E45 is one of those brands that know what they are doing. It's a brand grandparents all over the country love (along with Savlon) and anything you might mention will be met with "Have you tried some E45?" Well, I have.

I get funny little outbreaks on my hands, particularly between my fingers. The itching is crazy, when I'm suffering it I wake up through the night clawing at my fingers so bad I make them bleed. I've sought medical advice and had it diagnosed as everything from dermatitis to a fungal infection to an allergic reaction to cleaning products (I worked in bars during the worst outbreaks to date)! I should see a dermatologist, but to be honest I manage it pretty well these days. I personally think it's just easily irritated, and can be brought on by my hands being wet for long periods, or even wearing a ring that's a little tight.

Anyway, I went to my pharmacist and asked if he could recommend anything strong enough to hopefully do something for it, but that I could get over the counter to try. He gave me this Hc45 cream by E45. I have found it to be perfect for soothing away my itch and preventing a full blown outbreak.

It comes in a 15g tube, the packaging typical of E45 as the Ciao pic shows. It is marketed as a treatment for eczema, dermatitis and insect bites and not to be used on the eyes, face, anal or genital areas. It should also not be used on children under 10 without medical advice. The active ingredient is hydrocortisone acetate (1% w/w) which is a steroid. You have to be careful when using steroid creams, as overuse can cause thinning of the skin and this in turn can cause too much steroids to enter your body and play havoc with a whole load of things! For this reason, it must be applied sparingly on small areas only.

The cream itself is white and quite light and smooth. Hands should be washed after use (unless like me you are using it on your hands!) It is absorbed quickly and doesn't leave any sticky residue behind. It provides relief straight away for me, I find the itching dies down after gently rubbing some of this in. It has practically no smell so nothing there to offend.

It also states not to use on broken skin, I assume due to the reasons I described above. Now this may be irresponsible of me, but I have used it on slightly broken skin, as sometimes I have already scratched enough to cause a little weeping. However, it does not sting and I stick to applying it very thinly. I have noticed no adverse effects of using this cream, but you need to have an awareness of the potential side effects of steroids; they should not be used long term. It is also not a suitable treatment for impetigo, cold sores, acne or athletes foot.

I think I paid around £3.50 for this, but I bought it a few years ago so I can't remember for sure! I still have lots left, though it does have a use by date so you should check this. If you suffer non specific skin issues, then I would suggest you give this a go. Of course you should talk to the pharmacist about it as they may advise something else. This works brilliantly for me though, and I rarely need to use it more than a day or two, so I definitely recommend it.