Real Life Stories
Guidance for confident skincare choices
NHS worker's rosacea triggered by cooking Christmas dinner finds best rosacea cream which clears her skin in weeks
Mum of two Anna, 44, is a project manager for the NHS from Gloucestershire Anna says: ‘Christmas day three years ago turned into a nightmare when a few red spots on my cheeks suddenly turned in a red-hot furnace on my skin. I was helping my husband cook the Christmas lunch and having some wine, and the heat from the cooking plus the wine made my skin suddenly erupt. I didn't know then that this combination had been one of the classic rosacea triggeres which had kicked off my first rosacea flare. It felt like my skin went crazy. I rushed upstairs to try and splash some cold water on it but that just made it worse. I thought it was just some kind of reaction to something I had eaten or drunk or some kind of cooking spice I had maybe rubbed into my skin accidentally. But the bumpy redness remained for the rest of the Christmas holiday. I buried my head in the sand for a while after Christmas to see if my skin cleared up on its own as I was still convinced it was some kind of reaction maybe to a new perfume I’d had as a Christmas gift. But by April it still hadn’t gone down and I had begun to feel really upset having so many spots at my age. In the end when I realised it was not going to go away, I went to see my doctor. My GP diagnosed me with rosacea and recommended an antibiotic cream that I'd need to use for eight weeks but said there was a good chance it would come back once I stopped using it as rosacea was a chronic condition that didn’t go away and usually got worse with age. I left the appointment feeling really dismal. I’d decided on leaving the doctor’s that I wasn’t going to use the antibiotic cream as I couldn’t face the idea of the spots and redness coming back worse than it was as soon as I finished the cream, what was the point? I didn’t want a quick fix and I knew there was no one-stop rosacea cure. I wanted a long-term solution. I didn’t want to keep living in fear of my skin erupting at any moment. After seeing how much I was suffering my husband started researching 'natrual rosacea treatment' online and that is when he came across an article from someone who'd tried a rosacea product range called Kalme and it had massively helped her rosacea. He showed it to me, and we checked it wasn’t medicated or had a time limit on how often you could use it. We also read through some other reviews on the Kalme products and there seemed to be a lot of women about my age who had gone through more or less the same symptoms as me and who had also decided to give up on the medical route and look for an alternative and loads of them had said Kalme had come to the rescue. My husband encouraged me to give the Kalme products a go. The improvement with Kalme was not immediate but then it said on the information that it was not designed as a quick fix, but a rosacea management programme aimed at reducing the frequency and intensity of flare ups, which seemed to me a responsible approach. As promised, I noticed a gradual improvement in my rosacea over about a three-month period. During this time there was a very clear improvement in my skin - the spots had gone and the redness was only very subtle, rather than the furious redness I'd previously had and my skin was generally much less reactive and felt more comfortable and less tight and sore. Since using Kalme my skin has stayed more or less clear for two years. I know the rosacea is always there, but it feels like the Kalme products keep it under control. I still have the odd flare up where my cheeks and nose go red for about half an hour, but the spots, bumpiness and constant livid redness has thankfully never returned and I know I have Kalme to thank for that. Hopefully this Christmas isn’t going to be ruined by my crazy skin.”
Learn more
Young mum with rosacea misses out on family photos until she discovers best cream for rosacea
Mum of two Beth , 27, is a children's worker from Cornwall Beth says: “My rosacea has been the reason I have missed out on so many photo memories with my kids and family. Rosacea is generally a skin condition experienced by people in their forties but I got it really young. It was triggered by my first pregnancy in 2018 and then it got really bad after my second pregnancy over lockdown. The state of my skin contributed to the post-natal depression after having my daughter, and I ended up on anti-depressants. I totally panicked when I got the first rosacea flare up, I thought it was an allergy or something. It was not only red and furious but it was also itchy and painful too. But during lockdown when my skin got really bad, it was virtually impossible to see a doctor so I just put up with it. After lockdown I managed to come off antidepressants, but I was terrified of starting to go out and meet people again with my skin looking the way it did. My self-esteem hit rock bottom after lockdown. Even when returning to work some of the children made comments asking if I have chicken pox! They're only little so don't understand but it was still upsetting to understand how bad my skin looked. Due to it being so hard to see a doctor even after lockdown ended, I felt I had to find a solution that didn't require a prescription. I tried loads of different products both from the doctor and from the chemist. Most things either didn’t really work or more often made my rosacea worse. On further research I started reading accounts from real people with rosacea rather than just buying what the doctor or other people suggested. You can tell when someone really has rosacea just by what they say, as it sounds so familiar and many of the things they say, I know I have experienced myself. It was when reading one of these accounts from a mum who’s rosacea triggers was also pregnancy and who had tried various prescription rosacea cream from the doctor with no success but had finally found a solution from her own research which was Kalme skincare for rosacea She said Kalme was the best rosacea cream she had found and the only one that had worked to properly control her rosacea without any nasty side effects or stinging. I did some more research on the Kalme rosacea creams and found loads more independent reviews and accounts from other rosacea sufferers, so I was convinced enough to give them one chance to see if they worked for me too. I was so glad I did. Within the first week of using the products, my face didn't feel as sore or burning and my skin started to appear less bumpy and calmer. In the six months since I have been using the products I would say that my rosacea has improved dramatically. It’s not totally gone and probably never will be but its now much less visible and less painful and itchy. I feel I’ve finally got control back over my crazy skin."
Learn more
Best eye cream for eye eczema clears mum's agonising perimenopausal eye eczema in days
Mum who refused damaging steroids for her agonising perimenopausal blepharitis discovers Hydrosil Dry Eye Gel and clears her sore red eyes in days! Mum of three Meg, 43, is a hair stylist from Michigan in the US. Meg says; “I developed a sudden and painful onset of blepharitis in December of 2022. At the time I thought it must be allergic reaction to something. I in a matter of days I developed puffy, itchy eyelids, which got worse and worse. I was puzzled about what it was and assumed it would go away as quickly as it came on. However, it took me almost five months of agony and trying just everything under the sun to try and calm down my furious red eyes. Thankfully my suffering ended when I discovered a blog where several women had posted their accounts of eye eczema menopause which were exactly like mine. They’d all credited a natural eye gel containing a plant sterol called Hydrosil Dry Eye Gel for totally sorting out the problem where everything else had failed. Before finding this eye gel I tried literally everything. I stopped wearing contacts, stopped wearing makeup and began washing with just water. I used homeopathic remedies, homemade balms with all natural ingredients. I tried using straight vitamin E oil, petroleum jelly, coconut oil. I eliminated gluten, alcohol, tomatoes, and eggs from my diet thinking I was maybe having an allergic reaction. I also saw a dermatologist who recommended a cleanser and moisturizer, which didn’t work. Then she recommended I saw an ophthalmologist. After giving an extensive history of my eye problem to his nurse, including all the elimination diets I had tried with no luck, the doctor came in and first told me it was an allergy. After months of trying to diagnose myself and knowing it wasn't an allergy, I tearfully told him I rejected that diagnosis. He then suggested it might be 'ocular rosacea', which I had also researched and knew was incorrect. It felt like he was throwing darts, and just wanted this hysterical woman out of his office. I left with a prescription for a steroid treatment and antibiotics. There was no way I was going to use steroids as I’d researched that they can cause all sorts of side effects. So, I just paid my bill, knowing it was a huge waste of money, and left. I didn’t pick up either prescription, knowing he was wrong. I got increasingly anxious and depressed about my eye eczema. Working as a hairstylist, this condition really affected me. Not only is my business making people look good, but I'm standing in front of a mirror all day. I would carefully apply makeup for my workdays, be super-conscientious of not touching my eyes, and then remove my make-up immediately upon returning home, as it was itching like crazy. One day I came home and took my makeup off, and my eyelids were so inflamed and puffy they actually started weeping. Then I started actually weeping, which made my eyes even worse. My eyes have always been my greatest feature, yet it got the stage where I felt like I was constantly apologizing to people about my eyes and explaining that I wasn’t sick or upset. I'd wear sunglasses whenever I could and even dodge clients in the grocery store. Then one morning I woke up with a bad flare-up and I also happened to have had one of my first perimenopausal night sweats the night before. It finally connected in my brain that my eye eczema could be to do with menopausal symptoms. When I googled 'menopausal eye eczema' I found this blog with loads of information about menopausal eye eczema and menopausal blepharitis along with several accounts from women who’d gone through almost identical symptoms and a catalogue of misdiagnosis just like I had. As I read their accounts I started crying. I felt like finally I’d found not only the explanation for my blepharitis but a solution for it too. I felt angry that all the specialists I’d seen didn’t seem to have a clue that it was my perimenopause that had caused it. I immediately ordered the Hydrosil Dry Eye Gel and the treatment under eye concealer. My eyes felt better the moment I used the eye gel the first time. However, I noticed the most improvements after a few days. Firstly, my eyes were less puffy and red, then the texture of the skin returned to normal and was no longer flaky or scaly.I was quickly able to return to wearing makeup and contacts lenses. While I can't say my eyes are100% back to normal now they are so much improved that no one really notices them now. I’ve been using this eye gel for seven months now and I simply will never be without it. I keep a back-up tube and order in advance so that I never run out.”
