I have psoriasis on my feet. It’s horrible and can flare up to the point where I can barely walk and the soles of my feet bleed. I’ve been prescribed some ointments from my GP; a standard emollient and Betnovate which is used to treat inflammatory skin conditions. They work to some extent but it never really goes away.

Psoriasis is the rapid acceleration of skin cell production. Skin cells are normally made and replaced every three to four months, but with psoriasis this process only lasts about three to seven days. The resulting build-up of skin cells is what creates the patches associated with psoriasis.

Frankly, my feet have been so bad recently, if it worked I’d happily rub dog poo on them (rest assured, I won’t). So when QV Skincare asked me to try something new, I jumped at the chance. I gauged my skin on their website as being level 4 which was the very worst imaginable and they sent me a range of samples to try.

The QV skincare range is from Australia, an Australian friend spotted them in my house and was pleased they’d made the journey over, QV is a well recognised and trusted brand in Australia. I do rate Australian Skincare products too so knowing this I was excited to try them.

Unlike a lot of skincare products which tend to be petroleum jelly based, QV Skincare use Glycerol. Glycerol isn’t greasy and won’t block pores, and leaves skin feeling smooth and soft. This is important; we’ll come back to this point later.

I tried the following QV Skincare products:

QV Gentle Wash This is a mild, foaming cleanser which you could use as a hand soap or facial wash. As I have dry skin on my body. I used it like I would a shower gel and I have to say I was impressed. It was developed for sensitive skins and there are few as sensitive as me. I noticed a visible difference to the dryness on my skin within a few days and some of my bad rashy patches had massively improved. I will be buying this again.

QV Bath Oil I hardly ever have a bath because it dries the skin out on my feet and usually within minutes of getting in. my psoriasis is insanely itchy and I scratch all my skin off. Not so with this. I ran myself a lovely bath, put the recommended amount in and had a good soak. There was no in bath itching and when I got out my skin felt soft and lovely and my feet weren’t horribly dry and hating me. I have in the past used oilatum but this seems much, much better, maybe it’s the glycerol base. This is another product I’d have as a skincare staple.

QV Skin Lotion When I opened this I thought it was like a baby lotion for sensitive skin. I actually loved this and it would be perfect for babies and children with dry skin. I used it on all my dry bits but not my feet. My dry, rashy bits showed quite incredible improvement after just a few days. My skin felt happier and just looked less angry. I think this will be a staple skincare product for me. You can also use it to remove make-up which is a real boon for sensitive types.

QV Cream When I opened this it reminded me of E45 cream, I have to say this was my least favourite product by a long way. I think it’s great for dry skin and eczema but I made the mistake of putting it on my feet and within minutes I was scratching the skin off. I did use it on my legs and it worked perfectly well on them, I think maybe it just wasn’t right for my condition. Everyone’s skin is different so what works for one won’t necessarily work for another. I was sad that I’d loved everything else but not this.

QV Intensive Ointment This is probably my very favourite product in the range. When I opened it I thought it’d be just like the emollient I get on prescription. Not so, again my standard emollient is petroleum based and this being glycerol based seemed lighter and better suited to treat my psoriasis. Within 24 hours I noticed a change on my feet. By the end of the week they were looking fantastic. Honestly the best they’ve been in years. I was delighted and will be sticking to this product in future and foregoing my prescription emollient.

I was delighted with this range, like I said earlier the glycerol really does seem to make the difference, certainly with my skin.

The QV skincare range is suitable for all ages but is great for kids; they have a character called Qool Vince who explains all about eczema and itchy skin. I suffered (really suffered) as a child with my skin and explaining things to children in a really accessible way can only be a good thing.

Few things are more miserable than itchy, cracked, dry, bleeding skin. I think it’s excellent that more products are being developed to treat and ease the symptoms. Once you find something that works for you you’ve got to stick with it. I’ll be sticking with QV Skincare.

For more information about QV Skincare, visit their website.

Note: I was sent these QV Skincare products for review purposes. All images and opinions are my own.