HAVE YOU USED THESE BEFORE?

So now I'm hoping if you visit my blog to help me with some of these products.
Have you used any of these before and did they work for you?

EMUAID

• I found this draft post I had and this product was part of this post I wanted to post.
• If you have tried this before, let me know if it works for you and how you used it. Such a small jar so cannot seriously be used on the whole body right?

DUPIXENT

• Recently I was referred to a dermatologist who recommended that I take Dupixent to treat my eczema. 
• I have doubts about adding another "possible" cure or relief substance in my body which can potentially cause more and different problems for my body just so I can have better looking skin and less itching.
• I'm not sure I want to do that. I have enough problems coping with eczema. You know what I mean?
• Also, I'm not sure if he just wants me to try the new drug which help some people to help me or for another willing subject to try a new drug to "hopefully" help alleviate my symptoms. It's the look in his eyes. The dismay when I told him my concerns about taking a drug that may cause new issues. It's not a risk I was willing to take.
• I guess if I really felt that he truly cared about me as a person, I may have considered it a little more but it was the lack of care. The lack of accountability and compassion. That is what kills me. I'm a human being with an issue. Not a subject.
• I can live with what I have right now until it become unbearable and I cannot move or something but I'm not going to be super vain and want to do it just so I can wear short sleeve or no sleeves clothing.
• My partner doesn't want me to take it either and he knows how my skin looks. I am so super grateful he is so loving and caring, plus he looks past superficial appearances. He doesn't like me to suffer from the itching, rash skin and flaky skin either but he agrees with me that I should not introduce anymore chemicals into my body.
• What are your thoughts? Is there actual a dermatologist out there that really cares about their patience. I mean just having to go to him to see him gives me stress with the lack of care he gives for my well being. 

Oolong Tea for Eczema Relief?

It's been awhile but nothing much has changed except recently when my eczema flare up lasted longer than I desired.

A few things I realized for 2018:

• I ate a lot of sweet delicious oranges during my skin flare up and after stopping for a week, my rash seems to be less red.
• Paprika intake in a soup recipe I followed may have also contributed to the rash. However, I thought paprika is supposed to be good for me. :(
• The weather has been really dry I think this winter. The office environment also dries out my skin and if I am lazy and did not spend enough time in the morning to moisturize my body, my skin gets so dry that I feel it is pulling. With the eczema rash, it feels like it would if I had a sunburn. Moving around, getting up and down from my seat was really painful.

Trying a few things starting this week:

• I mixed together a salve from raw shea butter, lavender essential oil, witch hazel oil and tea tree oil. 
• I use it on my rashed skin area after a couple of days after applying my steroid cream. The salve seems to help with moisturizing and at the same time heal any broken skin due to my scratching.
• If I can avoid using steroid cream I will.
• I think after I finish with the shea butter I may use Vaseline as the base. 
• Will provide an update after a month.
• Going to start drinking Oolong tea. 
• I remembered reading and hearing from my parents that Oolong tea is good for your health.
• So I Googled it and found an article. It says the tea is good for your skin and eczema as well. :) I'll drink it moving forward to see if it helps. :) Supposed to be good for managing weight loss.
• Hope it's true. Borrowed this picture from organicfacts.net
• 
• Continue using Kiehl's products. They are still working well for me. However, I've switched from the Ultra Facial Deep Moisture Balm to the Ultra Facial Cream. The balm was too rich for me, can you believe it? I was developing whiteheads on my forehead and cheeks. Now, I use the Ultra Facial Cream and it moisturizes great and my whiteheads are diminishing. I use Witchhazel to help to diminish the whiteheads.

Back to keeping my skin healthy. :)

See you soon.

2016 Year End Skin Regime Post

WOW, it seems again I have left my blog untouched for a full year. But no worries, I do have exciting news for eczema and general skin maintenance lovers. :)

2016
This year has been a year of new things for me. I've started to take my vacation when I am supposed to no matter what and really enjoyed my time and distressed.

Has it helped my eczema? It kind of did, I still get really dry skin.  Depending on my stress level due to work or my own personal stress levels, I do still get flare ups. The key is to stay moisturized of course. It's when I am lazy, my skin get too dry and my rash begins.

