So Heidi has blissfully glided through the last few months with the baby soft skin we always hoped for. Whilst bathing her last week, Craig turned to me and said “I guess that’s her eczema cured”, and we high-fived over the top of the bath tub.

As Craig has been delivering her post-bath massage for the last few weeks, I dragged him over to her skin care cabinet for him to point out his weapon of choice. It turns out he’d been using a cream I’d completely overlooked whilst using up the dregs of her other lotions. It was a cream I’d forgotten I had even consented to review!

La Roche-Posay LIPIKAR Baume AP+

Laboratoires La Roche-Posay created LIPIKAR 20 years ago. This range of body products for dry skin among adults and children has proved effective in a number of clinical trials, establishing it as a market-leader in the UK in emollient products.

La Roche-Posay will be familiar to many given it’s formidable reputation in the treatment of sensitive and atopy-prone skin. Despite this, I didn’t realise it was suitable for babies. Quite why, I’m unsure. Given La Roche-Posay is recommended by some 25,000 dermatologists worldwide and contains no potentially irritating fragrances or ingredients, it should have been an obvious choice for Heidi from the beginning.

The LIPIKAR Baume AP + is designed to not only hydrate skin, but also to reinforce the moisture barrier. A Niacinamide & Shea butter (20%) formula is enriched with Aqua Posae Filiformis, to respect the microbiome (the population of micro-organisms found at the skin’s surface), and therefore ‘space out’ occurrences of extreme dryness.

• 100% hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic
• Contains no alcohol, no parabens and no alcohol -
• Formulated with soothing, antioxidant La Roche-Posay thermal spring water

At the heart of the brand, a unique thermal spring water used in each and every skincare product produced by the brand. The efficacy and tolerance properties of the water are what differentiates the brand and give it its credibility with 25,000 dermatologists who recommend it worldwide to millions of women, men and children who use it every day.

How does it perform?

It’s a miracle cream.

Completely non-sticky, it glides onto the skin with ease, yet is so lightweight and non-greasy you can dress immediately after application. With no visible sheen it hydrates the skin perfectly. Every time I strip Heidi I’m amazed at just how soft she feels, yet there’s no sweaty patches under her rolls of baby fat, as though it sinks below the surface and soothes and protects from under the top layer of skin. This is exactly what we’ve been looking for since she was born so I can’t sing its praises highly enough.

It’s a mild and subtle fragrance, barely there at all. Her red, sore and tight skin is now soothed and reinvigorated and looks like her big brothers. We never sought advice from a doctor for Heidi as her skin complaints are clearly environmental and not a result of allergies, I simply knew that a pro-active and sensible approach to her diet and skincare regime would help her. La Rouch-Posay LIPIKAR is positively invaluable for us as it delivers where few creams have before - providing long-lasting hydration whilst soothing inflammation and leaving her finally comfortable in her own skin.

The LIPIKAR range also features a body wash which is on the to-buy list here. Given our hard work is so often undone by long baths and unsympathetic cleansing products, I can’t wait to see how this works on Heidi. I understand their KERIUM extra gentle gel shampoos are also suitable for children, so on the face of it, this appears to complete my line-up of MUST-HAVE products in the fight against baby eczema. Having spent literally £100s caring for Heidi’s problem, I’m so chuffed to have the ideal solution to steroids.

Any reservations?

I have a 200ml tube here and it’s a nightmare to squeeze. I appreciate La Roche-Posay like to strike a balance between optimal protection for their formulas, whilst making packaging as sustainable as possible, but this is pet hate of mine. With a third of the tube left, I’m already biting the tube to get an adequate amount of product for Heidi’s massage. Given 400ml is available in a pump action dispenser, it would be great to see this rolled out for 200ml sizes too (especially given these the latter is the most widely stocked by high-street retailers).

To find out more, head to LaRoche-Posay.co.uk, or discover more skin solutions from the brand by following them on Twitter or Facebook. You can purchase LIPIKAR Baume AP + for yourself, a 200ml TUBE is available at Boots for £12.50