Biafine, Products we finish

Being in the business of beauty, I get to try more than my fair share of new products. And while I love many, many of them; I am a sucker for something new and shiny, I won't always finish them, and once the two-week trial is over, they will be renegaded to the back of my ever expanding collection and forgotten. However, now and then, something comes into my life that is a game changer; a product I literally can't get enough of, and I will find myself scraping the bottom of the pot and wishing for more. Today I will tell you all about Biafine - one of the PRODUCTS WE FINISH.

I put my face through a lot; I peel, poke and prod more than the average person, and all for the love of finding the next best product or treatment. As such, my skin often needs some extra TLC: a little down time for recovery. It is during these 'down times' that I like to crack out my tube of Biafine, slather it on and wait for the magic to happen.

Biafine is a French bathroom cabinet staple and can apparently be found in every French home. Bought as a general first aid cream, Biafine was originally developed for use on burn victims in hospitals with its primary function to support skin healing by boosting cell production while simultaneously eliminating dead and damaged cells. This stuff is so common that basically if you are French, you have this in the medicine cabinet, and you will use it on everything from bruises to burns, dry skin, scars, and sunburn. If it is not bleeding or infected, this cream is for you.

If this review is starting to sound like the wrong review for the beauty section, then you are mistaken. Biafine has a host of beauty uses and is a favourite for all those in the fashion world: think models, designers and anyone we might wish we were. Personally, I slather this on as an overnight mask and sleep while my skin gets the TLC it needs. I have used it after laser and dermabrasion, and I have used it when I have burnt myself in the sun*. I have used it on bruises, spots and on those occasions when my skin just feels sensitive. I have used it on eczema and I have used it all over my body as a general moisturiser. There is no beauty dilemma that I would not consider this a solution.

Biafine was originally designed to promote skin regeneration in burn victims and is for this reason that it is so useful for so many skin problems. It is a light cream with a subtle yet clinical scent; you get the definite sense that this came from a hospital and not a beauty counter. The scent is not for everyone but I can say honestly that it does not last on the skin and disappears rapidly. At about €10 for a large tube, it is a reasonable purchase and goes a long way. If you happen to be in France anytime soon, I would make sure to stock up on this product. It will not go to waste.
*(As a beauty editor who waxes lyrical about the importance of suncream this is a shameful admission, but in reality, we have all been caught out at one point or another)