2026 -It has been a long while and have new products to introduce.

PRODUCTS THAT WORK FOR MY SENSITIVE, ECZEMA SKIN - 2026

BAR SOAP:

Wow, I finally found a bar soap that is both natural and moisturizing for sensitive skin.

Firstly, since I am allergic to certain types of oils; coconut oil being one of them, it was hard for me to find a good castile oil that does not use coconut oil.

This brand uses olive oil and shea butter as their base so my skin does not react adversely to their product. The thing is one year they ran out of their bar soaps that I liked for awhile so I try to stock up when I can.

Wished they sold it in Ontario but this company is in Vancouver, British Columbia.

https://countryrosecastile.com

Since I tried these in 2023, my skin after showering does not instantly dry up within 15 minutes. I stay moisturized and not having to rush to put on my body cream as top up after. 😀

I also use it everyday for washing my face. Again, do not feel dry and tight after use.

Even if they run out of the one I love the most, the others works just as well. (Except the one with Charcoal for me since my skin is dry and I do not have issues with acne.)

Castile Soap Bars – Country Rose Soap - Check them out and hope one of them will work for your skin type.

HAIR SHAMPOO:

I started using bar shampoo very recently and I find that it leaves my hair super hydrated. I have not yet tried the conditioner bar but will as soon as my conditioner runs out. I'm trying to not waste my money by just using new products without finishing my existing ones.

Blue Tansy Cleansing + Moisturizing Shampoo | Springwater Naturals, this is the one I am using now. I bought it when I walked passed a stall at the CNE - Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, Ontario. I finally started using it last year and plan to replenish my stock before I run out. I really like it. Smells incredible and I feel that it feeds my hair while I shampoo. As if my hair was absorbing the shampoo, leaving it so soft to the touch. My hair is naturally wavy and really this is the first product where my hair strains returns back to their natural waves. Love. 

Mentions:
I was using Prose hair products for awhile but seriously they give me a sense of rushing to provide new subscriptions before I need them and no matter how I try to stop the shipments, it never works. Turned me off to continue even though I thought their product did work for me. Packaging looked great but pretty expensive. The feeling of being pushed into receiving their products when I did not need them yet is the turn off.  There are other brands that would not do that and let me control when I want to receive their products so I moved on. Sad but did not need the added stress haha. However, I still want to give them a shut here coz their products are good and smells great.

BODY LOTION/BALM:

I am using Curel - ITCH DEFENSE right now and it has been working really well for me. I remember using this back in the day when this brand had a fragrant free lotion. It worked well for awhile but then one day they seem to have change the texture of the lotion and I did not like it. Well my skin kind of rejected it and did not absorb as well.

Now this one still holds up for me even throughout the winter. Even more expensive brands that claims to deliver does not compare. You can buy this online from any drugstore, supermarket and also online like amazon and well.ca.

Mentions:

My dear cousin gifted me for my birthday the body wash and balm from https://www.aesop.ca/ and it smells incredible but the balm does not hydrate me surprisingly and I am thinking it may be the mandarin rinds they may be affecting my skin at times. I wish it was great as it does smell so good. 

However, these products may work for you as the brand is super brand from Australia. You can check out the online store and this product to see if it may suit you.

ALL ABOUT THE SENSITVE DRY FACE:

Okay last topic of the day is all the products that keeps working for my face.

QUINTESSENTIAL5 -Toner Spray

I cannot say enough for this mist toner that I use for my face when I feel dry during the day. 

Came across it on Amazon but they seem to have run out. I love, love, love this product. Need to know where else to get it. 

I may have to look for something else if this company is not producing it anymore. 😕 I have it on subscription but recently saw they sold out. Not sure what is going on but I did ask. Stay tune.

I use this right after washing my face before I put on my serum and creams. I smells amazing and works to keep my dry skin at bay. I also use it right after I put on my foundation. At times I don't even put anything on after my skincare. Gives my face a glow finished look.

