Fights The Bites, But A Bitch to Buy! (Anthisan Cream)

Member Name: Nar2

Product:	Anthisan Cream
Date:	23/07/08 (410 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gives relief for insect/midge bites.

Disadvantages: Expensive price, not water proof, heliish smell, can't be used on dry skin allergies or sun burn

This summer the midges have been particularly bad, I've had bites a plenty on my arms and legs and before long I was at my wits end scratching all day and night without hope of reprieve. This was just before my mum bought me a small white tube of something called "Anthisan." I have never seen Anthisan before but I have heard from friends that it actually does what it says on the tube. That was from hearsay though; would it work on me?

Briefly Anthisan is an antihistamine cream which works at the heart of the bite, reverses the body's reaction to the bite's "itch" and swelling which is visible on skin.

Aventis produce the cream and it is also available as a spray which is additionally known as "Anthisan Plus Sting Relief Spray." A friend of mine uses the spray when she goes orienteering and claims that the spray numbs up the bite and reduces itching. It is NOT a repellent spray though so it shouldn't be sprayed everywhere on your body in the hope it will keep insects, bees and midges away.

Largely the cream does promote healing for general insect bites which covers wasps and bee stings, although I have never suffered (as yet) from these - the midge bites however were the worst and this is why the cream was purchased.

The price my mum paid was a whopping £3-87 for a small metal 25g tube. It is available between £3-00 and upwards from many pharmacies but not as I discovered from cheaper thrift type pharmacies such as Semi Chem or Savers. You would need to visit Boots at the least in terms of high brand pharmacy names if you are looking for this cream, or alternatively as my mum did, privately owned or independent stores.

Does it work? Well, first of all let me say a few things about the cream itself. The cream is white in colour and not milky or runny. It mirrors the same consistency as antiseptic creams such as Savlon and it appears to be able to work on most types of skin although there are warnings about extremely dry skin.

The smell of the cream is hellish; it is extremely off putting and reminds me of quite a few bad things such as old rubber heeled san shoes which have been left out in the sun for too long! Once it is applied to skin, it won't disappear until you rub it in. Forget Germoline or TCP, at best the cream also has a scent which is similar to the pallid metallic smell of E45 and doesn't hold any clinical memories unless of course you have a fear of hospitals brought on by bleach and an urge to throw up.
There is also a slight greasy consistency to the cream so it's best to apply before putting clothing on and god forbid you should put this on mid swim - it is not waterproof so you would have to reapply after showering or being in any kind of water. Certainly thanks to its greasy nature it is apparent that you can feel the cream on the skin even when rubbed in.

The first time I applied the cream, I took it sparingly as I always do with expensive medicinal creams and there was no initial relief; oh how I clawed and scratched! Desperate for relief, I took a bigger splodge of the cream and rubbed it around and in the centre of the bites themselves and eventually a look of supreme relief and peace fell upon my face. I thought all was well until a few days later when I got more midge bites on my legs;

This time it took longer for the cream to do its work despite the fact that I took a large splodge and rubbed it into the skin and the bite as instructed on the tube. It took longer to get rid of the itch and I had to reapply a couple of times which is something I wasn't expecting. Was I doing something wrong? The spots did not disappear either but Anthisan did reduce swelling and the cream eventually started to work its magic after a couple of repeated applications. Certainly for the price, I would say that it is an expensive cream particularly when at times it does not promise what it sets out to do with one application. Anthisan is also good for nettle stings although I would recommend putting the product in a fridge to make it cooler on skin that is stinging.

The types of skin that Anthisan will not work on consist of sunburn, eczema or skin which has open or broken wounds. So for those going on holiday to hot destinations with a beach nearby, your only hope of survival is applying to white skin which hasn't been burnt and possibly before bedtime.

Don't get me wrong though, I find that Anthisan works well but only in the first few days after you have opened the seal on the top of the cream tube and you end up using the rest of it for the week. Leave it for a month and its potency seems to weaken.

Where design is concerned, it is a very small worded, black lettered yellow tube with an additional paper leaflet containing medicinal warnings. By all means read the package if it is not suitable for you - if you have allergies.


For the initial itch, its no wonder Anthisan comes highly recommended, but for me it won't be the product I'll instantly recommend due to its short life, awful smell and the fact that it has to be applied in huge clumps. With only a 25ml tube size available it means you are pushed to buying this product even more; and at the price Anthisan costs, its no wonder Aventis only produce two very different variations. Thanks for reading. ©Nar2 2008

Summary: You'll keep buying it solely for insect bite itch relief but that's all.