Tuesday 4 August 2015

Current skincare routine

I should start off by saying that eczema covers about 85% of my face; forehead, temples, eyelids, cheeks, and my right jawline. So after much trial and error, this is what I currently use:

Epsom salts




This may sound strange but I'm not currently using a cleanser. I just shake some epsom salts (maybe a tablespoon?) in a bowl of water, mix it around to dissolve it, and then wash my face with it using a face sponge. I've also started washing it off with water, as I heard that leaving the salt water on your face can dry it out. The salts are great in that they actually help calm down my eczema when it's particularly irritated and red. It also helps shorten the duration of a flare. I find that when I use a cleanser, it just doesn't have the same effect, so I always switch back to the salts.

Lush Full of Grace Face Serum 



Funnily enough, this serum is in bar form. I rub this over my face before I moisturise every morning and night (less so in the morning so my face doesn't feel super dewy for the rest of the day). To be honest, I can't tell if it's doing anything amazingly fantastical, because I switched moisturisers at around the same time. I can say that it doesn't irritate my skin and that it does hydrate my face. In terms of repurchasing, I think I may try another facial serum next time.
Edit: This lasted around 3 months

Lush Self-Preserving Dream Cream




Boy, I can rave on about this cream. After extensive reading of reviews, I decided to give this a shot. It's fantastic in reducing the redness on my face and reducing the time my flares last for. Unlike other moisturisers, it helps keep my skin hydrated throughout the day (unless I'm subjected to heating, then I'll need touch ups) and isn't oily in doing so. It has made my eczema much softer and some bits of my normal skin have even returned! It has also been very effectively on my fingers, - reducing redness, returning 90% of the normal skin (by that I mean the smoothness, it still has a funny sheen to it), and even returning one of my cuticles! Much excitement. I've been using this for about 6 weeks, and although, it hasn't completely eradicated my eczema and I still flare, this has been the most effective moisturiser I've tried by far. Perhaps it's something to do with the amazingly natural ingredients? While some people comment that Lush isn't cheap, I say that it's a lot more cost effective than trying a bunch of cheaper, drugstore brands with no results!
Edit: This ended up lasting me about 4 months, using it twice a day on my face, fingers and nipples

So there it is! I'm still looking for a cleanser that will help reduce the irritation. I've also ordered Innisfree Olive Real Skin (toner) after being recommended it by a fellow eczema-friend - hopefully it's as hydrating for me! My skin still flares, but to a lesser degree. However, while some normal skin as returned, the eczema also spreads in other places, which can be extremely disheartening :( But I find that I just have to manage and get on with it! 

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