♥ German Trains Suck, But Savlon's Great ♥ (Savlon Antiseptic Cream)

Member Name: zoe_page_1

Product:	Savlon Antiseptic Cream
Date:	11/11/02 (1155 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Works quickly and effectively, multiple uses, cools and calms, not too expensive

Disadvantages: None that I can think of

♥ Why antiseptic cream? ♥

You know the saying about busses, about how none come for ages, and then half a dozen at once. This doesn’t apply to German busses. They run on time. To the minute in fact. German trains, however, are a different matter. They just don’t turn up. Full stop. But hey, this op’s not about the inadequacies of the German rail system, it’s about Savlon. There is a link though, because spots are the busses of my face. I very, very rarely get them, but when I do they’re never alone. Lonely little things, they always want to bring a friend or relative along with them. At the moment I have 4 (count ‘em) spots. It’s not a lot by any means, but I still woke up this morning thinking it’s 4 too many. Since I don’t have any TCP with me here, I had to improvise. A quick rifle through my makeshift 1st aid kit didn’t bring up much of use – Vaseline, erm, nope, probably one of the few things I wouldn’t use it for. Plasters? Not unless I wanted to make a Nelly-esque fashion statement (have you *seen* his latest video?). Arnica? Benadryl? Two firm “no”s. Luckily lurking at the bottom of the Winnie The Pooh lunchbox (don’t ask) was a weeny little tube of Savlon.


♥ Why Savlon? ♥

Like “Hoover”, “blue tack” and “sellotape”, in my mind “Savlon” is a name which refers to more than one specific brand. To the antiseptic creams of all manufacturers in fact. I know that’s not right, and that the people at Boots and Germolene might be more than a little miffed if they knew, but it’s just the way it is. Maybe this is because “Savlon” is such a well established brand – it’s the most bought antiseptic cream in Britain for example. Or it could be because it just happens to be the one we always have in the bathroom at home. It might be the fact th
at it’s been on the market for so long that it’s bound to work, or the fact it’s available in so many handy sizes, from 10g to 100g. I like the fact it’s none greasy, and that it doesn’t stain your clothes or bedding. Whichever way, Savlon’s my brand of choice.


♥ The Uses ♥

Savlon is marketed as being able to be used when treating:

· Cuts & grazes
· Insect bites & stings
· Minor burns & scalds
· Shaving cuts
· Spots + Blackheads
· Blisters & sores
· Minor sunburn
· Chapped skin

So quite a lot of ailments then. I’ve used in on many of these at one point or another, but most of the time I use it on cuts and grazes to stop them getting infected. Some people argue that you should leave wounds open so the air can heal them, while others say you need to cover them up to protect them from air-borne bacteria. My take on the matter’s somewhere in between – while I usually leave things uncovered to heal, if I’ve been scratching in my sleep (when I don’t realize and so can’t stop myself) I like the odd bit of antiseptic cream to stop any further infection - antiseptics kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms on external surfaces of the body. Savlon is quickly absorbed by the skin so you aren’t left with soggy patches, and is mild enough to use on any part of the body, and on children (although, as always, you need to keep it well away from them when you’re not, erm, applying it to them). The product also had a cooling effect, relieving the burning sensation you often get after too much scratching, and the effects last for hours.


♥ The Packaging ♥

Savlon has pretty distinctive packaging. It comes in cuboid boxes, blue with white writing on them. Inside the tubes are also blue, with white lids. I’m not sure exactly what plastic they’re made of, but it’
s certainly a good choice because it doesn’t get slippy when your fingers are creamy.


♥ Prices ♥

Original Savlon Antiseptic Cream comes in a variety of sizes, including:

30g £1.65

60g £2.65

100g £3.85

Germolene, another brand name, is available for almost exactly the same price, while Boots’ own brand is a bit cheaper, but not really so much that you’d notice. You can get it from supermarkets, chemists, corner shops, petrol stations and all sorts of other places.


♥ The Website ♥

Both www.savlon.co.uk and www.familyfirstaid..co.uk lead to the same site. This has a wealth of information, not only about the brand and various products in the range, but also about first aid, essential kits, dangers in the home and so on.


♥ Trivia ♥

· Savlon, unlike Dettol Antiseptic cream does not contain almond oil, making it suitable for allergy sufferers.

· Savlon is made by Novartis Consumer Health (who didn’t donate to the Democrats during the recent elections – see Benadryl op). Some of their other brands include Lypsyl and Piz Buin

· Savlon products are not tested on animals

· The company is based at the following address:

Novartis Consumer Health UK Ltd,
Wimblehurst Road
Horsham
West Sussex
RH12 5AB

Tel 01403 210211

www.novartis.co.uk


♥ The Verdict ♥

In Savlon I get an easy to use, not too expensive, effective, multi-purpose antiseptic cream. Because of this I have no reason to change to another brand at the moment.

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