Dermatique Recuperating Cream review

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Heidi is winning in her war against eczema. Fact. It’s been a hard slog for both of us, with me reviewing cream after cream that promises to alleviate her symptoms. Some work, some don’t, so it’s been in many ways, like playing Russian roulette with my daughter’s skin.

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She’s been plagued with dry skin from birth. She outstayed her welcome in my tummy and had to be ejected “through the sunroof” which is fairly common for babies with post-birth skin complaints. Sure enough, after a few weeks, the dry red flaky patches grew bigger and angrier-looking. Although I appreciate it’s a blessing in disguise she doesn’t know how to scratch an itch, it denied her of even the most temporary relief from a bout of eczema.

We were offered steroid treatment for Heidi, but I refused. I suffered from eczema as a child (although not quite to the same degree as Heidi) and was prescribed steroid-based ointment. My skin reacted badly. If I showed a propensity to the nastier side-effects of steroids, what might happen to Heidi?

Thankfully, I’m here with yet another winner that’s been incredibly kind to Heidi’s sensitive skin - Dermatique.

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So who are Dermatique?

Dermatique was born out of another parent’s quest to find a 100% safe alternative to steroids when their daughter Patricia became exhausted and restless due to the effects of eczema. After a fruitless search for healthy alternatives, they decided to develop their own products for Patricia’s sensitive skin with no damaging side effects. They carried out all the research themselves, visited dermatologists and chatted to businesses to get their hands on the best raw materials and ingredients.

They claim their Recuperating Cream worked within hours after application on Patricia, and have now bottled the elixir for others to try - babies, teenagers and adults alike.

The Recuperating Cream

Let’s cut to the chase. It’s free from steroids (obviously), mineral oils, peanut, perfume, colour and parabens. You might think there’s nothing new here, but that’s not quite true. This really smells unscented. Far from being unpleasant, this is bloody welcome.

  • Works with the skin´s natural repair process
  • Gives you immediate hydration, helps heal even the driest skin
  • Proven to work on healing dry skin conditions such as Eczema, Psoriasis and Dermatitis
  • Absorbs quickly, leaves skin optimally hydrated, calmed, soothed & protected

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It’s not completely without synthetic ingredients, with a few cetyl esters, polyethylene glycol ethers, but all are lox toxicity and perfectly safe in low doses (virtually all body creams will have them). Most of the ingredients are vegetable & plant derivatives and there’s no dreaded sodium laureth sulfate in sight.

Since its launch in 1996 users have reported a 99% success rate. In fact, so confident are they that they can alleviate the symptoms of eczema and psorasis, they offer a 30 day money back guarantee.

Our thoughts

Love it. It’s noticeably different to other creams we’ve tried in that is a little greasy upon application, and does remain sticky on the skin for approx 3 minutes. This might sound critical but it isn’t. All I’m interested in are the results.

After two weeks use, I’m pleased to report that Heidi’s skin (and my legs) are beautifully soft. In fact, I tested this after getting a horrid shaving rash on my left shin that cleared up completely after two applications.

At £29 per tub, it isn’t cheap, but Heidi’s comfort is paramount and I’ve paid double this for creams that haven’t worked. I’m happy to add this to what is turning out to be a long list of safe products for Heidi-bum, and eczema treatments that really deliver.

To buy, head to Dermatique.co.uk, or follow on Twitter and Facebook.

 


Baby Eczema Diaries: 5 Stars for La Roche-Posay LIPIKAR Range

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So Heidi has blissfully glided through the last few months with the baby soft skin we always hoped for. Whilst bathing her last week, Craig turned to me and said “I guess that’s her eczema cured”, and we high-fived over the top of the bath tub.

As Craig has been delivering her post-bath massage for the last few weeks, I dragged him over to her skin care cabinet for him to point out his weapon of choice. It turns out he’d been using a cream I’d completely overlooked whilst using up the dregs of her other lotions. It was a cream I’d forgotten I had even consented to review!

Lipikar

La Roche-Posay LIPIKAR Baume AP+

Laboratoires La Roche-Posay created LIPIKAR 20 years ago. This range of body products for dry skin among adults and children has proved effective in a number of clinical trials, establishing it as a market-leader in the UK in emollient products.