SERUMS 

The Ordinary - Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Hydrating Serum with Ceramides

I am telling you if I do not put on anything else but this serum on my face, I would feel fine leaving the house. I feel would feel hydrated and my face would feel firm and if I had any redness to begin the day with, it would disappear after I pat this baby on my face!!! Love. 

This product has helped my flaky dry skin for years now. And when my face is not dry, my eczema is does not start and rage. Unless I eat something I am not supposed to. Even if I did, this face ritual would help with subsiding the itchy and red skin.

Okay so in case anyone is looking for updates on products from me, this is what I have for today.  I do have more to share but wanted to share my staples with anyone who may be searching for skin relief. 

Good luck, stay calm and close your eyes to destress from the day. Next update will be on the face masks I have started to use. Want to give it more time before I spread my feedback around to make sure it may work for you.

Happy Year of the Fire Horse!!! 

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.

Prednisone v.s. Protopic, Cream v.s. Lotion 

Well, it has come to this again. The new dermatologist I went to seek a diagnosis on my eye issues with eczema. I didn't know what exactly it was but it has been so dry and flaky for almost a month now. I would have one good day when I am not at work and then because of the dry air in the office it drying happens even when I try to moisturize during the day. Doesn't help when colleagues think I'm obsess with looking at myself. They don't really understand the feeling of the tight feeling I have and having the need to look what the heck is up with skin around my eyes. When I see that's is dry and cracked I'm freaking out. What the hell can you put around the area without affect the inside of my eyes. Too much moisturizing seem to build protein from within. There was no winning there.

Biggest mistake was to stretch my skin to make the tight feeling go away. I only split the corner of my eyes and holy cow that hurt. Not to mention I know nicely created more wrinkles. Aaargh.

Anyways, I know if I take the Prednisone pill my skin will miraculously clear up and that is all of my skin, not just around my eyes. But there are side effects for taking Prednisone, it's basically instead of applying the steroids directly to the affected areas you are not ingesting the steroids and it's going to work on your entire body. I've taken this while I worked in Asia and let me tell you that it works. But it also create problems with your body. Especially if you are female, yeast infections comes every time I take them. It could be because of the place I was in, where it's pretty humid in the first place but it's not fun having to see one doctor and ending up seeing another type just because I want the easiest way out of the other.

I took the prescription but I think I need to hold out and see if applying the Protopic will help. He said that I could try to use that first if I am adverse to taking the Prednisone, it's my choice. Well of course it's my choice, I hate to create another known problem from taking the prescription. I've been there many times and it's the worse circumstance. Who needs two problems.

I'm taking the weekend to religiously apply a thin layer where my eyes are affected. It's not a steroid cream so it won't thin my already very thin skin around my eyes. I wanted to see and hear the Dermatologist tell me what I can put around my eyes and eyelids before doing it regularly and he said putting the Protopic will be okay. He also talked about moisturizing and taking lukewarm baths. We all know this already but who has the time to take a bath these days. I guess I really do need to make the time for ME. The interesting recommendation was to use the Aveeno oil NOT the oatmeal powder. I knew that didn't work for me but I guess they know that now too. That powder just makes me itch more.
The other recommendations were Oilatum bath oil and Alpha Keri oil. I like the Oilatum, and the Apha Keri oil I've used before and it smells great but I think I'm a bit allergic to that one.

And get this, Vaseline Petroleum Jelly was one of his choice of recommendation to moisturize with. One of my friends is really against people using it but yet that is the only thing that really keeps my body moisturized, especially after a shower or bath. Especially when my skin is at it's driest and flaky. Once I get over that flaky stage I would switch to use CeraVe Cream or Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream. The key is using cream...he said not anything that you can pump out like lotions because lotions contain too much water. He actually he also recommended Lipikar Baume...I've used that and I like it but it's kind of pricey.