Learn more
Women with ‘toad eyes’ from menopausal eye eczema discovered best eye cream that cleared it in days
<p>As though hitting the menopasue isn't problematic enough, now there's one more symptom that women often have to battle and that's eye eczema.</p> <p>"The sudden drop in oestrogen at the onset of the menopause can cause menopasual skin to become drier, itchier and much more sensitive to skin reactions and the skin around the eye area is often the first place to be affected as ths skin is so fragil and thin in that area," says consultant dermatoligist Dr Eva Melegh.</p> <p>General statistics report that about 1 in 10 people suffer from atopic skin and eczema, however a recent survey by the <em>Skin Life Science Foundation</em> found that in the UK, eczema has recently increased by almost 400%, with a shocking 44% of people surveyed experiencing atopic skin issues with eye eczema being most common in perimenopaual skin and menopausal skin.</p> <p>Steroids should not be used around the eye area due to the thinness of the skin and the proximity to eye but effective alternatives are pretty thin on the ground when it comes to eye eczema.</p> <p>Phytosteroids (which are plant-derived steroid-like components) can offer anti-inflammatory action on eye eczema without the undesirable side-effects of steroids. Many trials on these plant steroids prove their efficacy to reduce itching and inflammation in skin.</p> <p>Serena, 55, a divorced property manager from Leeds, found herself with 'toad eyes' at the onset of her menopause and after months of suffering and when nothing from her GP had to offer her was suitable, she discovered <span style="color: #3598db;"><strong><a style="color: #3598db;" href="/products/dry-skin-eye-gel">Hydrosil Dry Dye Gel </a></strong><span style="color: #000000;">w</span></span>hich cleared up her red, swollen and itchy eyes within a matter of days.</p> <p>Serena says:</p> <p>“Until the start of this year I’d never had any issues with my skin, which has been one of my best assets. But in January this year my eye lids started to swell and were very red. I felt and looked awful and had to wear sunglasses outside to mask it all even though it was the middle of winter. My eyelids became extremely sore and very itchy in a matter of weeks. I didn’t know what was happening to me.</p> <p>I tried Vaseline, organic Aloe Vera gel and then after a visit to my GP because nothing was clearing it up I was prescribed hydrocortisone 1% cream.</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Serena_Fenton_meno_eye_eczema_3_1.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="800"></p> <p>I used the hydrocortisone for the whole month before contacting my GP to explain it was having no effect and in fact was actually making it slightly worse. I also explained I was very concerned because the cream was actually not recommended for prolonged use especially on the eye area as it can permanently discolour and damage the skin as its so thin near the eyes. I was very upset and anxious when my GP just prescribed me another tube of the hydrocortisone cream and was told there were not really many other options.</p> <p>After my consultation I decided I must start researching for myself to find something to help me as my GP was only offering the steroid option.</p> <p>I had to attend a family funeral while all this was going on and I was very self-conscious about my awful red, swollen eyes. Everyone kept asking me if I was alright, it was really embarrassing.</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Serena_Fenton_meno_eye_eczema_1.JPG" alt="" width="600" height="1066"></p> <p>After a while I just started apologising in advance to everyone I met for my ' demon eyes' which I told them has literally just appeared without warning.</p> <p>I was on the brink of looking into allergy testing when during some google research I came across some stories on a few women who appeared to have had a very similar experience during the progression of their menopause and had found this eye gel, Hydrosil Dry Eye Gel, that had hugely helped their symptoms and was made with plant steroids which were more suitable for use around the eyes but had a similar effect.</p> <p>There was also a dermatologist commenting about the link between eye eczema and menopause and that was when it dawned on me how common the link was between menopause and eye eczema was and so I went back to my GP with this theory who agreed this could in fact be the cause. </p> <p>I knew instantly I must try the eye gel they had sworn by as everything they described was exactly what had happened to me. It was the best thing I ever did.</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Serena_Fenton_after_Hydrosil_Dry_Eye_Gel_3.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>The eye gel was instantly soothing and practically eradicated the problem within a few days. Within a day the itching had stopped, by the end of the first week the redness and swelling was practically gone.</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Serena_Fenton_after_Hydrosil_Dry_Eye_Gel_2.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>My awful red swollen 'toad' eyes were back to normal after months suffering, doctor visits and trying endless products that did nothing or made them even worse.</p> <p>The relief was incredible. I really think this product should be available on NHS and that doctors need to be more educated on the connection between eye eczema and menopause and offer more suitable treatments for it other than steroids, which specifically say not to use around the eye area.</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Serena_Fenton_after_Hydrosil_Dry_Eye_Gel.JPG" alt=""></p> <p>If I had been informed about this eye gel earlier I would not have had to suffer months of pain and anguish. It was the only thing that worked on my eyes and I will always have this with me in my handbag.”</p> <p> </p> <p> </p>
Learn more
Single wedding planner finds best cure for cold sores that's been a game-changer for dating
<p>A wedding planner Nicola, 37, from Hampshire who had suffered from regular cold sores, sometimes as often as once a month, since she was 16 and dreaded having the 'cold sore' conversation at the start of new relationships, finds balm made from liquorice stopped her cold sore in their tracks.</p> <p>Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus, that lays dormant in the skin around the mouth and breaks out in cold sores sometimes as often as once a month for some people. Dating with herpes is notoriously difficult as when a cold sore is live, its very contagious so intimate contact is best avoided, which can be difficult to explain to a new date.</p> <p>“I got my first cold sore when I was 16. I probably caught the virus from my mum as she has cold sores even though she was always very cautious around me and my sister when she had a live sore. Interestingly my twin sister has never had cold sores, says Nicola. </p> <p>"It could not have been a worse age to get my first cold sore really. It made me feel self-conscious and dented my confidence at a period of life when confidence is difficult anyway.</p> <p>My cold sores got worse and worse over time, especially once I hit 30. The breakouts became more intense and more frequent, often every 4-6 weeks, lasting up to two weeks at a time.</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Nicola_5.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>Once I had a break out in around of six large cold sores at the same time. My lips were swollen and felt like they were being stabbed by hot pins constantly.</p> <p>Most recently I had a break out just after Christmas where one of the four on my lips was the size of a 10p, spreading down my chin. It lasted two weeks and the scar can still be seen.</p> <p>Having cold sores dramatically affects my confidence and always has. When I have a really bad break out I will often feel physically ill at the same time with a cold like feeling and general lethargy.</p> <p>The physical pain is sometimes so bad it keeps me awake at night. If I had a cold sore I would often cancel social or business plans and avoid contact with others as I didn't want to be seen in public.</p> <p>When I did go out in public with them I avoided eye contact and always found myself apologising for the 'state' of my face. My job involves a lot of face to face contact and I was finding that the cold sores were affecting my confidence at meetings with clients.</p> <p>Having the 'cold sore' conversation at the start of a new relationship can be so difficult. I have had guys in the past who have laughed at me and make negative comments that haven’t helped my insecurities about my cold sores. When you get cold sores on a regular basis it can’t fail to have a negative effect on a relationship, especially a new one, when close physical contact has to stop, for sometimes up to two weeks. The fear of passing the virus on can be all consuming at times. </p> <p>Luckily, my friends and family are used to them by now and always tell me it does not look as bad as I think. I have realised people who care will see past them. I have found that being open with people helps open up channels of communication and then people understand. I worked in an office once where 75% of us suffered from cold sores so we had a good support network.</p> <p>Any major event is always a nightmare if you get cold sores. Birthdays, Christmas, holidays, family events, dates. I always fear getting an attack at these times. Every other holiday would be affected by a cold sore because of changes in temperature.</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Nicola_4.JPG" alt=""></p> <p>As I have got older, I have learnt that I cannot miss out on life because of my cold sores, especially as they were getting more and more frequent, but it does affect enjoyment of special events. I love taking photographs as capturing memories is so important to me but having a cold sore breakout makes me feel ugly and not want to be in front of the camera. </p> <p>I’ve never seen a doctor about my cold sores are I know what they are and how I got them and so over the years I had tried to self-medicate, knowing it would always be there.</p> <p>When I say self-medicate I mean I have literally tried everything! Off the shelf topical ointments, lysine tablets, ice cubes, applying alcohol, patches, a very expensive light treatment machine, natural remedies of every kind! I have spent hours on Google and a lot of money on trying to find a cure. </p> <p>About eight years ago I found a balm in a market on a trip to Morocco which did help reduce my outbreaks while the balm lasted but I had only purchased one pot and didn't know what the ingredients were so I could never purchase again.</p> <p>But all that changed when I discovered <strong><span style="color: #00ccff;"><a style="color: #00ccff;" href="/products/liquorice-balm">Lip Q Liquorice Balm.</a></span></strong> My Mum found out about it in a health article and purchased one for me after I had had bad break outs for over four months in a row.</p> <p>I noticed a difference straight away. I had a really bad breakout just after my Liquorice Balm arrived so I used it at every stage of the cold sore and I noticed it cleared up much quicker than normal. I quickly purchased four more balms to ensure I had one in my car, one in my handbag, one in the lounge, one in the office and one in my bedroom!" says Nicola. </p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Nicola_2.JPG" alt=""></p> <p>Lip Q Liquorice Lip Balm contains a highly concentrated extract of liquorice helps protect lips from cold sores, according to a study carried out by the Herpes Virus Association. The lip balm was found to be effective in a double-blind trial, carried out by the Herpes Virus Association.</p> <p>The balm reduced the severity and duration of outbreaks for over 73% of subjects tested and, furthermore, 83% of subjects using the liquorice balm reported experiencing less outbreaks than when using their conventional treatments. While using the liquorice lip balm, testers reported that on average their outbreaks were only half their normal length and the time between outbreaks was much longer.</p> <p>The key cold sore fighting ingredient in liquorice is glycyrrhizic acid (GA). GA specifically targets the genes that are required to maintain the virus in its latent state by interfering with the production of special proteins that feed the infected cells. Research published in the US Journal of Clinical Investigation has shown that due to its anti-viral actions, GA has the ability to weaken the cold sore virus which lies dormant in the skin between outbreaks.</p> <p>Unlike conventional treatments, due to its naturally derived ingredients, the balm can be worn at all times without any negative side-effects, meaning that it can be used in between cold sore outbreaks as a preventive measure.</p> <p>Marian Nicholson from the Herpes Viruses Association says;</p> <p>"We were aware of the research on liquorice and were interested in carrying out an in vivo trial. Quite often results which look impressive in a test tube are not as effective in real life testers. However, Skin Shop’s Liquorice Balm has performed well with respondents showing a marked reduction in severity and duration of their cold sore outbreaks. In light of this research we are happy to recommend this treatment to our members."</p> <p>I didn’t realise quite how miraculous this balm was until I had the tingling of a second cold sore outbreak a few weeks later as I was getting them every couple of weeks by this stage," says Nicola.</p> <p>"I felt the familiar tingle and burn that is the first warning of a nasty break out. I noticed the start of a bump on my lip (the early stages of a cold sore) so lavished on the Liquorice Balm all night. By the next day it had disappeared! I couldn't believe it!</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Nicola_6.JPG" alt=""></p> <p>This balm has succeeded in preventing my cold sores growing and bursting and turning into open sores that last two weeks or more before they clear up.</p> <p>Since using the Liquorice Balm and despite exposing myself to a lot of sun, going through a stressful period of lockdown, and working long hours I have had no actual breakouts since I started using it. I have felt the tingle and a bump and then within 1-2 days it’s gone and it doesn’t blister.</p> <p>This is unheard of for me since I was a teenager and I feel such a huge sense of relief.</p> <p>I use the balm consistently throughout the day and ensure I increase the application if I feel the starting signs of a cold sore. For me it’s a totally life changing product.</p> <p>I’m part of a Facebook Cold Sore Support Group of 1.6k members and have already told them about it. I would recommend this balm to any cold sore sufferers. Aside from the fact that it totally works, I also love the fact it is reasonably priced and a natural product and made in the UK.”</p> <p> </p>
Learn more
Mum with perimenopausal eye eczema hid at home until best cream for eye eczema helped her return to fashion career
<p>Perimenopausal Eye Eczema sufferer and mum of two Jane, 50, from Kent is a fashion blogger.</p> <p>Jane says;</p> <p>“I’ve always had slightly sensitive skin around my eyes. However, as I entered the perimenopause about six months ago what used to be a bit of irritation around my eyes turned into full blown eye eczema that was much worse than anything I had experienced before. Instead of lasting a few days, it lasted for months and the skin around my eyes became incredibly painful, very irritated, red and swollen.</p> <p>At the time I didn’t link the perimenopause to my eye eczema because at no point did any of the doctors I saw say there was a link. I didn’t know I was perimenopausal as aside from the situation with my eyes I didn’t really have any other notable symptoms.</p> <p>As well as the irritation around my eyes, my actual eyes became dry, swollen and itchy too.</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Jane_Dumas_before_Hydrosil_DEG_2.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>Having red swollen skin around your eyes makes you really self-conscious as it’s so immediately visible to everyone. It made me feel anxious, ugly and very down in the dumps. I became short-tempered as its quite a painful condition.</p> <p>Aside from my personal life it also had a terrible impact on my job as I have to show my face regularly. It had such an impact on my life I eventually felt the need to talk about it on my Instagram.</p> <p>I do a lot of fashion-based content and I’m often out at events but for a while I didn’t even want to dress up and hid away at home in a tracksuit as I felt so down about my appearance and had lost a lot of confidence in how I looked so didn’t really want to see anyone. I became a little bit of a hermit.</p> <p>Aside from the anxiety about my skin, I also struggled with a growing feeling of frustration as there seemed to be no eye eczema cure. It made me feel helpless that I would be living with this very visible and uncomfortable skin condition forever more now that I had entered perimenopause.</p> <p>I tried absolutely everything to try and treat my eye eczema, from different medicated creams and ice packs to various eye drops and even antihistamines.</p> <p>I saw a dermatologist but they were unable to suggest anything that I hadn’t already tried. I visited the doctor about my eyes several times and was in the process of having blood tests to test for various allergies in an attempt to try and find the cause.</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Jane_Dumas_before_Hydrosil_DEG_1.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>It wasn’t until I’d more or less given up on doctors and was doing my own research that I started reading accounts from women who had experienced exactly the same thing as me as they entered perimenopause, that I began to make a link between the two and worked out that I too was most likely in perimenopause. It hadn’t occurred to me that the menopause might be the cause, but when I thought about it, it started to make sense.</p> <p>It was during this research and reading one of these accounts from a woman who had entered perimenopause and who developed terrible eye eczema having never had it before in her life, that I came across <span style="color: #00ccff;"><strong><a style="color: #00ccff;" href="/products/dry-skin-eye-gel">Hydrosil Dry Eye Gel.</a></strong></span></p> <p>Like me the lady had tried everything from the doctor and the chemist and nothing had worked until she tried the Dry Eye Gel, which she said soothed her eyes and reduced the itching and redness within days. I did a bit more research and found a few more similar reviews so decided to order some of the eye gel straight away.</p> <p>I used the Hydrosil Dry Eye Gel every night and the <strong><span style="color: #00ccff;"><a style="color: #00ccff;" href="/products/dry-eye-concealer">Hydrosil Dry Eye Concealer</a></span></strong> with the same ingredients in it during the day.</p> <p>Within days I noticed much less redness and irritation around my eyes. The concealer didn't clog or itch like other concealers and the eye gel had a cooling and soothing effect.</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Jane_Dumas_after_Hydrosil_DEG_2.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>My eyes now are much better and feel almost back to normal, so these two eye products are now firmly part of my skincare routine.</p> <p>At first, I used the eye gel every night but now I use it twice a week, which seems to be enough to keep my eyes calm and clear. I also use the concealer first before I wear any make up which seems to protect my eyes from any reactions.</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Jane_Dumas_after_Hydrosil_DEG1.JPG" alt=""></p> <p>Since posting about my perimenopausal eye eczema on my Instagram @luludumas I’ve had so many women contacting me to tell me about their similar experiences. I’m hoping that me spreading the word about my experiences will help more perimenopausal women out there with sore red eyes who are feeling as desperate and anxious as I was and that some of my advice might help them.”</p> <p> </p>
