rinnah’s consumer views|what a consumer really wants and thinks about products and services

Ingredients : Amebia euchroma, roselle, verbena, patchouli, petitgrain, eucalyptus oil, beeswax, olive oil, grape seed oil

Description : It can reduce eczema and detoxify when used externally. This soap is created for those who develop prickly heat easily and whose skin is too oily and dull. For people with acnes, prickly heat, eczema and itchiness due to unknown causes, inflammation, allergic skin and athlete’s foot; also kills bacteria, stops itchiness and heals wounds.

Recommended retail price: MYR 22.50

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My review :

When one is an eczema sufferer, you’ll find yourself willing to try out just about anything to stop that itch!

I first read about Yuan handmade organic soaps on MyWomenStuff.com and immediately thought of trying it out since it was reputed to help eczema sufferers. But as it was not easily locatable at that point of time (only at selected organic standalone shops), I did not go searching for it. However, I was pleased to find a whole selection of Yuan soap being sold at BodyBar on one of my forays to Tropicana City Mall.

Originally I intended to get the Wild Patchouli soap as I had read a blogger review on this particular soap that said that it gave relief to someone with hand eczema. However, Noor, the sales assistant at BodyBar, introduced the Purple Gromwell & Roselle soap to me instead, mentioning that it had helped other customers with eczema. So that’s what I purchased instead.

Firstly, if you’re not used to traditional Chinese herbal medicine, be forewarned that the Yuan soaps give off a very strong herbal smell which lingers in the bathroom after you’ve finished your bath/shower. However, I like the smell, so it doesn’t bother me at all. Using this soap in the shower, I find that it doesn’t lather up like the normal varieties of soap, which is a plus point in my opinion. Also, it left my skin feeling clean but not tight, although I did feel that it dried out my skin more than my regular dermatologist recommended Oilatum or Eubos cleansing liquid. All those were plus points for me.

However, there was just one thing that bugged me about using Yuan soap. Technically the soap variety that I bought – Purple Gromwell & Roselle – was supposed to help with eczema problems. How did that work out for me? Not too well. I found that using the soap tended to aggravate my skin after my shower, leaving me with a strong burning/itching sensation at the areas where my skin was affected with eczema. It was totally not the kind of reaction I had expected. The burning/itching sensation would start the moment I applied the soap and lasted for up to 30 minutes after I’d stepped out of the shower. Not even applying my normal moisturizing lotion immediately could halt the burn/itch. I did find with some experimentation, that showering with hot/warm water increased the sensations whilst cool/cold water helped to calm down the skin somewhat (but still with the burn/itch sensation). Despite the irritant factor, it might be helpful to note that at all times, my skin did not become inflamed (red) nor did my eczema grow worse, just that there is the discomfort of an underlying sensation of burning/itching. Some might say that it is an indication of the healing properties of the soap at work, but I personally feel that my skin is not suited to the soap.

If Yuan soaps work for you, that’s great, but for me, the search for a compatible product goes on.

Yes factors : Unique selling point, herbal smell, all natural ingredients
No factors : Quite pricey, not easy to find, herbal smell, may irritate sensitive skin

Read other blogger reviews on Yuan soap (other varieties) here :
Paris Beaverbanks
Sesame

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Tagline : Moisture the way nature intended™

Description : Hypoallergenic. Fragrance and colorant free. Used and recommended by hundreds of dermatologists. Conventional lotions only attempt to replace natural moisture with artificial moisture. The problem is they come off when you wash. For moisture to really do any good it needs to get below the second major layer of skin; only your natural moisture is going to reach that level. Gloves In A Bottle will not wash off, helps keep out moisture-robbing irritants while helping retain natural moisture, resulting in smoother skin that is not dry. Comes off naturally with exfoliated skin cells.

Packaging : 240ml / 8 fl oz

Recommended retail price : USD 12.95

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My review :

Ever heard of a shielding lotion called Gloves In A Bottle?

I didn’t, until I read of this very uniquely named product through a review on Tine’s beauty blog. The name alone was enough to intrigue me and want to try it out and I was lucky enough to get my hands on a bottle to review.

The reason I delayed so long to write this review was because I had a bad rash outbreak right after I received it so I was rather wary of testing anything new that might further irritate my sensitive skin. So I stashed it away in my beauty drawer and forgot about it for a while, using my skin specialist recommended Balneum lotion.

Then last month, I had a short holiday up to Cameron Highlands and was looking for an effective moisturiser to bring along. I remembered reading on the website that shielding lotions were perfect for use in cold, dry conditions so I promptly dug it out and packed it in my bag.

You could say that I put it to the acid test!

Firstly, the product is in a lotion form, not too heavy or oily. (I personally dislike thick heavy oily lotions/moisturisers on my skin as it makes me want to go take a bath immediately after application!) The lotion spreads easily and is easily absorbed. I like to apply it after a shower while my skin is still slightly damp as it feels even softer and easier to apply.

Does it work? Well, for me it does. You see, I had a very bad patch of dry and reddened skin on my neck – an ezcema rash actually. The skin was so dry it was actually flaking off in big pieces and leaving behind tender raw skin. It sounds bad and believe me, it was. I applied the lotion immediately after my shower and occasionally throughout the day whenever I thought the skin looked (or felt) dry. (You don’t have to slather it on – just a little bit is enough to cover an arm or a leg.) By the second day of my vacation, it was at least 50% improved! But that’s not all. I also used the lotion for the rest of my body as protection against dryness in the colder temperature of the highlands and it worked a charm. In fact, I do think that my skin never felt softer and smoother than those days when I used it exclusively whilst on vacation.

Now that I’m back in the city, I have reverted back to my other lotions, but whenever I see that my skin needs something “more” out comes the Gloves In A Bottle. I have to say that my normal lotions only keep my skin from getting worse but they do not produce results the way Gloves In A Bottle does. The only reason why I’m not using it for everything is because I can’t get it in Malaysia. *sigh*

Yes factors : Works like a charm, only a little bit is needed per application.
No factors : Currently not available in Malaysia. Nothing else.

Read other blogger reviews on Gloves In A Bottle :
Tine
Beetrice

If you have a blog and would like to review Gloves In A Bottle, you can drop Pete Grimaldi a line at petegrimaldi [at] earthlink [dot] net. However, if you live in either US or Canada and only need a sample, you can get some from their website here.