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.

Cerassie Tea

Okay, I think I've talked about Cerassie/Cerasee tea before but I want to talk about it again today.

My friend introduced it to me for my eczema at least 2 years ago and though I have not used it for my eczema, I do drink it when I have an upset stomach or generally feel sick. If you decide to try it for your eczema, you will not be drinking this tea. You will have to soak a cotton ball or sponge with the tea and wash yourself with the tea. I'm just too lazy for that. :(

This tea is also good for you if you have a cold and I'm drinking it right now as a matter of fact. My man has a cold right now and I'm starting to feel the effects of it tonight. My throat is a bit scratchy and I was feeling the chills. I was feeling a sick to my stomach before I drank the tea but after a few sips I'm feeling good again. It's weird. Maybe it's mind over matter, but I doubt it. All I know is every time I feel sick to the stomach and I drink this tea, I'm good as new.

If you have not tasted this tea before, I must warn you that it is BITTER. It's not an enjoyable tea, like green tea. So, it's not something I drink when I'm feeling fine. When I am feeling sick however, the bitterness of the tea is not as strong. I actually welcome the bitter taste. In fact, I got my man to drink it the other day and he said it worked on him too. He doesn't mind the bitterness, he actually likes it.

So, if you are looking for a natural tea to help with a sick stomach or a cold, go to a Jamaican/Caribbean store or a health store and look for Cerasee tea and see if it works for you.

If you live in Toronto, my friend told me you can find it in one of the stores in Kensington Market. I was lucky enough to receive a box from her, but I will check out exactly where soon, so I will post it up here in case anyone is interested. I'm sure you can order it online as well if you search for it.

I always remember the saying that too much of anything is not good for you, so I only drink this tea when I need it. I don't drink this tea on a regular basis and I'm not suggesting that you do either. :)

Hand Eczema

Two months ago, I developed eczema on my hands. The skin on the palm of my hands became really itchy one day so I rubbed my hands together instead of scratching. When I looked at them, they were red and they felt hot. The only thing I thought I could do is to wash them and then put on my medicated cream. The new one that my doctor prescribed; but it never really healed until recently.

I also had eczema on the top of my right hand as well and it was itchy, dry and in some parts raised up. I thought that was it, I'm going to be stuck with that ugly right hand forever. No matter what I did to prevent myself from scratching, I end up scratching when I was working in the office. Again, I washed my hands and put on the prescribed medicated cream diligently but I didn't really see any improvement until this week. In fact, the eczema on my right hand and the palm of my hands disappeared.

So what changed? I haven't been in the office working for one week and within this one week everything began to heal. And if you look at my hands now, you would not know that I had an eczema flare up at all. It's so strange.

I know I've been less stressed out lately and that definitely must be a major reason why I healed so quickly but I wonder if I was allergic to something in the office. The air must be polluted some how or my desk was dirty? I don't know. All I know is that when I'm in the office my face feels really dry. In fact, my hands feels dry too. I seriously think there is a direct link to my eczema flare up and the office environment.

My doctor definitely thinks my eczema is stress induced. So now that I'm less stressed, my skin is eczema free again. Now it's just a matter of keeping myself moisturized.

I've been using Burt's Bees Radiance Night Cream with Royal Jelly, Burt's Bees Super Shiny Natural Lip Gloss and Burt's Bees Body Lotion with Royal Jelly with natural mica to enhance skin tone. These products are great. I actually still use my Curel Continuous Comfort Fragrance free lotion on my body but I use the Burt's Bees Body Lotion on my hands when I am out and feel my hands getting dry. The Burt's Bees products are pretty low on the hazardous scale so I'm happy about that.

The Super Shiny Natural Lip Gloss is also really great. It gives me the shine and colour I love and it moisturizes at the same time. I love it. It also smells like berries which lifts up my spirits whenever I put it on my lips.

I bought these products at Shopper's DrugMart and Walmart but you can also get them via well.ca if you just want to order them online.

