ViraSoothe Chickenpox Relief Cooling Gel

Earlier in the year, Sophie got shingles. I was gobsmacked, partly because she was only 8 and I'd always thought it was the adult form of chickenpox, but secondly because she'd had chickenpox when she was little and I always thought the whole reason mums liked their kids to catch chickenpox early was for them to avoid getting shingles in later life. According to my doctor, you can only catch shingles if you've had chickenpox because the virus lays dormant in your body and is reactivated on contact with the virus and it can happen at any age, although it is more common in adults.

The spots are the same as with chickenpox so they're really really itchy but they also hurt a lot because they're attached to nerve endings. Poor little Sophie really suffered - and the worst thing was, there was absolutely nothing I could do ! In England, I remember being smothered in calamine lotion as a kid when I had chickenpox but in France, nobody uses calamine lotion and I've never seen it on sale. They used to prescribe a soothing talcum powder to stop the itching but a few years back, despite the fact that the talc has been prescribed for absolutely donkey's years, someone suddenly decided it might cause asthma and took it off the market. So, what's the alternative then, I asked my doctor ? "Well ... paracetamol for the pain, and err ... that's it really, we're not allowed to prescribe the talc any more" ! So that was it - time to suffer in silence (or not, as any parent of a whiny sick child will know !).

Well, recently, I was asked to review a new product from Care + called ViraSoothe, labelled as a Chickenpox Relief Cooling Gel. What I wouldn't have given to have had that a few months ago ! According to the label, it cools and helps relieve itching, supports natural healing, helps reduce scarring and is suitable for children aged 6 months and older. The small print says, "Care Virasoothe provides cooling and soothing relief to the affected areas, reducing the urge to scratch. It contains Osmo 4, a unique patented technology that has been clinically proven to relieve the irritating symptoms of chickenpox by cooling the skin and thereby relieving itching. By protecting the skin's environment it allows the skin to heal naturally which can help reduce long-term scarring."

I have a tube in the cupboard and will definitely use it if (or probably when) Pierre catches chickenpox ... or, heaven forbid, if anyone else comes down with shingles !

RRP : £7.99 for 75g

Other reviews you might be interested in :

Care + Allergy Defence - natural hayfever protection