Helping customers to care for their skin, the largest organ in the body
From protection against the sun, moisturisers, to treatments for common skin complaints and conditions, the community pharmacy is an invaluable resource to keep skin healthy and looking well.
With sunny weather hopefully on the horizon, we will all be reaching for the suncream. As well as protecting against getting a painful sunburn, it can also protect against skin cancer. The Irish Cancer Society recommends people ‘slop’ on suncream, SPF 30+ for adults, SPF 50+ for children, with high UVA protection and water resistance, and to reapply it regularly.
There are a range of trusted suncream products. One of these is Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Sun Cream Spray. Its innovative Citracell-Protect formula combines vitamin C and hyaluronic acid to work beyond traditional UV filters. Acting deep within the skin, it creates a second protective barrier and helps reduce oxidative stress at a cellular level. The lightweight formula absorbs quickly, delivers long-lasting hydration for 48 hours, supports healthy looking skin, and leaves a soft, smooth, moisturised feeling without greasiness, stickiness, or residue.
For children, there is the Anthelios UVmune 400 Dermo-Paediatrics Invisible Spray SPF50+ by La Roche-Posay. An easy-to-apply spray, it offers a very high sun protection for both face and body. The ultra-light invisible texture makes it perfect for the entire family, including children with sensitive skin. Also from La Roche-Posay is Anthelios Post-UV Exposure After Sun Lotion. A hydrating after-sun lotion for sensitive and sun-exposed skin, it is suitable for the face and body. With a replenishing and soothing formula, it helps to soothe and moisturise skin.
Trusted for decades, Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream is versatile enough to be used to treat cuts and grazes, acne, eczema, sunburn, minor burns, bedsores and chilblains. One of the most well-known uses of this product is in the treatment of nappy rash, one of the most common skin conditions in the early stages of a baby’s life. It is an irritation of the skin caused or aggravated by contact with urine and faeces in a nappy. The rash starts with a slight reddening of the skin in the nappy area and can progress to soreness and discomfort.
For nappy rash, Sudocrem is clinically proven to soothe and heal a baby’s delicate skin. It can also be used in the treatment of eczema. Sudocrem’s emollient soothes and softens skin, while its zinc oxide helps to reduce the loss of fluid from the skin. Its water-repellent excipient base, which includes paraffin and other waxes, creates a protective seal around the affected area.
Vaseline also has products designed to aid healing. One of these is Vaseline Healing Jelly Cocoa Butter. Best known for its properties that accelerate the skin’s natural healing process by forming a protective barrier, to seal in moisture, this classic skin protectant is infused with cocoa butter and is great for dull skin, giving it a natural-looking glow. It is dermatologist tested and does not clog pores.
Vaseline Jelly is also known for protecting minor cuts and burns as it creates a protective barrier on the skin’s surface to lock in moisture to help protect skin while it heals. By sealing in moisture, it also helps to reduce the dryness of scarred skin, once the skin has healed. This may help to improve the appearance of scars, making the skin look smoother and softer, as well as helping to reduce the itchiness caused by dryness.
With nappy rash, Vaseline can also be helpful. Vaseline Healing Jelly Baby’s triple-purified petroleum jelly is paediatrician-recommended and formulated to soothe nappy rash. With a light baby powder fragrance and a gentle formula, it’s ideal for protecting and soothing dry skin on a baby’s face and body.
There is also Cavilon Durable Barrier Cream, which provides long-lasting protection from bodily fluids whilst moisturising the skin. It is a concentrated, breathable, fragrance-free moisturising skin barrier that resists wash-off and allows adhesives to adhere.
Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition that can cause dry, irritated skin, and affects approximately one-in-five children and one-in-10 adults in Ireland. Atopic eczema is the most common form of eczema and causes the skin to become itchy, dry, and cracked.
There are a number of trusted over the counter products to help treat it. One of them is E45 Eczema Repair Cream, a steroid-free cream formulated to treat the symptoms of eczema.
E45’s Eczema Repair Cream has been formulated for the symptomatic treatment and relief of skin redness and itching that comes with atopic eczema. It is clinically proven to help reduce itching and redness. It is fast-absorbing and dermatologically tested to treat the symptoms of atopic eczema and soothe very dry, irritated skin on the face and body.
There is also HC45 Hydrocortisone Cream. It is an effective treatment for itchy skin, irritation and inflammation due to dry skin conditions, such as eczema and dermatitis, insect bites, nickel allergies, plant allergies and other irritants. It contains 1% w/w hydrocortisone acetate, an ingredient that works by changing how the body reacts to irritants, which can aggravate eczema and dermatitis, and insect bites. This reduces inflammation in the skin, which helps to reduce symptoms like redness, itching and swelling.
Another common skin condition is acne and there are a number of over-the-counter products to help treat it. Clearasil is a trusted and popular brand of skin care, and its powerful, medicated solutions give visibly clearer skin fast.
These include Clearasil Rapid Action Pads. These cleanse, exfoliate and help clear spots quickly. With Acceladerm technology, Clearasil spot fighting ingredient works with the skin to open up blocked pores, which can lead to spots and breakouts. Clearasil Rapid Action Scrub has exfoliating beads, which work fast to open blocked pores for visibly clearer skin in as little as 12 hours.
Clearasil Rapid Action Treatment Cream exfoliates by removing dead skin cells and is proven to visibly reduce blemish size and redness in as fast as four hours. Dermatologist-tested, the cream works to keep skin in good condition by rapidly delivering blemish-fighting ingredients deep into the pores.
