Topicrem Balm Is Kryptonite for Dry Skin

 People, I have found what I think may be the last skincare cream I will ever need. While I have had several favorite moisturizers in the past, I truly, truly believe I have found my forever favorite.

This is Topicrem DA Protect. 

I found it when looking for a balm to use on my face (which gets more sensitive and dry with every year that I'm mortal). It was the price and ingredients list that made me choose it over other similar products. 

I was curious about allantoin

At around $15 for a 200ml (6.7oz) tube, it's something I thought I could afford to try at least once. What I find is that it takes so little to treat my face (and sometimes my psoriasis-dry ankles and feet) that it's lasting longer than cheaper products.

Seriously. That's it.

I like that the balm is so effective as both my day and night moisturizer. I generally apply it in the morning before my sunscreen and then at night before bed. I just squeeze a couple of smears of product across my palm, and it's more than enough for my face and neck. That is a good cream, in my book!

Because the balm worked so well for my face, I wanted to see if there was a lotion I could use on the rest of my body. I decided on the Ultra Hydratant.

It's a body milk that is, of course, thinner than the balm. At around $21 for 500ml (16.9oz), it's cheaper per ounce than the balm. I don't find it moisturizing enough for my face during these drier winter days, but it's perfect for my body. Like the balm, the moisture lasts and lasts - though, again, the balm lasts much longer because I need to use more of the lotion, of course. I am now in the habit of palming a small bit of it to run over my hair in the morning.

I won't be able to buy the lotion as often as I will the balm, but if I had to choose only having one of them forever, it would be the balm. 

I let my brother try the balm on his hands - which are drier than the Sahara - he was kind of wowed. Of course, being who he is, he isn't as concerned as I (and his wife) are about his dry hands. He likes to joke that his are "working hands". Whatever.... He was impressed with the moisturizing properties of the balm, though. 

By the way, my brother described the balm perfectly by saying it just "melted into" his skin. That is exactly what it feels like! 

See how the balm is melting/sliding
with my body heat?

I can't wait to tell my doctor about this balm. I have tried so many things for my psoriasis dryness. She has recommended the usual suspects: CeraVe Ointment (very good stuff*), CeraVe Moisturizing Cream (also good, and I still have a partial jar), and she even prescribed an ointment (which is good for calming the breakouts).

Now, here is a little bit of a price breakdown for the CeraVe Ointment and the Topicrem products.

I will continue to use the CeraVe Cream when I can't buy the Topicrem lotion. The balm, though, that is a must-have. I really wish my insurance covered things like this.

Peace

--Free

The CeraVe Ointment is a must-have item because there are times when parts of my body will get dry to the point of being itchy. This happens about once every couple of moths it seems when I am not drinking enough water (or, sometimes, I believe, as a reaction to one of my medications). This is when I will supplement any lotion I use with CeraVe ointment. It's oily, so I don't like to use it constantly. The Topicrem balm and lotion do not heal these itchy breakouts but do help keep them from starting. Odd.

Peace

--Free

NOTE 1: The prices I used to compare are what I paid at the time I bought the items. There are fluctuations (esp. on Amazon) due to temporary discounts or depending on the seller.  This is the French Topicrem site. Notice the curly/frizzy hair products on this page. French Pharmacy carries the brand, but I don't see the hair product I mentioned.

NOTE 2: For anyone interested, the app that I used (see photos) to compare prices, is Unit Price Calculator from Six By Nine Apps. I want to shout them out because the app is free/donate. It's excellent for dummies like myself! This is not sponsored/requested mention, but you can go and buy the developer a cuppa.

BTW, here is Bill Barr being funny:

DISCLAIMER: I was not and will not be compensated for any of the products mentioned in this post.

**REVIEW** CeraVe Healing Ointment

 This won't be a long review. I just wanted to point out what a great product this is.

I got my first jar of CeraVe Healing Ointment from a dermatologist in Anchorage more than 5 years ago. It was meant to be used for my psoriasis breakouts and it does help. However, I learned that the ointment also makes a great daily treatment for dry skin in general. And it makes one of the best night creams for my face during the super-dry winter months here in Iowa.

The active ingredient is petrolatum (46.5%) but it's not as greasy as Vaseline, in my opinion. I cannot use Vaseline on my face as more than a wipe-off type of cleanser or makeup remover. When I leave it on my face, it irritates my skin. The CeraVe ointment doesn't have that effect.

In addition to using the ointment as an overnight mask when my skin is extra dry, I also use it to moisturize my feet. I will apply the ointment and then put socks on for an hour or so until it's all absorbed. I use the ointment as an after-shower treatment on my dry but still-damp skin. I have even used it on my scalp in a pinch when I am out of my regular hairdressing product.

What I like most about using the ointment on my face is that it eventually absorbs so that I don't have an oil slick on my skin. I have used it after using hyaluronic acid serum or in addition to face cream. That might sound overboard but the air in Northern Iowa gets extremely dry during the winter. I have to run a humidifier constantly just to keep the apartment air feeling balanced. Weirdly, the summer months are so humid that I run 3 small dehumidifiers that I have placed around the apartment. Crazy, right?

There's a reason that I'm only just now talking about the ointment after using it for the whole 6 years I've lived in Iowa. Recently, I was considering buying a moisturizer to use as an overnight treatment. The product is one that I got in a subscription box a long while back. When I thought of buying a bottle to use at night, I got the shock of my life when I saw the price.

The product is a melting moisture mask from Dermalogica. It's excellent stuff. I mean, it's really good. However, it costs almost $41 per ounce. No lie. 

I have an app on my phone called Price Cruncher and it showed me that the Dermalogica mask is  372.28% more expensive than the CeraVe cream. That's wild.

But the price wasn't the only reason to choose the CeraVe over the Dermalogica. I'm pretty sure that if I wanted the mask badly enough, one of my brothers would get it for me. But... the truth is, the Cerave works better. Or I should say that the effects I get from the CeraVe last longer.

When I got the Dermalogica, I didn't realize how pricey it was. Thankfully, I never used it on a daily basis - just when my skin was extra dry. By the way, if you have some and think that the can is empty, chances are, it's not. I have been able to coax use after use from what I thought was an empty can. All I do is pump-pump-pump the dispenser and little worms of the cream will come out. That can have been "empty" for weeks! And one benefit to the product is that it takes very little to treat the entire face.

10 pumps of "empty" can

The bottom line is that, if you can easily afford the Dermalogica, get it. It's something that can be used around the clock and it certainly is worth every bit of the positive hype. The CeraVe is something that I use on my face only during the driest weather or as an overnight treatment. 

Would I buy the Dermalogica (in addition to the CeraVe) if I could afford it? Probably. It would be nice to have a mask that works so well that I could wear winter and summer.

Another good thing about the CeraVe is that it comes in a variety of sizes so you can get a small tube to try it out or a larger jar once you fall in love. The Dermalogica is a one-size/one-price deal. I wish I could remember which subscription box that I got it from because I want to write them a thank you note!

For now, I am in love with the CeraVe. I put just a little on my face when I go to bed. When I wake up in the morning, my skin feels so soft and supple that I keep touching my face. 

Peace

--Free

NOTE: The CeraVe is also available from Walmart and other stores. If you ever get any, make sure to compare prices everywhere. I'm going to be getting a purse-sized tube soon.

Disclaimer: I am not paid or compensated in any way for the products I review. Prior to 2018, I did receive some items 9at a discount or free of charge) in lieu of doing a review. However, since then, every single thing I review is bought and paid for with my own money, personal (non-sponsored) gift cards, and/or gifted to me from family and friends and not in return for doing a review. Nothing is sponsored.