Well it's been a while since I've posted a review of the products I've been using and the reason for that is that I recently stumbled upon HelloSkin and was lucky enough to stock up on all these goodies which have been keeping me going for quite a while. In case you haven't heard of them they're an online shop specifically catering to all of us who suffer with skin ailments which is of course very exciting- but in addition to that their site also recommends products tailored to individual symptoms/ requirements and they also have an awesome blog which is worth keeping up with. Read on to check out my reviews of the above psoriasis friendly products.
BECOR NALOC NAIL TREATMENT 10ML: 7/10
I recently posted about how I've suddenly had a flare up with my nail psoriasis and this product has been a great help in reducing the discolouration which had affected my nails. I think it's also one of the first products I can also say that I have actually enjoyed applying with it's rollerball- you just give the tube a squeeze and then it's like painting your nails, very therapeutic feeling. It slightly reduced the brittleness but given the product description I was always expecting the reduction of discolouration to be the main aim of the product so even just the slight reduction in brittleness was a plus. It also didn't seem to get rid of any indentations on the nail and the main possible problem I can think of is that it might take a while to dry into your nails but no longer than you would for any other nail paint products. It seems like this product is good value for money, I still have some left in the tube even though I've been using it every night for 2 months and I'll definitely be continuing to use it to see if the moisture it provides further helps to reduce the brittleness.
(https://helloskinshop.co.uk/products/becur-naloc-nail-treatment, £13)
ART NATURALS SCALP 18 COAL TAR SHAMPOO 473ML: 8/10
Forget about Capasal- this has to be the new go-to coal tar shampoo for any psoriasis sufferer. Aside from the fact that it looks really interesting and shimmery in the bottle ( it doesn't look as ugly on show in the bathroom as other bottles) this product smelt SIGNIFICANTLY less potent than all the other tar shampoos. Don't get me wrong there is still a hit of that familiar tar smell however it's no way near as strong as other products I have used. But forget those superficial points- the real reason I am in love with this is that it really has helped to keep my itching at bay and my scalp seems a lot less flaky. I've been using it everyday and my lumpy moundy of scales have been abolished to an occasional flaky patch whilst leaving me with fairly shiny hair. I also tested it for product removal & was pretty happy with how well it washed out my cocois scalp treatment, there was no residual greasy bits of hair and I mean the smell of the cocois did stick around I really don't know anything that can get rid of that smell. BUT IT DOESN'T STOP THERE, this shampoo has lasted me AGES & I still have lots left that to go so another good value product from Hello Skin- and a product that I had never even heard of before or would've considered trying without their website! The only reason It's not got a 10 is because I'm still experiencing some hair loss. I didn't expect this shampoo to solve that but yeah, I have high standards!
(https://helloskinshop.co.uk/products/art-naturals-scalp-18-coal-tar-shampoo, £12.95)
QV INTENSIVE OINTMENT FOR VERY DRY SKIN CONDITIONS 450g :6/10
I've always wanted to try QV products after hearing and seeing so much about them but I haven't been able to find any of their products in UK shops so I was really excited to try out this tub (I love when moisturisers come in tubs) of ointment (I also really love ointments). The texture of this ointment is divine! For those of you who have experienced the delightful softness of white soft paraffin- this product felt exactly like that and it wasn't greasy which is incredibly unusual for an ointment so you can imagine how much I loved using this. Unfortunately there was one down side for me- I've written before how about with some ointments I end up itching them off because soon after applying it for some reason it gets very itchy and that seemed to occasionally happen with this product when I had applied it after having a shower. I found the best way to solve this occasional issue was to mix the ointment with a little bit of steroid ointment (eumovate is my chosen one) OR if you're not into steroid you could try simply mixing it with a skin friendly cream, it worked well with the Relivio creams pictured above. One the other hand- I know that everyone's psoriasis reacts differently to moisturisers so this may not happen to you, and if it wasn't for the itchy reaction the ointment I would have given it a 10/10 because the moisture it provided throughout the day was excellent with me only having to apply it twice on a good day. The tub lasted me a good few weeks which again is unusual for an ointment & it is very reasonably priced.
(https://helloskinshop.co.uk/products/qv-intensive-ointment, £7.89)
RELIVIO DRY SKIN BODY CREAM 200ML : 5/10
So I believe that 'Relivio' is a new range formulated by Leo Pharmaceuticals (whose name will ring a bell for any current or previous Dovonex/Dovobet users). I loved the texture of this cream, it's very lightweight and absorbs quickly into the skin and it doesn't seem to really have a scent either which is always a plus for psoriasis specific skincare. Because it is so lightweight, a little of the moisturiser goes a long way, meaning that the tube lasted me quite some time. The only downside to this product is that the moisture didn't quite last long enough for my skin and due to my psoriasis spots being so quick to dry out, numerous applications were required throughout the day - I found on average I was moisturising about 5 times a day as opposed to my usual three times. Due to the product being good value for money though it's definitely worth trying, it's a product formulated by psoriasis specialists so chances are that even though it probably wouldn't be an efficient product for me- it could work better for you. Furthermore, after looking at the product description on the website the product works best as barrier to bacteria so it will be a good one for all of you who often find yourself bleeding from scratching so much as it will prevent infection. Oh..and it contains ingredients which help to rebuild the skin.
(https://helloskinshop.co.uk/products/relivio-dry-skin-body-cream, £10.50)
LA ROCHE-POSAY ISO UREA MD BAUME PSORIASIS 100ml: 6/10
I was really attracted to this product with it not only being specifically for psoriasis but also because it contains Urea which I believe is fab for relieving itching...not to mention the reputation of La Roche-Posay for skincare (they have a spa which is supposed to be amazing for psoriasis sufferers). This was probably my ultimate favourite out of all the moisturisers. Again, it was a cream so it was lightweight and quickly absorbed HOWEVER this time my moisture hit seemed to last longer, I was back to my usual 3 times a day application regime which made me happy. The texture was dreamy too- it felt soo velvety and comfortable. My only hang ups here were that although it was good for moisture, the anti-itch effect wasn't as strong as I had thought (perhaps my expectations were too high though) and the price is a little to high for me to be able to afford to use it on a regular basis.
(https://helloskinshop.co.uk/products/la-roche-posay-iso-urea-md-baume-psoriasis, £19.41)
RELIVIO PLUS PSO BODY LOTION 295ML: 6/10
Another easily absorbed lightweight cream specifically for psoriasis!! I found the cream did ease my itching ...for a short period of time. The problem for me was that it didn't provide enough moisture so I was having to re-apply quite frequently. With my scales being rather thick I have found that thicker and greasier ointments are more suited to my skin- so if this was in the form of an ointment I think it would be perfect for me! that being said, if you have moderate psoriasis this could be the product you've been searching for. Again, it's good value for money and it comes in a pump bottle which is always easier to use than a tube.
(https://helloskinshop.co.uk/products/relivio-plus-pso-body-lotion, £16.50)
