Read Mumsnet users reviews on Balneum scalp and skin care products

[EllieMumsnet]

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This is the feedback thread for the 250 MNers who tested both the Balneum dry skin and itch relief Cream (click here for further information) and their dry and itchy scalp shampoo (click here for further information).

Here’s what Balneum have to say: “At Balneum, we understand that an itch is never just an itch. Irritated skin can get in the way of everyday life, causing frustrations and ongoing itch-scratch cycles. It’s our mission to help you itch less and live more. Whether that’s spending more time with your loved ones, smashing your exercise routine, or enjoying a more social lifestyle, we’re here to help. We don’t just care for you, we care for your skin and scalp too.”

Testers please answer the following questions:

• Overall how satisfied were you with the cream and shampoo?
• What did you or your family member like about the cream and shampoo?
• Did it improve yours or your family member’s skin and/or scalp?
• Would you recommend the product(s) to others?

All testers who leave the required feedback will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

I'm not sure it's made any difference. I liked the smell and the feel but not sure it's really helped the itching at all. Dd says the same. Maybe less flakiness though. Its only been a couple of weeks though so not very long.

Love the shampoo, as effective as t-gel, without the awful smell. As PP have said, the cream has a slightly unpleasant smell- however it is not too strong and seems to fade. It has made a big difference to my very dry legs. Would buy both products again.

The cream was cooling and felt nice and light but did sort of melt down me during the day which wasn't pleasant. The shampoo I can't fault though.

I've used both the shampoo and the cream.

The shampoo after several washes is ok - as good as but not better than other shampoos for itchy scalps that I've used.

The cream is excellent though. I'm not a fan of the pump dispenser, I prefer pots to ensure I can get to all of the product especially towards the end. The texture is super light, it's moisturising without being too thick and clammy. I don't mind the medicinal scent, I'm used to using creams such as Diprobase which has a similar smell.

I would purchase the cream in future.

So the cream first.... it seems to have an instant soothing effect for my kids and lasts all day so is really benefitting their dry itchy red skin. It is though a little greasy, nothing too bad but has to be wiped off my hands after applying.
The shampoo I’m using and I’m finding it to be really good, it has taken a few uses to get any real effects but definite improvement and actually doesn’t seem to have affected my hairs condition on anyway.

Really like the shampoo so far - it smells okay, seems to be working really well (no itchy scalp etc) and leaves our long hair shiny and smooth.

Jury is still out on the cream. It is nice, but not sure if it is strong enough to calm the worst of my daughter's sore eczema patches. As a general moisturiser though it is good and doesn't irritate skin further.

My 10 year old DD has been using the shampoo as she suffers with a dry flaky scalp. The shampoo hasn't made a significant difference to the level of flakiness compared to the previous shampoo she was using. She finds the Balneum to be creamier and so it takes longer to wash out, but she says it does smell much nicer and less medicated then the one she was using before.

Myself and DD have both used the cream, as we both have dry skin on our lower legs, and DD's is often quite itchy. It has really helped with the dryness and DD says is very effective in stopping the itching, the best itchy cream she's tried so far.

I've been using the shampoo with some success. I actually enjoyed the change from my usual overpriced stuff. It felt fine going on and the smell is fine. It lathered well and felt fine rinsing. I did use a conditioner afterwards and have done since as I absolutely need to. Perhaps that's counter-productive though. However, I do think I've been scratching less.

Thank you for giving me the chance to test the Balneum dry skin relief cream and itchy scalp shampoo.
In terms of the cream, I have been really pleased with the difference it has made. I have dry, itchy, bumpy skin on one of my forearms (it moves around: previously it was my shin) and the cream is really effective: thick enough to feel effective, but not greasy. It rubbed in well and used each day seems to have really softened the skin and made it much less itchy. It is not highly scented as far as I can tell (admittedly, I have a very poor sense of smell - another impact of allergies which also create my itchy skin). I found a little of this cream goes quite a long way, and have found it really helpful. I will most likely be buying more once the bottle has been used up. I have also used this on one of my DDs who has dry skin and have found it easy to apply to her skin, and has made it feel softer. She does not seem to be itching it as much either.