Anyways, I'm glad that my eczema flare up has subsided for now. Still in search of the ultimate face cream...all natural if I can find it. So far, the Radiance Night Cream is doing the job but still feel I may find something better out there? I need something for the day...I may try the Burt's Bees Carrot Nutritive Day Creme, but I didn't buy it before because it contains almond oils to and aloe vera. I'm still cautious about trying anything with ingredients that I may be allergic to. The mention of almond oils kind of scared me off. We'll see, I may try it.

Till next time.

Summer is Here - Eczema Confusion

So recently the weather got hotter here in Toronto and finally I can say that we have summer weather. Of course I love the heat more than the bone chillin' weather we have here in T.O. but either way my skin is subjected to constant abuse...mainly by my own scratching! I can't help it, it's like the itch is just so insanely intense. I am feelig it on my fingers and both my arms right now. Typing is the only thing stopping me from reaching over and scraching both my arms. (Okay, I just stopped typing for 3 seconds and rubbed by itchy spots just now.)

Anyways, I found a video on youtube.com and it show how others are suffering from the big E.

I'll post it up later when I figure out how. But the video just makes me think how others must feel when they look at me sometimes. Now that I'm much older it really doesn't bother me as much anymore what people think when they look at me. I'm envious when I look at other people's beautiful clear skin...like my brother's or my boyfriend's. I tell my boyfriend to stop looking at me sometimes though but he's really sweet, he would tell me that he loves me and that he knows I have a skin problem but it's who I am inside that he loves. Just go and get your cream and you'll be good as new. :)

I recently got a new perscription from my doctor and it's called Elcocom cream - 0.1%. It's supposed to be stronger and I only have to put it on twice a day. I didn't use my perscription correctly last time because my doctor gave me a cream that I needed to put on 4 times a day. Who the heck has time for that? Even if I did, what a bother. So now I'm hoping it will work out bette for me. It seems to be working because my legs are not as red and raise anymore.

It's really hot today...I gotta get out of the house. See you.

To Take Antihistamine or Not To Take...

It's a question I ask my self every day.

Should I take the antihistamine or not? If I take it, then it will stop my itchy face and body within half an hour or so. However, after taking it I feel tired and weak. I can't think straight and I don't want to do anything but sit and stare into space. It's okay if I don't have to talk to anyone and I don't have to work but atlas I do. So? It's Sunday today and I have a lot to do for work but I can't right now. Aargh. I hope this stops soon so I can get back to it. To be honest, if I have to choose I have to choose me and my skin.

The worst feeling is when my face is itchy. I try not to scratch but it's so itchy so I end up rubbing it. You can't really use your fingers to actually scratch it! Well, except my forehead and then it gets scratched up. When I rub it it turns all red, raised up and that's what looks like right this minute.

I'm trying not to do it anymore so I'm writing in here to share my thoughts and to stop myself from touching my face. I mean, if I'm concentrating on typing I can't be touching my face right? Also by putting my feelings down I'm trying to calm my nerves. It's stress induce and I create the stress for myself. That's what I believe. I need to not get worked up over anything and just chill. It's not the end of the world if everything is not done. There are limited amount of hours in a day. Some should be spent resting and others from Monday to Friday should be on work. So if it spills over and it cuts into your life then you've got a choice to make. You? Or work?

Me.

So here I am writing to calm my nerves and to tell you that it is working. Of course, I took my pill so now I'm also feeling a bit drowsy. I'm not very good with drugs. When I asked my doctor why the Non-drowsy makes me drowsy, he said every one reacts differently to drugs. When the label says Non-drowsy doesn't mean it doesn't contain the ingredients that make you drowsy. It just contains less of it. What?! But it's true, it makes me drowsy and the ones that doesn't say Non-drowsy just knocks me right out. Sigh* You would think taking them all these years would make me less affected by it but nooooo.

This is the time I think about sitting in a chair on a deck looking out at the ocean. I think of Phuket, looking out from my hotel deck. Nice and calm and beautiful. I feel the cool mist. I'm calm and relaxed. No worries, no problems, no one bothering me, no one asking me any questions. It's just me, myself and I. Aaaaaaah.

Hmmm, this visualization thing really works. You've just got to take a little me time to do it.

