The Body Shop Hemp Body Butter: the best cream for eczema

I have the grumpiest skin ever. If I was asked to describe myself, 'flaky' would be in my opening sentence.

I'm never more than a foot away from my Vaseline and I apply it on my lips every half an hour minimum. Everything I own has a tangible coat of hand cream making it slick and slippery and I can never be 100% sure that I'll be able to open a bottle or jar (you can imagine how awful it was to be my customer when I worked in a bar...!). But it's fine. For the most part I just keep up with my strict skincare routine (here are the products and creams I use on a daily basis) and make sure to sacrifice misogynistic men to the moon every month in order to appease the eczema gods. But what happens when your skin needs exceed the routine?

"Steroid creams!" you answer confidently. What eczema, psoriasis, or general dry-skin-sufferer hasn't felt the rush of clear skin possibilities by looking at a prescription steroid cream? Itchy, red, painful welts are quickly replaced by smooth, appeased skin, how devine. The problem is, long term application is not good for you. Side effects include permanent stretch marks, bruising, skin discoloration, hair growth where there shouldn't or spidery blood vessels. Ouch. So what can you do if a mini steroid holiday doesn't fix the situation?

After very strong recommendations I recently discovered The Body Shop Hemp Heavy-Duty Body Moisture Protector. Or, as I like to call it for ease-of-breathing purposes; Hemp Cream. It has changed the game completely.

I moved back home into my parents' house recently. After years of living in Manchester city centre, finding myself back in the Irish countryside is quite the shock, but that's a story for another day. Within two weeks of enduring the country air, the dust, the cat hairs and whatever harsh laundry detergent my mother uses was wreaking havoc on my poor face. I tried steroid cream, exfoliating multiple times and practically bathing in aqueous cream. Nothing worked. All the skin from my nose down was irritated and nothing hid it- my makeup was just flaking right off. Disaster; I had a Very Important Date coming up in three days and I needed it to be sorted. In desperation I picked up The Body Shop Hemp Heavy-Duty Body Moisture Protector. I was initially somewhat skeptical, what with the huge cannabis leaf boldly emblazoned on the front, but hey- it's not like I could mess my skin up any worse (fingers crossed!).

It worked instantly. No really, I applied it the Saturday before wine and chats with a friend, topped up before bed, and woke up with a face that was 95% perfect. By the time I had my date on the Monday there was barely a whisper of dryness. I've incorporated it into my everyday skincare routine and I don't think I'll ever look back. Three months on, my face is pristine and I never worry about waking up to a skin disaster.

The Hemp Heavy-Duty Body Moisture Protector will set you back €21.95 for 200ml, or £16 if you're in the UK. It's pretty expensive, considering a 500ml tub of aqueous cream will only set you back between €3 and €5, but it's beyond worth it. On The Body Shop website, it's described as providing 24 hour hydration and helps to restore the skin's moisture. It's also terminologically tested, and The Body Shop is cruelty free so you're not putting money towards hurting bunnies. I will warn you; it's a bizarre swampy green in colour, and it smells pretty funky. This stuff is seriously greasy as well, so keep your hair clipped away from your face and keep your silk pillows for decoration only!

With such a severe skin condition I practically never ever stray from my comfort zone of skin creams and lotions. I learned the hard way plenty of times in my teens. Even recommendations from people with sensitive and difficult skin usually don't end up in my shopping basket. That being said, I'm so impressed with The Hemp Heavy-Duty Body Moisture Protector that I'm going to test out the other skincare products in The Body Shop Hemp line; the hand cream and lip balm.

When I give them both a good try I'll be sure to write a review, so make sure to follow me on Instagram to keep up to date!

I'm going to end with a disclaimer just for fun; it does state on the jar that the body butter isn't intended for use on the face. I think it's a marketing ploy though, I haven't had any problems!