Can anyone reccomend me a good aqueous cream?

I have recently been advised by my GP to stop bathing my 2 y/o DS with soap and use aqueous cream to bathe him with instead.

Which aqueous cream is best for this purpouse? I personally would like to spend no more than £5 a months for a supply of cream to bathe him in and so was wondering if anyone had any reccomendations for a specific brand.

Also, and excuse me if this sounds like a silly question but roughly how much cream would need to be used per bath on my DS? I really am clueless as to whats the best method :o

I have also been told to moisturise his skin 3 times a day - can anyone tell me which type of cream is best or this use (cocoa butter, baby lotion, petroleum jelly...) again within a budget of £5 for a months supply. Is it best to use a thick body butter style cream, a more runny lotion or olive oil?

He has skin that is prone to getting spotty (especially on his face) so i would like to use a cream that would leave his skin as spot free as possible.

Many thanks for taking the time to read this and sorry this post was so long :o
Married since 28/04/2007

Mummy to DS born 16/04/2008 and DD born 04/06/2010

:iloveyou: my precious family :smileyhea
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Comments

  • jewelly
    jewelly Posts: 515 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    I thought all aqueous creams were the same. You can get a 500ml tub from any chemist Tesco and Sainsburys do it too. Costs about £2. You can put a small blob into the bath water and swish it around to soften the water - but you don't need to really. Then just scoop a blob out into your hand and rub it into the skin where it becomes 'soapy' on contact with water on the skin. Use the same cream to moisturise the skin after drying. Cheap as chips and very effective. Hope that helps.
  • 987654
    987654 Posts: 367 Forumite
    Won't your GP give you a prescription which would be free?
  • weeneldo
    weeneldo Posts: 33 Forumite
    edited 26 April 2010 at 9:47PM
    There is a cream called "Aqueous Cream" itself, you'll a 500g tub in any pharmacy usually for about £3. Of course your son will get his prescriptions for free so ask the doctor for a prescription for it. I'm not sure if in Luton you have any scheme equivalent to our Minor Ailments Scheme whereby people who get free scripts can get free over the counter meds? Might be worth asking in your pharmacy anyway. Aqueous cream is also suitable to use as a moisturiser.

    Try him with Aqueous Cream but if its too heavy and making his spots worse you may like to try Hydromol Cream (not the ointment). It is a bit more expensive at roughly £15 for a half-kilo tub (again you'd get it free on prescription if you tell the doctor it works well for him) but its lighter than aqueous cream and can also be used as a moisturiser and a replacement for soap.


    My advice would be to get one of the small 100g tubes (usually about 99p) of Aqueous Cream and try him out with it. If it works well, see the doctor for a prescription. If not, try getting a small thing of Hydromol Cream (about £3.50) and try this out before going to the soctor for a prescription if it works.
  • All Aqueous cream sold in stores are essentially the same,with the same ingredients but may be sold under different brands. In fact my doctor told me that E45 is essentially a refined version of Aqueous cream but costs x3 as much. I've suffered from eczema for years and I use it as a soap substitute in the shower. If I use soaps/bubble bath even once, my eczema flares up really badly. You should ensure that you thoroughly rinse all traces off your baby's skin otherwise it can cause inflammation of the skin as it contains paraffin. Some poundland stores sell the 500g tub so you can even get it for ....you guessed it...£1!
  • eckythump
    eckythump Posts: 177 Forumite
    we use oilatum gel on our 3 year old.
    he has eczema and this has shown a vast improvement and its easy to use(some of the others are so greasy and no fun for a toddler)
    we get it on prescription.
    Our G.P gave us 3 or 4 different ones to try as he said it was personal preference.
    we then had the gel and lotion on repeat prescription.
  • flippin36
    flippin36 Posts: 1,980 Forumite
    edited 26 April 2010 at 11:01PM
    Prescription. But I have also seen aqueous cream in pound shops. My DD has been responding really well to shea butter.
  • Mrs_Ihenetu
    Mrs_Ihenetu Posts: 117 Forumite
    Thanks for all you advice.

    Unfortunately the doctors surgery i am with refuses to give prescriptions for anything that can be brought over the counter :mad: hence why i asked here which is the better type of aqueous cream and where best to find it.

    I have a local poundland near me so i think i will try looking in there to see if they stock any and failing that i will go to boots instead noow that i know all aqueous creams are essentially the same.

    Anyone have any advice as to what is best to use on him for his daily moisturising (i have been told to do this 3 times a day). Is it better to use a light lotion (like johnsons baby lotion) or a thick cream (such as palmers cocoa butter) in your opinions?
    Married since 28/04/2007

    Mummy to DS born 16/04/2008 and DD born 04/06/2010

    :iloveyou: my precious family :smileyhea
  • Sublime_2
    Sublime_2 Posts: 15,741 Forumite
    Unfortunately the doctors surgery i am with refuses to give prescriptions for anything that can be brought over the counter :mad: hence why i asked here which is the better type of aqueous cream and where best to find it.

    Your health visitor is authorised to get some prescriptions if necessary. I'm currently using doublebase for my son which is better.

    I used to buy Tescos aqueous cream for my son, as he gets a bit of ezcema in the summer. I spoke to my health visitor about it, and she was able to get a large 500g tub of doublebase (usually about £9) on prescription for him.

    I find using Sudocrem on the sore patches at night after bathing with doublebase, and applying double base all over in the morning works.
  • kelk72
    kelk72 Posts: 167 Forumite
    Just been to B&M bargains with my daughter and she bought the BIG - sure it was 500g- tub of aqueous cream there for 89p!!!
  • workinmummy
    workinmummy Posts: 1,479 Forumite
    OP, please see your HV, or at least phone her.

    Mine has given me prescriptions for Oilatum, Hydromol, and Cetreban.
    Oilatum for in the bath. Hydromol is quite greasy and can also be used as a soap substitute. And the Cetreban is a more user friendly cream, which would be good for every day moisturising.

    Please do not be put off by your GP.

    Request any or all of these, or the doublebase (sorry not had any experience of this), and mention to her about the GP not wanting to prescribe.
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