Eczema Scams

There are a number of in-your-face scammers in the media preying on eczema-stricken folks who are desperate for relief. BEWARE!
1% HYDROCORTISONE CREAM PACKAGED WITH "SPECIAL" INGREDIENTS. The omnipresent ad is from the FreeDerm HC eczema/dermatitis cream people who call it eczema miracle. They present a slew of photographs illustrating their point.
When asked what distinguishes their product from others, they say: "The answer is the special "proprietary" combination of ingredients that are not found in any other product. [They are not lying here. When you load something as chock-full of fillers as these people have, no other cream out there has these identical ones.] These ingredients were specifically chosen by the pharmacist for their moisturizing qualities. [Here, they are lying. Except for the hydrocortisone and dimethicone, they were chosen for reasons of cosmetics manufacture, and to make the product last on the shelves a long time.] Even if you have become resistant to the healing effects of other eczema treatment creams, you will undoubtedly find relief with this product. [And the proof is... where?]"
Look at these special ingredients, then. They list them as: Deioninized water, Polawax; Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyeryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Methyl paraben, Propyl Paraben, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Benzylalkonium Chloride, Triethnolamine, and Citric acid. In addition it contains 1% hydrocortisone.
First of all, let us briefly note that these unscrupulous peddlers can’t even spell their own ingredients.
Now, let us examine these magical ingredients: Deionized water: water that has been filtered, usually by a reverse osmosis filter, with mineral impurities removed, commonly used in cosmetics Polawax: easy to use, emulsifying wax used commonly in cosmetics Cetyl alcohol: a fatty alcohol derived from palm oil; improves “feel” in creams and lotions Stearyl alcohol: a fatty alcohol used in much the same ways as cetyl alcohol Glyceryl stearate: commonly used emulsifier in cosmetics (emulsifiers make binding of oils and water possible) Dimethicone: a silicone oil used as ingredients of ointments and other preparations for topical application to protect the skin against water-soluble irritants; may irritate the skin Propylene glycol: a solvent and wetting agent; may cause rashes Methyl paraben: common preservative used in cosmetics and foods Propyl paraben: common preservative used in cosmetics; the parabens are skin irritants and used in common allergy patch tests Imidazolidinyl urea: a formaldehyde-releasing preservative; may cause an allergic reaction Benzalkonium chloride: a medical disinfectant, a preservative; corrosive, toxic - causes burns; harmful by inhalation, ingestion and through skin contact; may cause reproductive defects; may act as a mutagen Triethanolamine: is used as a pH balancer and stabilizer in cosmetic and industrial preparations; it is an irritant linked to contact dermatitis Citric acid: a weak organic acid found in tart fruits; used as a preservative; classified as a skin irritant Hydrocortisone 1%: an over the counter corticosteroid; anti-inflammatory
This at the price of $29.95 for 4 ounces, plus shipping and handling.
When you bother to compare it with the similar cream sold in your local drug store, you will find that you can do better with fewer of these "special" irritant fillers and a price about one sixth of what you would pay to these miserable lampreys. Don't help them laugh all the way to the bank!!!!
Oh and about the pictures... well of course 1% hydrocortisone works. Duh. Buy it at your corner drugstore for a few bucks minus the mutagens! :-) There are many other clones of this scam on the web. Avoid them all.
And please note: cortisone medications, while effective against eczema, can damage the skin permanently. 1% hydrocortisone is a weak preparation, yet it can cause problems too if used too long, too much, or on vulnerable skin of the face or of babies.

More on eczama scams can be found at:
http://www.geocities.com/vyera/dyshidrosis/scams.html