Lucas' Papaw Ointment

We all know that winter can do various nasty things to our skin and as an Australian, I'm used to living in a climate that rarely drops below 10 degrees - so you can imagine how much my skin freaked out when I experienced my first British winter a few years back.

I was over here with my sister for Christmas in 2008 and after a few days in the face-freezing winds my lips were chapping, my elbows felt a bit like sandpaper and my hands dried out so much that my knuckles even cracked and bled :o

I found my salvation with a cult Australian beauty product -  Lucas Papaw Ointment.

Back in Oz this stuff is a handbag fixture thanks to its multitude of uses, neutral scent and exceptionally long shelf life.It can be used on minor cuts and abrasions, burns, rashes and chafing and is perfect for soothing dry skin and flaking lips. It's also great for taming brows or mixing with lipstick to tone down pigment - basically like an inexpensive version of (the very lovely) Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream.

The ointment is made in Brisbane, Australia (where I'm from!) using locally grown and fermented Papaw fruit. It is manufactured using pharmaceutical grade petroleum jelly and absorbs pretty quickly. Scent wise, it has a very slight sweet smell which I find really comforting, probably because I've been using it since I was little.

I felt compelled to write about this ointment because my skin is starting to feel the chill now so I've been reaching for it quite a lot lately. I feel like Boots or Superdrug should really stock this because it's a seriously wonderful product, but in the meantime you can find it online at Amazon. Prices vary but a 75g pot like mine will cost you around 10 pounds. Naturally it is more expensive here in the UK than  Australia, but if you're after something to soothe your skin this winter I think it's worth the investment!

Have you jumped on the Lucas Papaw Ointment wagon yet???