QV Review - National Eczema Week

As part of National Eczema Week (14-22 September), we've been lucky enough to try out a range of products from QV on Squeaky's skin.  I'll come clean here from the start, I love QV products, we've used them before, we had some samples when Squeaky was a tiny, and we've been prescribed them from the GP in the past, so my tiny heart skipped a beat when I was offered the chance to review them.

We received a whole host of goodies, including QV emollient bath oil, gentle wash, skin lotion, QV cream, and QV intensive ointment.  Something for everyone, whatever the level of their eczema or dry skin complaint.  We started off with the bath oil.  The oil disperses really well in the water, meaning Squeaky isn't too slippery when I try to persuade her out of the bath, but it gives a good covering to her skin.  You can actually use emollient bath oils instead of soaps & washes, the oil will cleanse the skin itself, which is good to know when skin is sore, or space is at a premium, holidays for example.

Next up the Gentle Wash.  Despite me just saying that the oil means you don't need to use soap, there are times when oils aren't appropriate.  After swimming, or stating somewhere that only has a shower, for instance.  The Gentle Wash is great for that, and with a pump action top, it's easily dispensed while holding on to an escaping 3 year old who really doesn't like showers!  And I can use it on me as well, one less item to pack!

The skin lotion is a light, thin moisturiser-style lotion, great for the patches of eczema Squeaky gets on her face in the colder weather, and again it's really useful as a whole-family product, I've used it on my face as well. It's easily applied and she loves the pump lid, and the creaming-up process is a breeze.

The tub of QV cream is great on bigger areas like arms & legs, and Squeaky happily joins in applying it to herself, even when I've all but finished, scooping out huge handfuls if I'm not watching her like a hawk. Argh!  No slippery pre-schooler though, again it sinks in to the skin easily, and it's soothed the patches behind her knees & elbows beautifully.

Finally, we have the Intensive Cream, for very dry skin conditions.  We haven't yet tried this one out, but I know we'll be in there before the end of the year. Squeaky's skin really reacts to extremes of weather, both hot & cold, so I'm glad to have this on hand in advance of the winter.

Sticker chart.

In amongst my pack of goodies, I also received a special sticker chart & stickers featuring Qool Vince, the QV polar bear, designed to encourage children to get involved in their creaming routine.  We're suckers for a sticker chart in this house, and it's taken over from the bedtime chart, as we've got dry nights sorted now.  Qool Vince is a very cool (or Qool) polar bear, who also has itchy skin, and likes to help children learn to deal with it.  Around 1 in 5 children in the UK suffer from eczema, so I think it's great that QV have taken the time to make their products child-friendly as well as effective.

Qool Vince also has an app, again to encourage children to apply their cream & to take the worry out of the creaming routine.  The Beat The Itch app  is free, and available from the App Store for iPad & iPhone.  This is the first app I've had chance to play with (rather than just watch telly or check my emails on) since I got my iPad a couple of weeks ago, and Squeaky & I have been enjoying helping Qool Vince collect the QV bottles and jump from iceberg to iceberg, though it does get tricky at the harder levels & I'm stumped by level 6!

The kind folks at QV have given me a special discount code for my lovely readers to use (and me too!) - It's MUMMY13 and will give you 15% off the entire QV range at http://www.crawfordhealthcare.com/skincare/qv  So why not stock up?  (NB I will not receive anything if you use this link & code, except a warm fuzzy feeling)

The QV range is available on prescription, or online without prescription.

Disclosure: I was provided with the above detailed products free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not told what to write and all opinions are my own.  Links are provided for convenience, I am not a member of any affiliate scheme & will not receive reward for their use.