DiproBase emollient cream has to be THE moisturiser. Although little known to people it is excellent value for money compared to some of the flashy advertised brands you get on TV with sports stars prancing about and in my opinion does a far better job.

I buy DiproBase in a large quantity and therefore go for the large 500g bottle (about 30cm in height). The bottle is made of a very simple white plastic with a pump action top. The top is excellent as when you are moisturising with slippery hands the last thing you want to be doing is fiddling around with a screw cap, so 5/5 for the easy application facility. The label follows a similar trend to the housing with a simple no nonsense approach with all the information presented clearly, concisely and without the need to have to search through lines and lines of useless bulk to find what you are looking for. Only two real warnings, keep out of reach of children and for external use only.

The cream is composed a wired and wonderful list of chemicals so here goes: chlorocresol, cetomacrogol, cetostearyl alcohol, liquid paraffin, white soft paraffin, phosphoric acid, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, sodium hydroxide and purified water.

It recommends that you apply a thin layer of cream and massage thoroughly into affected areas of skin. Personally I would start with a little, as with this product a little goes a long way, you have been warned. The first time I applied this it took me ages to get rid of it, not because it wouldn't absorb, just because I got a bit too excited over the pump action!

I use it twice a day as I do get dry skin after showing at the gym so I use it all over and after the first application I really feel the benefit. This is one of the few products I use on my skin, as I am not a modern metrosexual. I particularly like it because it doesn't smell. Why manufacturers insist on pumping exotic, fruity and sensual smells into moisturiser I'll never know, it is a functional product, if I want to have a scent I'll use something that doesn't make me smell like summer apples. I have been using the cream now for over a month and my skin is really much better, soft and feels good. Although I wouldn't apply any directly before you are about exercise as the stuff just pores back out of you as I recently experienced at my local gym on the tread mill.

It is recommended that the cream is kept below 25 degrees Celsius, I just keep mind in the bedroom out of direct sunlight so no real storage complications there to worry about.

The last section of the label states that for information you should write to the following address quoting PL 0201/0076 PA 277/36/2: Schering-Plough Ltd., Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 1TW, UK. I'm not entirely sure what else they could tell you as I have not sent away for the information leaflet but if you feel the need the address is there.