La Roche-Posay will be familiar to many given it’s formidable reputation in the treatment of sensitive and atopy-prone skin. Despite this, I didn’t realise it was suitable for babies. Quite why, I’m unsure. Given La Roche-Posay is recommended by some 25,000 dermatologists worldwide and contains no potentially irritating fragrances or ingredients, it should have been an obvious choice for Heidi from the beginning.

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The LIPIKAR Baume AP + is designed to not only hydrate skin, but also to reinforce the moisture barrier. A Niacinamide & Shea butter (20%) formula is enriched with Aqua Posae Filiformis, to respect the microbiome (the population of micro-organisms found at the skin’s surface), and therefore ‘space out’ occurrences of extreme dryness.

  • 100% hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic
  • Contains no alcohol, no parabens and no alcohol -
  • Formulated with soothing, antioxidant La Roche-Posay thermal spring water
At the heart of the brand, a unique thermal spring water used in each and every skincare product produced by the brand. The efficacy and tolerance properties of the water are what differentiates the brand and give it its credibility with 25,000 dermatologists who recommend it worldwide to millions of women, men and children who use it every day.

How does it perform?

It’s a miracle cream.

Completely non-sticky, it glides onto the skin with ease, yet is so lightweight and non-greasy you can dress immediately after application. With no visible sheen it hydrates the skin perfectly. Every time I strip Heidi I’m amazed at just how soft she feels, yet there’s no sweaty patches under her rolls of baby fat, as though it sinks below the surface and soothes and protects from under the top layer of skin. This is exactly what we’ve been looking for since she was born so I can’t sing its praises highly enough.

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It’s a mild and subtle fragrance, barely there at all. Her red, sore and tight skin is now soothed and reinvigorated and looks like her big brothers. We never sought advice from a doctor for Heidi as her skin complaints are clearly environmental and not a result of allergies, I simply knew that a pro-active and sensible approach to her diet and skincare regime would help her. La Rouch-Posay LIPIKAR is positively invaluable for us as it delivers where few creams have before - providing long-lasting hydration whilst soothing inflammation and leaving her finally comfortable in her own skin.

The LIPIKAR range also features a body wash which is on the to-buy list here. Given our hard work is so often undone by long baths and unsympathetic cleansing products, I can’t wait to see how this works on Heidi. I understand their KERIUM extra gentle gel shampoos are also suitable for children, so on the face of it, this appears to complete my line-up of MUST-HAVE products in the fight against baby eczema. Having spent literally £100s caring for Heidi’s problem, I’m so chuffed to have the ideal solution to steroids.

Any reservations?

I have a 200ml tube here and it’s a nightmare to squeeze. I appreciate La Roche-Posay like to strike a balance between optimal protection for their formulas, whilst making packaging as sustainable as possible, but this is pet hate of mine. With a third of the tube left, I’m already biting the tube to get an adequate amount of product for Heidi’s massage. Given 400ml is available in a pump action dispenser, it would be great to see this rolled out for 200ml sizes too (especially given these the latter is the most widely stocked by high-street retailers).

To find out more, head to LaRoche-Posay.co.uk, or discover more skin solutions from the brand by following them on Twitter or Facebook. You can purchase LIPIKAR Baume AP + for yourself, a 200ml TUBE is available at Boots for £12.50

 


Celtic Herbal Chamomile and Calendula Nappy Cream and Massage Oil from Bebe Loco

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Heidi is currently recovering from a nasty cough and has a few pesky teeth pushing at her gum-line. It’s definitely been a tough few weeks for both children, but poor Heidi has had to cope without mummy as I’ve been on hospital duty with an even more poorly bronchitis-ridden Dexter. As if this wasn’t enough, being force-fed a mixture of pain killers and antibiotics these past few days have given my adorable daughter what we lovingly refer to as Baboon-Bum.

Now I’m back, all three of us have had endless cuddles. Dex is smiling, running around and causing chaos once again (albeit, a good few lbs lighter), but Heidi is still really suffering with an increasingly sore posterior and inflamed gums.