Learn more
Cold weather made rosacea sufferer's face bleed
Winter weather can be harsh on skin prone to rosacea but for 33-year former care assistant, Nathlie Rose from Shropshire, the cold weather made her skin crack open and bleed causing her to suffer terrible bulling at work. Natalie says, ‘When my rosacea was at its height, I was bullied by my boss, mocked by my work colleagues, insulted by complete strangers in the street and even told I needed cometic surgery by an ex boyfriend. It was little wonder I ended up hating myself and at my lowest point feeling like I wanted to end my life. I tried to hide away and hated being seen and being questioned about my red face and people making fun of it. I was made to feel ugly and disgusting. I had my first signs of rosacea at about aged 14. I had bad acne like many of my friends did but I also got really red cheeks, and when I did sports it was noticeably worse and was often made fun of at school about my tomato face. My grandad had rosacea really badly so I think it must be genetic. As I entered my 20’s my acne got a bit better but the redness of my face just got gradually worse and worse. I felt pretty hopeless and weird like I was the odd one out. All my friends had gone on to have flawless skin, while mine was just going from bad to worse. I have asthma and at first the doctor told my mum he thought my blotchy red face was due to some kind of skin reaction I was having to the medications I took for my asthma. After numerous more consultations by which time was skin was so raw and red I was eventually diagnosed with rosacea which they told me was triggered by stress and I should work on trying to be less stressed and use E45 cream on my skin. That was literally all the advice I was given. I tried E45 cream, I tried washing my face all the time, I used facial wipes, all sorts. If I saw something advertised, I would try it and I covered a variety of skincare brands and nothing helped. I realised my skin was fragile and volatile and most things I tried would just make my skin feel even more sensitive and furious. The process of trying new creams or treatments became waring and traumatic as well as expensive. Each time I tried a new wonder product I would get my hopes up and then my skin would just react to it and often end up worse than it was before and I’d have to throw the product away. it would make me feel even more hopeless. I felt like nothing was ever going to help me. I was having constant flares and breakouts, in the summer and winter, although winter was way worse. One winter it was really cold and it snowed. I went outside just for a little while and my face went bright red and swollen and then once I got back inside it began to bleed. After that every time I went out in cold weather my face would inflame and start to bleed. I developed a phobia about the cold as a result due to the rection my skin had to it. When my face became such a mess I started getting really badly bullied by my boss at the time who mocked me in front of my work colleagues because of the state of my skin and told me to cover it in make up as it was upsetting clients. He even told me some has complained to him about me as they thought it might be contagious. He made me feel like an ogre. In the end he was sacked due to his behaviour but the damage to my mental health had already been done. When you have a skin condition everyone thinks they have a right to say things to you. Even things like getting on a bus, I’ve been called ugly by complete strangers and even told to consider cosmetic surgery by an ex-partner. In past relationships and during my marriage, I always excused bad treatment of me because I felt I was so ugly and they could do better so I just needed to put up with it. I really struggled to see any self-worth. I got pregnant in 2018 and the redness and swelling became even more constant and pronounced while I was pregnant. I sadly lost my daughter in late pregnancy and had a breakdown as a result of the grief and ended up on sick leave from work and eventually I had to leave altogether. I was extremely depressed and stopped wanting to even leave my home. I developed crippling anxiety and my self-esteem and confidence hit rock bottom. Not long after I lost my baby, I was so low I had to get therapy and I ws put on antidepressants to try and cope. The bullying I’d experienced at work, being ridiculed by clients, even my friends had nicknamed me alien and then going through a divorce and then having a miscarriage, I just felt overwhelmed. It was the most traumatic period of my life and I have not been able to return to a communal work environment since. I was googling rosacea and doing my habitual scan of new products or research on it in the hope of finding some kind of breakthrough when I came across a review of Kalme rosacea cream. There were a lot of accounts from people who I could tell were completely real from what they were saying. Many of the things resonated with me as I had experienced things like that too. There were several people talking about how much they had been bullied at work and in their personal lives due to their skin. Having recognised that trying products and them not working had added to my depression and anxiety about my skin I was quite wary of trying something else new. But it was the nature of the reviews for Kalme products that eventually convinced me to take another chance. Even so it took me almost a year to summon up the courage to try the products. I was terrified that once again I’d get my hopes up and then have them dashed again. There was a day and night cream and a cleanser in the recommended basic pack. I had never even used a cleanser before. Within four weeks there was a noticeable difference, my skin wasn't bleeding or flaky anymore. It felt smoother and calmer and mush less painful. By the time I moved onto the second Kalme pack I had seen a drastic improvement in my skin. I then also added a new Kalme TeQ Serum they bought out to deal with the extreme dryness and tightness that can come with rosacea and this accelerated the improvement in my skin even more as it made my skin the smoothest it’s been in as far back as I can remember. I have been using the Kalme day rosacea cream, night cream and cleanser ever since and its the best rosacea cream I've ever used and I will never stop using it. I often talk about them to other people suffering from rosacea online where I post on Instagram about my skin and am part of several discussion and support networks for rosacea. I do this because their effects have been truly life changing for me. I know I’m always going to have rosacea as there’s no magic fix and I still get flutters of anxiety when I get a skin flare, but these products have helped significantly manage the symptoms better than anything else I have ever tried and reduce the redness and bumpiness, which is the most upsetting and visible part of having rosacea. Even though I still clearly still have some rosacea I no longer have people starring in horror at my skin or calling me names and I have learned to start loving my skin for the first time in my adult life. Knowing that I have something that can control the worst of the symptoms has hugely eased my anxiety about my skin. I feel so much more confident that on many days I’m OK going out make up free, which is honestly miraculous for me.”
Learn more
Mum hails donkey milk salve as best cream for hand eczema bought on by traumatic divorce
Divorced mum Rosa Enfield, 46, is a marketing manager from Winchester in Sussex who suffers from severe stress-related hand eczema Rosa says: “My job involves a lot of travel to trade shows and when my hand eczema was at its worst a year ago, some people refused to take brochures from me after seeing my hands. I couldn’t even use a pair of secateurs to prune my garden, which is my pride and joy. If I hadn’t volunteered for a local trial on Hydrosil Turmeric Butter & Hypoallergenic Milk Salve, which was literally the only thing that managed to heal my hands and wrists, I think I probably would have felt compelled to leave my job as it was mortifying to see people’s reactions to my hand eczema. I’ve always suffered from dry and flaky hands since my 20’s. Whenever I got stressed like while taking exams at university or when I started a new job or when i got run down, my hands would get dry and the fingers tips woudl get sore But my hand eczema never got bad enough to cause me any real distress and it would go away on its own eventually. However, three years ago I went through a very traumatic divorce. I was sleeping badly, working long hours and dealing with all the emotional turmoil that comes with divorce and that was when my hand eczema went from being just very dry and flaky to becoming red, swollen, cracked and extremely painful and when the dryness and soreness spread to my wrists too. It started with the usual dryness and sore fingertips. However, they went from dry hands to actually cracked fingertips. These painful cracks then spread and I developed cracked palms. Eventually the whole palm and tips of my fingers were covered in red open wounds. This situation then spread on to my wrists too. It hurt every time I touched something. I got to the stage where by any creams I wanted to use on the rest of my body or to wash my hair I had to use rubber gloves as any product I got on my hand eczema was complete agony, it felt like pouring acid on my dry cracked hands. When it spread to my wrist, which was about two years ago, I went to the doctors and I was given an emollient to use, which did nothing. In fact, I think it made my hand eczema worse. I went back to the doctor and I was then prescribed a steroid cream. This stung to high heaven when I applied it but it did, eventually start to improve the condition of my hand eczema. After two months when I went back for a repeat prescription, I was told to stop using the steroid cream as it was quite strong and not to be used permanently. Within a week my hand eczema came back with a vengeance and the skin on my wrists went bright red. I went back to the doctors for more cream, but this time it didn’t work as well. It stung more than before and made my skin red and hot, the cracks did begin to heal but the rest of my hands were really red and swollen. I went back to the doctors after 2-3 weeks as I was concerned how red and swollen my wrists were and they told me to stop using the steroid cream as I was perhaps having a reaction to it. When I stopped for the second time, my hands dried up and cracked so badly I could barely get myself dressed in the morning without causing them to bleed and open up. The doctors told me there wasn’t much more they could do for me and to just try and let my hands ‘heal up’ on their own. This seemed highly unlikely so I ran through several creams and salves from the chemists and a few other products I found on-line from advice from blogs but nothing really helped. I also tried going vegetarian, taking flaxseed supplements, using various different essential oils and giving up lactose and alcohol to see if any of this helped. It didn’t. For about a year my hands would fluctuate from just being very dry and sore to cracked, infected and red raw, depending on what product I was using. The situation really started to affect my self-confidence as well as cause a lot of problems in my everyday life and my work. It was hard some days to even cook dinner for the kids as holding pans was so painful. I work a lot at trade shows where it’s my job to run presentations and hand out brochures. My boss asked me on more than one occasion what was wrong with my hands and couldn’t I do something about it. I was able to explain to him, but to clients and people I didn’t know, it was awful as I could see them looking with horror at my hands when I handed them information. I had a few who clearly didn’t take the stuff off me due to my hands. Even when I was giving free products to people, some would actually turn them down as they were put off by my hands. My two great loves are gardening and mountain biking. It’s the way I un-wind and they are the things that keep me happy and upbeat. My hands got so bad I had to stop doing both as it was just too painful. I’d come back from cycling, even though I wore gloves, and it would feel as if I had almost lost the palms of my hands from the friction on the handlebars. My hands would bleed inside the gloves. When I was gardening, I found it too painful to put enough pressure on the secateurs to even clip the weakest of stems. I have quite a complex garden as it’s a huge hobby of mine and so it needs regular maintenance. I actually ended up employing a gardener to maintain my garden as my hands were too sore to do it myself. Looking back now, I think at one point I was really quite depressed as I felt I literally couldn’t do anything I loved. So when I saw an advert in my local paper asking for volunteers for a consumer trial on a new treatment for very dry skin and eczema made by a local skincare company, I immediately enquired. After a phone call from them and sending them photos of my skin, I was sent Hydrosil Turmeric Butter & Hypoallergenic Milk Salve plus lots of information about the origins of its ingredients along with a detailed questionnaire to log my progress. Apparently donkey milk, which is sourced from lacttating free-ranging donkeys in Greece, has been used for hundreds of years both in Europe and the Middle East as a treatment for eczema and very dry skin, which I never knew. The first time I used the salve it was like immediate relief. I patch tested in the morning as advised and it didn’t sting or cause any swelling and so before bed that night I slathered it on and instantly felt my hands feeling slightly soothed. Most creams I’ve used overnight are completely gone by the morning and my hands are dry as a crisp again and sore. This salve was still there in the morning, I could feel it on my skin and my hands were less crispy and sore. Within a week of using the donkey milk and turmeric butter salve three times a day and wearing cotton gloves overnight, my hands and wrists were about 50% improved. The cracks had started to close and the swelling had dramatically reduced. It took a month of use to see the best results, which was my hands virtually back to normal. The relief I felt is indescribable. Aside from the look of my hands it was just incredible not to be in so much pain every day. My hands were still a bit red after a month and you could see the patches on my wrists where the eczema had been but the cracks, swelling and flaking had all but gone. That was about three months ago and I’ve continued to use the salve twice daily and my hands feel like ‘new’ hands. I’ve been able to resume gardening and mountain biking and to all intense and purposes I’m back to normal. I’m still very careful not to get detergents on my hands and I still use rubber gloves when I wash my hair or apply other moisturisers to my body, but other than that my hands feel more or less normal again, which feels frankly miraculous after what I have been through the last few years with them. What’s even better is that the salve is natural and so I know I can continue to use it daily forever, which I fully intend to do. I also use it on my elbows which I felt had been threatening to go the same way as my wrists earlier this year as they were red and starting to feel sore. It’s totally cleared these too. This salve is one of those products that literally saves your skin.”
