As I age, I am realising more and more that I should have been looking after my skin better when I was younger. My skin is often tight, dry and itchy now, especially on my lower legs, upper arms and chest area. Of course, at the moment it is Autumn and we're at the best time of year for my skin as it isn't too warm and it isn't too cold, but already as the colder weather arrives, I am being reminded of the need to moisturise regularly.
Luckily Balneum got in touch a couple of months back and asked me to try out their dry skin and itch relief lotion, which I was happy to agree to. I was then over the moon when it wasn't just the lotion that arrived, but their cream, oleo wash and shampoo too. I have been using all the products for the last few weeks to give them a thorough trial, to see how they work on ageing skin and I also got my 16-year-old son to try them too as he has pretty bad psoriasis, and we are keen to minimise his need for steroid creams as much as we can.
Who are Balneum?
Balneum have created a specially formulated emollient and daily cleansing range for people with dry skin and for when itch relief is required. When used together the products become a complete emollient therapy for the skin and scalp that are dry, flaky, agitated or suffering with eczema or psoriasis. So, me with my dry skin and itchy and flaky scalp, and JJ with his all-over psoriasis are good candidates for putting these products through their paces.
Their slogan is Itch less, live more and that's great, as we're in an age now were no-one should have to be that uncomfortable with their skin that it starts to negatively impact on their life and activity choices.
Dry skin seems to be becoming more commonplace nowadays, I suppose due to the use of chemicals in products and harsh heating and air conditioning systems too. When I have mentioned to friends that I'm suffering with a dry, flaky and itchy scalp they often tell me about their dry skin ailments too. It's seems strange to me how these things just appear to come on with no rhyme or reason; about ten years ago I got eczema for about a year and then it went away and now I've been suffering with my scalp and general body dryness for at least a couple of years.
I suspect my issues now are a symptom of getting older and at 46, I'm probably not that far off the menopause, which can be a tricky time for women skin-wise. As I already mentioned, I really should have been looking after my skin much better over the last decade or two, as I've been far too lax about moisturising my body over the years and now, I need to make up for lost time.
Dry Skin and Itch Relief Lotion
The Balneum lotion comes in a 200ml bottle and I liked the consistency of it, you can see in the picture below it is quite a loose, milky lotion. I found a little goes a very long way and after applying it your skin feels silky and smooth. It might sound silly, but I truly felt as if my skin was having a drink and plumping up when I used the lotion on it.
Balnuem say the lotion is “created from soothing active ingredients such as urea and laueth-6.5, our dry skin and itch relief lotion reduces irritation and locks moisture back into the skin. Easily absorbed, it’s proven to relieve the itch and is suitable for use with eczema and psoriasis prone skin.” I found this to be an accurate description of the lotion, as my JJ has used it numerous times too and his large patches on psoriasis on his legs certainly look less inflamed and dry after a couple of weeks regular use. Sadly, he wouldn't permit me to show any pictures on here, he is a 16-year-old lad after all!
We're off to Spain in a couple of weeks and I'll definitely be taking my Balneum lotion with me, as my skin can be so sensitive to the sun and I can end up with red and tight skin as soon as the sun comes out. I think it will make a fabulous after shower lotion to soothe my skin, after a day in the sun.
The Balneum dry skin and itch relief Lotion retails for £10.99 direct from Balneum on Amazon.
Oleo Wash
Also sold in a 200ml bottle the Oleo wash is very liquid and you don't need to use a lot to do what you need, as it produces a soft and soothing moisturising foam. I used it both as a body wash in the shower and as a bath additive, whilst my son used it in the shower and as a daily soap substitute.
It has a dual action formula to hydrate dry skin and also sooth itchy skin with 3% Laureth-6.5 as the active ingredient, and also the addition of both soya and avocado oils. Both my son and I really liked this product, as it is easy to use, with no particular scent. It advised on the bottle to rinse the bathtub/ shower cubicle fully after use to avoid it becoming slippery but I didn't find any issue with residue I'm pleased to say.
I think it is worth pointing out that the oleo wash contains an allergen - soya oil and those with a peanut or soya allergy are advised to avoid using the product, it's good that this warning is on both the box and the product, but personally I'd like to see the health and beauty industry following the food standard and putting allergens in bold in the ingredient list, this would make it a lot easier to spot allergens at a quick glance.
The 200ml bottle of Oleo Wash retails for £9.99, direct from Balneum at Amazon.
Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
Let me start by saying I love the Balneum shampoo, It think this is my favourite product out of the ones I have tried, that is because it has made such a difference to my scaly and itchy scalp. I've no idea why I developed an itchy scalp, sometimes I just get scaly patches on my scalp and I've been using a popular tar based shampoo, recommended by my doctor for a while now, but it's never had the positive impact that the Balnuem anti-dandruff shampoo has.
My son and I have both found that the shampoo doesn't lather up too much, but we both like this fact. You might be tempted to use more to get a big lather, but you don't need to. Your regular amount will do a perfectly good job. JJ loved the fact that with less lather he got less in his eyes and the little that did, didn't sting him, unlike other shampoos he has used before.
I find this shampoo leaves my hair really soft, shiny and looking full of moisture and body. Goodbye dry and frizzy hair, even without the use of a conditioner! I suspect this change is thanks to the pro-vitamin B5 that is in the shampoo. I think you can tell, I really do like this product and like the others it comes in a 20ml bottle, retailing at £11.99 from Balneum on Amazon.
Conclusion
I will definitely continue to use Balneum shampoo as it has made a marked difference to the condition of my scalp and the amount it feels itchy. I'll also continue to use the lotion as part of my after shower routine and I'm interested to see how it copes as my skin starts to naturally dry out with the colder weather, or maybe as I'll be using Balneum lotion this year, it won't and that would be amazing.
JJ will also continue to use all three products as part of his skin care routine, as he has been really impressed with how each has helped his psoriasis to feel less dry, tight and itchy.
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