Living with eczema: Families desperate for replacement months after miracle cream NaturaCoco banned [Video]

The so-called ‘miracle cream’

While scrolling through TikTok one day, Paul came across an influencer talking about a cream to fight eczema.

It was NaturaCoco – poised to become hugely popular among Pacific and Māori communities on the back of social media posts – and then endorsements.

Parents started posting before-and-after photos showing – sometimes severe – eczema on their babies and children, gone within a day or two. Some of them used the words “magic” and “miracle cream.”

NaturaCoco was made in the Philippines and sold by a Hamilton-based retailer, NaturaCoco New Zealand.

The family-run retailer promoted the products online as “kid-friendly” and “suitable for all ages”.

Paul bought a 100g pot for $34.95 for Monica. Within 24 hours of using it, she saw a marked difference, she said.

It became the family’s go-to cream to treat Monica’s eczema. They even bought an extra pot for the preschool she attends, so teachers could use it …