It's Saturday so last night I took my anti-histamine Atarax which makes me drowsy but I guess it does calm me down and let's me sleep through the night. Taking two pills was recommended when I really have an attack, but then don't bother thinking I'll wake up for anything after that. Aaaaah, the pleasure of not having to wake up for anything on the weekends (other than your own social and family life calling).  Stress is just everywhere, if you are not working and getting stressed, your family likes to stress you out whether they know they are doing it or not. All I want is to be stressed free, but it seems in order to be stressed free you need to not have feelings and empathy. That's not me, I'm too empathetic and too emotional.

So, I've decided to take the longer approach for now and see what happens with Protopic and Vaseline to moisturize around my eyes. We'll see what happens. If it still does not work...THE PREDNISONE.

Anyways, I know if I take the pill, I'll clear my rash within a few days...however, the side effects and another one is that my face will blow up like a balloon. Chubby or Michelin face is what my colleagues in Asia would call me. :( Nice. NOT.

I will provide an update on my progress with this and hope that my Protopic and Vaseline approach works.

Ciao for now.

Happy 2013! Before I start working again and have no time to post...as you can see from my 2012 entry of only one!  I want to share with you a few products I've been using for 2012 and they have proved to be very helpful.

1. CeraVe moisturizing cream 
I really like this cream, it does not sting my skin even when I have a flare up and it's necessary for me to use a cream to moisturize my very dry skin. It's about $22 -$25 for a 453g/16oz tub. I notice my skin being more supple after a couple of days use. :) Well.ca sells it online if you want to check it out here. 


2. Lipikar BauemAP by La Roche-Posay
This body balm was recommended by these ladies who saw how dry my skin was during a really bad eczema flare up. So amongst other lotions and creams they recommended this balm for my body. I was going into Shoppers Drug Mart to get my CeraVe moisturizing cream but they told me to use this one it's better. Well, I did buy it and did use it and it's really rich but when I had a flare up it did sting a bit. So, not that it's not good but I would not recommend using it if you have a rash flare up. It was also expensive but I forgot how much it cost...maybe because it was too expensive and I didn't want to remember? Hee hee. The bottle I bought was a 400ml and it's probably around $27 or so but since it's not as effective as CeraVe for me, I still have a bit left and use it when my skin is not red with rash patches.

3. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra
Okay so this one I do recommend for prepping the skin before moisturizer and I bought it actually for my really dry and flaky eyelids. Last year my eye lids got so dry and flaky it was driving me INSANE. It was so dry it cracked as well and oh my goodness, what do you put on your eyelids? Well, the ladies recommended me to this lotion because they said I could use it around my eyes and eyelids. It works, but as a primer before something else. The fact this Vaseline is what I put on thereafter and is the only thing that keeps the dry flakes away! Not going to lie, this little bottle of 40ml is not cheap...but comes in handy!


4. Eau Thermale Avene -Thermal Spring Water
This I use to spray on my face before applying any moisturizer...just helps with the absorption of the moisturizers I use. You may not need to use it but because my skin is so dry this mist of spring water helps dampen my skin and gets it ready for moisturizing! And I have one at home and one at work. The office is so dry so sometimes I spray a mist on my face and it wakes me up and helps just before I put on more moisturizer during the day.

5. Toleriane Dermo-Cleanser
I love, love, love this cleanser for my face. It really calms my itchy face down and I think at the same time it moisturizes while I clean my face!!! Some times I use it as a body cleanser. Again it's not cheap but the bottle lasts a long time, you don't have to use a lot of it. The texture is so slippery it works well when you want to give yourself a facial massage...it's awesome!
 


So, that's all for now but I think I'll still be using these products for awhile yet since I still have a lot of it...expect for CeraVe cream, I run out on that faster than the others. And always, have Vaseline petroleum jelly with me ALWAYS. My friend recently was very upset when another friend of mine and I mentioned that we use Vaseline petroleum jelly but the fact is this is the only product that really gets rid of the stubborn dry flakes from my face and lips sometimes. And the only product that gets rid of split, dry cracked lips.

Hope you are able to keep the eczema flare ups at bay! I'm keeping it at bay as much as I can but honestly the best way is to NOT each stuff you should not eat and MOISTURIZE regularly!