Garnier Pure Active Anti-Blackhead Charcoal Nose Strips is another well-known product used to tackle blackheads. Its highly effective active ingredients are dermatologically tested to address specific skin concerns. They are clinically proven and incredibly efficient at removing blackheads, excess sebum and impurities from the chin, nose, and forehead, known as the T-zone area, leaving skin feeling clean and fresh.
There is also the Garnier Pure Active Anti-Blackhead Deep Pore Face Wash Oily Skin. It is specially developed to help fight imperfections, blackheads, excess sebum, and unclog pores. It cleanses and effectively unclogs pores, helping to prevent blackheads and clear impurities. Enriched with purifying zinc and salicylic acid, its formula helps to control excess surface sebum and helps to protect against the appearance of blemishes, blackheads and imperfections.
The Clinique Blackhead Solutions Self-Heating Blackhead Extractor is also available at the local pharmacy. It is a gentle-yet-effective treatment to extract blackheads without pain, squeezing, or damage to skin. When mixed with water, the unique formula develops a warming sensation that gently opens clogged pores for an easy removal of blackhead-causing dirt, oil and debris, smoothing the way for clearer, softer, shine-free skin. It has proven results and starts clearing plugged pores from first use. In the first week, a 69% reduction in blackheads is seen, and in six weeks, a 93% reduction in blackheads is observed.
Neutrogena also has its Blackhead Eliminating Cleansing Toner. It is clinically proven to help eliminate and prevent blackheads.
Even once the acne is controlled, it can leave acne scars and an uneven skin tone. Using CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum provides a protective barrier which helps diminish the look of acne marks and visible pores. Created in collaboration with dermatologists, it minimises the appearance of pores, diminishes the appearance of post-acne marks, and enhances the surface of the skin. Its benefits include helping to restore the protective skin barrier, and improving skin smoothness.
Another product from this range is CeraVe SA Renewing Foot Cream. This is a rich yet non-greasy cream for dry, rough feet. It is formulated with three essential ceramides and salicylic acid, and this fast-absorbing cream works to gently exfoliate skin while effectively moisturising. CeraVe products have been developed with dermatologists, and its patented MVE Technology provides continuous hydration for up to 24 hours.
Compeed offers high-quality solutions for preventing and treating blisters, corns, calluses, bunions and more.
Compeed Blister Plasters offer a wide variety of specialist solutions to help prevent blister development or speed up the healing process of a range of sizes and shapes of blisters. They contain an active hydrocolloid gel technology that, in addition to providing cushioning, will give instant pain relief and create a protective environment for the blister to heal. In clinical studies, Compeed blister plasters have been demonstrated to provide instant pain relief and extra cushioning. They have also been shown to heal 20% faster than regular plasters.
Another popular and trusted brand for foot care is Scholl, which provides a range of products to treat many problems such as corns.
Scholl Corn Foam Cushions Optimum Shape makes the cushion suitable for soft and hard corns. Due to the hypo-allergenic adhesive, the felt pads are suitable for sensitive skin. The dual-layer construction comprises two soft foams with different densities, which guarantees maximum cushioning and pressure relief.
To maintain soft and healthy feet, it’s important to remove hard skin and moisturise with special creams on a regular basis, Scholl said. To remove hard skin use the Scholl’s Velvet Smooth Electronic File System as it gently buffs away dead skin to reveal smooth, soft skin beneath. There is also Scholl Cracked Heel Repair Cream Active Repair K+, which moisturises the skin and provides ‘active’ skin repair for rough, dry, cracked heels.
Pumice stones for removing hard skin are also available from the local pharmacist.
Athlete’s foot is also a very common skin infection. Symptoms include scaly, peeling, or cracked skin between the toes, fluid-filled blisters, and itchiness.
People are advised to not scratch affected skin, as this can spread the infection to other parts of the body. Protective footwear like flip-flops should be worn in public pools, showers, and locker rooms, where the infection is likely to be.
Athlete’s foot should be treated as soon as possible with a specialised product, such as Flexitol. This range incorporates products such as Flexitol Cracked Heel Balm, which is effective in treating dry, cracked skin on the foot, with results visible in 24 hours. For fresher feet, Flexitol Hard Skin Removing Balm softens a build-up of hard skin, producing visible results within three days. This formula works to enhance moisture levels with a urea and glycolic acid formulation and it also has emollients that exfoliate and renew the skin.
Also in this clinically-tested range is Flexitol Dry Skin Foot and Leg Cream, which is proven to moisturise and hydrate skin, and contains urea complex and vitamin E with softening properties. Flexitol Revive Overnight Cream is proven to replenish moisture overnight, with results within 24 hours. The formulation combines urea, allatonin and amino acids, as well as shea butter, to create a protective layer for intense hydration. For warts and verrucas, Flexitol Freeze-It Verruca and Wart Treatment is highly accurate and freezes warts and verrucas in seconds. Its formulation treats an affected area in just one application.
Verrucas, another common skin issue, are small lumps on the skin that most people have at some point in their life. They are caused by a virus and usually go away on their own but this may take some time.
They appear on the feet and have tiny black dots under the hard skin. There are number of over-the-counter products to help treat this such as Scholl Freeze verruca & Wart Remover. It is designed to remove warts and verrucas.
