Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored.
Aveeno’s range of oat skincare products have reached a cult-favourite status, and I can see why. The colloidal oatmeal ingredient in Aveeno’s products is a well-known emollient that helps reduce redness, itch, and improve hydration. Two weeks on, this oatmeal cream has proven itself as a useful moisturizer — good enough for me to keep in my eczema-battling arsenal — but I am still keeping a lookout for a more natural, plant-based alternative.
Product Combination
Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash (used during bath)
Aveeno Eczema Therapy Itch Relief Balm (used sparingly, only on the most severely affected areas)
Hydrocortisone Cream 1% (used only on the most affected areas, i.e. neck, bicep areas)
Experimental Method
I applied Aveeno’s Dermexa Daily Emollient Cream twice daily, over the course of two weeks, immediately after bathing with Aveeno Cleanser. I also applied hydrocortisone cream 1% to the affected areas of my skin experiencing the flare-up during the first week, and subsequently stopped the course of topical corticosteroids once the swelling and redness had significantly subsided.
Results
OVERALL SCORE: 7
Reduction in Redness (0=2; moderate)
Parts of my skin were itchy and inflamed before I started using this cream, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that the redness had subsided considerably just after two weeks of consistent application (As mentioned above, I did use this cream in conjunction with topical steroids, but this was also a steroid cream that was milder than my previous one!). The skin on my bicep area has seen the most improvement, with the redness having disappeared entirely. Still, I scored this a 2 because there are parts on my back and my neck that are still, stubbornly, pinkish.
Reduction in Swelling (0 = none)
The swelling on the back of my neck has calmed down just a little. But to be fair to Aveeno, this isn’t a feature of this cream, so I didn’t expect to see any improvement in this category.
Reduction in Itch Intensity (2=moderate)
Initially, I found that this cream worked incredibly well to relieve the urge to scratch my bicep area and neck. However, my flare-ups haven’t entirely gone away, and at this point of time writing, I still have a few small red patches in the nooks of my arm and the back of my neck that are beginning to chip away at my tolerance not to scratch. Ugh…
Restoration of Dry Skin (3= significant)
For me, this is where Aveeno’s Dermexa Daily Emollient Cream stood out. The cream, which has a bit of a goopy consistency, was excellent for my elbows, which gets particularly dry. The area, which used to be cracked and dry, red and patchy, has almost fully disappeared without any application of topical corticosteroids to that area. Colour me impressed.
The cream, which contains occlusives like petrolatum and emollients like dimethicone, has offered intense hydration for uninvolved sites (areas with no eczema) too. But I also notice that I do need to apply additional layers after ~6–7 hours or I will see mild symptoms of dry, flaky skin start to appear.
Things to Note
Viscosity = High
I find that the cream, with its high viscosity, functions well as a moisturiser as I am in an air-conditioned space virtually 24–7 during this period when I am working from home. However, during the moments when I turn off the air-conditioning for a home work-out, I become extremely aware of its presence on my skin, though not in a way that I find distressing or uncomfortable. Once I return to work and the general outdoors, I may need to re-evaluate whether I would still use this cream.
Presence of potential skin irritants/other hazardous substances (as listed on EWG’s website):
I strongly believe that everyone should pay a bit more attention to potential skin irritants, especially in the case of eczema patients. There are three substances in the cream that may not make it suitable for everyone to use, so do proceed with caution.
Ingredients (as listed on the webpage)
Active Ingredient
Colloidal Oatmeal 1% (skin protectant)
Inactive Ingredients:
Water, glycerin, panthenol, distearyldimonium chloride, petrolatum, isopropyl palmitate, cetyl alcohol, dimethicone, avena sativa (oat) kernel oil, steareth-20, benzalkonium chloride, ceramide NP, sodium chloride, avena sativa (oat) kernel extract
