A Necessity for this Eczema and Severe Dry Skin Sufferer
Written: May 28 '03 (Updated Jun 02 '03)
Product Rating:
Pros: Excellent moisurizer, last, hypoallergenic, nongreasy
Cons: Pricey
The Bottom Line: For fellow eczema and severe dryskin sufferers, this is a great moisturizer, hypoallergenic, free of fragrance, and non greasy; well worth the cost.
kfgecko's Full Review: Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion
I have eczema, a genetic skin condition that results in rashes and severely dry skin. My skin reacts adversely to many foreign substances, even my own sweat. Cetaphil lotion has proved to be the most hypoallergenic and the best moisturizer for me; and I’ve tried them all.
Eczema has been my curse all my life. It has made me shy away from many activities as a child from sports, to just getting dirty. As an adult, I haven’t been able to partake in things like backpacking trips because I’m not (or rather, my skin is not) able to withstand being dirty for long periods of time. It’s even difficult just sleeping at night. Cleanliness and moisturization are keys to living a semi normal life.
After going through Lubriderm, Vaseline Intensive Care, St Ives, and various other lotion products, I’ve settle with Cetaphil for the past 7 years now.
IT’S HYPOALLERGENIC
As I said before, my skin reacts to almost any foreign substance: sweat, dirt, pollens, dusts, pets, and lotion fragrances. Cetaphil is the lotion that seems to contain the least ingredients that cause my skin to sting or have some type of reaction too. I first found out about Cetaphil from my dermatologist who recommended the Cetaphil lotion and soap for my severe condition.
IT’S A GREAT MOISTURIZER
I use it immediately after bathing to capture the moisture. By immediately, I mean within 5 minutes of bathing/showering. For my very dry skin (white, cracking), it lasts for several hours and works particularly well if your skin is a little moist from something like a steam room or shower. For my extremely dry skin (peeling, like a sunburn) the lotion only lasts less than 30 minutes, but nothing I’ve used lasts longer except straight petroleum jelly.
I regularly use it on my face as well, and the mild formula is great. Note, that because of my dry skin, I don’t have as many acne problems, so I can’t vouch for those who easily get acne by putting lotions on their face.
The moisture protection is vital for me as in addition to moisturizing, it also form a “moisture protection” which helps prevent me from coming into as much contact with reactive substances. While at the same time, the lotion does not leave a greasy feeling. Sure, you know you have some lotion on you, but it’s significantly less greasy than Lubriderm or Vaseline lotions. After a few minutes, it’s fully absorbed and I have no sticky residue. Like all lotions, it’s not water proof. If you wash the area, it’s gone, and must be reapplied.
LOTION OR CREAM
Cetaphil lotion also comes in a jar of cream, which is significantly thicker, but the same formula. The cream has all the great properties mentioned above, is a more hearty moisturizer. As a result, it works even harder on severely dry skin and lasts longer. It also benefits even more from the “just showered” effect. But because it is thicker, it is harder to spread thinly, and has a slightly more greasy feel than the lotion.
PRICE
Cetaphil is expensive, although the price has come down a bit. You get a smaller bottle for your money compared to other brands, but I will pay the price for its superior performance. The good news is that Cetaphil is largely mainstream now, which means places like Costco sells it and places like Longs Drugs, Rite Aid, and WalMart etc will periodically have sales; which I take the opportunity to stock up.
MY LIFE WITH CETAPHIL
I am committed to Cetaphil lotion. The combination of a great moisturizer, hypoallergenic with truly no fragrance, my dermatologist recommended, and its lack of greasiness, has made this lotion the one of choice. I also religiously use Cetaphil bar soap… I am committed to this soap even more than I am the lotion (but that’s another Epinion to be written).
To note, I do still use other moisturizers:
Baby oil- on top of my cetaphil moisturized skin during the horribly severe dry winter months
Vaseline petroleum jelly- for chapped lips and chapped hands
St.Ives Vitamin E lotion- my second runner up. If I don’t have Cetaphil, I use this one.
Vaseline Aloe Intensive Care lotin- my third runner up, for the extremely usually rare cases I for some reason don’t have Cetaphil or St Ives Vit E.
If you have dry skin, you owe it to yourself to at least try a bottle of Cetaphil lotion. I highly recommend it.
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