Biotique Bio Costus Foot Cream Review

This is a review for Biotique Bio Costus Foot Cream.

DESCRIPTION AS FOUND ON AN ONLINE STORE:

Biotique Bio Costus Stress Relief Foot Massage Cream is made out of extracts of costus root, dandelion and cobra saffron. Costus Root is a wild herb growing in the Himalayas and is known for medicinal properties. Its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory nature keeps skin cool, calm and conditioned. The cream also contains lanolin. Cobra saffron and lanolin extract helps in softening the hard skin and prevents the heal from cracking. It also cures foot infection and stop feet itching. It gives a soothing and cooling effect to your tired feet.

Biotique Costus Foot Cream 50 gms Tub Pack

Product	Ayurvedic Foot Cream
Quantity	50 gms and 250 gms packing
Color	Thick White cream
Smell	Menthol
Price	50 gm pack = INR 180 (INR 153 on medplusbeauty.com) 250 gms pack = INR Rs 540 (INR 459 on medplusbeauty.com: Highest discount)  Also available at Flipkart.com and many online stores.
Shelf Life	3 years from mfg date
Packaging	Comes in regular Biotique Green tub packing.
Package Description	Help soften hard skin and soothe tired feet, cures foot infection and stops foot itch. This is not a cosmetic product. It has therapeutic properties. Carefully manufactured and Marketed by BIO VEDA ACTION RESEARCH COMPANY.
Ingredients	2% Doodhal Mool (Dandelion extracts), 1% NagKesar (cobra saffron.), 2% Kooth Mool (Costus Root), 1% Menthol, Sunflower Oil, Cream Base (Lanolin)

My previous foot cream was used up and I was looking for another option when I saw this one. I researched and didn't find a single review for this product. I didn't know this is a medicated cream and bought it under the impression of a regular foot cream. But I am still finding it very useful.

What makes this cream different from regular foot creams is that this is not at all greasy. Regular foot creams mostly form a layer of fat on your feet to lock in the moisture and take a very long time to absorb into the skin. So they are best applied at bed time when you won’t walk around anymore. Also, if you happen to wet your feet even a bit, regular foot creams give a very uneasy greasy slippery feeling. 

Biotique Costus cream gets absorbed immediately without leaving any hint of oiliness. So it can be applied anytime during the day. It conditions the skin without making it oily. It’s a great cream for active men and women who keep their feet tied in closed shoes most part of the day, for sports-persons, for housewives who spend long hours standing in the kitchen, diabetics who usually feel pain in feet due to poor circulation, and for anyone who is prone to cracked heels and foot infections, or have hard foot skin.

Update on 4 Oct 2012: The 50 gms tub is just 65% of the total tub you see above. It lasted me almost 2 months with 1-2 applications per day. My feet did not have sensation in some areas and I couldn't feel tickling earlier. Within 2 weeks of applying this cream daily, my sense of 'Feel' returned in the numb areas. Also, it cured the burning sensation I used to have in my feet all the time. Another benefit: My left foot's thumb nail had a big crack in the nail bed area for many years. The nail used to break off  every few weeks leaving half of the nail bed exposed. This cream healed that cracked nail when everything else failed. However, this is a personal observation and experience with the product and the results may vary from person to person. I have repurchased the bigger 250 gms tub as that is more economical.

Biotique Costus Foot Cream 250 Gms Tub

Biotique Costus Foot Cream 250 Gms Tub

The 250 Gms Tub comes sealed with Aluminium Foil

THE PLUSES:

1. Foot infections are very common in the present humid Indian weather. This foot cream has medicinal properties for curing such infections.
2. Menthol increases blood circulation where cream is applied, and provides quick relief to tired feet. Feet turn rosy red and beautiful due to improved circulation.
3. You get soft feet without any stickiness or sweat.
4. All Biotique products (including this cream) are completely organic, preservative (paraben) free and do not have any strong chemicals.
5. If you have very dry skin prone to cracked heels, you can use a small quantity daily as a regular cream. Especially good for diabetics and people with poor blood circulation.

THE MINUSES:

1. Some people may not like the smell of Menthol like I did in the beginning, because it feels like you are applying Vicks to your feet. But the smell fades away in a few minutes and anyways your nose and feet are very far from each other :-)
2. 50 gms packing is costlier. If it suits you, it is economical to buy the 250 gms tub.
3. If you apply lavishly on healthy feet, you will feel slight burning due to menthol. But this is only initially and once you get used to it, you don't feel it at all. So take small amounts and spread thoroughly on the skin each time.
4. This cream is not very rich/oily. Winters are round the corner so I will update if it provides good moisturization in winters.
5. People don't like tub packing for hygiene reason. The packing is not an issue for me personally. If you have more than one biotique products, it becomes difficult to differentiate as they all look same. Need to mark with a nailpolish or something to avoid confusion.