The shampoo has been good. One of my DDs and me (both of us have a tendency to have slightly itchy scalps) have tried it: our hair cleaned well, and felt soft and our scalps seem to be better. Certainly I have not noticed any flakes of skin when brushing my daughter's hair, which she had a very slight tendency to. I liked the thickness of the shampoo and it felt like my hair and scalp were being both cleaned and well conditioned, which is not always the case with shampoos like this.

Thanks again for letting me test these products. As sufferers of dry, itchy skin (albeit not terribly bad) I think these are excellent, moisturising products,

Thought the shampoo was excellent, visible results after just one wash. Very impressed. My daughter seems happy with the cream and hasn't complained of it stinging. Great products. Would highly recommend.

Ah bugger. I left it too long to rearrange delivery as I was ill and forgot, and now it's been returned to sender. Fuck. :(

Iv used both cream and the shampoo and so far so good.
Cream
Me and my son we both use it, feels very soothing and gentle. Doesn't have a strong smell, pump works perfectly. Iv used on my feet and it's very soothing and my cracks are disappearing.

Shampoo
I'm using it as I have a itchy scalp. No strong hospital like smell, gentle easy to use.

Hey - sorry I'm so late to the thread! Loving the shampoo - I have awful itchy scalp and usually use a medicated shampoo but this stuff is just as good!
Love the fact that it doesn't smell too. The cream is great but haven't noticed a specific improvement with itching - it has done a great job of softening my elbows though! My DSS suffers dry skin and a version of eczema and it has done a great job in that too

OH has been using this since he got home (he works away) and informs me that whilst he shampoo has certainly helped with the itching he can not yet give a fair judgement on the cream. He isn't keen on the smell and whilst his psoriasis scaling certainly isn't as bad he is still very itchy, but he has only been using it for a couple of weeks.

At this time he would recommend the shampoo but not the cream

My Dd is still loving the cream as it's not too oily

Update. My husband has been using the shampoo for 2 weeks now and still no itching and his hair is lovely and shiny. He suffers from itchy skin with no explanation. No rash but terribly itchy mainly arms and head at night. He hasnt had any itching since using the shampoo so no need to use the cream yet

Whilst the shampoo initially seemed to help with my itchy scalp I have found the effects to be very shortlived and if I don't wash my hair again the following day the itch starts building up again. I've also found certain areas seem to be itching more persistently than others. So far I don't think this has been the miracle product I was hoping for - although I will say that unlike other shampoos specifically designed for this issue it hasn't left my hair looking and feeling awfully dry and straw like.

The cream is ok. I don't really suffer with dry skin so I've not had a huge call to use it consistently but I do have a small patch on one of my knuckles where the skin gets very dry and I have found using the cream on that area has helped quite a lot on the occasions I have applied it. I can imagine it would be good if you did suffer with larger areas of dry skin on the body that you wanted to try and ease. The smell isn't great (then again it certainly isn't the worst I've ever smelt) but I have found that products of this nature usually don't have a pleasant fragrance as that would aggravate a lot of peoples skins and possibly make the issue worse.

I need to give the shampoo a try on our 4 year old daughter who has some scaly patches on her scalp, almost like cradle cap. I had wanted to try it on myself first to see if I had any kind of reaction before attempting to use it on her - maybe she will get better results than I have from it.

Overall I've enjoyed the chance to try the products. I'm not entirely sure at this point if I would purchase them again, I think I need a few more weeks using the shampoo to see if these persistent patches need a bit more time to respond to the product before making a final decision.

I've found the shampoo really good in respect of the fact that it hasn't irritated my scalp at all and although it hasn't cleared up a dry patch I get, it hasn't made my scalp dry or itchy like other shampoos. My hair feels soft and I've found that it doesn't get greasy as quickly. I actually hear my hair squeaking as I rinse it.
In regards to the cream it has really helped my Son's itchy skin. I have to apply it daily but it stops him itching all day and night and I've noticed a visible improvement as he used to have scratches where he had been itching himself. The only slight negative is the slightly off-putting smell.
Impressed so far with both products.