Learn more
Mum’s hands split open from steroid use but salvation came in best cream for hand eczema made from donkey milk
<p>Mum-of-two Annie, 35, is an administrator from Hertfordshire who's hand eczema left her with swollen red and cracked hands after repeated steroid use.</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Annie_Geffrey_6.PNG" alt=""></p> <p>Annie says;</p> <p>“As a mum to two young kids, I have to use my hands a lot to wash everything and my hand eczema, which I first got when I was a teen during exam stress, went from being infrequent and manageable to regularly splitting open and infected. After years of using steroid creams to control my hand eczema, my skin had thinned so much it would just crack open.</p> <p>In moments of desperation I've tried just about everything on my hands to try and get rid of my hand eczema</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Annie_Geffrey_eczema_4.jpeg" alt=""></p> <p>Unbelievably, I once applied Vicks Vapour rub to my hand eczema which cooled it but was actually doing it more harm than good!</p> <p> I also once doused my hands in Mentholated Spirit which is a folk remedy from Mauritius, which smelt so strong that my boss at the time had to pull me to the side and ask if I was drinking at work.</p> <p>I was prescribed Betnovate steroid cream for years for my hand eczema but it thinned my skin so badly, that about four months ago, I had a flare up on my palms and my palms literally split open and got infected. I had to take antibiotics to clear up the infection for my cracked palms and cracked fingertips, which had both become red, swollen and infected.</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Annie_Geffrey_eczema_1.jpeg" alt=""></p> <p>During my hand eczema infection, I felt so down in the dumps I just wanted to cry. Having a shower or washing my hands became such a painful task and having two young kids, I had to constantly wash my hands after changing nappies, food preparation etc. It was complete agony. I didn’t want to see anyone or even leave the house because my hands looks so awful and I was in so much pain.</p> <p>After the infection cleared up I really didn’t want to go back to using steroid creams on my hand eczema so when I read an article about a salve made from donkey milk and a special turmeric butter called <strong><span style="color: #00ccff;"><a style="color: #00ccff;" href="/products/hydrosil-turmeric-butter-hypoallergenic-milk-salve">Hydrosil Turmeric Butter & Hypoallergenic Milk Salve</a> </span></strong>which had helped another mum like me with really bad hand eczema, I decided to do a bit of research on it.</p> <p>It’s true what they said on the website that donkey milk has been used since the Egyptian times as a treatment for eczema and even now they give it to children with eczema and allergies to drink and turmeric is a well-researched anti-inflammatory which I knew, I just didn't know that putting it in a butter made it even more effectuve for use on the skin. The historic and current evidence of the ingredients along with the rave reviews I found convinced me to give the hand eczema salve a try. I also liked the fact that it was so natural. Eczema creams often say they are natural and hypoallergenic but in fact contain all sorts of chemicals.</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Annie_Geffrey_5.jpeg" alt=""></p> <p>I know it sounds so cliche, but this hand eczema salve worked straight away. It gave instant relief from the itching and soothed the soreness really quickly. In the last month, it has completely healed the palm of my hand and the redness on my right hand has calmed right down so I dont feel so self-conscious about it when I go out. The burning and itching on my hands has hugely improved and it no longer stings when I shower or wash my hands. Its honestly such a relief and is one of the best creams for hand eczema I have ever tried and has made a huge difference to the daily quality of my life.</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Annie_Geffrey_6.jpeg" alt=""></p> <p>Other than discovering this salve, the most helpful advice I have been given by anyone medical, was by a nurse at my GP surgery who told me to wear white cotton gloves in bed after I applied whatever hand eczema cream I was using. It realy helps makes the cream stay on and penetrate deeper into the skin. It's not a very sexy look but it has helped a lot. I now also never wash my hands with anything chemical and only ever use E45 handwash plus the Hydrosil Salve."</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>
Learn moreMum-to-be with rosacea couldn’t look in the mirror until Kalme rescued her ravaged red skin
<p> </p> <p>Jade, 28, a nail salon owner from East Wittering in West Sussex was in so much pain from her rosacea that the water pressure from her shower was agony and she even struggled to put her face on her pillow at night.</p> <p>The mum-to-be found it hard to look in the mirror due to her ravaged red skin and became anxious going to work after red sore patches spread across her face has now regained her confidence after finding a solution to her rosacea.</p> <p>“I was so conscious about the state of my skin that I felt worried going to work as customers would sometimes comment on it. It was so embarrassing,” said Jade.</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Jade_Enfield_b4_with_rosacea_blog.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>She added: “Even though James and I have been together for more than ten years, I still felt very self-conscious in front of him when my skin was at its worst. I didn’t even want my family to see my skin and I found it hard to look in the mirror as it would upset me.”</p> <p>After months of trying both high street and prescribed treatments, it was a skincare product that James ordered online that has finally cleared Jade’s skin. She said: “He found the <span style="color: #00ccff;"><strong><a style="color: #00ccff;" href="/collections/skin-shop-kalme">Kalme Skin Care range</a></strong></span> after searching online and, though I never expected it to work, it’s completely cleared my skin.”</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/jade_enfield_before_with_swollen_eyes_blog.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>For Jade, issues with her skin began to arise in her teens. She said: “I suffered quite badly with acne as a teenager and had a couple of different prescriptions from my GP for it.”</p> <p>She added: “As I got older, the acne started to subside, but I never had completely clear skin. In my twenties, I suffered a lot with dry skin.”</p> <p>Over the years, red patches started to appear on Jade’s face. She said: “They were dry and quite sore so I went to the doctor in 2018 and he thought it could be psoriasis, so he gave me a medicated soap to use.</p> <p>“The soap burned my skin so much it was agony every time I used it, but I thought it was just the soap doing its job, so I continued using it despite the burning. The severity of my symptoms reached a peak at the end of last year.</p> <p>"By this time my entire face was red and swollen. My skin was so sensitive it hurt to put my face on the pillow at night when I slept.”</p> <p>She added: “My skin on my face felt like it was on fire all the time, like I had really bad sunburn, but the rest of my skin anywhere else on my body was totally fine. My lips started to swell up and all the skin around my eyes was red and swollen.</p> <p>"I looked like I’d had a serious allergic reaction or severe hay fever.”Jade says that other people started to comment on her skin.</p> <p>She said: “I’d become so conscious of the state of my skin that I felt worried going to work as customers would sometimes mention it. To avoid the concerned stares from strangers and questions from customers and family I started to wear more and more make-up.</p> <p>“I spent ages every morning applying layer upon layer of foundation to try and camouflage my skin. There was no way I could ever have left my house without make-up but even that wasn’t easy as it was so painful to apply.</p> <p>"It stung terribly but was better than having people staring at my skin.” Jade returned to her GP and was diagnosed with rosacea, a skin condition that can cause redness across your nose, cheeks, forehead and chin, and causes a burning or stinging feeling when using water or skincare products.</p> <p>She said: “I was put on medication and prescribed creams to help ease the symptoms but nothing I used seemed to do the trick.” Jade admits that it was starting to take its toll on her self-esteem.</p> <p>She said: “I would wear a lot of make-up to try to cover it but that didn’t really work. My skin was bumpy and dry, which foundation couldn’t hide.</p> <p>“Then the make-up would irritate my sore skin, making the red blotches worse. It was a vicious cycle.” She added: “My skin was so sensitive that even the water pressure from the shower would hurt my face.</p> <p>“My eyes would swell up and my skin was so dry that it was incredibly painful. I was very conscious of it too because it would be dry around my hairline so it would look like I had awful dandruff. It was just horrid.”</p> <p>Jade says her condition affected her socialising with friends. She said: “Putting make-up on before a night out was an ordeal because I’d get very stressed that it didn’t look good. It never hid the dryness completely, my skin didn’t look smooth even under all that foundation.</p> <p>“I’ve tried all kinds of products for sensitive skin but nothing seemed to work. It would either help with the dryness or bring down the redness but nothing really fixed all of it.”</p> <p>And Jade says that James began to notice how her skin was affecting her. She said: “He could definitely tell that it was bothering me and knocking my confidence.</p> <p>“It was James who starting looking up different products online for me as I’d just given up ever hoping I’d find anything to help my skin. He read an article about Kalme and ordered some for me.”</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Jade_Enfield_after_2_blog.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>James purchased the Kalme day and night creams as well as the concealer. Jade said: “I had tried so many different things at this point that I didn’t have high hopes but I decided to give it a go anyway because I didn’t want to upset James who was trying to hard to help me.</p> <p>“I started using the creams morning and night, and used the concealer in the day and, within a week, I noticed a difference. My skin felt smoother to touch and the pain wasn’t as strong. I could hardly dare believe that the products were actually working, I thought it was just coincidence and my skin was just having a momentary good patch.</p> <p>"I kept it up and, within about two months of using, I had clear skin. I couldn’t believe it.”</p> <p>The red patches across Jade’s face are now completely gone and the mum-to-be says she no longer suffers with dry skin. She said: “When I fell pregnant, I started to get some spots which I think was hormonal but that has calmed down now.”</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Jade_Enfield_after_with_clear_skin_blog.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>The products have worked so well for Jade that now, she says she needs to use much less product to keep her skin under control. She said: “I just don’t need to put a lot of Kalme product on my face every day anymore unless my skin gets really dry.</p> <p>“I get comments all the time at work now about how amazing my skin looks. Now, I happily pose for photos whereas before I was hiding from the camera, and I’m back to my normal happy confident self.”</p> <p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1033/4001/5961/files/Jade_Enfield_after_3_blog.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>She added: “I wear less make-up for work or when going out, and some days I won’t even bother at all. The transformation in my skin is truly incredible. It has really changed my life.”</p> <p> </p>
Learn more
Is menopausal blepharitis common? 4 women share their experiences & relief at finding best cream for menopausal eye eczema
<p>Compared to our mother’s and grandmother’s generations, menopause symptoms are now better documented than ever before from hot flushes, to mood swings and vaginal dryness, most women today are better prepared about what to expect as they reach menopausal age.</p> <p>But what about if there are still so some common symptoms that experienced by large numbers of menopausal women, yet doctors are still not so familiar with?</p> <p>Blepharitis, a type of eye eczema, that causes inflammation of the eye lids and the skin around the eyes, as well as neck eczema could be one of the unknown yet common symptoms of menopause and for many women often its one of the first and most difficult symptoms to deal with.</p> <h4>‘Women entering perimenopause are more prone to developing dry itchy skin around the eyes and conditions like blepharitis,” says Dr Eva Melegh M.D. consultant dermatologist.</h4> <p> </p> <p>“The reduction in the hormone oestrogen is what can trigger eye eczema and facial eczema in peri menopausal women as oestrogen is a major factor for collagen production which keeps skin flexible and moisturised. The skin around the eyes, and on the fae and neck is particularly susceptible to dryness from a drop in oestrogen as its very thin and so isn’t able to retain much moisture.”</p> <p>So what can be done about this common and very uncomfortable condition. According to doctors not a lot as normal prescription steroids are not generally recommended for use around the eye area and should only be considered as a last resort.</p> <p>“Typical first point of call treatment for atopic skin flares is steroids, they bring fast and spectacular improvement, but for this very delicate area around the eyes steroids are not recommended, which leaves relatively few alternatives,” says Dr Melegh.</p> <p>However, there are some effective alternatives to steroids and one of those is phytosterols (which are plant-derived steroid-like components) which are structurally similar to the basis of steroids.</p> <p>“Unlike prescription steroids, phytosterols are natural and gentler and offer anti-inflammatory effects without the undesirable side-effects, which makes them suitable for use around the delicate eye area.</p> <p>“The physosterol Cardiospermum halicacabum is particularly useful for atopic skin around the eye area as it has been widely studied for its beneficial effect for use on atopic and reactive skin. It’s extracted from a vine grown in Sri Lanka, and offers an effective anti-inflammatory action and is gentle enough to use around the eye area,” says to Dr Melegh.</p> <p>Here four women discuss their menopause-triggered blepharitis and how<a href="/products/dry-skin-eye-gel"><span style="color: #00ccff;"><strong> Hydrosil Dry Eye Gel,</strong></span></a> which contains the physosterol cardiospermum halicacabum, helped relieve their symptoms.</p> <h4><em>‘I was offered cosmetic surgery instead of HRT for damage due to menopausal linked blepharitis as none of the doctors made the link between the two’</em></h4> <p> </p> <p>Katherine, 57, a mum of three and full -time carer for her son who suffers from autism lives in Lavenham in Suffolk.</p> <p>Katherine says;</p> <p>“When I first developed inflamed sore eyes in the Spring of 2018 I thought maybe I had developed late onset allergy.