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.
6-8-05
I just received my first feedback on the itchstopper. Here it is:
"Thank you for the info. I tried the itch stopper and it seemed to lessen the itch a bit but the eczema didn't get any better and it still itched. It also is very uncomfortable during it's use. It causes a powerful burning and itchy sensation and can honestly be called torture!"
Hmmm...
Aug 2006, another negative feedback: My wife has eczema and sometimes has terrible itches. So, I bought her the itchstopper hoping for some comfort. As it turned out, whenever she had a flare up, the itchstopper couldn't help much. It does work though... just not for eczema sufferers. It's great on bugbite itches and deep under the skin itches but not eczema. The only thing that worked for her is giving up her favourite food - crustacians (crab, shrimp, lobster). Now, she rarely has a flareup and when she does, if it is mild enough, sarna and benadril do the trick!
10-2006 I just came across several pieces of feedback on the English eczemavoice site. Most of the feedback was very negative. One said, it helped with the burning, but only on the face, not on other parts. They also mentioned that the itchstopper has been FDA approved for bug bite itch, but not for any other type of itching. Here are two samples of what these people said:
"Ha, I wish I had found this site sooner. The itchstopper did not give any effect whatsoever. I didn't really want to use it any more (it says overuse may lead to over-oily skin). I sent it back, but I gotta say, they were pretty nice. They credited back my money. But if so many people have said it doesn't work, then why do they want to even try and sell it if everyone returns it? All it did was waste my time and money for shipping."
"I recently purchased an itchstopper and sent it back one week later. I had so desperately wanted it to work and was there very disappointed. After reading everyone else's comments it does appear to be a con."
"I used this Itch Stopper a few years ago and it did nothing but heat up the sore (I guess the heat was supposed to distract the itch). And it broke within 2 days so I returned it for a refund."
They targeted a skin problem forum, pretending to be someone who "was cured" by it. This person said: "I have had basal cell carcinoma and I came across a cream product with anti-cancer properties called Curaderm. Using Curaderm has given me the best results. I don't need any more surgeries and no more scars."
I then noted that the article claiming to provide "research evidence" was by PRWEB. These people work for whoever is selling Curaderm, and write pieces that look like real journalism. I looked for legit research reragrding this cream and do not see anything. Several other people also looked in vain. One person commented: "I can't find any information about it online that isn't basically from the company itself's own advertising. I hope this stuff is as good as they say, though, it sounds incredible. I think it has been banned in the US (some articles I saw said that) because they were selling it as a drug without having done the necessary research on safety and effectiveness to satisfy the FDA."
The pretender came back and said: "Hi everyone! Thanks for your replies. I wish I had joined and consulted on this forum before I went ahead and used the product! But it has worked for me and everyone is unique and different in their own ways which is absolutely true."
Then one of the moderators came on and commented: "Well I have extreme doubts about this. Not because of the product directly. I doubt any "authentic looking" information provided without a valid point of reference.
I have carried out extensive investigations about the alleged trials carried out at the hospitals they claim - I can find nothing! Not a thing that offers a single shred of official proof to support their claims. The British Association of Dermatologists would certainly have been advised of these trials and yet they have nothing on file.
Further more, this thread topic was restarted again recently on a new thread by the same person above but under a different name. I checked them out, the two are one and the same and oddly enough just happen to be on exactly the same island in the South Pacific as the company that makes this Curaderm (what's that 'hissing' sound I can hear? )!
Any company that employs marketing tactics like that automatically qualify for my Snake Oil Of The Week Award!"
Scum! Nuff said.
Written by Vera Bradova © 2004-2007
Updated 1-8-2007
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