Morgan McGuire, 30, from Surrey, has struggled with eczema since childhood, leaving the skin on her arms and legs itchy, red and sore. For years, prescription steroid creams kept the condition under control, but they eventually stopped working.
Morgan woke one morning with swollen eyes and angry red patches spreading across her face and neck. Her skin became so painful and reactive that there were days she could not face leaving the house.
"Some days, I couldn't go into work because I couldn't face being seen," Morgan said. "My skin felt delicate and reactive. I couldn't use makeup to cover the redness because it just caused more irritation. When it was really bad, I avoided going out altogether."
She estimates she spent around £700 trying different creams and much-hyped "miracle" treatments, including red-light therapy, but says nothing made a lasting difference.
Last year, after visiting a homeopath, Morgan was recommended something surprisingly simple: a moisturiser costing £16.50 for a 100ml supply. Within weeks of using it, she says the eczema that had plagued her for years had almost completely disappeared.
What the cream contains
The product, Skin:Genius Cream Come True, is designed to repair and protect the skin barrier. It contains glycerin, which draws water into the skin, along with shea butter and squalane, which help prevent moisture loss.
"At first I was quite sceptical because I had already tried every cream I could imagine, but nothing had helped," Morgan said. "I decided to order it anyway because I thought there was no harm in trying."
On her homeopath's advice, Morgan also stopped using the topical steroid creams she had relied on for around a decade. Topical steroids are a standard and effective treatment for eczema, a common inflammatory skin condition thought to affect millions of people in the UK. While prolonged or inappropriate use of stronger steroids can cause side effects including thinning skin, bruising and stretch marks, doctors warn patients not to abruptly abandon prescribed treatment without medical advice, since stopping after prolonged use can trigger severe rebound symptoms in some people.
A difficult flare-up before improvement
Morgan's skin initially became dramatically worse after she stopped the steroid cream. "My eyes were incredibly swollen, sore to the touch and very hot," she said. "But my homeopath said it was going to get worse before it got better, so I stuck with it."
For three and a half weeks she suffered an intense flare-up. Then, just over a month after starting the moisturiser, her skin began to improve, and within a few more weeks the flare-ups had almost disappeared.
"I woke up one morning and the redness had gone, except for a tiny patch under my chin," she said. "My skin was clear for the first time in years."
Morgan now uses the moisturiser whenever her skin feels particularly dry and has also switched to soaps and laundry detergents formulated for sensitive skin.
Other testimonials on the company's website
Morgan is not the only eczema sufferer to report a dramatic improvement after using the cream. The Skin:Genius website features numerous testimonials from customers describing similarly striking transformations.
Among them is a man named Luke, 36, who says he had suffered from eczema since infancy and endured cracked, bleeding skin while withdrawing from topical steroids. After using the company's products, he says the redness and inflammation subsided and that, for the first time in his life, his skin was no longer persistently itchy.
Another testimonial tells the story of Harper, a baby whose eczema left her skin red, cracked and bleeding. Her mother, Georgia, says they had tried steroid and medicated creams, antibiotics and other treatments before a homeopath suggested Cream Come True. She says the difference within five days was "astonishing" and that within a week most of her daughter's skin was smooth again.
However, these are testimonials published by the manufacturer rather than evidence from clinical trials, and there appear to have been no published clinical trials specifically testing Cream Come True as a treatment for eczema.
A dermatologist's verdict
Dr Ross Perry, medical director of Cosmedics skin clinics and a specialist in dermatology, says the moisturiser contains several useful ingredients, but that it costs up to 30 times more, per 100ml, than many commonly recommended moisturisers, and it might be worth exhausting cheaper options first.
"Moisturising is absolutely central to managing eczema because it helps repair and protect the skin barrier," Dr Perry said, adding that glycerin, shea butter and squalane all help hydrate the skin and reduce moisture loss.
He notes these ingredients are not unique to Skin:Genius. E45 Dermatitis Relief Cream, for example, also contains glycerin, shea butter and squalane, alongside ceramides, and is specifically formulated for mild to moderate dermatitis. It costs £19.99 for 50ml at Superdrug.
Similar combinations can be found much more cheaply. Lucy Bee's fragrance-free Hydrating Hand & Body Cream contains glycerin, shea butter and squalane and costs £9.95 for 150ml at Tesco. E45 Moisturising Cream costs £10.29 for 500g at Superdrug, while Aveeno Dermexa Daily Emollient Cream costs £16.99 for 500ml at Boots.
Dr Perry also warns that Skin:Genius contains lavender oil and fragrance ingredients, which can irritate some people with sensitive skin, meaning simple, fragrance-free emollients, the mainstay of daily moisturising treatment for eczema, may be a safer alternative.
Warning against stopping steroid treatment
Dr Perry strongly cautions against abandoning prescribed steroid treatment simply because a moisturiser appears to be working. "I wouldn't tell someone to stop using a steroid cream because they've discovered this product," he said. "Steroid creams have an important role in treating eczema flares. A moisturiser and a steroid are doing different jobs."
"The best eczema cream is ultimately one that works for you, doesn't irritate you and is affordable enough that you'll actually use it regularly," he said.
While cheaper emollients are available, Morgan insists the cream has been worth it for the difference it has made to her confidence. "My husband and friends saw me when my eczema was at its worst," she said. "I was cancelling plans to see friends, but now I'm seeing a lot more people, going out more and feeling more confident."
"When I told my colleagues at my new job that I have eczema, they said they would have had no idea based on how clear my skin is," she said. "Now, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off me and I can get on with normal life again. Before, I never knew what my skin would be like when I woke up. Not needing to worry any more is life-changing."
