No more scaly skinned warthog in this house (E45 Lotion)

Member Name: historywitch

Product:	E45 Lotion
Date:	21/08/09 (94 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Inexpensive, fragrance free, works on itchy dry skin

Disadvantages: None I can think of

Being extremely lazy and slapdash when it comes to any sort of 'beauty' regime my collection of skincare products consists of a very sad looking, well used tub of Nivea crème (which I use as a general cure-all for the whole family's skin- from sunburn to cracked heels) and an almost full bottle of a thinner lotion I got when I was pregnant the first time round and had mildly itchy skin. So it came as somewhat of a surprise to find that this pregnancy I am suffering from horrible dry patches on my face and post-shower arm and leg itching that has me rubbing against anything that looks like it might offer some relief. My husband had enough of me rubbing myself against furniture, carpet and walls like a deranged wart-hog and suggested a trip to Boots to look for a solution. Faced with racks of moisturisers all promising miraculous results at a variety of prices I opted for the one name I recognised, E45.

E45 are a well-known name in skincare, with a more medicinal background than some of the 'vanity' brands due to healthcare professionals being more inclined to prescribe and recommend this brand for mild skin problems. My brother has skin problems on his hands and E45 was a constant presence in our house as I grew up. I have used the tubes of cream on my daughter in the past, but this time I was looking for a thinner product which could cover the large itchy areas of my body easily and without leaving too much of a residue (sadly a problem experienced with the thicker and heavier cream). Luckily E45 have the ideal product, a body lotion which they market as 'A light lotion to care for dry skin, suitable for daily use on the body, face & hands'. Ideal and at £2.58 for the 200ml bottle with a flip top lid (500ml bottle with a pump top is £5.48) worth trying out without feeling ripped off.

One of the most pleasant things about this moisturiser is that it is perfume free and hypoallergenic (which makes it ideal and safe for babies). I cannot stand highly fragranced products and have had mild reactions to some of them (especially Johnson's baby products) so will always go for the unfragranced options where I can. Obviously if you rub in it your eyes it will still sting, but words like hypoallergenic and dermatological sound much more medicinal and reassuring to my mind (as do allergy screened and non-greasy) so the labelling of this lotion ticked all of my boxes. The ingredients are (as I know that some people have problems with parabens- which it sadly does contain):

Aqua, Petrolatum, Isopropyl Palmitate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteth-20, Hypoallergenic Anhydrous Lanolin (Medilan), Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Carbomer, Propylparaben, Sodium Hydroxide, BHT.

So does it work? Yep. This bottle is now the first thing I grab once I have towelled myself dry after a shower. The liquid is a thin white colour and a little goes a long way - a pea sized amount will do a whole lower arm, it spreads and absorbs really well and quickly. I can do both legs, arms and also my face in the time it takes me to do one lower leg with Nivea crème after shaving. What is more the effects seem to be cumulative and I am now only using it after every second shower (except on my face which is still daily) and there is no more rubbing myself against furniture/carpet or wistful looks at the cheese grater. I have noticed that my skin does have to be quite dry to use it otherwise the product 'floats' around on the top of my skin and takes longer to absorb. In addition I can't use it on my whole face, as it leaves the naturally greasier areas of skin feeling like I have rubbed butter into my face and just wiped it off (I eat a lot of melted butter on crumpets so this is a familiar analogy!) and I have had some outbreaks of spots. Instead I carefully target the dry patches and rub small amounts of the lotion in with my little finger which seems to be much more successful. I am also happy to use it on my daughter's sensitive skin instead of the cream when her skin is a little dry and it works just as well for her; indeed it is easier because I can get the job done much faster and speed is important when you are dealing with a four year old who always has something better to do! It does have a very very light smell and my skin smells very slightly candlewaxy after application, something I supposed that comes from the lanolin which is one of the ingredients. It is not something I notice and I had to put my nose right against my skin to smell anything. So, overall, a definite recommendation from me!

Summary: Bid farewell to itchy, annoying skin