Heidi Bebe Loco

Spotting our troubles on Twitter, the seriously lovely folks at Bebe Loco sent us a few organic goodies to pamper Heidi with. Given I’m seeing these guys, and countless other local businesses at the BabyExpo Berkshire tomorrow (Reading, Rivermead Sports Centre), I wanted to make a real fuss of them and their beautiful collection of mum and baby essentials; all of which are fair-trade, organic and ethically-produced. I’m beyond thrilled to partner with a business that holds all the same core values as I do.

Just a few of my favourite things…

Bebe Loco Goodies
Babylonia BB Sling (in Blue Bell) £55.95 / Pebble Fair Trade 100% Cotton Blanket (in Pastel Rainbow) £33.00 / Peppa Comfort Buddies (Assorted) £11.99 each / Piccalilly Organic Cotton Baby Bundler Nightgown (in Funky Floral Print) £20.00 / Pigeon Organics Romper (In Elephant Silhouette) £20.70 / PUL birth to potty nappy with rayon insert (in Animal Print) £12.99 / Pebble Frog Hat £14.00 / Earth Mama C-Mama Healing Salve £34.95 / Peppa Cuddly Woodland Friends (Felix Fox) £24.99

So what were we sent?

Bebe Loco Baby Skin

First up was a lovely big pot of Celtic Herbal Nappy Cream. With Chamomile and Calendula this is the consistency of beeswax and smells absolutely heavenly. Crammed full of pure natural vegetable oils and carefully blended Chamomile and Calendula essential oils, there are no nasties whatsoever in this cream. Simply put, it’s a soothing and 100% natural barrier cream to fall back on when Sudocrem just isn’t doing the job.

During this time when antibiotics and teething are doing extraordinary things to her nappies (I’ll leave it at that) - she’s in a constant state of discomfort and sleeps with her bum held high in the air to minimise rubbing and chaffing whilst she rests. It’s heartbreaking really as she’s usually such a happy soul. I’ve found this cream delivers a long-lasting burst of moisture to her damaged skin and stops her nappy sticking to her bum and worsening the irritation. Much like Vaseline, her skin remains supple and lubricated until the next change.

Nappy Vream Babe Loco

Sure, sometimes she’ll need the antiseptic properties of Sudocrem to bring down the inflammation, but I know Heidi hates it. When we pop this on to her bum instead, she smiles so I know it’s mild, gentle and refreshing for her. The mix of chamomile, calendula, Vitamin E, sweet almond oil and coconut oil is calming and soothing and the redness has certainly eased since using it.

Not limited to bums, I’m also popping it on particularly sore-looking spots of eczema on her body, and cuts on her face whilst she’s clawing at her mouth. It’s also great for minor burns and cuts for the rest of the family.

At just £6.50 for a huge pot, it’s very hard to argue that this doesn’t deserve a spot in baby’s change bag. You can buy yours from Bebe Loco HERE.

Bebo Loco Massage

Next up, the Celtic Herbal Baby Massage Oil is just as mild on baby’s skin. It’s one of the most simple, uncomplicated and understated massage oils I’ve come across on the baby skincare market, relying on common sense and quality organic ingredients to suit the most sensitive of skin.

An infusion of sweet almond oil, calendula, mandarin, lavender and chamomile is a wonderfully indulgent mix of calming essential oils to relax baby during times of stress. These ingredients have been carefully selected for their homeopathic properties; Lavender has long been regarded as a sleep aid, and chamomile is great for relieving anxieties and calming troubled tummies. Throw in moisturising sweet almond, and calendula to soothe the skin and baby will smell delicious and stay perfectly hydrated until the morning.

Nightly massage is also a great bonding experience for mum and baby and one I wholeheartedly endorse. Given poor Heidi is so poorly at the moment, our nighttime regime has taken on even more importance. She knows that her mummy is there and aware of her pain, and takes real comfort in just having me lavish her with attention. Massaging with such a yummy oil is prolonging her fragmented sleep and letting me recover in-between the bouts of terrified screaming too.

Priced at a very reasonable £8, you can buy yours at Bebe Loco HERE.

To see more of this very special eco-baby collection, head to BebeLoco.co.uk or say hello on Twitter and Facebook. Oh and to see the tots and I, and experience the quality of Bebe Loco’s products up close and personal (and grab 10% off everything!), head down to Reading for the BabyExpo this weekend!

 

 

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