Hazelwood and Eczema

Hmmm, I just came across a few blogs regarding hazelwood and how it helps those who have eczema. Something about eczema suffers may have too much acidity in their system and hazelwood takes away the acidity to help clear up the rash.

Well, I'm a sucker for natural remedies and so I just bought online a hazelwood necklace...what could I lose really? I mean, it looks pretty good to just wear as jewellery. I bought this one. :) I also got a bracelet with a mixture of Amber, as Amber is supposed to help with any aches and pains. Worth trying out I think.

So I'm not sure when I'll get my delivery but I'm getting excited to start this testing and hoping it may help me keep my eczema breakouts in check. This winter weather is not helping me at all. I just put on some lotion and all I've done thus far is scratch it off. I need to stay moisturized but it's hard, I can feel the heat suck all the moisture out of my skin. My man put on the humidifier for me as he knows I get really dry and itchy without it. So sweet.

Anyways, I was so excited about this find, that I needed to record it here and to keep whoever is following me in the know. :) I will provide an update this as soon as I get to use it. Some people are saying the results are like within 24 hours of wearing it. Who knows, may help.

Oh and by the way, HAPPY 2012!!! xoxo.

Oilatum

Ah ha! How did I ever forget about this product, Oilatum bath oil. When I was working in Hong Kong for 2 years, the doctor there recommended me to this product to keep my skin moist. I had forgotten about this until I was buying my supply of Aveeno Eczema Care Cream and it was right next to it.

I'm using it again and it's working of course and helping me keep in my moisture right after my shower and before I put on my Aveeno. Though it is a bath oil, you can also use it with your sponge in the shower! So glad I found this again. Once the bathroom is completed, I can't wait to soak in it.

So if your skin is feeling dry, especially now when Fall and Winter is coming. Start looking for this. Well.ca sells this on their website and I also found mine at Walmart. :) About the same price.

Keep moisturizing! My regime seems to be working out really well for the past few months. Yipee!

Dermatologist Defends Oat-Based Emollients for Eczema : Internal Medicine News

Dermatologist Defends Oat-Based Emollients for Eczema : Internal Medicine News

Aveeno Ezcema Care Cream Update and Cetaphil Restoraderm

Wow what a beautiful Saturday, it's 26 degree Celsius outside but feels like about 30 under the sun. As you know though, with the medicated cream I'm using for my eczema, I cannot be exposed to the sun or I'll burn or goodness know what else more.

On a good note, the Aveeno Ezcema Care Cream I'm using for body moisturizer is really hydrating my skin. I'm not flaky anymore since I've started using it. Sometime I alternate between the Cetaphil Resotraderm lotion which also has ceramide as the ingredients. :) The Cetaphil is a lotion so it's not as thick and creamy as the Aveeno but it still helps. Another difference is that sometimes the Cetaphil stings my skin if it's broken, so when I am a bit rashy I won't use the Cetphil. And Cetaphil though it's moisturizing, it doesn't keep my skin as moisturized as Aveeno does through out the day. I have to reapply the Cetaphil to feel the hydrating affect.

Let's hope this moisturizing routine will continue to work when winter comes. :)

Ceramide Creams for Eczema

So I've started using Aveeno Eczema Care Cream since my last visit with my doctor. She recommended that I try Aveeno for my dry skin and I told her at the time that I've tried using it but it didn't work. However, I did go and looked for the cream and came across the special cream for Eczema, so I bought it and am using it ever since. The difference between the regular Aveeno Cream and the Aveeno Eczema Care Cream is the ingredient Ceramide. I read on the internet that some Eczema suffers benefit from Ceramides to help moisturize and heal the skin.

