak of sweating balls all day. Your balls will be cool and dry all day and will thank you for the week to come." —Tech Guy "I like the smell. A sweat-proof product that will last a hot 10-hour shift in hot weather. When I say hot weather, 90 degrees or less it's an effective product. No chafing, and balls are bone dry." —Robert Wind Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in four scents and multipacks). Promising review: “I tried EVERYTHING! I tried tree tea oil for years and various different products. Nothing worked. The reviews were so great on this that I decided to try to cure it one more time. But when you have had a condition for 35 years, you aren’t too hopeful! I followed the suggestions of some of the reviewers and cut my toenails (I only had it on my big toes) everywhere that the fungus was present. I started applying this gel, which is super easy to use. I swear to you that I noticed a difference after one application.” —WIAPilot Get it from Amazon for $19.98+ (available in four styles). Promising review: "Been using this for about a month. I run and go to the gym, so I use my sneakers a lot, five or six times a week. I remove the insoles and spray those, then spray inside the sneakers. I like the scent, kind of minty, and it kills any odors immediately. It’s all natural, too, which I like. I’d recommend." —Lisa S Get it from Amazon for $14.95+ (available in two sizes, three scents, and in a two-pack option). As always, this is a clinical-strength product, so make sure you do a spot test first (especially if you have sensitive skin)! And each box lasts two months! Promising review: "For many years excessive underarm perspiration has been a daily problem for me. I've tried a number of non-prescription and prescription products (roll-ons, sprays), techniques, and about everything else that seemed remotely legitimate which I came across. None of it had any lasting effect that was acceptable. Some of the stronger antiperspirants did a decent job of slowing the sweat, but it would ruin my shirts. During the day, I'd still have to use paper towels to wipe up the excess amounts. It's something that has gotten worse as I've aged, and I've been incredibly self conscious about it. I had been getting closer and closer to getting 'MiraDry treatment'. It seemed like a long shot, but compared to the MiraDry option it seemed worth it. I have been using the SweatBlock wipes for four months now, and without overstating it the product has changed my life. As the instructions will indicate, you tend to need a couple of weeks to get full benefit. I tend to go more around a five-day interval though, as that seems to be the best results. I'll apply the product in the evening after a shower. In the mornings, I'll use a tiny amount of spray-on deodorant, and that's it. No more wiping sweat away during the day, certainly not sweating through shirts, and all that from a product that takes less than a minute to apply. I haven't experienced any irritation or other negative effects. I'm sure it can sound a little too good to be true, but it's been one of those miracle products for me." —Shaun Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $19.97 (also available in packs of 20 and 30). Promising review: "I was hurting horribly, so I ordered this cream; I’d never used a cream before and always used a suppository. This product was a little pricey, but at this point, I didn’t care. I wanted relief! I now work remotely from home so this was affecting my job as I sit all day, and even using a donut wasn’t helping! This cream is great! It gave me fast relief and shrunk the external hemorrhoids! I will definitely purchase this again and keep it on hand always! I wish I would have found this product before this time!" —Pam Read more about tee tree oil: how it can help with athlete's foot from Mayo Clinic and jock itch from Cleveland Clinic. Derma-nu is a family-owned small business based in Clearwater, Florida. Promising review: "This product has completely got rid of my embarrassing athlete's foot. I’ve been suffering from athlete's foot for over five years now. I’ve tried things here and there but nothing battled it as hard as this product. In just three months of using it once a day during my shower, it went away. If you're on the fence about which one to buy, do know this one works." —Jacqueline Get it from Amazon for $18.95+ (available in two sizes, four scents, and as a set of two). Promising review: "I like this spray. It smells really good and is small but great to put in your purse in case you go into someone house and use there bathroom and don't want to leave a smell. I love this brand so much I went online and got a bigger bottle. I would highly recommend it because it really works great." —kiara Get it from Amazon for $4.97+ (available in six sizes). Promising reviews: "Definitely worth the money. I’ve tried everything out there for ingrown hairs/razor burn. This is by far the best thing I’ve found that actually works and it smells good." —Lauren "Recommended to me by my waxer. I was a little hesitant at first because it's pretty expensive, but I haven't had a single ingrown hair since using this oil. I am diligent on application of the oil, and it's been great. It lasts — I've been using it for about two months, and there's still a ton in the bottle." —Megan Harmeyer Get it from Amazon for $27.99+ (available in three styles). The kit comes with 10 toenail braces and the materials needed to apply it, including a nail file, solvent, and cotton swabs. Promising review: "I never realized how curved my toenails were. I thought the pain I had was just normal and a fact of life. Only when I read about the Curve Correct product, did I realize that I had a major problem, and it could be resolved! Now I'm on the way to normal, flat toenails, that DON'T grow curved into my skin!" —Jamie H. The main ingredient in this solution is isopropyl alcohol, so there's a bit of a sting to it, but some reviewers say it's worth the relief. No pain, no gain? (Of course, I come from a family who puts isopropyl alcohol on everything, so I kinda like it.) Promising review: "I’m not one to leave a review about many products but I saw a review on this product that made me buy it and I thought it was only fair to pay it forward! I’ve dealt with horrendous ingrown hairs for years! I’ve tried everything to minimize them, expensive wax packages and expensive serums and creams, plucking, not shaving — you name it I tried it. This product has literally put everything I’ve tried to shame! For the price it was so worth it! I’ve been using it for about a month everyday after I get out of the shower (I saw someone say they put it in a spray bottle to get full use of the product rather than it seeping into a cotton ball, 10/10 would recommend) I haven’t gotten an ingrown since and the ones I had healed! The smell is kind of strong but so are the results. I also have pretty sensitive skin and I was worried about using it after I shave/wax, burns a lil bit but it didn’t cause a flare-up. Can’t wait to not be insecure at the beach this summer!" —Jess Get it from Amazon for $19.97+ (available in three sizes). The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity. BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way.