Since having babies my bodycare regime has dwindled down to the absolute necessities; hacking through my plantations of leg hair once a month and making sure that my shins, which have a tendency to be as dry and crackled as ancient treasure maps, are regularly moisturised.

In pregnancy I oiled religiously. I scrubbed. I filed my feet. Whilst I could still see my toes, I painted the nails. Since the birth of child number two, two years and two months ago (that’s lots of twos!) I have oiled precisely four times, scrubbed no times and painted my toenails once. I didn’t even do it myself. I felt minor shame when the pedicurist unveiled my hornèd hooves and placed them in the water bath to soak – it must have been like manhandling a horse.

Anyway, the bodycare regime is currently still hovering at a “needs must” sort of level which is why I tend to do my body moisturising at the same time as I do the creams and lotions for the childrens’ skin. Angelica had eczema when she was a bit smaller and still gets quite dry and itchy skin on her legs, and Ted keeps showing the danger signs, so I try to make sure that I apply cream to both after bathtime.

(Incidentally, I only bathe them twice a week now, on skin doctor’s orders – it did a world of good for Angelica’s skin. Personally, the whole “nightly bathtime” routine was a recipe for disaster when it came to my babies’ skin!)

In my enthusiastic quest to find amazing, effective creams to help with skin dryness and itchiness, I’ve been testing out the newly-launched Diprobase Itch Relief Cream and Daily Moisturising Cream. Diprobase’s range of skin care products for dry and eczema-prone skin is much-loved already; the new Itch Relief Cream adds a fast-working problem-solver into the mix and the new Daily Moisturising Cream has an unexpectedly light texture with long-lasting hydration. Both are easily absorbed and don’t leave the skin greasy.

Therefore brilliant for my scaly shins as well as the kids’ skin – I can just squeeze a load of cream into my hands and do all of us at the same time! Though both of them now insist on getting involved and applying cream themselves, because this is the option likely to make most mess and so of course that’s what they want to do.

My Crocodile Shins have been an almost constant source of minor irritation for me for as long as I can remember. Flaky and very dry, they get worse if I wear tights and if I (God forbid!) wear long socks, pulled up, the patches beneath the elasticated part get unbearably itchy. (You may now be questioning why I’d be wearing long socks pulled up and the answer to that is: I’m a rural girl now. I have to contend with nettles and brambles and sartorial decisions have to be made accordingly. You don’t want short socks on when you’re striding about in the countryside – pop-socks and paltry little trainer liners, those flimsy foot-sheaths, they just don’t cut it out here.)

So the Diprobase Itch Relief Cream has been a great one to test – it has been proven to aid itch relief caused by dry skin and eczema within 30 minutes. The formula is steroid-free and suitable for babies**, which will be music to the ears of all parents with babies who are prone to eczema. Light and fresh to apply, it leaves the skin feeling supple and moisturised but there’s no greasy residue.

And the prebiotic-enriched Diprobase Daily Moisturising Cream is an excellent choice for maintaining and strengthening the skin barrier – also suitable for babies, it has been proven to provide up to twenty-four hours of moisturisation and to reduce dry skin flare-ups for up to three months. (96% of babies completing the clinical study did not develop new flare-ups of extreme skin dryness over three months.) Again, it’s light and fresh to apply so you/they/everyone can get dressed straight away and get on with the rest of the day!

You can find both Diprobase products at pharmacies and major retailers nationwide – the Itch Relief Cream costs £6.99 for the 20ml version and £12.99 for 50ml, the Daily Moisturising Cream is £10 for 150ml. You can find more info on Diprobase and their skin care range online here.

**Diprobase® Itch Relief Cream is suitable for babies, however for long-term use or use on large areas of skin, it is recommended to seek medical advice.

Please note this post is no longer being monitored by Diprobase. For product specific enquiries about Diprobase Itch Relief Cream or Daily Moisturiser, please contact Bayer at consumerhealthuk@bayer.com. Thanks!