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Katherine_Hutchings_before_5.png" alt=""></p> <p>Around this time my skin has also become quite dry and I would get a flushed face now and then and had started to get more disturbed sleep. I figured that I was probably entering the menopause as these were common symptoms I’d read about but I didn’t have them that badly so I thought I’d just let nature take its course.</p> <p>The symptoms started off with itching and swelling on my eyelids. The irritation became increasingly worse and it got to the point where by I would wake up most mornings with red swollen eyes glued together and like the eyelids were being stabbed with sharp needles.</p> <p>It was agonising and I felt quite scared because as I gradually pulled at my lashes to ease my eyes open, everything was a blur and I feared that I was losing my eyesight.</p> <p>My eyelids started to crack and weep and then crusted over. They looked bruised as if I had been in several rounds of a boxing ring, with bruised shadows underneath. When I wiped the crust away it left a shiny surface which felt like burns in the creases.</p> <p>But it wasn’t until I read a health article about a lady with symptoms just like mine whose doctor had told her that the symptoms were associated with menopause that it ever occurred to me that two things could be linked. None of the doctors or consultants I saw about my eyes ever suggested it was due to menopause and I never saw it listed on any of the menopausal symptoms to look out for.</p> <p>I used whatever I could find in the house to calm the swelling, paracetamol, anti-wrinkle night creams and moisturisers. Even olive oil and coconut oil. Nothing worked.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Katherine_Hutchings_before_4.png" alt=""></p> <p>I asekd the pharmacist what to use and she suggested allergy tablets, but they knocked me out even more and did nothing for my eyes. Everything I tried seemed to further trigger the pain and itching.</p> <p>My eyes started to affect my overall health. The swelling and pain triggered migraines and light sensitivity. The skin started to sag heavily above my eyes and underneath.</p> <p>I bought an air purifier for my bedroom and a humidifier to keep the air moist. I found that everything seemed to trigger the swelling and even the dust on the floor of the gym which I attended. People kept asking me if I was ok as they could see my acute discomfort.</p> <p>I couldn’t bear the stares or the stinging when sweat ran into my eyes so I stopped going to the gym. I felt depressed as I had gone quickly from being an active women who I’d say looked good for her age to looking and feeling years older than I was. My confidence plummeted but I couldn’t even cry to relieve my misery as the tears burnt my eyes.</p> <p>My GP told me she wasn’t sure what I had and that there was little she could prescribe as even low-dose steroids for eczema are not really recommended for use around the eyes.</p> <p>She referred me to an eye consultant at the hospital. After an eye examination I was told to return in six months to be reviewed. In the meantime, the consultant sent me to have an allergy test and see a dermatologist. I was hoping the allergy test would give me the answers but to my surprise, nothing conclusive was determined. </p> <p>A dermatologist then reviewed my condition without telling me what it was and prescribed a topical steroid treatment gel. Seconds after use, the skin around my eyes became so bright red and swollen, I couldn’t open them and the burning pain was horrific. It felt like both my eyes were being gouged out with red hot pokers. As much as I tried to wash the gel off, the pain just got worse. I called the dermatologist in a panic but she was adamant that I continue to use the gel and said my skin would become used to it. However, I simply couldn’t continue as it was just too painful.</p> <p>I returned to the eye specialist and she suggested that maybe what I had was blepharitis, though it was more severe than most cases she had seen.</p> <p>I told her that my mental health was suffering greatly because of how awful my eyes looked and she said she could refer me for cosmetic surgery to remove the excess skin, once the Blepharitis had calmed down.</p> <p>Surgery seemed rather extreme but then Covid hit and my medical case was closed as it was a non-emergency situation.</p> <p>Over lockdown I was left to cope with the agony on my own. I decided to do some much deeper research into blepharitis causes and treatments and that is when I discovered <strong><span style="color: #00ccff;"><a style="color: #00ccff;" href="/products/dry-skin-eye-gel">Hydrosil Dry Eye Gel</a></span></strong> after reading about the lady with similar symptoms to me and she had used the eye gel with incredible results. I couldn’t believe that there was actually a product out there that targeted the very problem I had that did not contain steroids and no one had told me about it. I immediately researched it and found lots of reviews from women with similar symptoms as me saying the eye gel had really helped calm down their symptoms.</p> <p>Needless to say I ordered some immediately. I was scared to apply the gel as by this stage everything stung my eyes, even water. As instructed I carried out a patch test and was not even a tingle so I applied the gel to my eyes and the relief was instant!</p> <p>Not only did the manufacturers make the eye gel but they also made an under-eye concealer to use over the eye gel which was designed to be used on eyes like mine. Every eye concealer I’d tried before burned but I had zero reaction to this one and it immediately brightened up my dark circles and covered a lot of the redness on my eye lids and around my eyes.</p> <p>My daughter spotted the improvement immediately when I collected her from school later that day. After a few weeks of using the eye gel my eyes had calmed right down and most of the redness had gone. The dry cracks gradually healed up and once I put the concealer over the top you could barely notice my eye condition at all.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Katherine_Hutchings_after_3.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>I now use the gel religiously both at night and under make up during the day along with the concealer. My eyes have stayed calm for almost eight months now and are more or less back to normal.</p> <p>I feel it’s given me back a quality of life and my self-confidence. I can sleep better, I’ve returned to the gym and I no longer feel worried about facing people as my eyes feel normal again and I’m not in constant pain.</p> <p>While I’m beyond delighted that I’ve found something to control my blepharitis I do feel that if at least one of the doctors I saw had made the link with menopause and maybe prescribed me something for that rather than topical creams that burned my eyes or even cosmetic surgery, I may have been spared years of both physical and mental suffering. It’s definitely something that more doctors really need to be aware of as there must be a lot of women out there going through the same agony as I did.”</p> <h4><em>‘The dryness was so bad around my eyes from my blepharitis it looked like I had two black eyes.’</em></h4> <p> </p> <p>Lisa, 54, from Bideford in North Devon is a retired bank manager and lives with her partner John, 55, a retired black cab driver. Lisa has two adult daughters aged 27 and 23 and is shortly about to become a grandmother for the first time.</p> <p>Lisa says;</p> <p>“The first sign of my menopause triggered eczema was a small rash on the side of my neck at the start of this year. I thought I’d had a reaction to wearing a new perfume I got for Christmas so I wasn't too worried.</p> <p>But as the weeks progressed, the rash spread all over my neck and chest and then to my face and eyes.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Lisa_with_menopause_triggered_eczema_3.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>It was red raw and itched like crazy. The dryness was so bad around my eyes, it looked like I had two black eyes. My skin was flaking off. It got so bad that I was eventually too upset to look in the mirror. I stepped up my cleansing and moisturising routine but nothing seemed to give me any relief from the itching or clear up the furious rash that seemed to be spreading and intensifying.</p> <p>I was really worried and became quite depressed about the state of my skin. I had never had any skin problems before like this and eczema did not run in my family.</p> <p>I knew I was a bit stressed as I was going through some big life changes. I was made redundant from my job of 32 years due to Covid, I met my new partner who had also had to take early retirement due to covid and then both of us re located from London to Devon to start a new life away from the city.</p> <p>However, I was mostly positive about these changes, the main stress was the organisation of it all so it didn’t feel right that my skin was reacting so badly.</p> <p>I started to research my symptoms online to try and work out what was causing it. I even thought it may have been shingles but realised the symptoms didn't match up.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Lisa_with_menopause_triggered_eczema_2.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>In all the research I did, which was a lot, there wasn't anything online suggesting it was caused by the menopause. The first time I made the link was after reading an article online about a lady who had similar symptoms to me, face eye and neck eczema, which had been triggered by the menopause. I had started to develop some menopausal symptoms last year, but they were not too bad.</p> <p>I watched 100's of YouTube videos on beauty skincare for very dry skin around the eyes and on the face and began ordering various products in desperation as by now I felt anxious even leaving the house.</p> <p>I literally tried everything to try and alleviate my skin, and by everything I mean everything. The list of what I tried calm my skin down ran into hundreds of pounds.</p> <p>Results varied but in all honesty none of them really worked and some made my skin even worse and I’d spent a small fortune.</p> <p>I decided I needed medical help and booked an appointment at the doctor, but it was months to get an appointment. Meanwhile instead of beauty advice I started reading health advice articles about eye eczema and facial eczema and quickly discovered that the use of steroids on the face and around the eyes is not advised and that doctors don’t have many options in terms of prescription products for this issue, which filled me with panic as I got the feeling a doctor’s appointment wasn’t going to help me much either. It seemed there was nothing out there to help me.</p> <p>It was then that I discovered my salvation -<strong><span style="color: #00ccff;"><a style="color: #00ccff;" href="/products/dry-skin-eye-gel"> Hydrosil Dry Eye</a> </span></strong>Gel that contained a natural plant steroid that claimed to reduce redness, inflammation and itching around the eyes but didn’t carry the same dangers as medicated steroids. </p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Lisa_Dispirito_after_Hydrosil_9.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>I went straight into the website and found that they also made a<span style="color: #00ccff;"><strong><a style="color: #00ccff;" href="/products/hydrosil-turmeric-butter-hypoallergenic-milk-salve"> Hydrosil Turmeric Butter & Hypoallergenic Milk Salve</a></strong></span> with the same ingredient in it plus turmeric butter and hypoallergenic milk that I could use on my neck so I ordered both.</p> <p>Thank goodness I did. The results were quick and frankly amazing. I had taken photos of the state of my skin before in case I needed to send them to a doctor. I then took some after a few weeks of using the Hydrosil eye gel and salve just to see for myself the difference as sometimes it’s hard to believe your own eyes after all the ups and downs I have been through with my skin.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Lisa_Dispirito_after_Hydrosil_7.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>I think the photos speak for themselves about the incredible difference these products have made to my skin.”</p> <h4><em>‘The first symptom of my menopause was not hot flushes but very red, inflamed and sore skin around my eyes.’</em></h4> <p> </p> <p>Sherry, 55, a customer service manager from New York is married Tim, 57, a mechanic and they have four grow up children.</p> <p>“The pain and discomfort of my inflamed eyes was awful. The first flare up lasted nine months and I made it worse by crying most days because of how awful looked.</p> <p>Some days I felt like I really was the demon monster that my friends and co-workers used to joke I looked like. It was embarrassing as I worked in customer service. The state of my eyes really effected my confidence because it was impossible for people not to stare at my eyes as they were livid and so sore.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Sherri_Hennessy_blethartis_2_1.PNG" alt=""></p> <p>I tried multiple cleansing regimes and did hot compresses, which only made my eyes worse. Almost every over-the-counter product I tried stung like hell and dried my skin out, making my eyes even redder and more sore.</p> <p>Eventually I went to the eye doctor who misdiagnosed me with an allergy and then eventually I was sent to a specialist who diagnosed me with blepharitis. I was prescribed steroids and multiple rounds of antibiotics which only worked for a while but stopped working the minute the course ended. You’re not allowed to use steroids around the eye area for long as they can permanently damage the skin.</p> <p>It was only after the flare up of blepharitis that my doctor tested me for menopause which had of course begin and he thought was what had triggered my blepharitis. I also had very dry red eyes, and have since also been diagnosed with ocular rosacea, which is probably what then caused the blepharitis.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Sherry_Hennessy_blephartis_1_1.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>When the medications for the blepharitis stopped working I started researching alternative treatments on the internet and joined several Facebook groups of other sufferers from this condition which I discovered was far more common than I realised. It was from one of these groups that I read a review of<strong><span style="color: #00ccff;"><a style="color: #00ccff;" href="/products/dry-skin-eye-gel"> Hydrosil Dry Eye Gel</a></span></strong></p> <p>I ordered some immediately as it was clear from the review that the lady who has written it had something similar to me and had also tried all treatments available from her doctor with no decent results. If someone like that was recommending this eye gel then I believed her as I know myself I would never suggest anything to anyone for this condition unless it really worked. She also said it didn’t sting her yes, which for me was the crucial as by now I was very cautious to try anything new o my eyes due to the intense stinging that was often triggered.</p> <p>The eye gel began to take effect almost immediately! Within days the swelling and hotness reduces and within a week dry flaking around the eyes and on the my eye lids had noticeably improved. It’s hard to explain the relief I felt from this. Just having something that calmed the hot itchy irritation that was almost always around my eyes felt miraculous after months of nothing working.