Skin Care Review: Doak Dermatologics Carmol 20

Rating
Excellent

Benefits
Relieves and exfoliates extremely dry, scaling, cracked skin

Drawbacks
Thin cream; chalky residue; hands needs to be washed.

Details
I have suffered from extremely dry, cracked, and scaling elbows and heels (feet) for years. This summer of 05, my elbows became so bad they were a blend of deep grey with white scales, and cracked until they bled. I tried every cream, gel and moisturizing scrub I could get my hands on, Distressed, I did some research on the web and for the first time, up popped an online post by a young woman who wrote to a dermatologist with the same symptoms I'd been having. He said she likely had psoriasis, and should try "Carmol 20" -- a moisturizer with Urea. I gave it a try, massaging the cream into my elbows twice per day. I can't believe the difference three (3) simple days made. On the first day, my elbows first felt noticeably softer to the touch, the first time in 10 years. On the second day, I noticed they began to "peel" a little -- much like the soft peels that follow a sunburn, but still felt soft. The chalky residue left behind by the ingredient Urea was at first disconcerting – I wondered how a moisturizer could leave a powdery substance behind, but still be moisturizing. Ahhhh, here's why. That chalky residue is the urea, left behind after the moisturizing agents have penetrating, and now doing double duty by exfoliating the dead skin. On the third day, my elbows were even softer to the touch, with the dead skin actively falling away each time I washed. Buffing with a soft clean washcloth removed most of the flakes, which was also entertaining – I was gleeful. By the fifth day, all the dead skin had flaked away in the sink, and the skin was soft, new, and tender – like baby skin. I'm now applying the Carmol 20 two times a time, sometimes three, to my elbows and heels, and I actually get teary eyed. It's the first time in a decade that my elbows look, and feel, normal. The dark grey and silver color has also lightened considerably -- to a dark pink. The skin feels fresh and new. They are not cracked and don't bleed. My boyfriend said "WOW, what did you do?" On my heels, the cream softened the cracked area considerably, and while I had to use a credo blade one last time to remove all the dead areas (now fully softened), daily use of the Carmol cream and a buffing pumice stick have resulted in the pinkest, cleanest and most normal looking heels I've ever had. I grieve that I didn't find this 10 years ago, I rejoice that I've found it now. Note: Since this is an exfoliating cream, I wash my hands after applying to my elbows and heels. This prevents my hands from peeling too often.

Conclusions
The only cream that has relieved my dark grey, cracked, dry, scaling, elbows.

Price (paid by reviewer)
$8.99

Where to find it
DERMAdoctor.com