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!

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.