Tips: Always insert clean and dry fingers in any jar/tub packing. For best results use it after bath as skin is highly moisturized at that time. Make sure to wipe dry the gaps between your toes after bath/wash to prevent foot infections. I am using this cream along with the Vaadi Herbals Foot Scrub Soap reviewed here.

Also check out:
Biotique Nyctanthes Hand Cream Review
Biotique Bio Almond Oil Soothing Face and Eye Makeup Cleanser Review
Souflower Happy Feet Soap Review
Vaadi Herbals Elbow-Foot-Knee Scrub Pedicure Soap Review
VLCC Groome Instant Nail Shiner Review
How to Extract Aloe Vera Gel at Home?
DIY Natural Skin Serum for Oily Combination Skin
How to Make Your Own Natural Loofah Sponge
Patanjali Drishti Eye Drops Review

Vaadi Herbals Elbow-Foot-Knee Scrub Pedicure Soap Review

This is a review for the Vaadi Herbals Elbow-Foot-Knee Scrub soap also known as the "Pedicure At Home" Soap.

Product	Foot Scrub Soap
Price	Rs 25 for 75 gms packing
Color	Silver Gray
Smell	Between soapy and herbal, slightly strong, but you don't get to know till you sniff it.
Texture	Since this is a scrub soap, it is coarse in texture. It contains almond and walnut micro-particles.
Best before	36 months from mfg. date
Packaging	Comes wrapped in proper plastic wrapper enclosed within a thin cardboard box
Description on the packaging	Removes Dirt, Dark Spots and Dead Skin Cells: A specialized scrub soap, with Almond and Walnut Scrubs, which clears out dead skin cells from your Elbows, Knees and Feet, making them softer, clearner and fairer. Also removes dark spots and pigmentation from affected areas. “PEDICURE AT HOME”
Directions of use	Gently rub the soap on your feet, knees and elbows in slow circular motion. Let the scrub remove the dead cells and dirt. Rinse off with water.
Website	www.vaadiherbals.com

I have been using foot scrub soaps daily for the past three years. While I would love the luxury of regular pedicures, I just can't bear to sit hours in the parlour. So I simply replaced the normal soap with the scrub soap for my feet, in my bath routine. 

The last two years, I was using an oval pebble shaped foot scrub soap that I had happened to discover in Delhi. I don't remember the brand name because it had a small sticker and used to come in a nylon mesh packing wrapped in thick laminated plastic. I used only two because each lasted 10 months to 11 months despite daily lavish use, even though it sounds unbelievable. 

I wish I had a picture to show here, but the pebble shape helped in it's least contact with the surface, which is why it did not melt with water and lasted long. But the scrub particles were very harsh. The recommended use was once a week though I used it daily.

I haven't seen that in Punjab yet, so I was on a lookout for a foot scrub soap when I saw this one online. It is a really good soap for a very small price.

THE PLUSES

1. This soap gives a very thick creamy lather.
2. The scrub particles are gentle and do not hurt the skin when used on the upper side of feet or on elbows or knees.
3. Cleans the feet really easily no matter how stubbornly dirty they are.
4. Despite the soapy smell, it doesn't need a lot of water to rinse off, which I hope, means doesn't have a lot of surfactants/ foaming agents added.
5. Takes very little time to work.
6. Once back in the soap case, dries very quick and no product wastage.
7. Didn't dry the feet even though I didn't immediately moisturize them.
8. Mild enough for daily use. This, plus a good foot cream = soft lovely feet.
9. Very affordable.

HOW TO USE

For including in your daily bath routine, wet your feet and lavishly apply the soap on both the lower and upper sides of feet. Rub on the lower side and heels particularly on the dirty areas. Massage with hands for the scrub to remove dead skin cells. Leave it on for a few minutes while you continue with the rest of your bathing routine. 

Just before rinsing off with water, scrub clean with a foot file to get perfectly neat feet. Alternatively, for your regular pedicure, soak the feet in warm water adding some salt and/or vinegar. Scrub clean with this soap and complete the pedicure as regular. 

HAPPY FEET, hurray!!!

Since scrubbing leaves the skin pores open, you can use a toner to close the pores (optional) and then moisturize with a good foot cream.

THE MINUSES

None :)

Availability: Available at goodlife.com, flipkart.com, urbantouch.com and a few other online stores.