I've been using it for about a month now and have noticed the difference. I mean at least my skin is not flaking off and oh yes, the bad rash I had on my right hand disappeared. I'm not saying that it works all by itself, what I'm saying is that by using the Aveeno Eczema Care Cream my medicated cream was able to do it's job. My skin was so so dry that the healing never worked. I can't tell you have happy I am now looking at the top of the back of my hand. I remember sitting in my car and just bursting into tears because my hand looked like it belonged to a 90 year old lady and there wasn't anything that was working. It was so itchy, it drove me insane!!

Now, the back of my hands are not red and flaky anymore. It only took one week for the signs of healing.

Right now I'm stilling using the cream with my medicated cream and it seems that it's also helping the numular eczema spots I have. I think that's what it is. They are in spots and raised before and they are very itchy. But now, it seems they are starting to heal as well. It's taking slower but they are really nasty itchy raised spots that is also driving me nuts. However, the itchy is less intense now and I'm continually putting the cream on it and also my medicated cream. I'm hoping the raises spots will flatten...though they are very noticeable and will scar, all I really care about now is that they do not drive me nuts from itchiness.

So from this experience, I'm also looking into these ceramide based creams. This article I found recommended a few that I'm going to buy and see if they help as well. Check it out.

If you have very dry skin, you should try and see if Aveeno Eczema Care Cream will work for you. I'll let you know if the other ceramide creams are good as well or better. ;) Later.

Calendula and Herbal Medicine

So, it's been almost 5 months since my last entry and I've continued to figure out how to alleviate my eczema without having to use steroid ointments. Now, I'm not saying that I have not used my medicated creams within these 5 months but I've been trying to use less of it as I found they were not working so well anyways.

The reason why I started using calendula oil (pure calendula) is because it is 100% sting free!!! That's the ticket. I mean my skin was so raw and red that anything I used on it stung. I have so many lotions I've bought thinking because they were for sensitive skin that they would not sting but NO, they stung and hurt like hell. Keri lotion was the one that

stung me the most, which was surprising to me. :(

Basically I looked for lotions with calendula oil and Nivea has a lotion called SOS Skin Relief Body Lotion, it is really good and it really moisturizes my skin without stinging me. But that 200ml squeeze bottle is really costly..$11.99 at Shoppers and $10.99 at Walmart. However, Walmartdoesn't seem to have it in stock anymore. :( The pure calendula oil I buy is $10.29 at the Nutrition House and that is in a 30ml bottle. I use it directly on certain areas and diluted with avocado oil for overall. :0) It really does the job with moisturizing and oddly enough drying up those areas which need to dry up to get better.

The SOS Skin Relief really does work in total boby moisturizing without stinging me so I'm hopeful that it will continue to benefit my skin. Calendula oil helps with healing so that another reason why I looked for this oil in the first place. I found as I got older it was harder for my skin to heal properly...or even at all. Since I've started using Calendula oil, my skin is slowly healing in places where it never wanted to before.

Now, on the Chinese medicine. A couple of months ago my skin was so bad that nothing seemed to be working so I finally listened to my mom and saw a Chinese herbal doctor. I've been

drinking the dark, bitter and sour cup of medicine every night for the past couple of months and it's helping me clean my system I think. I'm starting to see normal skin that is not red. I'm not going to lie, the boiling of the medicine is very tedious and drinking it every night is not something I look forward to, but I'm desperate. I can't go on not sleeping at night, and every move I made hurt like hell because my skin was red and raw. It's

like even when it's raw it's still itchy and how am I to scratch that? Sometimes in the middle of the night I do scratch the raw areas and that's when hell breaks loose and I seriously just want to skin myself and replace it with someone else's beautiful skin. It's so hard to explain why I can't stop scratching to people and I'm always on edge. Makes working with others so difficult and I really want to slap myself for being impatient and bitchy sometimes at work.

I've been off for a day before the weekend and looking at my skin, it's improving day by day. The weather may have a bit to do with the recovery I think. It's not as cold anymore and Spring l

ike weather is finally here.

I'm going to continue drinking the Chinese medicine and using the lotions that seem to be working out for me. I mean if they sting I would use them and therefore stay dry and cracked. Now that I've finally found some useful lotions, I hope to continue to improve my condition.

