1/4 Strength Active Ingredient = It Just Doesn’t Work!
Written: Nov 01 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Goes on creamy
Cons: Doesn't work nearly as well as Desitin. Has 1/4 of the active ingredient of Desitin.
The Bottom Line: Don't use this product. It just doesn't work as well as regular Desitin.
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| scottcolson's Full Review: Desitin Creamy With Aloe & Vitamin E |
After a long hiatus from Epinions, I’ve found a product that is so bad - I just had to come write about it. (It’s been two years since I’ve written a review, I must be pretty fired up about diaper cream!)
My wife and I have two kids, one who is still in diapers. Our second child has been much more prone to diaper rash than my first. Because of this we have had the opportunity to try many different diaper rash creams. I have to admit, I’m a pretty frugal guy. I usually stick to the store brand diaper rash creams. Recently we had a tube of regular Desitin and liked it. When we were running low, I found a two pack of the Desitin Creamy with Aloe and Vitamin E at Costco and since it was a good deal, I decided to buy it.
I’m a family physician, so I have a good understanding of diaper rash. I treat bad cases of it in the office frequently. Diaper rash is pretty simple to understand. Prolonged exposure to moisture is irritating to the skin, and this causes redness. Moisture in dark warm areas (like inside a diaper), can lead to yeast overgrowth which makes the skin more red and irritated. That’s what you want to avoid.
Contrary to popular belief, diaper rash creams don’t “cure” diaper rash. They simply act as moisture barriers to protect the skin from further irritation, allowing the body to heal itself.
This is where Desitin Creamy with Aloe and Vitamin E has it’s biggest flaw. The whole point in marketing the creamy versions of diaper rash creams is that they go on easier and come off easier. This is why they are “creamy” and they appeal to parents. However, this is exactly why they don’t work as well. Since diaper rash creams are supposed to act as a barrier to moisture, you want them to stay where you put them, not come off with each diaper change.
The active ingredient in diaper rash creams is Zinc Oxide. This is what acts as a barrier to the tender little bottom. Let’s look at the ingredients for Desitin and Desitin Creamy with Aloe and Vitamin E.
Desitin
Active Ingredient: 40% Zinc Oxide. Inactive Ingredients: BHA, cod liver oil, fragrance, lanolin, methylparaben, petrolatum, talc, and water.
Desitin Creamy with Aloe and Vitamin E
Active Ingredient: 10% Zinc Oxide. Inactive Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis gel, cyclomethicone, dimethicone, fragrance, methylparaben, microcrystalline wax, mineral oil, propylparaben, purified water, sodium borate, sorbitan sesquioleate, vitamin E, white petrolatum, and white wax.
Look at that carefully - That’s 40% vs. 10% of the active ingredient. Which should be better?
Now to my own experience. The Desitin Creamy with Aloe and Vitamin E goes on easily but does not stay on and comes off with each diaper change. This means that you have to reapply more frequently. Also, since there is less zinc oxide, it doesn’t work nearly as well, meaning that you have to use it for a longer period of time. Clearly the regular Desitin stays in place longer and works better.
Of course, I think this is a wonderful marketing plan for Pfizer (the maker of Desitin). They are marketing this new product that has less active ingredient, comes off easily so you have to reapply frequently, and takes longer to use, thus making you run out quicker. This means you’ll buy more Desitin Creamy with Aloe and Vitamin E and Pfizer will make more money!
Sounds like great marking to me...
In my opinion, the 40% zinc oxide creams work better, whether store brand or Desitin brand. I won’t waste my money on Desitin Creamy with Aloe and Vitamin E again.
Questions? Call 1-800-223-0182 between 9 am to 5 pm, EST, weekdays. That’s Pfizer’s phone number off the Desitin Creamy tube.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
scottcolson
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Scott Colson, MD
Location: OH to NV, to IA, finally in MN!
Reviews written: 106
Trusted by: 91 members
About Me:
Family Physician practicing in the Twin Cities, MN
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