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Sherri_Hennessy_after_2.jpeg" alt=""></p> <p>After six months of use of the eye gel twice a day I would say my blepharitis has improved by about 90%. I still get some irritation if I’m not super careful about cleansing my eyes every day and I have to be very strict about what make up I wear. I don’t dare wear any ‘normal’ concealers or eye creams around my eye area, instead I used the Hydrosil Dry Eye Concealer around my eyes after using the eye gel underneath. The concealer has some of the same ingredients in it as the eye gel and also has a prebiotic which helps heal dry broken skin. As long as I use the gel twice a day (especially overnight ) and cleanse well every evening my eyes have stayed more or less back to normal</p> <p>There is no way I would stop using this eye gel ever, it’s been a life saver for me. The fact you can use it every day and don’t have to stop like with steroids is the best thing about it as it constantly keeps working.”</p> <h4><em>‘The skin around my eyes was so sore, hot, swollen and itchy, I didn’t think I could go through the Christmas dealing with the pain.’</em></h4> <p> </p> <p>Natasha, 50, is an office administrator from Hampshire</p> <p>Natasha says;</p> <p>'Blood tests confirmed I was pre-menopausal at the end of 2019. I was 48.</p> <p>'In September 2020 I developed a furious red dry and itchy rash on my neck, which then spread around the corners of my mouth and then to around my eyes. It began with a small section on the back of my neck, which I thought at the time was caused by a fashion necklace I'd been wearing.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/magefan_blog/Tasha_Bishop_eyes_before_1.jpeg" alt=""></p> <p>I’ve always had very oily skin and was even prone to spots as an adult but one thing I never had was dry or itchy skin. Yet all the research kept indicating I had eye eczema which they said could be brought on by stress or diet but nowhere mentioned menopause so I never made the connection.</p> <p>I had never had anything to indicate that I was prone to eczema before and I had been stressed several times in my life and also changed my diet a lot so it didn’t make sense. Covid lockdown wasn’t easy for anyone and amongst it all I started a new job, but I handled it as well any anyone, albeit with a few wobbles.</p> <p>By December my skin around my eyes was so sore, hot, swollen and itchy, I could no longer bear it and didn’t think I could go through Christmas dealing with the pain.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Tasha_Bishop_neck_before_2.jpeg" alt=""></p> <p>I was unable to sleep very well and became embarrassed of my looks and very unsociable. I’d started saying I was busy or not well so as not to appear in public. I do a lot of shopping online, and at one stage I was only going to work which was hard as I see customers and delivery drivers every day. I felt I was starting to lose my confidence and becoming very introverted.</p> <p>At first as I didn’t want to be a burden, so I tried lots of over the counter lotions, creams purchased on the internet, nothing worked, in fact my eyes were getting worse.</p> <p>Eventually I got an appointment at the doctors and after four more visits over several months I was finally referred to a dermatologist in April. They just said it was eczema.</p> <p>I was prescribed a hydrocortisone cream but was warned I could only use the cream for a very short period of time around my eyes as steroids are not advised for use around the eyes as they can cause long term damage to the skin there.</p> <p>I was so desperate that I was willing to take the risk, but I also knew I had to find an alternative for my eyes as I didn’t want to cause any permanent damage.</p> <p>I began to do more in-depth research on alternative treatments for eye eczema and that is when I came across <span style="color: #00ccff;"><strong><a style="color: #00ccff;" href="/products/dry-skin-eye-gel">Hydrosil Dry Eye Gel</a></strong></span> and <span style="color: #00ccff;"><strong><a style="color: #00ccff;" href="/products/dry-eye-concealer">Dry Eye Concealer,</a></strong></span> which had been used by a lady who was also going through menopause who had symptoms just like mine and was diagnosed with blepharitis. It was only then that it occurred to me that it was linked to my menopause. Looking back it seems obvious but back then no one told me it was a possibility the two are linked so you don’t make the connection yourself.</p> <p>After I’d managed to calm my eyes down enough with the prescription cream to bare it, which took about two weeks, I stopped using it and started using the Dry Eye Gel and experienced instant relief. I wanted to try something more natural as using the steroids on my eyes really worried me.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Tasha_Bishop_after_clear_eyes_2.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>I have been applying the eye gel and concealer daily ever since and my eyes are hugely improved and I have not had a flare up like the one I had before since.</p> <p>It’s been really helpful as my go to product to help keep my eyes under control. They got so bad during the initial flare up that I think only a prescription cream would have done the job at the time, but its really not ideal to be using these types of medicated creams around the eyes especially for more than a few weeks so it puts my mind at ease that I can use a safer alternative now.</p> <p>Only a few people saw what I was going through due to Covid restrictions and also because I choose not to see people so they didn’t have to look at me.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Tasha_Bishop_after_clear_eyes_1.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>But I’d like as many women to be made aware of this condition as possible so that they can get help as early as possible and not go through the months of torment and discomfort I did and by also getting doctors to spot the condition sooner as its clearly linked to menopause, HRT will almost certainly help it and everyone should be more aware of that.”</p> <h3><strong>What is blepharitis (eye eczema) and how can menopause trigger it?</strong></h3> <p> </p> <p>Blepharitis is an inflammation along the edges of the eyelids. The eyelids can become irritated itchy and inflamed and appear greasy and crusted with scales that cling to the lashes.</p> <p>Some things can lead to the development of blepharitis. Some causes include excess bacteria, blocked oil glands, allergies. The condition can also be due to other skin conditions like rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, and eczema.</p> <p>Female sex hormones, namely oestrogen, influence production of all components of the tear film including aqueous layer, lipid, and mucin. A drop oestrogen can cause changes in the ocular surface and cause dryness and irritation both in and around the eyes. It can change in the oil gland production which can trigger blepharitis in much the same way that can cause menopausal acne.</p> <p>Ocular rosacea can also be triggered much like normal rosacea by the disturbance in hormone levels during menopause and blepharitis can then develop as a secondary condition to ocular rosacea.</p> <p>Blepharitis cannot be cured, but treatment can successfully manage symptoms.</p> <p>Antibiotics applied to the eyelid have been shown to provide some relief of symptoms and resolve bacterial infection of the eyelids. Topical corticosteroids may also be prescribed in severe cases although need to be used with extreme caution around the eyes and should only be used for very limited periods.</p> <p>In addition to treatments, people should avoid using cosmetics such as eyeliner, mascara, and other makeup around the eyes unless they are free from chemicals and perfumes and are designed for use on sensitive and atopic skin.</p> <p> </p>
Learn more
Menopause triggered blepharitis for mum of four
<p>Blepharitis is an eye condition that causes swelling, redness and itching of the eye lids and rims. It's quite a common condition but is still relatively unknow by many doctors and therefore is often misdiagnosed as hay fever, allergies, eye eczema or contact dermatitis. </p> <p>Sherry, 55, is a customer service manager and mum of four. Sherry's blepharitis was triggered by the onset of menopause and was misdiagnosed by her doctor.</p> <h3>“One of the first symptoms of my menopause three years ago was not the normal hot flushes or mood swings but very red, inflamed and sore skin around my eyes.</h3> <p> </p> <p>The pain and discomfort of my inflamed eyes was awful. The first flare up lasted nine months and I made it worse by crying most days because of how awful looked.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Sherri_Hennessy_blethartis_2.PNG" alt=""></p> <p>Some days I felt like I really was the demon monster that my friends and co-workers used to joke I looked like. It was embarrassing as I worked in customer service. The state of my eyes really effected my confidence because it was impossible for people not to stare at my eyes as they were livid and so sore.</p> <h3>I tried multiple cleansing regimes and did hot compresses, which only made my eyes worse. Almost every over-the-counter product I tried stung like hell and dried my skin out, making my eyes even redder and more sore.</h3> <p> </p> <p>Eventually I went to the eye doctor who misdiagnosed me with an allergy and then eventually I was sent to a specialist who diagnosed me with blepharitis. I was prescribed steroids and multiple rounds of antibiotics which only worked for a while but stopped working the minute the course ended. You’re not allowed to use steroids around the eye area for long as they can permanently damage the skin.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Sherry_Hennessy_blephartis_1.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>It was only after the flare up of blepharitis that my doctor tested me for menopause which had of course begin and he thought was what had triggered my blepharitis. I also had very dry red eyes, and have since also been diagnosed with ocular rosacea, which is probably what then caused the blepharitis.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Sherri_Hennessy_blethartis_3.jpg" alt=""></p> <h3>When the medications for the blepharitis stopped working I started researching alternative treatments on the internet and joined several Facebook groups of other sufferers from this condition which I discovered was far more common than I realised. It was from one of these groups that I read a review of Hydrosil Dry Eye Gel.</h3> <p> </p> <p>I ordered some immediately as it was clear from the review that the lady who has written it had something similar to me and had also tried all treatments available from her doctor with no decent results. If someone like that was recommending this eye gel then I believed her as I know myself I would never suggest anything to anyone for this condition unless it really worked. She also said it didn’t sting her yes, which for me was the crucial as by now I was very cautious to try anything new o my eyes due to the intense stinging that was often triggered.</p> <p>The eye gel began to take effect almost immediately! Within days the swelling and hotness reduces and within a week dry flaking around the eyes and on the my eye lids had noticeably improved. It’s hard to explain the relief I felt from this. Just having something that calmed the hot itchy irritation that was almost always around my eyes felt miraculous after months of nothing working.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Sherri_Hennessy_after_1.jpeg" alt=""></p> <p>Not only did the dry eye gel work on reducing the inflammation and redness it also I felt it provided a great barrier from outside irritants so that other products I put on my face or any cosmetics didn’t keep irritating my eyes.</p> <h3>After six months of use of the eye gel twice a day I would say my blepharitis has improved by about 90%.</h3> <p> </p> <p>I still get some irritation if I’m not super careful about cleansing my eyes every day and I have to be very strict about what make up I wear. I don’t dare wear any ‘normal’ concealers or eye creams around my eye area, instead I used the Hydrosil Dry Eye Concealer around my eyes after using the eye gel underneath. The concealer has some of the same ingredients in it as the eye gel and also has a prebiotic which helps heal dry broken skin. As long as I use the gel twice a day (especially overnight ) and cleanse well every evening my eyes have stayed more or less back to normal</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Sherri_Hennessy_after_4.jpeg" alt=""></p> <p>There is no way I would stop using this eye gel ever, it’s been a life saver for me. The fact you can use it every day and don’t have to stop like with steroids is the best thing about it as it constantly keeps working.”</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>What is blepharitis and how can menopause trigger it?</strong></h2> <p> </p> <p>Blepharitis is an inflammation along the edges of the eyelids. The eyelids can become irritated itchy and inflamed and appear greasy and crusted with scales that cling to the lashes.</p> <p>Some things can lead to the development of blepharitis. Some causes include excess bacteria, blocked oil glands, allergies. The condition can also be due to other skin conditions like rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, and eczema.</p> <p>Female sex hormones, namely oestrogen, influence production of all components of the tear film including aqueous layer, lipid, and mucin. A drop oestrogen can cause changes in the ocular surface and cause dryness and irritation both in and around the eyes. It can change in the oil gland production which can trigger blepharitis in much the same way that can cause menopausal acne.</p> <p>Ocular rosacea can also be triggered much like normal rosacea by the disturbance in hormone levels during menopause and blepharitis can then develop as a secondary condition to ocular rosacea.</p> <p>Blepharitis cannot be cured, but treatment can successfully manage symptoms.</p> <p>Antibiotics applied to the eyelid have been shown to provide some relief of symptoms and resolve bacterial infection of the eyelids. Topical corticosteroids may also be prescribed in severe cases although need to be used with extreme caution around the eyes and should only be used for very limited periods.</p> <p>In addition to treatments, people should avoid using cosmetics such as eyeliner, mascara, and other makeup around the eyes.</p> <p> </p>
Learn more
Mum of three too traumatised by rosacea to do the school run