I'm impressed by the cream. Dispensing is easy and i have noticed a reduction of dryness on my legs after a week. I dispensed a pot for my father in law sho suffers with terrible itchy skin since a flare up on a holiday a few years back nd had been using aveeno to keep it at bay but he's found this suppresses the itching which impacts him the most.
From a shampoo point of view I found my hair felt an odd texture after use and needed conditioner. I didn't suffer as much on scalp as body though.
Would definitely get the cream but not sure shampoo is useful for me. Packaging and small bag were lovely on opening.

I like both so far. Agree that the moisturiser is slightly tacky after applying but I think that is a small price to pay. I’ve been using it on my legs and feet where it has worked brilliantly. I’ve also been using it on my upper arms and they are definitely smoother and the small bumps have almost disappeared. I like the pump on the bottle of moisturiser, it seems to dispense just the right amount and makes it easy and convenient to use.My son has tried the shampoo and found it left his hair really really soft and nice. The smell is quite pleasant. His head wasn’t itchy at the moment but we will definitely use it when it is. I’ve also tried the shampoo and liked it.

I'm very impressed so far. I have dry, itchy skin on my hands and legs and the cream is helping to stop the itch. I've used the shampoo on ds, who has a dry and itchy scalp and he says it feels much more comfortable now. It's much better than the heavy waxy creams we were having on prescription.
Unexpected bonus - I washed my hands in the shampoo because the handwash we had really irritated my hands. It was brilliant! No dryness or itching!
If you bring out a handwash I'll buy it, I'm that impressed.

Overall how satisfied were you with the cream and shampoo?

Very satisfied, both did exactly as I hoped.

• What did you or your family member like about the cream and shampoo?

The cream has been fantastic especially when we’ve all had itchy heat lumps and dry skin recently!

The shampoo has really moisturised my dds scalp when she usually has dry and itchy scalp. It’s been fantastic!

• Did it improve yours or your family member’s skin and/or scalp?

Yes all of us have felt better using it. The skin cream has soothed all itches and the shampoo has helped my daughter immensely.

• Would you recommend the product(s) to others?

Absolutely. It’s handy to have the cream for insect bites or heat lumps etc and any dry skin is instantly soothes by it. It’s been a life saver at night with an itchy 3 yr old.

The shampoo has really calmed my dds itchy scalp. It’s been fantastic.

• Overall how satisfied were you with the cream and shampoo?

It was ok, we didn’t like the smell but it was effective. The shampoo wasn’t great for my hair.

• What did you or your family member like about the cream and shampoo?

It did stop the itching, so can’t fault that.

• Did it improve yours or your family member’s skin and/or scalp?

It did helpmy partners dry hands and stopped the itching I get on my legs. Scalp improvement wasn’t worth the terrible hair!

• Would you recommend the product(s) to others?

Yes, as part of a list of possibilities so someone could see what suits them.

- Overall how satisfied were you with the cream and shampoo?
The cream didn't really work for me. It wasn't as rich as the cream I normally use (Diprobase) and didn't seem to last as long. My daughter tried the shampoo and really liked it. She said it gave her instant relief.

- What did you or your family member like about the cream and shampoo? The cream came with a really easy to use pump. The shampoo felt good from the moment by daughter used it.

- Did it improve yours or your family member’s skin and/or scalp? It didn't improve my skin, but the shampoo did improve my daughters scalp.

-Would you recommend the product(s) to others? Yes for the shampoo, no for the cream.

Overall I was not at all satisfied with the shampoo. It competely destroyrf my hair (completely dried it out and it had not recovered) without actually chasing it (bits dandruff remained after using it). I had to stop using it.

Overall I thought that the cream was ok. It did work to a similar level of effectiveness as E45. It didnt completely stop the itching but it helped a lot. But it had a very pasticy smell/texture. I wouldn't be adverse to using it if I had nothing else available but I wouldn't go out and buy it.

The shampoo didn't improve anything but that may be because I stopped using it. The cream had a temporary effect on skin like any moisturising cream.

I wouldn't recommend these products above others but I think that the cream is worth a go. Shampoo I wouldn't recommend due to my bad experience of it.