Oh one more lotion that works, Skin Relief Body Lotion SOS but then it is with

Panthenol and Calendula. This lotion doesn't sting either and the texture feels good on my skin as well. 400ml but I forget how much it was...it's cheaper than the 200ml lotion with calendula though for sure. The texture feels a bit different from the 200ml bottle. I think the 400ml is a bit less runny/oily.

Okay, so that's what I've been using and doing to alleviate my eczema for the past 5 months. I will provide more details on further progress soon.

If you are looking for a healing and comforting remedy, I really recommend Calendula oil. :)

Happy better eczema management 2011 !

2010 was a havoc year for me with managing my eczema. Haven't kept up with my updates on product discoveries but trust me I'm still searching.

I'm not sure if it was stress this time as my 2010 was pretty good in terms of stress. The usual work related and personal stresses but nothing major that I would attribute to my eczema break outs. In fact, the problem I had were not really break outs but constant annoying spots of eczema that doesn't go away, coupled with the occasional break outs from food or stress.

Dare I say those spots are starting to heal up? I finally found a combination of products to help with the healing. One of them I didn't think I would've bought if I had been careful and read the label. I have always thought I was allergic to Almond oil because I'm allergic to Almonds but maybe there isn't enough of it to affect me in the new product I am using right now. It's Weleda Baby Calendula Oil. I got mine at the local health store but if you click on the link you can also get is at Well.ca.

I read that Calendula is good for healing purposes and since my i

ssue with my annoying eczema spots is really healing, I thought I would try it. I remembered using a calendula cream when I was younger but I didn't like the smell nor the yellow stain it left on my skin. That was many years ago and I can't remember how I got that cream, I think it was a friend who recommended me to it but I really didn't like it. However, this oil smells really pleasant, something like a massage oil from the spa. :)

I figured out a way to use it that would make it less oily on my skin. After shower, I would put some on all over my body (extra bonus, it doesn't sting) and then before I pad off the excess water I would first rinse off with very cool water. I swear that right after my skin feels so moist and I feel refreshed. At first I didn't do that but remembered going to the spa for a massage and the lady asked me to rinse off with cool water instead of hot water for a reason...don't remember what but I think it's to tighten your skin and lock in the moisture. It works better with the oil. When I didn't rinse off with the cool water, my skin felt a bit too oily but after the quick cool rinse, it feels more refresh. Can't explain that but it works well. :)

Another natural product I got was Califlora Calendula Gel from the pharmacy around the corner from my office. I went there to get my usual prescription of steriod cream but wanted to get something natural to help my trouble spots heal. The pharmacist recommended this gel. Again, the great thing about it is that it did not sting my broken skin. The trouble areas doesn't seem like ezcema anymore and more like a cut trying to heal, so I needed help in that department. As you get older, the healing process takes forever. :( I tried looking for a Canadian website with this product in case you want to try this, but was only able to find U.S. website. Try this one just in case you want to order online but you can also visit your local pharmacy or health store to see if they have it as well. Good thing about this is that it's all natural. :) Califlora Calendula Gel

Near the end of the year I also made some orders for natural products from Kiss My Face but the ordering process was a pain in the neck. Never doing that again, will just go to the local health store instead. I haven't tried the shampoo and conditioner I ordered yet but the mousse smells great.

I also ordered this lotion that my dermatologist recommended to me 2 years ago but I couldn't find it in Toronto. Not sure if I had mentioned this but Curel changed something in their ingredients I think and it doesn't work so well on my skin anymore. They say it's good for eczema but truly the lotion does not work for me anymore. :( So I ordered Cetraben cream online. Was only able to find it from a UK site, I'm sure I didn't search enough but I just didn't want to search anymore. Still waiting for it to reach me though. I hope nothing went wrong with the order. Will let you know how well it works once I finally receive the order. ;)

Okay that's it for now. I hope you will try using the Calendula oil or gel to help with your eczema, the most important benefit for me for these two products is that they DO NOT STING. :)

Till next week.