<p>A recent study published by the National Rosacea Society found that the negatuive impact of rosacea on peolple's mental health was far higher than previsouly reported. Rosacea is a higly visual skin condition that primarily affects the face, so it's often the first thing most people see. </p> <p>Rosacea affects approximately one in 10 people in the UK, with cases have risen over the course of the pandemic, making it the country’s most searched for skin condition.</p> <p>Fran, 37, is a medical secretary and mother of three from Somerset. 39.</p> <p>Fran says;</p> <p>“If my sister hadn’t found Kalme caper cream when she did, I think I’d have dropped into a black hole of despair about the state of my skin, which was ravaged with rosacea and not a single treatment from the doctors had worked.</p> <p>I hadn’t had any problems with my skin until September 2015. I had just changed jobs and had three very young children and one day my skin just erupted.</p> <h3>After diagnosing me with rosacea, a dermatologist told me that the sudden flare up of rosacea was likely due to stress.</h3> <p> </p> <p>What they didn’t tell me was that there was no rosacea cure and that this was just the beginning of a horrendous journey that ended with my skin literally bubbling and blistering all over my face so that I looked like I had been attacked by a swarm of bees.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Frances_Baten_before_2.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>I was prescribed two types of topical antibiotics that didn’t work and then I was put on an oral antibiotic called Tetracycline. Eventually it did clear up my rosacea although I was left with very dry skin on my forehead.</p> <p>Still being rather naive about rosacea back then, I thought that was job done and I’d go back to having nice clear skin.</p> <p>But a year later my dear mum was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and four weeks later she died. It was very sudden. After my mum’s death, which came as a real shock to all of us, I had a second flare up of rosacea that was about 80% worse than the first one.</p> <h3>I took two more courses of antibiotics and this time my rosacea did not improve. I didn’t finish the second course. The antibiotics didn’t work and I didn’t want to keep taking them as my skin seemed to be getting worse not better.</h3> <p> </p> <p>By this stage my nose was so swollen that I could see it in my vision. I was told this flare up might be due to not addressing my grief for my mum’s death. I was a working mother with three young children, I didn’t have time to grieve even though my mum’s death had completely devastated me.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Fran_Baten_before_3.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>Late at night after the children had gone to bed I’d trawl the internet looking through blogs about rosacea to see what other people with the same condition were recommending.</p> <p>I saw a lot of products suggested but found a cream that several people had recommended so I decided to try it. The results were horrendous. My skin felt tight as soon as I applied it and within a few weeks my skin got even redder and more swollen and the spots got even worse.</p> <p>By now I looked like a burns victim and my skin was so sore it hurt to even smile.</p> <p>My rosacea was ruining my life. I spent hours every morning trying to cover it with make-up.</p> <p>I would sit in front of the mirror in the morning and cry. I felt I looked dirty and I was worried that people would think I didn’t wash.</p> <h3>I even found doing the school run an emotional trauma. I felt as though other mum’s were staring at me. I lost all my confidence.</h3> <p> </p> <p>I started turning down social events as I could not bear the stares I got and people asking what was wrong with my skin.</p> <p>I cut myself a fringe to try and hide some of my face. I started dressing in jeans and bland t shirts so I blended into the background and I only went out if I had to. The rest of the time I just hid at home.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Fran_Baten_before_1.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>Looking back, I was clearly very depressed. I was crying most days. I felt helpless and hopeless.</p> <h3>My sister was my rock as she was the only person I could really talk about my rosaca. I’d all but given up when she rang me at work and told me about Kalme caper cream. She’d just read about it in an article on rosacea and was insistent that I try it.</h3> <p> </p> <p>She was keen as they contained no chemicals and she was convinced that my skin had become intolerant of chemicals after I’d used so many medicated products. I had never tried anything natural for my rosacea.</p> <p>So mostly to please my sister, I ordered the caper cream. It was the single best think I ever did for my skin.</p> <p>I knew it was going to work because when I put the cream on it didn’t sting and was immediately calming on my skin. All other products I’d tried burned my skin. I’d even written to one company in the past who made the cream that made my skin even worse and they had told me that the burning and tightening sensation I experienced was the cream working.</p> <p>I found out the hard way that this was completely untrue. So, when the Kalme cream didn’t sting at all I felt very optimistic.</p> <h3>After a week of using the Kalme day cream with an SPF, night cream, cleanser and a treatment concealer, most of the underlying swelling and tenderness fro my rosacea had gone.</h3> <p> </p> <p>It took about 4-6 weeks to completely clear my skin. And when I say clear, I really mean clear. My skin had not looked that normal for years. The results were incredible.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Fran_Baten_after_5.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>And touch wood, I’ve been using the products every day since and my skin has stayed clear now for about four years.</p> <p>Aside from the appearance of my skin, it’s such a relief not to be in pain every day. I’m much less grumpy with the kids and feel happier and more able to cope.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Fran_Baten_after_3.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>I’ve started wearing my hair back again and I’m growing out my fringe. I’m no longer ashamed to show my face and I can look people in the eye.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Fran_Baten_after_6.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>Rosacea might only be a skin condition, but it effects every aspect of your life and for naturally shy people like me, it’s impact is devastating. Now I feel like a different and more confident person. I think going through the hell of having rosacea and coming out the other end triumphant has perhaps partly cured my shyness.”</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Fran_Baten_after_2.jpg" alt=""></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>
Learn more
Why all women should love their lube according to UK actress
Petra Byrant, 34, a UK actress from Margate in Kent who starred in films including For The Love of George and My Guardian Angel, talks openly about why lubricants are something she relies on for her own intimate wellbeing and tackling vaginal dryness and why every woman should openly use the and never feel ashamed. Petra says “Lubricants significantly improve vaginal health and comfort for most women so why is there still such a stigma attached to them? Six months ago I strolled into Boots looking for a lubricant because I had been having a few sexual issues in my relationship. I had also recently gone on the contraceptive pill, which had caused some vaginal dryness as a side effect, which is quite common. My boyfriend at the time had been suffering from intermittent erectile dysfunction due to stress and combined with my vaginal dryness from taking the pill, our sexual relationship was suffering. This might come as a shock for many to hear me say this. But there was nothing actually wrong with me or my partner. We were just a normal busy couple going through a few very common sexual health issues that effect so many couples in long term relationships. It can be caused from everything from medical issues to stress or exhaustion, and we didn’t even have kids. Its highly likely that couples with young children suffering from sleep deprivation, physical recovery from birth itself, jobs and the stress of responsibility of a new born baby will suffer from some degree of sexual dysfunction at some point. Stress, anxiety and lack of sleep drastically effects libido, genital health and physical arousal for both for men and women of all ages. I have created a WA group of women to talk about sexual health and to share advice and recommendations. While my GP has been as helpful as she can be, many women in our WA group have relayed stories of trying to discuss such issues with their GP’s and being mostly met with awkward silences. My boyfriend did his best to try and help our own situation and went out and bought a lubricant himself. It was awful. It was sticky and scented and the moment I used it, it felt uncomfortable and did the opposite of helping the situation. So, I decided the choosing of a lubricant should logically be on me as it was my body receiving it. Which brings me back to the lubricant selection at my local chemist. I’m faced with either the choice of an array of exotically flavoured brightly packaged products that resemble more of a candy shop for teenagers than an adult sexual health aide, or a few very medical looking options that resemble something you would put on a problematic skin condition. I don’t have a problem or a condition. I’m experiencing something that one in four women experience of all ages, which is vaginal dryness and it’s having a negative effect on my wellbeing and on my sexual relationship. I’m not looking for anything medical not am I looking for anything kinky or experimental or fringe. I don’t want to use a product that appears to make a mockery out of sex. I don’t want a vagina that glows in the dark or smells like watermelon. I’m concerned about my vaginal health and about the effect it’s having on my relationship, so excuse me if I don’t find anything cherry flavoured as a helpful or plausible solution. I want something non-scented, as natural as possible and which is beneficial to my vaginal health. Unlike the massive array of beauty creams on offer which claim to anti age, nourish, rejuvenate and replenish facial or body skin, the lubricant selection is either clearly aimed more at men than women and tags the products to some kind of added sexual potency or staying power or the more medical ones that come across as ‘treatments’ for a problem. There’s literally nothing that suits what I’m looking for. I’m a healthy woman on my 30’s who just wants an intimate lubricant that will make me feel slightly more comfortable and improve my vaginal health not only for having sex but when exercising or when wearing tight clothing while rushing about in my typically busy schedule. Is this really such a big deal to ask for? Yet, talking about using lubricants brands most women as either sexually deviant or promiscuous or having some sort of ‘down there’ problems in a way that using a facial moisturiser or anti-ageing serum doesn’t. I’m not promiscuous or sexually deviant and I don’t have any serious ‘down there’ problems. However, due to a few issues, I feel I do need something that makes both sex and my intimate skin feel more comfortable and that may help prevent any future problems that could develop as a result of vaginal dryness. Why doesn’t vaginal skin care exist like any other form of skincare? Why are the majority of lubricants flavoured like sweets, scented like perfume and come in an arrange of bright colours? Firstly, I am wondering what genius decided that I must want a lubricant in colour and smell that is literally the polar opposite to my natural lubricating fluids? And secondly why would I want to have coloured, scented, petroleum or silicone-based substances inside me? Its no wonder that women are suffering from frequent bacterial and yeast-based infections. It feels like the last thing most manufacturers of over-the-counter lubricants are thinking about is what effects their product will have on women’s vaginal health. And then there’s the reaction of men to women who use lubricants. In my experience, if I reach for a lubricant before sex with a new partner, it tends to have a negative rather than positive effect. Men assume somehow that its about them, not that the lubricant is for my own comfort and vaginal wellbeing. They would not react the same way to me applying a beauty mask to my face or a moisturiser to my body, they see that as self-care. But reach for a lubricant and suddenly its an ego issue. I have found that too often men either get insecure about lubricants, unless they buy them themselves, or see the fact that I own a lubricant as an indication that I must be sexually promiscuous. The issue of women’s vaginal health or sexual pleasure and comfort is still such a taboo. The fact is in the UK one in four women a still avoid going for smear tests. There’s still some kind of shame attached to discussing and ultimately preventing vaginal health concerns. Research shows that most women going through post birth recovery or menopausal symptoms will not discuss their vaginal health concerns with their GP’s. Surely along with creams for stretch marks or sore nipples, there should be products and advice for recovering vaginal health after birth. Yet many of my friends who have had kids say there is almost no advice or suitable products offered. The very idea of anti-ageing or rejuvenating vaginal skin is still completely off limits in terms of everyday skincare. We all slather on antioxidants and vitamins daily to slow down the ageing process, with pages of magazines dedicated to every product under the sun to help hold back the ravages of time. Yet when it comes to doing the same for vaginal skin, which is arguably in more ardent need of these products than our faces, there’s a wall of silence. As the vagina ages, the internal skin gets drier and thinner, making sex more uncomfortable, intimate chaffing from exercise and every day activities more common and as a result infection or discomfort more of a risk. Why would women not be using preventative and rejuvenating skin care for their vaginas as we do for everywhere else? Most intimate ‘skincare’ products for women are washes and wipes aimed primarily at cleaning and scenting the area, both of which potentially cause more damage than good and gynaecologists advise against using such products. So why isn’t there any targeted skincare aimed at repairing and anti-aging vaginal skin? During my research on this issue and in my quest to find a lubricant that met my needs having given up on the confusing selection at my local chemists, I recently came across a product which honestly made me almost let out a whoop of joy. In2mate Lubricant claimed to be a lubricant for everyday use to help rejuvenate and repair vaginal skin as well as offer natural feeling lubrication. It’s over 99% natural, un-scented, made from plant-based ingredients and aside from lubricating, it includes a prebiotic suitable for repairing internal vaginal skin, antioxidants to rejuvenate vaginal skin and also helps re balance vaginal pH. There is also a intimate moisturiser and intimate wash in the range. Unlike any other lubricant I’ve read about it, it didn’t just focus on lubrication but included vaginal rejuvenation as a means of improving vaginal comfort both during sex and in general. Hallelujah! From the first week of using the in2mate natural lubricant daily whether I was having sex or not things began to improve. My vaginal skin started to feel less fragile and healthier and the lubricating element felt natural and comfortable. I felt so delighted with the results of this product that I wrote about it on my blog. For the record I wasn’t paid to write the post, it was my totally my choice. The only contact I have had with the company who makes the product is when they sincerely thanked me for my blog review. I wrote about this product as I felt like my followers should know about it. I wrote my blog post about a month ago it’s the most viewed blog of all my blogs on sexual health, which just goes to show how much of a need there is for something like this.”
