Hope's Relief Hydrating Lotion

Winter is coming, and not just in the HBO-show Game of Thrones. Temperatures will soon remain in single digits even during the day, which signals the start of the most difficult months for people who have dry or otherwise affected skin. Many of them will once again set out on the long and often unsuccessful journey to finding that one magical moisturiser which can give their irritated skin the ultimate relief.

Hope's Relief Hydrating Lotion aims to be that product at the end of the itchy tunnel as it battles not only dry skin but also eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis. While I thankfully don't have an issue with the latter three conditions, and as such can't comment on the product's effectiveness when it comes to these, I do have a very dry skin and was eager to put the lotion to the test.

The first thing I noticed when using it was just how moist it was, the consistency made it very easy to apply and with just a small amount I was able to cover a large area of my body. The product was quickly absorbed leaving my skin soft, supple and with not a shiny patch in sight. This was particularly important to me as I find that one of the worst things when using creams is getting clothes stuck on your skin because the product doesn't absorb properly.

In the long term I felt that the lotion did exactly what it said on the tin. It left my usually dry and tight skin itch free and hydrated and I felt much more protected against the elements after having used it consistently for a few weeks.

The one thing I didn't enjoy however was the pungent smell, which had a medicinal hint to it. While I'm glad the brand didn't cover up the scent of the natural ingredients with strong chemicals or artificial perfumes, it was unfortunately something that lingered unpleasantly for a while. In fact, on more than one occasion it made me reach for an alternate lotion to use on other areas of my body to neutralise the smell.

Other than that I thought it was a lovely product to use. Pleasant to the touch and easy to apply, it boosted long-lasting nourishing qualities for my normally dry skin.