RediCare - Great for Anti-Itching and Healing!

Hey another update from me!

To continue with my quest to use natural products, I moved onto RediCare for the past week. I've been using Tortuga as you know from Keys-Soaps and RediCare is also another product from the company.

My eczema has been really irritating for the past few months and my wounds from scratching wasn't healing up and the Betamethasone Valerate that my doctor prescribe seemed to do nothing to help with my itching and rash. It's like nothing was happening in terms of healing. It was so, so, so, soooooo discouraging. So I started looking for help online and since I was reordering more Tortuga, I started reading about RediCare again. I bought the tester, travel size version before and thought it worked well but when it ran out I didn't think of getting more. This time I order one full size and then 2 trail sizes. I carry the travel size and left it at work to help me not to scratch my hands. And guess what? After just a few days, my hand started to healing up. I'm so happy about that!

I use the full size one at home after I take a shower. It helps with moisturizing my body and help with the healing of the skin. The most amazing thing is that it doesn't sting and actually leave your body tingly cool after. But that only happens when I spray it on my body after my shower. Any other time the cooling feeling wasn't as strong. It's great though, because I don't scratch, coz I am feeling good from the coolness of my skin.

I can't tell you how happy I am to see that the top of my right hand is finally healing up. I hated looking at my hands when I pointed to something or when I was typing on my computer at work. It's so gross and you wonder what other people are thinking. Oh well, what can I do but look for way to make myself heal up faster and not feel itchy all the time.

I'm feeling good today. Not itchy and optimistic that this healing lotion will help with my moisturizing regime. I still use Curel Continuous Comfort of course and using that in conjunction with RediCare at work has really helped my not scratching.



Oh did I mention that RediCare is a spray on lotion? That's right it is and it's great coz it can be sprayed on my back and the mist is so fine that I think my skin absorbs it more. I also started using it on my dry scalp. I just spray on the hair line underneath my hair and I think it is helping with moisturizing my scalp and relieving my itchiness. I'm going to continue treating my scalp and see how it goes. My scalp is so dry that it flakes like dandruff. The spray really help me get to my scalp and my scalp feel so cool after application. :)

Let's hope this wonderful new lotion will continue to help and deliver me relief!!! If you are looking for something to moisturize and to help with itching and healing...this is it! The most important thing to me is that it's ALL NATURAL!!!

Found An Eczema Website

I was just surfing around again for eczema information and found one that seems very helpful.

Thought I would share with you here and you can check it out too. I've also added it to my favourite links. The website gives information on what you can do internally and externally for eczema relief.

Check it out, maybe something in there may help you.

http://www.eczema.net

Curel and Eczema

Hi there, Happy 2010! Yes, another year has passed and yes of course I still have eczema to deal with.

Near the end of last year, I had a scared. I was looking for my usual body lotion from Curel and only saw one type available. Curel Itch Defense and it's apparently approved by the National Eczema Association. So I thought I would get it since my usual Continuous Comfort Fragrance Free was not available.

I'm not sure how others found the Curel Itch Defense lotion but it did not feel like the usual Continuous Comfort lotion. The texture of Curel Itch Defense was different and left weird on my skin. I must admit I couldn't continue using it because it really didn't feel right on my skin. I felt like I was coating something on my skin and nothing was absorbed. It was just weird.

I kept looking for another 2 weeks for my Continuous Comfort Fragrance Free lotion from Curel and when I kept seeing the Curel Itch Defense on the shelves instead I started to panic. Did Curel replace the Continuous Comfort lotion with the Itch Defense lotion??!!! I freaked out.

Anyway, in the new year I went to Walmart and saw a whole bunch of Curel Continuous Comfort so I bought a whole load just in case. There really is a difference between the two lotions. I can't stand the Curel Itch Defense, it actually made me want to scratch!

So there you have it. My stand on Curel Itch Defense. Of course, that's just my own opinion. It may work for others.