I've continued with some of the products I always go to when I have flare ups to decrease any further allergic reactions and I have discovered a new regime to help me maintain my hydration. Here they are:


VASELINE

No matter what, this is a must to have at home. It does the job to keep my skin moist. It's a bit greasy but it does not cause any allergic reaction and it does not sting my skin when I do have a rash.

Works best when applied after a shower when my skin is still damp. Builds a barrier so that my skin does not dry up, and my skin dries up real quick without any moisturizer.



KIEHL'S PRODUCTS

The following are products I ended up buying coz I ran out of lotion during my trip to Asian. I went to Hong Kong, Korea, and Japan. When I left Korea and on my way to Japan, I had to make sure I got my moisturizer for my face or I'll be in big trouble. I was desperate and went into the Duty-Free shop before my flight. I was with my friend and she got the store lady to help me and the store lady recommended me to use the Kiehl's Nurturing Baby Cream For Face & Body. 

She said that I will not be allergic to that, so I bought it. It is the best. Expensive for the size but it worked really well in the humid weather, and also now in the winter. I only have to put it on once a day and it lasts the whole day long!

At the same time that I got the cream for my face and body, I also got the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Deep Moisture Balm for my face...just in case. And I am so glad that I did, it really moisturizes my skin, and a little goes a long way.

So after the two purchases, and as soon as I got back to Toronto, I went and looked for other products that may help me. Check them all out here.

The Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate, I put on first, then I put on the Ultra Facial Deep Moisture Balm and the Creamy Eye Treatment.

The BEST. Oh my goodness, the eye treatment stopped the skin around my eyes from peeling. Yes, people, it is true, the skin around my eyes was so dry, it peeled. It was the worse part of my face to handle. The corner of my eyes used to split...that is how dry it was. No more flaky skin falling off my face anymore.

I have also purchased other products in the baby range. They all work really well!!!  I think this line of skin product is working well for me, so I'll continue using it. But like all products, sometimes you have to change once in awhile. I don't know why but somehow, products stop working as well after awhile. Let's see how long this line will last for me. :)

Okay, it's almost dinner time and being new year's eve, I better now spend some time with my lovely man!

Happy New Year, 2017 to all.

Hope this coming year will bring you much skin relief and hope this update may help you keep hydrated and less allergic.

Just so you can see my skin, no filter. No flakes, WOOT!!!

Peace, 😆😋💓

EpiCeram(R)

Just read about this new non-steriod cream. Have you heard of it?  I read about it here: http://www.eczemahelp.ca/en/treatment.html

I have not found out how to get it but from what I've read so far, it may have to be prescribed by your doctor.

I will provide a follow-up as soon as I have time to read up more on it and how I can get a hold of it http://www.epiceram.ca/home.php tells you about this cream.

Think I will ask my doctor to see if she has heard about this cream.

NEW DRUGS LESS HARMFUL TO OUR IRRITATING SKIN

So I'm just taking a break from work and reading up on ezcema relief treatments and came across this article. http://www.healthline.com/health-news/clinical-studies-eczema-new-treatments-060214#2

This link is on the same thing but better, as it has images. :)
http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/mt-sinai-doctor-leading-breakthrough-treatment-eczema-article-1.1778441

All these creams we are using with side effects that are scary. Just trying to use less as I am using these steriod creams such as Topicort and Protopic (tacrolimus). They were saying that tacrolimus is better than steriods but it also has its side effects, including skin cancer. :( I try not to think about it too much and to try not to use it unless absolutely required.

When my skin flares up, I cannot use anything else but the Topicort to get the relief for the itchy and the red flaring rash. It's so hard when you cannot predict when it hits. When it happens, I think to myself, "What did I eat? Did I not hydrate my skin enough? Did I use something that I am now allergic to? Is it the weather? Am I stressed? Is it my clothes? Not enough sleep?". It goes on and on.

It is a constant battle to avoid using these treatments and finding other means to find relief as I have mentioned in my previous entries. And as you get older, healing is slower.