Okay, so that's that for today. I'm trying out a new organic shampoo and conditioner right now. I'll share that with you next time. I want to make sure they work well. So far I love it becauase it smells great and my hair actually feels really soft.

Till next time.

Ups and Downs of Eczema

Well, I'm glad to say that my eczema seems to be subsiding a bit this week.
It's probably because I went to my doctor to ensure I got my medicated cream refills. No manner what you must have medicated cream around for flare ups before it gets out of hand.

One of my kind colleague at work gave me her tube of Lyderm ointment and it tied me over a bit before I was able to see my doctor; but, the Betamethasone Valerate Cream .1% is still works the best cream for me. I don't put it on my face though, I use Protopic on my face when it gets itchy and flaky.

After my flare up clears up within usually three days, I then switch to using the Tortuga Super Emollient Lotion. I just got my new supply yesterday!! Was so excited. I also ordered the Luminos Hydrating Moisturizer for the day time. It's suppose to give you a soft focus effect like foundation but it kind of smells weird. It doesn't smell as delicious as the Tortuga.

However, Luminos does give me a nice foundation looking finish. I can use it to mix with mineral foundation. Pretty cool. I just feel better using products that are natural when I don't have to use my medicated cream. Peace of mind.

I'm glad to say that the Eye Butter still helps me through the day when I'm really dry and when I'm not, it works like wonders! Didn't peel at all the whole day today. Hmmm, maybe because it was raining outside? Not sure.

I also got the Tortuga Intensive Therapy roll on so I can bring it with me everywhere I go. It smell really nice...like a spa. :)

So all in all, the All-Natural Keys products are still working well for me! I love them.

If you are looking for All-Natural, Gluten-Free and Chemical-Free products please try these products. I hope they work for you like they do for me. Super great for super dry skin!

Well, back to work...or better yet, I better get myself to sleep soon. Till next time.

Constant Change of Weather and Eczema

The weather here went from Spring to Winter to Spring to Winter! So, my skin is just not loving it at all. Plus, I started working again so I'm stressed and the office is super dry. My colleagues are cold so little heaters are running and the little moisture I have is sucked right out. The combination of not having the time to put on my moisturizer on properly and the dry air has left me red and peeling again. Hopeful work will calm down a bit and my learning curve improves so I'm less stressed.

In any case, I made another order for my Tortuga and the Eye Butter the other day to ensure I don't run out. Without them I'll be worse off. This time I also ordered the shampoo and conditioner. Can't wait to receive them!! :p And I will bring my Avene Thermal Spring Water into the office and that should help. It's all about adapting and keeping my skin moist. :)

My Curel is still working for me so that's cool, I just got to leave time to put it on properly.

I haven't found anything else interesting, but will definitely update once I do.

In the meantime....MOISTURIZE!

Eczema Friendly Products

Since I'm always looking for new products for Eczema or any news that may help with managing Eczema, I thought I would start adding some information in my blog just in case it may help others find the right products. If it's going to be good for Eczema sufferers then you'll find it here in my blog somewhere. :) I'll also have my own opinion on what others may claim is good for Eczema. Here are some information I read this week, hope it may help you cope with your Eczema.

Borage Dry Skin Therapy

This is supposed to be a really good product for children with Eczema. I found this tidbit from the following blog: http://www.quintooples.com/2009/03/endorsements-eczema-and-shoes.html

It seems this product worked really well for two of her kids.

And I checked the rating for this product on Skin Deep. It's rated 2, which is a low hazard rating. So thumbs up.

You can read more about this product here. http://www.shikai.com/publications/borageChildrenSkin.htm

There's also a version for Adults from the same manufacturer but the rating on Skin Deep is 3 to 4. Which is a bit higher in hazardous ingredients than the children's formula. The lower the rating the better though. The Curel lotion I'm using is rated 3 which is a moderate hazard rating. :)

I don't think Borage Dry Skin Therapy lotion is available in Canada though. I haven't seen it in stores, maybe it's available near you in the U.S.

Mangosteen Fruit/Juice

Hmmm, have you tasted a mangosteen? It's a delicious tropical fruit. I was first introduced to this fruit during my stay in Singapore. It takes a bit of skill to break open the skin to get to the good stuff inside. If you are not careful the purple colour just inside of the skin will stain your clothes. So I recommend that you don't eat it wearing anything white!

I just read that this fruit is supposed to be good for Eczema sufferers but it didn't do much for me. I only eat one to three at a time because I was a bit allergic to it. (If you've been reading my other updates, you know I'm allergic to a lot of food. :p) But some are testifying that it improved their Eczema. Check out the site to read more...

Tortuga - Super Emollient Lotion - Update

Just a quick update on how I am really in love with Tortuga lotion from Keys now. It smells great and because the bottle is not very big, I have decided to choose this all-natural product to hydrate my face as well as managing the redness that occurs with my super sensitive face!

I just finished the bottle I order awhile back and just order a new bottle. This time it should last a lot longer for me because I was using it before for my body as well. This is another reason why I like this product so much. I'm not allergic to it and I can you is almost everywhere! Not the eyes though I just read. So I ordered the eye cream trail size to try. :)

So happy I have decided to stick with this product for it's super natural ingredients. It just gives me a peace of mind knowing that at least I am using some products that are natural and safe for my body. Whatever you put on your skin gets absorbed into your system as you know.

Eczema and Food Allergies

I've been reading on the internet about relationship between eczema flare ups and food intake. It's not news to me because my dermatologists have always told me that food can cause flare ups. When I was working abroad in Singapore, a dermatologist asked me to eliminate everything that I am allergic to. Well, he discovered that I was allergic to almost everything except for probably rice or potatoes!!!

I love to eat and I love all types of food so guess what? I couldn't do what he asked me to do. Especially when I was so busy with work, I didn't have time to journal and figure out what triggers my flare ups and then when I find out what it was to eliminate it completely. I would still eat what I know I'm allergic to but in very, very, very small portions. I was in Asia, so how can I not enjoy seafood??!!! Crab, shrimps and lobsters tasted really good there; however, I would just eat very little of it so that I won't break out. I always have my anti-histamine pills with me just in case I feel the effects.

In any case, the most allergic reaction I had was to YEAST. When they did the allergy test on my arm it swelled up like a balloon and slowly covered all the other test areas on my arm. Which means I shouldn't drink any alcohol or each any food with yeast. Which would mean bread! I LOVE bread! The next was wheat! So there you go...how am I supposed to not eat any bread or pasta???! I love these to staples. I'm glad at least I can eat rice and especially potatoes with no issues! I love potato.

When it comes to seafood I really need to watch it. A month ago I couldn't help myself and ate quite a lot of lobster that my boyfriend's dad made. He uses ground beef in this dish as well and it TASTE SO GOOD!!! I couldn't help myself, but what a mistake. Double whammy! Allergic to lobster and beef!!! I'm still paying for it now.

Once a flare up happens and scratching happens it's hard to manage. I'm not sure how long it is going to take to get those stupid open wounds to heal. I scratched so hard that my arm is now covered with wounds that is taking a long to time heal. But now I'm using a combination of Witch Hazel and Polysporin and I can start seeing the healing process happening. I tried using the medicated cream for my wounds but then remembered that I'm not supposed to do that. Plus, it didn't work anyways. The medicated cream only worked on my rash not my wounds.

I finally took a picture of my arm so that I can show before and after pictures, but it's been about 3 days now and though I can see improvements, there's still a ways to go. I'm not going to eat lobster again for a long time! Tonight, I looked at the shrimp dish and did not dare to eat even one. :( Thank goodness the rest of the dishes were very delicious...one of them being spinach. I love spinach.

Anyways, I'm also drinking green tea and will continue to drink at least two cups each day. It's supposed to be good for your skin. And every week, I would drink the cerasee tea as well. More liquids I drink the better for me I think. Oh by the way, my biggest issue as well is that if I don't make sure I drink something other than pop, I would drink pop all day except for coffee in the morning. I read that too much sugar is not good for your skin either so I think I better start buying soda water or some other carbonated drink. My addiction really is to the carbonated part!

Now that I have more time on my hands, I need to be careful of what I eat. I will buy more vegetables, fruits (not citrus or strawberries..again allergic), avocados (love them), fish (not salmon...it does have histamine).

I'm going to stop eating the cornflakes with 2% milk, I think I'm itchy because I eat that just before I go to bed. I love cereal but I don't think I can have it, and not too much milk either. *Sigh*, it's so depressing but I have to figure out better food to satisfy my love for eating! Why do I have to allergic to so many???!!!

Well, I hope I can show before and after pictures of my arm soon. When that happens it means my wounds all cleared up. Yipee! Spring is coming and I can't have that exposed. People stare and ask does it hurt! They mean well but it upsets me. Hopefully if what I do to get myself healed will work for others. Till then...

Witch Hazel - Great for cuts

Okay, when people say communication is key in a relationship it's true, because I've been looking to buy witch hazel for awhile now and guess what? I was just going through the medicine cabinet and discovered that my man actually had a bottle! If only I mentioned to him earlier that I was looking for it, I would've been able to use it much earlier!

I read that it's good for speeding up healing process of cuts and broken skin and I wanted to try it to see if it works. For me, when I scratch too hard my skin breaks and I know it takes me weeks and weeks to try and get the wound to heal. My scraps and scratches doesn't heal as fast as other people for some reason. It's gross I know but that's the truth and I'm always looking for ways to help me manage my own skin issues! So, I must say that it really does work. It cleans the wound up and then it dries it up a bit so that it starts to heal. :) I'm happy I was able to use it to help out with the healing process. The issue is sometimes I don't know if I should treat it like eczema or not. I mean, I did scratch because my skin was itchy from the dryness or eczema but once it's broken I'm treating it like any other scrape. I'll see how it works out and report here again.

I think it would help if I could take some photos of my skin before and after to show how it works and what it worked on! So far I think it works because it actually helps me not to scratch the scrapes. Till then, you might want to see if it works for you.

Olive Oil and Vitamin E

I was desperate last night for some face moisturizer. I had some Vitamin E oil that I bought awhile back but it's so thick, it was just so hard to apply on my face. So I went online to see if I could mix it with olive oil. I knew I had olive oil at home and I've already been told it's good for your skin. I've used olive oil in the past but didn't find that it worked at keeping my skin moisturized.

Well, guess what? I poured some olive oil into the glass jar containing what's left of my vitamin E oil and mixed them together. The mixture went on so smoothly and it kept me moisturized even after I went out to walk my dog for 15 minutes. I usually come back and my face is dry. I think the olive oil helped with the absorption of the vitamin E and the vitamin E kept my skin soft. I didn't put any make up on my face today and it looks like i did. Weird. But I like it. :)

So I think I stumbled upon something that works for my dry skin in the winter baby! And it's cheap and natural. I'll run out later to get more vitamin E, but I might get the capsules so I could break them when I need them. I read that when exposed to air vitamin E doesn't really have any benefits. I'll have a look when I get to the drugstore. So happy. :)

By the way, my Tortuga Super Emollient Lotion came by post today! Yipee. Can't comment on this product yet, but so far so good. I put the lotion on my hands and it smells so good! All Natural so it's the fragrance from the different oils. I'll give my feedback on how it works for me after a few days.

Medicated Creams for My Eczema

So I wanted to share with you on what medicated creams I'm using when my eczema flares up!
I say this because once I see that my eczema subsides, I stop using it and start using normal skin care products that I'm not allergic to.

I have been prescribed a lot of different types of steroid based creams for years. I don't remember all their names but now I wished I kept a list. In grade school, I remember having eczema flare ups and remember putting on hydrocortisone cream. It was like within a day the rash would disappear, but of course it would dry up and my skin would peel off.

Then in high school and university I remember using Betnovate cream. Now this cream is really, really potent. It dries up your skin after 2 applications and then of course it peels off.

I left Toronto to work in Asia for about 10 years. My two years in Hong Kong wasn't the greatest. In the first 3 months I caught some kind of skin rash that looked like chickpox or measles or something. So I went to the doctors and they gave me some medicine (don't remember what) and I was okay after a week. I also remember seeing a dermatologist in Hong Kong and he prescribe a cream that worked really well. I don't remember what it was called but all I remember was that he actually sells the cream and it was not prepared by the pharmacist. When I left Hong Kong, I should've made note of what I was prescribed but I didn't. Mind you it cost an arm and a leg! It worked so well, my eczema didn't flare up till I left Hong Kong for Singapore.

The worst of my eczema experience happened in my eight year stay in Singapore. It just got progressively worse. It was the humidity because once my eczema flared up my rash just would not heal properly. Then these round red bumps appeared on my legs and feet. Couldn't get rid of them no matter what I put on them. They just wouldn't heal. The doctor's didn't know what to do. So they start giving me steroid shots. I hated them because I gain weight on my face when I get them and I hated taking steroid pills too because they affected me the same way. PLUS...every time I was prescribed either the shots or the pills, I would have to book an appointment with my gynecologist as well. Because I always get a case of yeast infection after taking the steroids! It was a nightmare. The weird thing was that the eczema didn't affect my face as much as it did my body. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for that. But imagine you are so hot and you can't wear shorts or skirts without wearing tights??!!! And forget about swimming in the pool. In Singapore! That was me.

After being away from home for so long and my grandmother was not well, I decided to come back to Toronto. My family is here so my plan was always to come back, even though Singapore is so nice and sunny it was also very bad for my skin. I should have left earlier, but man Asia was so much fun and so warm. I love hot weather...but my skin didn't.

Anyways, back to what I'm using now for my eczema. My doctor recommended me to a dermatologist who then recommended Protopic tacrolimus ointment, .1%. I was to use it on my face especially because after all the years of using steroid based creams my skin is very thin. This cream is not a steroid cream and it works by manipulating the immune system. It won't thin my skin and because it's an ointment, it didn't dry my skin out like the steroids did. I use very little of it on my skin because it actually stings when I put it on. You have to be very patient not to want to scratch after putting it on. The sting and itch actually subsides if you close you eyes and relax. It has worked for me so far and I don't use much of it so that's good.

My doctor still prescribes Betamethasone Valerate Cream .1% for my body. It just works faster. And again, I only put it on when I have a major flare up. All this medicated cream really freaks me out because I know they are not good for me but yet I also know it won't go away if I don't use it. So my mission every day is to use other non medicated moisturizers to keep my skin moist. Dry skin is the worst thing you can do to yourself if you have eczema. That's when flare ups occur and the itchiness become unbearable!

I also take antihistamine 10mg when I feel really itchy..especially at night. It calms me down and I don't scratch as much. I hardly take that because I'm afraid my body may build an immunity to it and then I'm really messed up when I really need it.

I remember taking some antihistamine pills in Singapore and I think it was Zyrtec or something and it made me so "spaced out" nothing bothered me. This wasn't really good for when you're working. I remember people are talking to me and I'm watching their lips move but couldn't understand what they were saying. Or it was more like I didn't care to listen. I was walking in a dream. Suffice it to say, that's not good.

I've read about tacrolimus ointments and how it affects some people so I am cautious when I use this cream, or any other medicated cream. Like they say, too much of anything is not good!

Because I've used all these medicated creams, I try to stay out of the sun. I used to sun tan a lot when I was a teenager but stopped because I became really sensitive to the sun. I actually burn faster now. So I don't go out and deliberately expose my skin to the sun. If it's too sunny, I usually wear long sleeves or have one near me so that I don't get burned. The sun makes my skin itch actually and my skin turns red.

Well, that's it for today. I hope to find some organic moisturizers to recommend soon. It's taking me some time. I don't want to spend money on anything that might not do the job or may irritate my skin. :) Like I said before, I'm just allergic to a lot of stuff.

Cerasee Tea

I'm still looking for affordable organic skin care product and have not decided what to try yet. However, I wanted to share with you one herbal tea that my friend recommended to me. It's called Cerasee and it's from Jamaica.

