I hid my legs for 9 years. I tried this Bulgarian horse-chestnut cream for 30 days — here's every photo.
I'm not someone who writes reviews. I've never posted a photo of my own legs anywhere, for reasons that will become obvious. But three people have now asked me what I "did to my legs," so here it is — the whole month, photos and all, including the week I nearly gave up.
I'm 54. The thread veins started behind my knees in my forties, then crept down my calves — those blue-purple little rivers, plus a heavy, achy feeling by the evening that made me want to put my feet up the moment I got home. I stopped wearing dresses. I wore trousers on a beach holiday in 35°C heat. Nine summers, covered up.
And I'd wasted nearly £200 on pharmacy creams that did absolutely nothing, so I want to be clear: I did not believe this one would be any different.
Why I finally caved
It was a late-night scroll after a long shift on my feet. A woman in a Facebook group I'm in mentioned a small family brand from Panagyurishte, Bulgaria — run by a woman called Veselina Ralcheva, who grows the herbs with her own family. I went down a rabbit hole reading about them (they're real — a proper family company, they've even been in Forbes, I checked).
The actives were two things I'd never tried in a cream: Smoke Tree and Horse Chestnut. It's their Remorrhoids cream — yes, that's the name, it made me laugh too; it's made for varicose veins and haemorrhoids — £24.99 for a 30ml tube. I almost closed the tab. Instead I thought: one more, and if it's rubbish I'll just be £25 lighter and I can finally stop hoping.
My 30-day diary
Same phone, no filters. Exactly what I saw.
Lighter than I expected — sinks in fast, no greasy film, barely any smell. My skin is very sensitive and it didn't irritate it at all, which already put it ahead of half the creams I've tried. Massaged it up both calves, morning and night. Felt nice, expected exactly nothing. Took my "before" photo in the bathroom so I couldn't lie to myself later.
First small thing: by the time I got home my legs didn't feel like lead. That heavy, throbbing ache after a shift was… quieter. The veins themselves looked exactly the same. I told myself it was probably placebo, or the fact I'd been putting my feet up more. Kept going anyway.
Honest setback: the veins still hadn't visibly changed and I got impatient. I was also halfway through the tube already — doing both calves twice a day, a 30ml tube doesn't hang about, and I was grumbling about that too. I nearly shoved it in a drawer. A friend talked me into finishing the month since I'd already paid. Glad she did.
This is the day I texted my sister a photo. The finer thread veins behind my left knee looked… fainter. Less angry. My ankles weren't puffy by 9pm anymore. For the first time I started to think this was actually doing something, and not just my imagination.
Same spot in the bathroom, same evening light. The thread veins are softer and noticeably less visible, the bigger ones look calmer, and the achy heaviness is the thing I notice most — it's just gone. I wore a dress to a wedding on day 28. First time in nine years. I've ordered two more tubes.
Why it worked, as far as I can tell
I'm not a doctor, so this is just what I've pieced together. Horse chestnut (the aescin in it) is the one thing pharmacy moisturisers never have — it's traditionally used to support vein tone and ease the swelling that makes legs ache and look veiny. The Smoke Tree is a Bulgarian herb the family grows themselves (the label calls it Sumac — same plant), used for circulation — which I'd guess is why the heaviness eased weeks before the look changed.
And the third thing is boring but true: twice a day, every day. It's not a quick fix. The visible change came in weeks 3–4, once I'd actually stayed consistent.
To be fair about it: it didn't erase my biggest veins. Those are still there, just calmer-looking. It was the thread veins, the puffy ankles and the heaviness where I saw the real difference. Cosmetic, not a miracle — but lighter, less-achy, less-visible legs after a month, for £24.99? I'll take that every time.
I'm not the only one
Before buying I read every review on their product page — including the mixed ones, because that's what I actually trust. A few that matched my experience almost exactly:
"Very pleasant cream which I have been using on my legs… At least this cream does not irritate my skin which is very sensitive. For coverage you really need to sell a much larger tube please." — Claire B., ★★★★☆, verified buyer
"I think it is helping to relieve my spider and varicose veins, making them less noticeable. I will keep on using it to see if they improve more." — verified buyer, ★★★☆☆
"The cream is not a quick fix, but persistence is key. The cream is soothing, and has a pleasant aroma. I also like the fact that it can be used long term." — Hayden W., ★★★★★, verified buyer
The questions I had, answered honestly
Is it greasy, does it stain trousers? No — that surprised me. It sinks in within a minute and I got dressed straight after, no marks on anything.
How long until you see something? The heaviness eased in week one. The visible change in the thread veins came in weeks 3–4. If you try it, give it the full month — it's genuinely not a quick fix.
How long does a tube last? My one gripe. Doing both calves twice a day, a 30ml tube did me about two and a half weeks. A smaller area would go much further — but for legs, I'd start with two tubes.
Did it work on the big, bulging veins? Honestly? Not really — those are still there, just calmer-looking. It's the thread veins and the heaviness where it earned its keep.
Sensitive skin? Mine is awful with new products and I had zero irritation. It's an organic cream and the ingredients list is refreshingly short.
If you want to try it like I did
My honest advice: commit to the full month, and for both legs get two tubes from the start — I nearly quit at day 14 with one, and the change came in weeks 3–4. It's £24.99 a tube, straight from the family's own shop (that's where I bought mine; the multi-tube offers are on the same page).
It's the orange tube — "Remorrhoids, cream with Horse Chestnut and Smoke Tree". If it does for your legs what it did for mine, you'll be writing one of these yourself in a month.
— Sarah
