Being a dancer is the hardest thing in the world - not only do you have to work your butt off to dance at your best, but you also have to work your butt off to LOOK your best all the time. So imagine, if you will, my horror, when once a month (yes, ladies, at that wonderful Aunty Flo time), my face erupts into the worst spots I had ever experienced! A quick dash to the chemist last year resulted in me picking up this 25g tube of wonder, and now, it is my best friend, and comes everywhere with me!

What is Quinoderm?

Quinoderm is a cream, containing benzoyl peroxide, specifically created to clear up acne. It's an over the counter cream, and the chemist usually checks with me that I have used it before, before selling it to me at a bargain price of £2.55!

What does the product look like? What can I expect?

A pretty purple coloured squeeze tube, with a screwtop white lid, contains the cream, with the funny little Quinoderm logo in orange, and white writing. The cream comes in a matching cardboard box, with instructions on usage, in a handy little leaflet inside.

Quinoderm's active ingredients are:
- Benzoyl Peroxide, hydrous 10% w/w
- Potassium Hydroxyquinoline Sulphate 0.5% w/w.

It also includes ;acetic acid, white soft paraffin,edetic acid, sodium dihydrogen phosphate dihydrate, maize starch, cetostearyl alcohol, sodium cetostearyl sulphate, macrogol 40 castor oil and purified water.
How do I use it?

Using Quinoderm is easy enough - the recommendation is to apply a thin layer to the effected area two or three times a day. You should gently massage the cream until it all blends into the skin, avoiding the mouth and eye area. You should probably also avoid dyed fabrics too - the cream is very good at removing colour from my pillow cases when I use the cream before night, so it's best to avoid your favourite jeans!
I use so little an amount that the 25g tube lasts me ages!

Does it work?

The most important question! And the answer, for me,is a big fat YES! Quinoderm helps me to keep my skin a lot clearer - I get a lot of acne around my mouth, and a few days of using Quinoderm, and I can instantly see results. Check out my photo - this is after having a bad break out just two weeks ago, and my skin is ten times better!

There are a few downsides to Quinoderm, however. The main thing I have found is that it dries your skin out massively - which then leaves you with the dilemma of do I put cream on, or moisturise?! I find that I only need to use Quinoderm for a few days until my spots are cleared, and so then I moisturise for a good week with a heavy moisturiser, and balance is restored.
The other is the smell - it really does give the idea that you're putting chemicals straight onto your face! It tingles once it's on, and this shows how strong this concoction really is! But that tingling soon settles down, and the pungent smell soon subsides.

All in all, the advantages certainly outweigh the disadvantages of this product, and it really is the best cream I have come across to treat my skin quickly and efficiently.
Quinoderm is available at all good leading pharmacies throughout the UK. They also have a website, which is currently under construction, and the range also includes face wash, and a weaker strength cream, specifically for sensitive skin.

Overall rating = 4.5/5 - would be 5, but the dry skin can be a pain!