A Saving Gace for Irritated, Itchy Skin! La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP+

I don’t suffer from eczema or dermatitis (for those of you who do, I feel for you!) but a few weeks ago, I experienced what it might be like whilst travelling…. I was travelling for work and had bought some disposable razors for shaving. I bought the disposable Gillette Venus Breeze razors, because they have two small soapy strips on both side of the razor (going length ways). At home I use the Schick Intuition razor, which has a much bigger soap surrounding the razor blades (but it’s a bit clunky for travel) and I love it – it means I don’t need to use shaving gel, and my skin never gets irritated after shaving. After shaving whilst being away and using the Venus Breeze razor sans shaving gel, the skin on my lower legs became sooooo itchy, it was suuuuper uncomfortable. The catch twenty two was that when I would scratch my skin, my skin felt like it was burning but became even itchier. Because I was travelling when this first happened, I had to make do with whatever body lotion I had at the time, but nothing worked for more than 10 minutes at a time. When I got back home and went back to my regular routine, things returned to normal. The next time I went travelling for work, I bought the Schick Hydro Silk Disposable Razors. But again, the same irritation occurred and my skin was soooo itchy, it felt like I wanted to rip my skin off to make it stop (dramatic I know, but that’s what it felt like!). When I returned home, it subsided a little, but every time I went to shave my legs there after, some sensitivity remained. Your skin will always be a little vulnerable after shaving or waxing for the matter (because it removes the dead skin cells on your skin, essentially exfoliating the skin) because you remove the natural lipid barrier. You don’t have a very thick lipid barrier on the lower legs as it is, so it’s super easy to cause irritation here. So I went looking for a hard-core moisturising body lotion. Here is where the La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP+ comes in 🙂

I bought it because on the label it reads, “Anti-Irritation” and “Anti-Scratching” – bingo! The rest of the product description also sounded promising;

“New Lipikar Baume AP+ has been designed to soothe and reduce dryness by acting on two determining factors:

1. Helping to rebalance the skin’s Microbiome due our new and exclusive patented ingredient Aqua Posae Filiformis

2. Replenishing and fortifying the skins protective barrier via two key ingredients – pure Shea Butter (20%) and NiacinamideProperties:

3. 24 hour antiscratching efficacy

4. New texture ensuring quick absorption leaving no damp or uncomfortable texture

5. Formula developed using a minimum number of ingredients selected for their efficacy and safety

6. Fragrance-free

7. Paraben-free

8. Non-greasy, non-sticky finish”

I figured it would be quite a thick and heavy cream because of the addition of 20% shea butter – and it is, but this is a good thing, because it creates a protective barrier on the skin, which doesn’t rub off easily, so your skin feels protected and moisturised. It instantly makes the skin on my legs post shaving feel soothed and comfortable. After my second irritation episode, it brought back a ‘balance’ to my skin, that no other moisturiser did. And yes – it stopped the itching!!! What I found super interesting was, that on the label it also states, ” …it is not enough to simply restore skin’s protective barrier to lastingly relieve atopic skin. It is also necessary to re-balance its microbiome, the population of micro-organisms found at the skin’s surface. If it remains unbalanced, even if the skin’s lipid barrier is restored, attacks of severe dryness, irritation and itching will always come back.”. This is exactly what I think happened to my skin post shaving and why no other moisturiser helped soothe my skin, despite being ‘moisturised’. Now I don’t have atopic skin, but I now think, this body moisturiser would be perfect for those suffering from most skin irritations. Atopic dermatitis generally first appears when you are a child, and it looks like a red, flaky rash (cracked skin), which can also ooze clear fluid. It usually appears on the cheeks, behind the knees and elbows.

Lipikar doesn’t have any synthetic fragrance added to it or essential oils (both can be irritating) but it does have a ‘natural’ scent of sort, which comes from the ingredients used in the formula. It’s not the most pleasant smelling lotion (it’s a little ‘medicinal’) but because it works so well, you get over the scent rather quickly. I like that it comes in a big 400ml pump pack. I now use it after every bath/shower, on my lower legs, to keep irritation at bay. Because the lotion is so thick, when you come close to finishing the bottle, unscrew it and shake out any remaining product that may not be able to get to the pump (otherwise you will be throwing away a lot of product!).

Because you get a lot of product, it is a body lotion that is a little pricier than most. It generally costs around $40 Aus dollars, but compare the prices and offers going at both Adore Beauty or Priceline (La Roche-Posay products are currently on sale at Priceline and you can pick it up for $30.39!).

It’s a body cream that I will always have in my beauty cupboard, because who knows when you might need it (and it’s great for the whole family).

Have you ever experienced severe irritation like the one I experienced? Let me know if you have ever tried Lipikar before! 🙂

Catch ya next time Beauties,

Beauty Bee~

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