John,

You may not be able or willing to answer this, but I trust your advice and opinions. What is your verdict on the Boots Protect and Perfect that everyone is still banging on about? I understand if this is not something you can comment on.

Thank you, Barbara

Barbara,

I am actually going to stick my neck out on this and give you an answer that I think is fair because not a single day goes by without getting asked this question. I may get into trouble, but I think I can be diplomatic and fair.

This is a good product. But... You knew that was coming, didn't you?! The but is because, in my opinion, it is a false economy because almost every client I talk to that uses it enjoys it. On the other hand, they say they go through it very quickly, in under a month usually. So although it is praised for its active ingredient, for the cost of £18.95 a month, you can get other products with a higher concentration of the active ingredient and more sophisticated delivery for £45-£59.00 - and these products will last 3-4 months.

 
Don't get me wrong, the Boots product is really good and works. However there are others that work the same way, sometimes more intensely and work out less expensive in the long-run. Does that make sense? By all means try it. But don't discount your regular product until you do the math and see what the costs are over a longer time. I know a lot of women that have gone back to their original brands and scouted out the ingredient that was proven to work rather than defect completely.

Thanks for a great question and I hope that answers it and doesn't leave anybody's nose out of joint.

John

Hey John,

I am a 26 year old guy and I get really dry patches in my eyebrows, along my hairline, and sometimes in the areas that I shave. Is this something I am doing wrong, a wrong product, or just bad luck? I have tried a few of my mum's and girlfriend's moisturisers but they don't make any difference. I would really appreciate any ideas as they itch and make my look terrible.

Thanks, Paul

Hi Paul,

What sounds the most likely is that you have simple eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis. All three are really common though none are particularly predictable. Sometimes they are brought on by stress or tiredness, sometimes by products, and other times food allergies or even no good reason at all.

Using somebody else's products is better than nothing, but with any of these three conditions the problem is that your skin's barrier function has broken down. Using this sort of product will take care of some of the symptoms like the itchiness and dryness, but they will not solve the problem.

There are a few products that will not cost you the earth that are more specific to solving the condition so the skin care restore barrier function and you will not end up with a re-infection soon after you stop using the products. One is TriCeram by Osmotics. Medically proven to solve the problem in 21 days in 20 of 21 cases and is only £16.00.

The other one that I have recently written about in GO AND GET IT! is Barefoot Botanicals S.O.S. Cream for Face and Body. Excellent product developed by homeopaths and it is nice smelling and pleasant to use. That one comes in two sizes costing £18.95 and £9.95. There is also a body lotion from them, as well as a shampoo and conditioner for dry scalp problems. All are under £20.00 so it is affordable treatment. Give them a go - I have had really good results with them with both clients and my two sons. If these over-the-counter treatments don't resolve the problem, you may have to visit your GP for a quick course of hydrocortisone cream. It gives very fast results and relief though you don't want to stay on it for a long time.

Hope that all helps, John

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