Sudocrem and Keratosis Pilaris

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I absolutely love Sudocrem.

Apparently it’s licensed as a medicine, which means it has proven efficacy in soothing and treating nappy rash.

But I don’t really care about nappy rash here. Why I’m actually interested in Sudocrem (the original) is its use in treating keratosis pilaris or those nasty little spots on top of the arms 

and on occasion, thighs and legs.

Keratosis pilaris is a completely harmless condition that occurs in loads of people. Some affected people have bumps which are red and inflamed and therefore, more noticeable (and can be confused with spots) and some have just raised, rough skin coloured bumps. Beauty pages in magazines will normally advise dry body brushing to get rid.

Why does it happen to us? 

Our body produces keratin, which is a protein that makes the outer layer of the skin (epidermis). Keratin is also the major player in making of the hair and nails.

But, for some reason, our body can sometimes produce excess of the stuff. The overproduction can be either genetic or hormonal – after all, it does occur mostly in women and adolescents.

So when our body produces excesses of keratin, what it does is wrap around hair follicles forming a “plug” – a bit like a blackhead. So that’s your keratosis pilaris. It’s not a serious “condition”, or not serious enough that you rush off to your doctor asking to be cured.

Enter Sudocrem.

I don’t even remember how I ended up using it on my arms – I was probably trying to soothe an irritation (I get allergic to things). But what I have noticed that the nasty bumps on the top of the arms disappeared! My skin just got very smooth instead. Eureka!

So what’s in Sudocrem that makes it amazing?

According to its website, the main actives are zinc oxide, benzyl benzoate and benzyl cinnamate.

Zinc oxide (in skincare) is widely used in deodorants, antibacterial creams and also sunscreen. It’s mainly an antiseptic.

It’s a white powder and that’s why some sunscreens can appear white on our skin. And it’s one of the ingredients in mineral make up.

Sudocrem claim that “zinc oxide reduces the loss of tissue fluid”, which translated into plain English would be that zinc oxide helps in creating a barrier, so the moisture does not evaporate from skin – slightly confusing as zinc oxide is not really an emollient? I’d be more likely to say that emollient in Sudocrem is lanolin, which is also listed as one of the ingredients.

Benzyl benzoate is used for treating parasitic conditions on skin such as scabies (lovely!). Present in “Balsam of Peru”.

Benzyl Cinnamate is mainly used in fragrances as it smells….of vanilla apparently.

This is another one of the ingredients found in “Balsam of Peru” – which comes from a resin of the bark of balsam tree. It is also an antiseptic and helps in minor wound healing.

Now this is where it gets a bit funky as Benzyl Cinnamate and also “Balsam of Peru” are listed as major allergens and should not be used in large quantities or prolonged time.

Maybe that’s why there’s a warning on Sudocrem that it should not come into contact with eyes and mucous membrane?

Anyway, I really don’t know how Sudocrem works on keratosis pilaris. I imagine that it is probably a combination of all ingredients that are mainly different antiseptics, who knows! Sudocrem don’t list keratosis as one of the conditions it treats.

Maybe one day a proper scientist will do a research on the topic and come up with a good answer.

So give Sudocrem a try. It’s not the prettiest of creams, actually it has quite a horrible consistency. Thick and white, best be used at bedtime and when alone. But it does work. Try it and let me know how you get on!

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Full list of ingredients available here http://www.sudocrem.co.uk/technical-product-information