The best eczema treatment I've found so far (Eucerin Dry Skin Intensive 10% w/w Urea Treatment Cream)

Member Name: lillamarta

Product:	Eucerin Dry Skin Intensive 10% w/w Urea Treatment Cream
Date:	12/02/08 (1476 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Effective, light, readily absorbed cream.

Disadvantages: Eczema is difficult to treat, may not work for all conditions

Introduction

Since 2002 I've been suffering from sensitive, itchy and very dry skin on my hand and elbows which was due to my allergy to chrome, a substance that I have an unusual sensitivity to even in tiny amounts. For the next 2 years I had been told by GPs, chemists and dermatologists that my skin is 'just' dry and I should use a barrier cream like Neutrogena to keep my hands moist.

This of course didn't help and even got worse. Itchy blisters started to appear underneath my skin that looked like spots. When scratched they would ooze water and itch even more. With time, these blisters then rose to the surface where they looked like rashes. There were itchy and red and the skin around them now started to flake and become scaley.

What causes eczema?

The cause of eczema, or the type known as atopic dermatitis is not yet known though it's thought be genetic. There are a lot of environmental triggers that can cause eczema to flare up such as allergies, stress, harsh chemicals, fabrics etc.

There are many types of excema and they also vary from sufferer to sufferer so treatment is difficult. Unfortunately, the immune system's reaction itself to the irritant chemicals often exacerbates the symptons as it will continue to cause skin irritations long after the contact with the allergen ended.

Treatments of eczema

In 2004 a private dermatologist revealed that my skin condition was called eczema or atopic dermatitis. Since then I've been trying a vast array of prescription and non-prescription drugs to treat eczema and its symptoms such as hand creams, mild and medium strength steroids, repair creams, antihistamine tablets, homeotherapy and so on.

Some didn't work at all, some only moisturised the skin more but was unable to eliminate the redness. A few treatments showed initial improvement for two or three weeks then stopped being effective any longer.

What is Intensive 10% w/w Urea Treatment Cream?

Urea is a substance found naturally in the skin and its purpose is to hold water in the outer layer of skin cells. Water is also retained by the natural oils called sebum though water and soap wash it away and this results in dry skin. Urea is the active ingredient in Eucerin Intensive 10% w/w Urea Treatment Cream and as it is easily absorbed it increases the skin's capacity to hold in the moisture.

Application

The treatment cream has a 10% concentration of urea so it is only suitable to treat small, badly affected areas. The cream is water based, has a light texture and is absorbed very quickly. I apply lightly 3 times during the day which means every five hours. The recommended dose is to use it sparingly twice a day though the I found that being the condition of eczema on my hand quite bad and a light top up is needed after each time I wash my hand.

Result

I bought this cream thinking I am going to try another excema treatment that won't work. After 10 days of usage, I've noticed improvement in the following:

- The itchiness has stopped altogether (most treatment cream will achieve this)
- Blisters have got slightly smaller and somewhat softer
- Redness still shows but is less angry
- Scaly appearance has stopped almost immediately as the cream creates a hydrated layer on the skin not allowing it to dry.
In the morning, or in dry, cold weather the scales do come back though to a lot less extent and dab of cream will restore my skin to normal.

Conclusion

I have yet to wait up to three weeks to see if my skin gets used to it and renders it useless. Nonetheless, there are already promising results and this time I feel (rightly, I hope) that this
cream is not just masking up the problem and patching up the skin's appearance but is effectively and definitely working.

Price / where to buy

Chemist's, Boots, Superdrug

£9.50 / 50ml Eucerin Dry Skin Intensive 10% w/w Urea Treatment Cream

Eucerin make a range of other products too including
- Eucerin Dry Skin Relief 5% Urea Face Cream Night
- Eucerin Sensitive Skin Lipo-Balance Nourishing Cream
- Eucerin Sensitive Hydro-Balance cream

Summary: A highly moisturising treatment cream including atopic eczema and ichthyosis