I recently saw my doctor and at the time my skin was badly rashed up and had broken skin and open cuts. My doctor asked me when my last tetanus shot was and I told her when I was a child for sure. She immediately insisted I roll up my sleeves to take the shot that day. I hate needles but there was no stopping her. So I took it. Was not bad, she was a good needle administrator like she told me before it happened. I think the shot helped me, because I noticed that if I apply medication on those open cuts now, the healing seems faster. I remember before they would stay around forever it seemed and did not heal as fast as it did when I was younger. Guess, I do need to listen to my doctor.

Anyways, I'm still searching for relief. The best thing to do is to take the time to hydrate my dry skin for sure. But that is the key here, TIME. With busy schedule at work, stress filled in my own mind and at work, lack of sleep and lack of time to take care of my skin is not helping at all.  There comes a time when you need to stop, think and see what is important.

If you read the article, there may be better treatment coming soon within 5 years? Time flies, so I wish the doctors the best of luck to come up with something for us ezcema sufferers. Meanwhile, really the only thing I am not allergic to is Petroleum Jelly. And I do mix it with my steriod creams sometimes. As you know, steriod cream dries up your affected skin area and if you do not hydrate, it just keeps the rash cycle going.

More later if I find more interested articles. PEACE.

P.S. Wow, just looked at my blog and realized, I had no entries in 2014. Was a busy year.

La Roche-Posay Products - Something New!

BODY CREAM/BALM
So I was out with my girlfriends the other day and was shopping for body lotion. Really dry as you know in the winter. So again, I walked up to the La Roche-Posay counter to look and see what I can get.


Came across Lipikar Baume AP again. It says it has lipid-replenishing body balm, no fragrance and no parabens. :)

CeraVe was working for awhile but then it didn't. I think I need to switch up the products according to which season we are in.  For some reason it just wasn't giving me the same moisturizing results once I entered winter season.

Then I got Cliniderm because the Pharmacist I see told me that this brand does not have any Parabens. I was surprised to learn that CeraVe had parabens, I was not paying attention on the ingredients there. :(
But then Cliniderm was not really working either. Not very moisturizing.

NEW PRODUCT from La Roche-Posay
Yes, so as I've indicated, on my post heading, there is a new product from La Roche-Posay!  Yup. NURITIC INTENSE RICHE ! I needed a face cream while I'm waiting for my supply of KEYS Tortuga to come in. I forgot to order it last time I made an order for Reflex ProBiome product and now I'm out and waiting for the order to come in. I like Tortuga Super Emollient Lotion because you know why...all natural and it smells so great!

Anyways, it's only been two days but I can see that it does leave my face moisturized. I'm not using it on my eyes, so my eyes are really tight around sides...pretty uncomfortable. So I started using the Hydraphase intense eyes. I'm still dry inside my eye balls. :p It's just dry times right now,but I'm trying my best to cope.

FACIAL - Importance
I'm going for a facial soon. I think I need to pick up on that, I mean I catch myself in the mirror sometimes and think "Who the hell is that?".  I swear I think my face if sagging. I mean I am getting up there so I have to take care of my skin and facials are important!!  Like one of my man in the past said, "For a woman, it does not matter how much you spend on your face and body. You just spend it." I know it's so superficial but you know what?  If you don't take care of yourself no one will.  And before you can love someone else you've got to love yourself first. I've got a lot of love to give!!  Hahaha. :)

Okay, that's all I have for now. I'm just glad I got the Lipikar Baume AP for moisturizing my body...feeling good and moisturized now only have two days and I can see the difference too.

Dry Flaky Skin Around the Eyes

So, it's been a week since I saw the dermatologist and I did not take the pills that I was prescribed. :)  I tried using a bit of Protopic around my eczema affected areas and used Vaseline on my eyelids and around my eyes, especially at the corners.  And it worked!  It may have taken a lot longer but I really didn't want to ingest the Prednisone pills. But it's there in case I have a big flare up!!

Of course, I have to tell you that along with this ritual of putting the Vaseline, Protopic (very very little) and no make up, I was also less stressed out at work.  Stress is the EVIL of all things for us eczema sufferers for sure!

So all in all, right now all is good with my eyes. I hope if you are having issues this may help. For the Vaseline to work and blended in, the area should be a big moisten with water. ;)

Hope this last! I did take my vacation time too so with that and some R & R, I will have less stress and more time to recover fully.

xoxo.