This site is intended for Healthcare Professionals only

Suitcase essentials - Holiday Health

Conditions bookmark icon off

Suitcase essentials - Holiday Health

Pack your customers off with the best travel health advice this summer. Dawn Gay shares top tips to take away

With around 38 million of us jetting off to warmer climates every
year, the outlook is sunny for the pharmacy holiday
health market. But slim-line hand luggage and stringent security restrictions, allowing a single, resealable clear plastic bag of 100ml fluids, mean new holiday products must vie for space in the consumer suitcase.

Essential medicines over 100ml and medical equipment can be carried in flight hand luggage, but the patient must carry supporting medical documentation, such as a GP letter. But ABTA says that pharmacists advising travellers on medication should also be aware of medicine restrictions at the destination. For example, codeine is illegal in Dubai. Media relations manager at ABTA Sean Tipton explains: “If your customers are on medication, get them to check with the Foreign Office travel advice service to make
sure that it is legal to take this medication into the destination they are visiting.”

Mr Tipton suggests that pharmacists give the following advice: “Pack your medication in your hand luggage, not the hold, in case your bag is delayed or lost, and check with the airline to see if you need to inform them as well.”

Cream of the crop

Malignant melanoma is the UK’s fifth most prevalent cancer, but ABTA says that sun exposure is still a burning issue. Mr Tipton explains that pharmacists should be recommending high-factor lotions, especially when the sun is at its strongest between 11am and 3pm. “Remind your customers that lotion should be applied even on cloudy days, as harmful UV rays will go straight through cloud cover. This is particularly important in tropical countries where the sun can be much stronger.”

So why are the public resisting the urge to 'slip-slap-slop'? Recent research on a test group of 800 women shows that the thick, greasy and sticky consistency of high SPF creams can put people off. Cosmetic dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting says: “Despite the fact that many women know they should wear sunscreen, it’s surprising the amount of patients I see who say they don’t, due to it being too time-consuming or uncomfortable.”

Piz Buin is addressing the 'sticky factor' with its new Ultra Light Dry Touch range, available in face and body fluids. The fluids feel dry, light and non-greasy, and are easy to apply with a nozzle. Dr Bunting continues: “Sun fluids with dry touch technology were a breakthrough in the US in 2013 and addressed a significant barrier for people who found sunscreen too thick and sticky for comfort. It’s great to see this technology is becoming more popular over in the UK now, too.”

Niamh Finnan, group brand manager at brand owner Johnson & Johnson, says: “Every year the Piz Buin brand pushes the boundaries of sun protection with innovation within this category, and this year is no exception. The new Piz Buin Ultra Light Dry Touch Sun Fluid range has an instant dry touch and feels ultra light upon application, whilst ensuring you stay protected under the sun. The launch is being supported by PR and media relations, as well as in-store marketing.”

"Remind your customers that lotion should be applied

even on cloudy days"

Coming to the UK"

Already well-known in Europe, Lavera natural sun care range is finding its footing in the UK. Its founder Thomas Haase launched Lavera in Germany in 1987 after experimenting with treatments for neurodermatitis. Pravera, which distributes Lavera in the UK, is showcasing the sun care range at the Allergy Show and Free From Show in London (July 4-6) and Liverpool (October 25-26), targeting pharmacists interested in selling sensitive skincare ranges.

A Pravera sales team is currently visiting local pharmacists and providing training and trial products to those stocking the brand. Graeme Hume, managing director of Pravera, explains: “Pharmacies will always be seen as the obvious point for sun screens, and in Northern Europe the consistency of the sun is erratic. Therefore, the UK population needs to feel good and self-tan products go hand-in-hand with sun protection.”

He explains that Lavera was the first company to introduce a 100 per cent mineral based sunscreen and is the European market leader. “The principle of mineral sunscreens is completely different from those that use petroleum and chemical-based sun protection, and therefore the occurrence of symptoms like prickly heat are less likely, and reactions to synthetic ingredients absent. It is great for people with sensitive skin or those who suffer from skin conditions such as prickly heat, for those who want to reduce the chemicals present in their personal care products, and for babies and children, as their skin is even more sensitive to chemicals.”

The Australian sunscreen brand SunSense has revised its sunscreen range, adding a new vitamin E formula to the mix in January. The range’s marketing manager Stephanie Young comments: “The SunSense range includes sunscreens for everyone, using high-quality ingredients that quickly bond to skin. Each product is unique in its formulation, and most have recently been reformulated to meet stringent new regulations on the labeling of sunscreens in Australia. All of our high-factor sunscreens help protect from both UVA and UVB radiation – in fact, the SunSense range has the highest sun protection factor available.

Biting back in 2014

The insect repellent brand Incognito added a new 50ml roll-on containing the active ingredient citrepel 75 to its natural range in March. Bite protection specialist and Incognito brand manager Howard Carter says that pharmacists will soon hear about the roll-on through various media, and can expect a telephone introduction from his team. He says: “There will be record amounts of mosquitoes and other insects in the UK this year, due to the fact that flood waters did not disperse until May, coupled with record temperatures this summer. There will be very strong demand for insect repellents. Chemists can expect an exceedingly good return from the natural brand leader. Our spray outsold Jungle Formula by two to one last year.”

The child-friendly formula is a unique selling point for pharmacists, says Mr Carter. “Pharmacists will be able to recommend the Incognito roll-on insect repellent, which is the easiest method of applying our child-friendly formula to children and babies. Incognito is the only full-strength insect repellent that can safely be applied to an infant’s skin."

Ecobrands’ bite relief tool, Zap-It, was launched in a new array of bright colours last May. Zap-It is a 'piezo' device, which generates a harmless low electrical impulse created by crystals (the same system used in clocks and lighters) to relieve itching. The gadget cannot be used on infants under two years of age. A study at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine concluded that the product reduces histamine flow and stimulates the capillaries into flushing out toxins.

Stepping into holiday season

Scholl added an improved Express Pedi electrical hard skin exfoliator to its Velvet Smooth foot care range in February. The Express Pedi has evolved with a broader head and ergonomic handle for easier use.

High-profile pedicurist Glenis Baptiste says: “Many people don’t realise that the skin on the feet is 20 times thicker than the skin on the rest of our bodies, so it needs to be treated with specialised products. Removing hard skin is far less strenuous with an electrical gadget and often achieves better results than a manual foot file, whilst products enriched with vitamins and minerals give feet an instant feel-good boost.”

Summer coldsores

Skin Shop is targeting the summer coldsore market with its new Liquorice and Melissa Lip Gel. The natural paraben and SLS-free option containing the active ingredients glycyrrhizic acid (GA) in liquorice and melissa oil (lemon balm) is available in a 15ml travel-size tube. The gel was recently tested during a double-blind trial by the Herpes Virus Association, which reported a reduction in the severity and duration of coldsore outbreaks in 73 per cent of the test group.

 

Copy Link copy link button

Conditions

Share: