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.

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.

You are what you eat - Triggers

Okay, I did something so stupid a few days ago and I'm still paying for it today! I have no will power when it comes to food. I love eating and curse the day I discovered seafood. I love seafood and seafood is definitely one of the triggers that causes my eczema flare ups. Trying to recover from it takes many days later after eating what I'm not supposed to.

I took a picture of the dish before I ate it because it looked so delicious and it was a treat from my man's dad. He is such a great cook. Normally I would just eat one or two pieces and I'm fine, because right after I would take an antihistamine to stop the itch. But nooooooo, I ate almost half the dish and I loved it. The worst decision I made because now I'm still suffering from my actions!

Check it out. It's lobster tail with beef. Maybe it was the combination that made it even worse. I'm telling you it was so delicious -- but bad for me. Very bad.
I will have to practice more will power because this kind of stuff was unnecessary. Now I'm of course using my medicated cream and I'm still itchy as hell. The antihistamine is kind of working. I feel drowsy even though it's supposed to be non-drowsy. Drugs affect people differently my doctor told me when I told him about how I get affected by non-drowsy medication. He said that just because it say non-drowsy it doesn't mean you won't get drowsy. Some people do ---and I'm one of them. Nice!

Anyways, I just wanted to share this and to warn not to give in and eat something you are not supposed to. There are consequences! Live and learn, I'll never do this again! Back to one to two pieces...but not for a long while. :(

However, I thank goodness I did find that Kiss My Face olive soap because even though I was rashy, the bar soap did not sting. In fact it helped. Plus, I now alternate between using the Pure Shea Butter mixed with vitamin E and Olive Oil mixed with vitamin E. Works pretty well.

Kiss My Face - Olive Oil Soap

I was running out of the La Roche-Posay bar soap and wanted to get something that is cheaper and natural.

Found out from Skin Deep and Good Guide website that this soap is really good. You know olive oil is good for your skin. The only ingredients listed for this soap is Saponified Olive Oil, Water, Sodium Chloride.

Simple.

It's a big fat bar, so I cut it into manageable pieces. :) It's great. It's moisturizing and the best part is that it does not sting. So even if you have a rash you won't have to worry about being uncomfortable using this soap.

I love it and I found it at Walmart for $3.97. If you want to try it and you can't find it at the drugstore then you can also go to Well.ca. The website is selling it for $4.69 but it's online and you can order it with free shipping if you are in Canada.

Spectro EczemaCare - Intense Rehydration Cream

I forgot to mention this cream that was introduced to me by a friend of mine last year. I used it for awhile but for some reason forgot about it. Something must have happened for me to stop using it.
I think it's because unless my face is moist it's hard to put on.

This cream does work though. Since discovering the Good Guide website and the others on my favourite link list, I've submitted the product to the team to evaluate. It would be good if it comes back with a good review. I hope so.

Anyways, this cream is not cheap and so that's probably another reason why I didn't use it as much. I mean I can use a 100g tube of cream on my whole body at least twice a day. I'll go broke. So as a moisturizer for the entire body it's not a good choice. For affected areas it's good because it doesn't sting at all and it does the job for moisturizing and stopping the itch.

I just found my tube in my drawers and put it on my dry chapped fingers. Didn't sting and looks moisturized to me. I'll be checking with Good Guide on a weekly basis to see if they review the product. I really doubt though that it would clear eczema, but it definitely hydrates the skin.

Check out the product at this link: http://www.spectroskincare.com/eczema_care_rehydration_cream.aspx

Here's how the box looks like.

I'm going to start putting prices on these products so you can decide yourselves. My problem is I never remember how much I pay for things. A trait my man has a huge problem with. I'll start this and edit as I find out. :)

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.

Lubriderm Lotion - Unscented Moisture

Just as I said before, I'm always looking for "backup" lotions just in case my favourite body moisturizer, Curel, is not available at my favourite store. Contrary to what my friends may think, I'm a frugal shopper, especially when it comes to necessities. :)

You guessed it, I wasn't able to buy my usual Curel body lotion, so I had to find something else. I've heard about Lubriderm from my friends before but never tried it because I'm always worried about anything scented. However, I saw this unscented lotion the other day so I bought it to try. Well, I had to get something. The Shea Butter was a bit too greasy to use other than after my shower. Plus, it was starting to make me itch. :( So sad about that by the way, because I really wanted to use something that is all natural.

Anyways, I've been using this Lubriderm lotion for about 4 days now and it's okay. 580ml and around $6. One thing I like about this bottle is that you can see how much you've used, that will help me keep track of when I should get more. With the Curel bottle, you can't see through it and that's why I am in this situation now having to use a backup. :( You've seen the commercials haven't you? It claims to help you change your crocodile skin to soft and smooth all day long. Or am I remembering another brand?

Moving on, I would say that when I first put the lotion on my skin felt and looked moisturized. However, it only lasts for about 2 hours for me, not like Curel where it was really 24 hours or at least 8 hours because I didn't need to put on the lotion again until after I shower.

As a backup to ensure I moisturize my skin without irritation, I would recommend Lubriderm for those of you with the same dry skin type as I have. However, if you are looking for 24 hour moisture...Lubriderm Unscented Moisture is not going to do it for you. Nevertheless, it is still a pretty good product for sensitive skin. So I'm glad I bought it and am using it until my Curel is once again available at Walmart!!! (I still can't believe there was nothing available for at least 3 weeks now at all the locations near my place!)

Allergic to Beef?

BEEF

Is it possible that I'm allergic to beef? It seems every time I make pasta using ground beef my face itches. I was itching all night along! I suppose it could be the tomatoes but I really think it's the beef.

This is insane but I'm going to eat it again tonight to see if I get the same results. The itch is most prominent on my face when I eat it. I've eaten tomatoes with broccini cheese and nothing happens to me. So by deduction, it must be the beef.

We'll see what happens tonight.

SIDE BAR ON SHEA BUTTER

I got a jar of shea butter for my friend and she really, really loves it. But she is not allergic to anything so as a moisturizer she told me that it made her skin smoother than she ever had it. She seemed to like it better than coco butter. Well, I'm glad she liked it. I on the other hand still need to be cautious about this butter and only use it after my bath and actually probably just on my legs.

Shea Butter

Okay I just posted my first blog on what helps me hydrate my skin and keeping it moisturized. And since my first blog, I've tried 100% Pure Shea Butter because, I like to have other options to hydrate my skin in case the other lotions run out in stores for some reason. (And they do, I couldn't get Curel for a bout a week because they didn't have the non-fragrant one on the shelves.)

So after a week of using Shea Butter, I must say that you HAVE TO use it right after taking a bath. Even if your skin is very dry this butter is really greasy, but if you use it right after taking a shower/bath, the butter works really well and doesn't leave a greasy fill.

I think I may use this butter only once a week because though it is a good moisturize and it's pure, I still find that Curel doesn't irritate my skin. I did scratch a bit when I used the Shea Butter this week. I wasn't really diligent on using it right after my bath so the greasy feeling is probably why I scratched.

I would recommend this butter for those who are not so sensitive because I am SUPER sensitive to products.

Okay more later. I'm also thinking of trying new clothing materials and be deligent about only wearing materials that won't irritate my skin. I think everything has to work together in order to control the undesirable itching that comes with Eczema and dry skin.