THERAPLEX Emollient Cream for Dry Skin - No Parabens or Preservatives, Noncomedogenic, Fragrance-free, Dermatologist Recommended - Long-lasting Moisturizing Cream and Heaviest Hydration (6 Oz)

Summary - This product works much better than Aquaphor for our 2.5 yr old toddlers eczema. Our child's doctor did not know about this product. If you or your child suffers from eczema, you should try the smaller tub first and determine if it works. The product has a really thick wax like consistency, but once rubbed on, seems to disappear into the skin. The moisturizer seems to last all night. It is also is highly recommended by the national eczema association. It is totally unlike Aquaphor which we used earlier and was ineffective if not downright harmful. We first apply Cetaphil cream, wait for it to be absorbed and then apply Theraplex emollient. Now the whole story...(Edit - 03-07-2012 - We now apply Theraplex emollient first, rub till it is absorbed and then apply Cetaphil).Our toddler was first diagnosed with eczema around 2 years of age. The doctor suggested Aquaphor or Vaseline and said we need to really slather it on. We followed the doctors advice, putting on Aquaphor multiple times a day, and face to toe after a bath. A cortico-steroid was prescribed (Desonide)- if we used it, the symptoms went down, but seemed to come back with greater vengance when we stopped it.The eczema just kept getting worse. It was on the fold of one arm and behind one knee. Then it went to both arms and both knees. Then there'd be skin infections. Itchy nights so that we'd be staying up trying to keep the poor toddler from scratching her skin off. It was just miserable and I really felt sad for our bright little one.The turning point came when the child started having boils on the lower half of her body (Staph colonization of skin). Not just any boils - big pus filled ones. It was comical in a sad sort of way when the poor child hobbled for almost two weeks with a boil behind a knee. The doctors solution was to put her on antibiotics.With antibiotics, the boils dried up for a while. But then started coming back again and we were eventually back to square one. At that point, rather than go back to the doc, started researching the web for information. I then realized how little non-specialist doctors really knew about eczema (at least the pediatricians who saw our toddler)One of my findings from web research was that dilute bleach bath's were found to be helpful in certain cases of eczema (The doc never told us about this). Our toddler had eczema and had a staph colonization problem (causing all the boils). Even if the bleach bath did not work on the eczema, I thought that maybe - bleach would kill the staph - since they are on the skin surface and pretty much inaccessible by antibiotics. By the second bleach bath (one week later), no more new boils appeared. It was like a miracle![Bleach concentration used was slightly more than found in a swimming pool - about half a cup of fragrance free household Chlorox to 40 gallons of cool temp bath water with the child soaking in it for 10 minutes (approx final concentration of bleach used was 0.006% the first two times and then dropping to 0.004%)]. I dropped the bleach bath from twice a week to once a week after about 2 - 3 weeks and stopped it entirely when the child was enrolled in swim school. I also determined that it is very important to apply a moisturizer BEFORE the bleach bath.(we used vaseline earlier but have now settled on Olive Oil - works well). It is also very important to wash off the bleach thoroughly under a shower after the bleach bath. You should of course consult a doctor - not just any doctor but a specialist - regarding my suggestions, since every case is different.]During our child's night-time itching episodes, we'd also determined that Aquaphor applications were not helpful. However, if we applied Cetaphil cream (not lotion - that is too weak), the child responded much much better. We also came to know about Theraplex emollient from our web research around the same time and ordered it. Nowadays, we first moisturise with Cetaphil cream, wait for the cream to be absorbed, and then apply Theraplex emollient on top. This combination works well for us.In addition, we switched to a dye/perfume free clothes detergent, made small diet changes (cut off eggs - but that does not seem to be a cause - we are re-introducing eggs gradually) and the weather too changed from winter to summer (Edit 03-07-2012 Diet changes made no difference). The soap we used changed from Aveeno to Vanicream. With so many changes, I cannot definitely point to one factor - but our child's eczema has disappeared from one arm and one leg, barely perceptible on the second arm and kind of there behind the knee on one leg as a darker patch of skin. However, the skin everywhere is smooth and not scaly. She rarely itches and I'm not even sure if this is due to eczema or just a normal occasional itch (we are paranoid on this front).I hope my long write-up will assist at least a few parents tackling the eczema nightmare.Incidentally, we tried other creams - Cerave and a pricey Aveeno with Ceramides - but its the Cetaphil Cream/Theraplex Emollient combination that worked best for our toddler. Cetaphil apparently contains Almond oil - so it may not be for those who are allergic to almonds. (Edit - 03-07-2012 - Allergies are generally not caused by oils, but by proteins and poly-saccharides in nuts. I doubt almond oil will be allergic - except in rare cases).Edit - 03-07-2012. We also used Theraplex on our month old baby to tackle severe rash like symptoms in the diaper area. The redness it later turned out was caused by "California Baby Supersenstive Body Wash and Shampoo". Read my post in comment section if you want details.

Amazing product. I've had severe eczema for 8+ years (tend to scratch and my scratched skin immediately breaks out and becomes even more itchy). I compare this product to Aquaphor, which is "good", but very greasy. Aquaphor also tends to smear on clothing/linens and is visibly (unattractively) shiny. Recently, Aquaphor wasn't effective in healing my eczema after scratching and I wanted to try a new product. I'd been through all of the Aveena/Cetaphil/Eucerin creams, lotions, and bodywashes, but I hadn't yet tried the Theraplex brand.Theraplex Emollient is a white, thick, heavy cream. After applying it, there is no shininess as with Aquaphor. The cream immediately fills in raw areas of skin and forms a barrier on top. The feel is not the same as with Aquaphor or petroleum jelly, which both feel very greasy . Instead, this leaves your skin feeling soft, with a matte/dull appearance, but higher surface resistance (your fingers will not glide smoothly over your skin, but rather get slowed down by a slight "stickiness"). I find that it truly immediately improves the appearance of raw, scratched, or peeling skin, to the extent that I feel much less self-conscious.Please give this product a try if you struggle with severe eczema. I am so glad that I did. I depend on this product to live my life more normally. Note: I also tried other Theraplex products and have been less impressed. The Theraplex Clear Lotion seems to work well as a post-shower oil (not totally sure if it's really making a difference), but the Hydrolotion doesn't seem to be any more effective than any other normal moisturizer.

This product was recommended by our pediatric allergist for our daughter eczema. It is by far the best product for eczema that we have used. It is extremely thick so all you really need is a small amount on a q-tip, so this tub is gonna last us a long time! Only after a few days it has greatly improved her skin. Highly recommend!

I would recommend this to anybody who has eczema, it actually keeps you skin really moist a lot longer than anything else out there. I've tried all the moisturizing cream and the healing creams and this works better than any of them.

New formulation is terrible. I used Theraplex for over 20 years. Now it is like applying grease to your skin. Very thin. It used to be thick and adhere to skin really well. Total waste of my money. Tossed it in trash.

This is a great product! Just ordered a second one. It is a little pricey but it works well. I have tried lots of similar products and this one is the best!

This product used to be thicker, and it was one of the most extreme creams. It was the best thing for my dry hands. They changed it recently, and now it's basically the same thing as aquaphor. Still good, but not great anymore. I wish they would revert to the old recipe, as I get severe dryness.

This product may work, but it is extremely sticky. My son, six years old, has severe dry skin that leads to rashes and flaking. I used this on his skin after a bath and I couldn't even put his pajama shirt on him. It was sticking and bunching against the lotion on his skin. He told me that he felt sticky and it was uncomfortable. Although this product may work to help ease dry skin, the makers have to figure out a way to make it less sticky and thick.