It’s been 3 weeks since 21st Century Formulations sent me a bottle of their Skin MD Natural lotion to try. (They’re probably wondering if I’m ever planning on giving an opinion!) But you’ve got to give any new product a fair trial before judging it, am I right?
When you’ve read all the detailed scientific explanations of how it works on the company website, Skin MD Natural comes down to 3 main claims for itself:
- It has a revolutionary new humecant — the ingredient that draws moisture from the air and into your skin— said to work 6 times better than glycerine, the humecant that skin moisturizing lotions have traditionally used.
- It contains natural ingredients like aloe, comfrey, chamomile, arnica, and yarrow (as well as the anti-oxidant Vitamin E) to soothe redness and reduce inflammation. There are natural anti-bacterial qualities in there too, to promote healing of damaged skin.
- It is a shielding lotion, which creates a fine thin barrier to protect your skin from all the harsh irritants that you come in contact with, the world being what it is.
Okay, then:
So I had a few rigorous tests for this wonder lotion. First, that patch of annoying psoriasis that flares up on my ankle whenever I get all stressed out; and second, the tansy patch.
You may know about “the heartbreak of psoriasis,” as they used to call it… random patches of red, rough, scaley, ugly, itchy skin. (I promise, no photographs!) If you don’t know what I’m talking about, just count yourself lucky.
There’s no apparent cause for psoriasis, and there’s certainly no cure. About the best you can do is ease the dryness, hope to improve the appearance a bit, and do something (usually a cortisone cream) about the itch.
Skin MD Natural out-performed every other over-the-counter lotion I’ve tried. And that includes Bag Balm (Shania Twain’s big beauty secret, as I read somewhere).
Free Samples!If you want to get a free sample of SkinMD Natural and see whether you agree with my assessment, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to 21st Century Formulations. (The address is on their websiteat SkinMDNatural.com.
The sample will be a tiny packet, not a whole lot bigger than one of those “moist towelette” packets, but don’t be fooled. That really is 3 to 5 applications there, depending how much skin you’re planning to lotion up.
I’m not sure it outperforms a prescription cream, but even at $25 a bottle it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than some — and it’s not greasy or smelly. So I’d take the Skin MD Natural any day, with that added bonus that you’re not rubbing strange pharmaceutical substances into your body.
Yes, it moisturizes and soothes, just as advertised — much better than any other lotion I’ve tried, and without leaving a greasy feeling.
… which brings us to the tansy patch.
Tansy, as my fellow gardeners may know, is an attractive but too-vigorous perennial herb with lacey green leaves and clusters of tiny yellow button-like flowers. In the Middle Ages they used it as a strewing her, scattering it all over the floors to keep down the nasty insects and the odour of unwashed medieval peasants.
One of my spring chores is to winkle out the shoots of tansy that constantly try to invade the irises in the garden.
Now, I hate and despise wearing gloves when I work outside. (Which explains why I was so keen to try out a sample of Skin MD Natural, doesn’t it? My hands show every day of my age, and then some!) But there’s something in tansy that irritates my skin and sets up a prickling rash. By the time I finish taming the tansy patch, the tender skin on the inside of my forearms looks like it has a wicked case of carpet burn!
Would Skin MD Natural shield my skin from tansy irritation?
I’m delighted to report that it did. No lotion can make me enjoy the tansy-weeding chore, mind you — but at least I didn’t come out of the garden looking like I’d lost an arm-wrestling match with a roll of sandpaper! And I like that.
Bottom line?
It surprises me to have to admit this, but Skin MD Natural does indeed seem to be “new and different” compared to other lotions I’ve tried over the years. Yes, it’s a bit pricey, perhaps. But, as they say, “a little goes a long way” — that claim is true, too!
And I’m not even getting paid to say these things…
