Winter Skin Savers: Neutrogena Deep Moisture Body Lotion & Balm

Taking a trip to New York a couple of Februarys ago, I reckoned that my coat with swingy back bit, double toggle at the throat and nice wide sleeves would be Just The Thing.

Oh yes, just the thing for sub-zero NYC.

And it was alright.  For letting the Arctic winds up my sleeves and in around my person and shivering my timbers to the core, it was second to none.  For keeping me snug and toasty it was FAT FRIG all use. So poor as an outer garment, in fact, that by the time I got home to slightly balmier Dublin, my arms were chapped to the elbows from the cold.

I learned a bit of a lesson from that experience, namely, to wear a proper coat and to moisurise skin that's out in elements. These newbies from Neutrogena sound like just the ticket for our current weather: Deep Moisture Body Lotion and Deep Moisture Body Lotion Balm are available now and the point of difference with this pair is that they penetrate 10 layers down into the stratum corneum - the top layer of the skin. Don't worry, they're not moisturising your subcutaneous fat or anything.

Sounds madly fancy, but essentially they're the brand's take on what Vaseline did with Sheer Infusion last year. So this pair are light-weight, hard-working skin creams that provide a decent barrier and include lots of emollients and humectants to give skin hydration.  I've stuck my paws into them but as of yet they haven't had an actual on-my-legs test.

That bit of scratch-and-sniff has divined that a) they smell very nice, b) they are quite lightweight though oddly the lotion seems thicker than the balm and c) they're well priced so could be worth a punt. You'll pay €5.49  for the lotion (there's also a version for dry and sensitive skin) and €6.57 for the balm.

Anyone given them a whirl yet?