Wednesday 31 October 2012

The acne series: Guest review of Fixaderm

Got itchy skin? Sunburnt? Pimple brewing? Insect bite driving you mad? Fixaderm® can help give instant relief. Keep Fixaderm® handy in your First Aid kit or bathroom cabinet ready for everyday use.

This was on the press release that I received about Fixaderm and so I thought that it could be another interesting addition to The Acne Series. Sophie (from the blog Sophie's Maze), who is 28 and gets hormonal acne along her chin had contacted me about trialing acne products. She needed something gentle for her skin as she was finding that harsh products really dried it out. I thought that this might be a good solution for her.

More from the company: Necessity Fixaderm® is a 100% natural First Aid and skin repair product made from the finest quality essential and plant oils. The blend of 11 oils has been tested and refined over several years, resulting in a unique formula that may help alleviate skin discomfort, help prevent infection and help promote healing. Fixaderm® is completely free from chemicals and has a wide range of applications including; natural First Aid for cuts, abrasions, minor burns, fungal infections, insect bites and stings. It has also been demonstrated as an effective treatment for pimples, scarring, and stretch marks.


And now to Sophie's review:



Review for Necessity Fixaderm Skin Repair




Fixaderm is marketed as a skin repair oil containing the following key therapeutic oils:
  • Calendula
  • Lavender
  • Patchouli (Progostermon Cablin)
  • Rosehip oil (Rosa Eglanteria)
  • Tea tree oil (Melaleuca)




These oils are used to treat an array of ailments ranging from burns, cuts, fungal infections, eczema, scarring, warts, sunburn and acne. I was interested in trialing Fixaderm to help treat persistent acne on the jawline and random congestion on the remainder of my face. My skin is combination and extremely sensitive. As such I struggle to use traditional acne remedies such as Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid. I have used tea tree oil for years to treat individual spots and have found it reasonably effective with minimal side effects. The concept of Fixaderm is intriguing to contain tea tree oil along with some other oils known for their calming and healing properties.

The packaging of Fixaderm is the same as most essential oils, in a small amber bottle with a dropper top and a screw on lid. The dropper is good and it’s easy to dispense the product drop by drop. The actual oil is very liquidy and almost clear in colour. The smell is very herbal and the tea tree oil is definitely the dominant scent.



Results:
  • ·         Acne – I initially tried using this as a spot treatment. Thankfully it didn’t irritate my skin but much to my surprise it actually made my spots worse. The texture of the product is quite greasy and maybe this is the reason it exacerbated the spots. I do find neat tea tree oil better for this purpose.
  • ·         Scarring – I next tried applying this on broader areas of acne scarring. I only needed 1 drop to cover half my jawline, I little goes a long way! It feels quite greasy going on but sinks in after 5-10 minutes. I was pleasantly surprised by the non-greasy feel after it had soaked in. It moisturizes well but after 3 weeks of application I didn’t notice any accelerated healing of scars. I do usually use a vitamin C serum in the mornings and I think that is far more effective at fading scars.

  • ·         Hands – Now I absolutely ADORE this oil for moisturizing my cuticles and around my nails. I was travelling overseas recently and the flight combined with the cold English weather meant my skin went haywire. My hands were the most effected. I had the worst hangnails ever. Like I am talking multiple skin peeling things around each nail. It was painful and unsightly. I started rubbing Fixaderm around my nails much like you would a cuticle cream each night and my skin was back to normal in a few days. Continually applying Fixaderm prevented the same thing from happening on the return home.
  • ·         Dry skin – I also get really dry elbows and knees. A couple of drops of Fixaderm really helps relieved the chapped skin.




Overall I think Fixaderm is an interesting product that has many potential uses. It helps that I also love the smell of the oil and find it relaxing. Personally, I like it as an antibacterial cuticle oil. I wish it had worked wonders on my acne but it wasn’t the case. However, I am more than happy to keep a bottle around to help prevent and repair damage around my nails. And who knows what other uses I will find for this multipurpose oil?! 


All opinions are Sophie's own and she received no remuneration for this post. This product was provided to Sophie for consideration.