Escaping eczema…the unglamorous side of skincare.

Hi guys,

So this post is something a little different from my usual. Any time we read “beauty blogs” they are literally filled to the brim of glamorous beauty products and tips on how to make yourself pretty much perfect. What we don’t see is tips on how to deal with our not so perfect incurable conditions…we never really see the unglamorous side of beauty. SO…Today I’m going to talk about the fabulous eczema. Recently (in the past few months ago) I have discovered that my eczema has returned.. as a baby I suffered briefly from this condition however it’s usually unlikely for it to occur again in later life ( there’s about 30% chance). Now I’m going to start off by stating that I am in no way qualified to give proper medical advice…this blog is simply just going to be about MY experiences with eczema so far and how I am dealing with/controlling it. For anybody out there who is not familiar with eczema it is a skin condition which is pretty much incurable.. there only exists treatments to help control any severe flare ups. Symptoms of this condition include itchyness, dryness and redness of the skin. It has both genetic and environmental causes. It can be hereditary which means that it can be passed through families( my brother suffers from it as well so it all makes sense) or it can be caused from external factors such as allergic reactions to certain substances such as dust or certain chemicals. It is important to remind everybody that it is a very common condition and it has been estimated that one in every nine people have been diagnosed with it.  As far as treatment goes… the important thing is to firstly try and prevent the itching.. as scratching this itch can lead to infection and therefore further worsening the condition.There has been numerous tips and products advised to those with eczema..some which are very helpful and some which are downright bizarre, but here are a few of my tips that I find helpful:

1) Moisturise, moisturise, MOISTURISE. This is without a doubt the most important tip any body suffering from eczema can follow. Eczema flare-ups are more likely to occur when the skin is dehydrated. I would advise trying to moisturise about twice a day…paying specific attention to the areas mostly affected. Moisturising is most important after showering or bathing as your skin loses most of its moisture at this stage. A tip that I was actually advised of is to actually apply the lotion when your skin is still quite damp as this helps to lock in more moisture. If you suffer from eczema on your hands, a helpful idea would be to keep a bottle of hand lotion beside the sink so that you can moisturise straight after you wash and dry your hands. Also try to keep a travel-sized bottle with you be it in your pocket or handbag etc. to keep moisturised on the go. As far as moisturising lotions go, you should try to stay away from anything that contains alcohol or strong scents as this can just further irritate your skin. Personally I use E45 cream. It has no harsh ingredients or scents but still reaally reaaally keeps my skin moisturised. Ive also hear that any Vaseline products are quite good and are very suited to those with sensitive skin. You can find any of these products in most pharmacies and supermarkets.

2) What happens when  the itching gets to much?? It’s all well and good for me to tell you to keep moisturised.. but sometimes this just does not cut it and the itching can almost become to much to bare. In cases like this, a doctor can prescribe you a light hydrocortisone cream..which is a light steroid cream. This cream helps to rid the person of any itching and redness and stops the skin from drying up too severely. Now anyone who uses this type of cream has to be very very careful with its usage. Because it is a type of steroid it must be used very sparingly and ALWAYS wash your hands straight away after use…and rememeber always read the label before use. And lastly DON’T ITCH! It may give temporary relief but it can cause some very permanent effects such as scarring or infection!

3) Know your triggers. This is very important as it can help you to control your eczema or at least lessen its affects on you. Everybody’s triggers are different and can vary from pretty much anything. A nifty idea is to keep a little notebook and just quickly jot down anytime you have itching and what could have possibly caused it. Sometimes it could be a product that you have used that may have had a strong scent or ingredient. It could be something that you have eaten (there are food allergy tests that you can get from your doctor or some pharmacies to detect if you have any food allergies). Something I found to be one of my triggers is the type of washing detergent that my clothes were being washed with. The detergent was highly scented and was hence irritating my skin.. anybody else who has noticed this happening.. my advice would be to switch to a detergent that states it is non-bio which means that it contains natural ingredients and is kinder on sensitive skin. Another one of my triggers was the shower gel that I was using. I now use products that are barely if at all scented such as Sanex ( you can also buy shower gel by E45). Your best bet is to read the labels of any shower gels and try to stay away from those containing alcohol and aim towards ones which say they are fragrance free or suitable for sensitive skin. A recent discovery of mine is that you can now buy razor blades that are specifically for sensitive skin. There are so many products out there now..you just have to look! Lastly, change in temperature is a very common trigger among those who suffer from eczema so try to keep wrapped up when its cold and remember to keep moisturised all day ESPECIALLY in cold weather.

4) Lastly, Don’t be ashamed!! Eczema is a skin condition not the end of the world. It may not be the most glamorous thing on earth but if you care and treat for it properly it need never interfere on your fabulousness.  🙂

Well that’s all I really have to say on the matter guys. But I would love to hear from any of you who also suffer from eczema and if you have any of your own tips to share. Also, if any body wants to contact me about this post or has any questions or queries about what I’ve said or wants to just simply chat about it you can leave it in a comment below or you can private mail me at: kate.higham@hotmail.com

Lastly here is a list of some useful products that I have found very useful in helping to deal with my eczema: E45 creams, body lotions, shower gels etc. Sanex shower gels and bubble bath, La Roche Posay skin products, Vaseline products in particular there lip care and body lotions, Gillete Venus blades and shaving foam for senstitve skin, Dove products such as their shower cream and body butter… and lastly but not least the good old trusty Sudocrem! 🙂

Hope this blog helped guys or at least made for a some-what informative read.

Byyyye!! K 🙂 x