E45 vs Aqueous cream

amalis

Hi all,
I have occasional eczema on my neck with strong itching. I tried E45 before and found it good, but not amazing I never tried Aqueous cream ,but I heard a lot of positive thing about it. So as it is money saving board I would like to ask which cream you would prefer and would Aqueous help to stop itching? I dont want to waste money ,even if it is just £3. I am not in that place now.

giantmutantbroccoli

Aqueous cream is good as a moisturiser, and you can use it instead of soap - it just washes off and leaves a film of moisturising stuff behind. I don't think it has anythign in it to stop itching, but I find it helps when I've got dry skin that's itchy.
It's also a heck of a lot cheaper than E45 cream, and I've never been that impressed with the stuff. If you need it at a thicker consistency you can whip it up with vaseline and get something with about the same texture as e45 cream.

Hermia

I don't like E45 at all. It really doesn't suit me and my mum has an allergic reaction to it. Aqueous cream is fine, but I don't particularly like the texture. I just use Avene on my face and a non-scented rich lotion on my body and just dab on a bit of hydrocortisone on any really persistant spots. This regime really works for me, but everyone is different.

Fuzzy_Duck

Definitely Aqueous cream. I can't say it gets rid of my eczema- I have to use steroid cream as nothing else works- but it stops it getting worse, soothes my skin and prevents drying. I use it in the shower and slap some more on when my skin is still damp and it really makes a difference.

E45 was alright but Aqueous was better, especially for the price. £3 for a massive pot is definitely worth it in my opinion. Aqueous is very thick and will turn your skin bright white after applying but it sinks in well and fairly quickly. I didn't really like the texture of E45 and I didn't notice much difference.

One thing to watch out for is that Aqueous cream got some bad reviews about allergic reactions, especially in children. I think this was a bit unfair though as anyone can have an allergic reaction to anything, it doesn't make it a bad product. I'm glad I ignored this and tried it anyway as I haven't had any problems.

bizywizy

aqueous cream is brilliant on your feet.

slap it on daily and keeps the bottom of your feet beautiful.

not sure about you but I get itchy skin and it helps to slap it on a bit to stop the itching and the skin removal.

Bo_Peep

Another vote here for Aqueous cream. It's a great moisturiser. I have dry skin on the bottom of my legs that sometimes itches like mad and after applying Aqueous cream once/twice a day for a couple of days I noticed a marked improvement. It's not eczema so I can't comment specifically on how it would work for that but it has definitely helped me.

Also, in my local chemist you can buy tubes for 79p (could buy this sort of size to try it out first if your local shop offers it) or a tub for about £2. You don't need too much of it or it can take a lot of rubbing in to fully disappear, so you should find a tub lasts you ages!

Hope this helps.

Bo.

aliasojo

I recently had a bad reaction to a Clean & Clear face product. It burnt my skin leaving me with red, rough sore patches all over my face especially around the eyes. Although my skin was stingy, it still needed some moisurising as it was very dry and tight.

The chemist in Boots advised Aquaeous cream simply because it had less ingredients and therefore was less likely to cause further problems, it was just a basic moisturiser, which could also be used as a face wash.

A large tub was £3.99, cheap as chips....but I have to say it did very little. Granted, it didn't cause any irritation but nor did it do much to help. I've used it for a week now and my skin is still dry and sore.

Last night, in a fit of desperation, I put some of my BodyShop hemp hand cream on my face, it worked a treat. No irritation and less rough skin this morning. Hand cream or no hand cream, I'm be slapping some more on again tonight.

What works for one wont work for another OP, you really just have to just give them both a try and see what works best for you.

Organic12

I have eczema and much prefer Aqueous Cream (Boots) to E45. I had a bad flare up a while back and applied E45 which stung and burned my skin, the pain was awful - never touched it since.

As well as applying Aqeous cream dry, using as you would soap when in the shower is really moisturising. Aqeous cream helps keep my eczema under control and minimises grumpy episodes.

Rottielover

I have eczema, which can be bad at times, and have been using E45 for over 25 years. Brilliant stuff. Nothing else I have tried is anywhere near as good for me. Other emmolients have been too greasy (for me) and have made the itch worse.

The only time E45 has stung is when I used some washing up gloves which has been in the packet for a long while, the lining irritated my arms and I came out in allergic lumps which were very itchy. I just put some steroid ointment on and a while later it was fine.

If your skin is very itchy it may well be worth a trip to your GP to get some advice. The GP may prescribe a mild steroid ointment to clear any irritated areas and stop the itch. Then the emmolient (E45 or Aqueous or whichever works ) can help stop the skin from break out again.

Good luck.

jenniewb

I have to say neither helped with my ezcema, and took ages to settle in so left my skin damp and even itchier! But Dream Cream by Lush is good and Eucerine intensive cream/lotion also helped.

Hope you get it sorted.

VfM4meplse

I always recommend aqueous cream as a good general moisturiser, but if you have some olive oil in your storecupboard I would massage a drop or two onto the affected skin before bedtime for great instant relief.