The tea is said to have blood purifying effects and as a wash it helps clear out skin irritations. I haven't used it on my skin but have been drinking it off and on now. It is said to help with stomach aches and when I feel sick to my stomach I drink it and it usually works pretty much right away. I feel better within half an hour. I've been looking up this tea and here's one of the links describing the benefits of the tea. http://yew360.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category_id=3&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=24&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1

Well, I'm not going to lie to you, this tea is BITTER. It's not a pleasant tea to enjoy if you know what I mean. It's like Chinese medicine. It taste bad but it works! Well, I've heard the same about Buckley's too, but people swear it works.

Anyways, as a stomach calming and overall well-being tea I think it's working for me. If this tea is good for cleansing the blood and system then that's great too. All I know it's that it's natural so I'm happy my friend recommended it to me. It's nice to have friends who care about you and look out for you whenever they can.

I know it's superstitious to listen to fortune tellers but I remember once a fortune teller told me that I need to purify my blood. I heard that eczema has to do with the body's inability to eliminate toxins from your body. He could be right on that. But he scared me because at that time I was working abroad in Asia and AIDs was an epidemic and the first thing I thought of was that. But I assure you, I've been tested and am not affect with that.

I know that Green Tea is good for the body too and I drink that as well. I think overall drinking more liquids is good for you. I just need to really cut down on my Ginger Ale and Coke intake!!! Too much sugar drinks can't be good for me.

WARNING: If you have diabetes please be careful when drinking this tea. I read that it hides the right measurement of your sugar levels and that is not good. Also, I think you are not suppose to drink this if you are pregnant.
So that's it for today. I still have to talk about my medicated creams with you but I'm too tired to do so tonight. See you tomorrow.

CicaPlast - Great Stuff

To follow up with my first post, I've been using the Cicaplast cream from La Roche-Posay for 2 weeks now and it's been really good. My skin is not flaky anymore so it looks a lot younger than it did before I started using it. My tiny wrinkles are not so noticable anymore, which is great because they were bothering me. That's the thing about dry skin and Eczema, it really matures the skin.

Anyways, since it was my Dermatologist that recommended this cream after I asked her about what I should use for my face other than my medicated cream to moisturize and keep the wrinkles at bay, she told me to try Cicaplast.

I thought I could get it at Shoppers but they didn't seem to have it so I went online to get it. I found a website http://www.well.ca/ and it was great because shipping is free!!! Love that plus for sure.

I've taken a picture of the cream here, so that it's easy for anyone to recognize the product. The Shoppers sales lady tried to convince me that Avene has the same product with the same ingredients but I didn't want to try something that my Dermatologist didn't recommend. If she wanted me to use the Avene product, she would've told me about it. But I do use the Water Mist from Avene when they are on sale, with the spring/mineral water sprays I just think all water mists would be beneficial to hydrate your skin; whether it's from Avene or ever Evian.

Okay, more on other great finds as soon as I find some. I'm still in search of anything good for my skin and that includes clothing.

Not affected by Beef tonight?!!

It's been 3 hours since I had my dinner with ground beef and my face seems fine.
I did get an itch around my right corner of my lips during the dinner but it's not itchy anymore.

So now I'm wondering what else I ate last night that might have triggered off my eczema! The only thing I did different yesterday was the Beef pasta, so it's a mystery.

On to another topic...I was just searching the net again on Eczema and there are so many site talking about this skin condition and some claiming there are cures. There are no cures man, let's just face it. It's going to be a life long skin management to ensure that the rashes and the itching doesn't get out of hand. The worst feeling is having dry, flaky, red, itchy and stingy skin and ALL OVER YOUR BODY. The thing is that once the flare disappears someone who doesn't know you might not even know you have Ezcema if you didn't scratch so hard that your skin bleeds and leaves a scar. That's why people who claim they know how it feels to have Eczema really pisses me off.

"Don't scratch!" Yeah, easy to say and hard to do buddy!

Anyways, I have been itchy on and off today. I've decided to stop using the Shea Butter all together and concentrate just on the Curel and my medicated cream. I must use the meidcated cream once I see red skin because if I don't it just gets worse.

I'm going to search some more about "Cure your eczema" by Janet Simpson. She claims by following her system for 14 days you'll get rid of your Eczema. But she's going to charge $29.95 for her advice. I'm still wondering where else I can get to look at what she is claiming to be working for thousand of people. I'm not going to spend money on just advice baby!