Learn more
Rosacea sufferer relieves her dry red skin with a serum made from tequila
<p>Redness and spots are often cited as the main syptoms of rosacea, but for many, extreme dryness and skin tightness is also another common factor of rosacea and can be very umcomfortable.</p> <p>The dryness caused by rosacea often gets particularly bad after the active rosacea is in remission when its healing. The extreme dryness that often accompanies active rosacea can also get worse during winter time, when air humidity is lower and central heating is on indoors.</p> <p>IT Test Manager Claire, 43, from Hampshire has suffered from rosacea for the last four years, but even after she found an effective treatment for the redness and spots she then experienced extreme dryness of her skin.</p> <h3>Nothing would ease the dryness of Claire's skin unitl she discovered an unlilkey solution in a skin serum made from blue agave, which is the plant used uniquely to make tequila.</h3> <p> </p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Agave-plants_-palms-and-succulents-in-the-tropical-garden.-1312859842_3264x4896.jpeg" alt=""></p> <p>Claire says;</p> <p>‘I was first diagnosed with rosacea when I was 39 after I’d just started working in London. I would commute in and out each day by train and underground which was stressful and and it was during that time my skin started to play up.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Claire_Gatrell_before_Kalme_TeQ_Serum_2_end_of_2020.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>I’m not sure if it was anything to do with working long days and the stress that comes with lots of travel, or I would have just got developed rosacea anyway. However, I don’t know anyone else in my family that has or does suffer from rosacea.</p> <p>I’ve always had slightly red cheeks, so when my cheeks got redder and I got what I now know are rosacea kinked pustules, I just thought I maybe it was because I was tired. I thought they were just spots caused by a new cosmetic or something. I went to Boots for a skin consolation and started a new cleanser/toner/moisturiser routine, but this actually made my worse.</p> <p>Initially, I just thought it was some kind of skin reaction and would get better by itself. I would just layer on more foundation on to try and cover it up. I did start feeling a bit paranoid at home without makeup on around my partner, as I knew at times the pustules would ooze and I didn’t notice until I looked in the mirror, so it was a bit gross and embarrassing.</p> <p>When it didn’t clear I eventually went to see my doctor about my skin and was diagnosed with rosacea and given a mild course of anti-biotics initially for three months, which didn’t work at all. I kept taking photos so I could track the change, but my skin just seemed the same to me.</p> <h3>Initially my rosacea was just on my cheeks, then it spread to my chin and nose and the pustules seemed to get worse.</h3> <p> </p> <p>I kept trying to stay positive about the worsening state of my skin, but it was hard when it was so visible. The time when it affected me the most was on a holiday Lanzarote with my husband. I was using some cream that a friend had recommended to me and my skin seemed to be getting more and more angry.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Claire_Gatrell_before_Kalme_TeQ_Serum_3_end_of_2020.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>During the day I would go snorkelling, so had no make-up on and felt a bit paranoid about my skin as it looked to un-sightly I am honestly not a vain person but I kept worrying that a pustule would pop and I wouldn’t notice and it would not be nice for people to see that.</p> <p>After the antibiotics didn’t work and my doctor seemed to run out of options of what else to give me I took on the challenge to try and sort out my skin myself. I tested various anti redness treatments and creams for rosacea, none of which had any notably positive effects and some made it worse.</p> <p>Obviously as time went on and my skin continued to deteriorate it did start to get to me. Luckily I have a very sweet husband, who never made a big deal about it, so it has never affected our relationship.</p> <p>However of course it did affect my confidence in certain situations. I remember a friend’s birthday and my skin was looking particularly bad. It was a hot day and I literally put two full layers of foundation, so my skin looked caked and dry. I knew it looked awful and I asked my husband how bad it looked but he just told me I looked fine.</p> <h3>My biggest fear was the rosacea spreading more so I decided instead of just grabbing stuff off the shelves from Boots in panic I’d do some proper research into rosacea and look on blogs and articles about what other people recommended. It was during one of these extensive searches that I eventually came across Kalme products for rosacea.</h3> <p> </p> <p>Once I begin looking into it, I found loads of review and people’s stories about using them which were clearly genuine. One lady’s story in particular really rang home to me as it felt that she was describing me when she was describing herself and how she had coped with her rosacea. I was wary of any products made in far fling places of which there are loads on the internet but this treatment was made in the UK, literally down the road from me so I ordered some.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Claire_Gatrell_before_Kalme_TeQ_Serum_end_of_2020.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>I began with the day and night cream and started to see real improvements in my skin after about two weeks. I stopped getting any new pustules, that was the first amazing sign. I remember thinking, I can cope with the redness, but if the pustules stop coming, that would be great.</p> <p>During the period I was using the Kalme products they launched a new product called Kalme TeQ Serum, which was an overnight serum made from blue agave which they use to make tequila.</p> <h3>Within days of using the new tequila serum, the skin on my eyelids which had become very dry and red, started feeling much softer and the dryness all but disappeared. In the mornings I had developed creased red bags under my eyes, but they became much smoother and less prominent after using the tequila serum.</h3> <p> </p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Claire_Gatrell_shortly_after_adding_Kalme_TeQ_Serum_May_2021.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>However, the more impressive results after less than a week using the new tequila serum was that it succeeded not only in relieving the dryness iy has also reduced the bumpiness in my skin, which is a classic symptom of rosacea and aside from the redness, is one of the worst things about the condition. The skin all over my face felt much smoother and the brail-like bumpiness was virtually gone.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Claire_Gatrell_after_xmas.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>I know everyone’s skin is different and rosacea is a particularly complex skin condition and there is nothing that is a rosacea cure for eberyone so I can only speak for myself. For me Kalme products eventually got rid of virtually all my rosacea symptoms from the pustules and redness to the bumpiness and dryness.</p> <p><img src="https://www.skinshop.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/Claire_Gatrell_after_adding_Kalme_TeQ_Serum_July_2021.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>I can now go out in public without any make up on and not worry that everyone is starring at my skin. I still have slightly rosy cheeks, espcially in the cold weather, but I always have done. Other than that my skin feels back to normal. This is nothing short or a miracle for me.</p> <p>I still don’t know if my skin would stay clear if I stopped using the Kalme products as since discovering them I have never dared stop using them and I don’t intend to.”</p> <p> </p>
Learn more
Personal trainer finally finds salvation for his psoriasis with a serum made with plant roots
Mohammed Khan, a 22-year old personal trainer from Toronto, Canada, has suffered from all over body psorisis for over four years and has tried everything, including steroid injetions, to conquor it without much success until he discovered a skin serum made from Oregon Grape Root. “I first got psoriasis back in October of 2017 and I think it was triggered because I was overweight, eating a lot of junk food and was very stressed about being in debt. When I started to see this strange patch forming on one of my hands I immediately went to the doctor, who prescribed a steroid cream and told me that it would “thin” my skin, but I didn’t care at the time because I wanted the red spots on my skin to go away fast. When more spots started appearing over the coming days I went back to the doctor and she gave me some pills (do not remember the names) and I took those along with still applying the steroid cream.' The quickly worsening state of Mohamed's skin meant he was soon tranferred to a dermatologist. By this time he had plaques breaking out all over his body.The dermatologist took one look at his skin and said he was more than 80% covered. "I felt really depressed as I was so young and I was told the psoriasis would be with me for the rest of my life." The dermatologist put him on steroid injections. On a bi-weekly basis, he was instructed to visit the clinic for injections and had to remain there for an hour to see if his skin would react. After just two rounds of injections Mohamed decided to quit after doing some research on those steroid injections and the side effects they had, an increased risk of cancer was the one of the most worrying ones. After stopping all medications, Mohamed's psoriasis got worse and worse, and it got to the point where he was desperate for some answers. That as the point was when the psoriasis spread to Mohamed's genital area. 'Having penis psoriasis made me realise that no doctor was going to help quickly enough so I would have to help myself.' 'I felt totally socially isolated and alone because of my skin. I was living in shared student accommodation and my psoriasis made a lot of mess due to the flakes falling everywhere. Some of the students got bothered by this mess and told me very politely to clean it up, but it still made me feel bad. At the beginning of 2018 I started experimenting with different diets to both help my skin and try and lose weight as I had read this might help my skin. I moved to a vegan diet and joined a gym but people at the gym would walk away from me when they saw my skin. 'I felt so depressed and sometimes I did think about suicide. Like most psoriasis sufferers as always be asking the question; why me? I started having dreams about falling off a building which scared me a lot at the time.' By the start of 2019 I had lost a lot of weight and through various tweaks to my diet and I was transforming my body through a dedicated exercise and weight-lifting. My skin had started to improve but it was still very visible and still covering a lot of my body. I was doing a lot of on-line research on diet and fitness and to find support groups and blogs for psoriasis sufferers and it was on one of these that I found out about Oregon Serum at the end of 2019. There were a lot of convincing independent reports from people with psoriasis saying how effective it was and as it contained no steroids, I felt it was worth trying. Just a week into using the Oregon Serum, I noticed my psoriasis flakes had gone down and scaly patches felt softer and not so rough, especially the ones on my knees and elbows. I saw the most dramatic improvements in my facial psoriasis, which after a month had significantly decreased. I was getting along really well when COVID 19 broke out and everything changed. As soon as lockdown began my psoriasis started to itch, I’m guessing from the stress of losing my job. I’m currently relying on the government help financially until I can get my job back. But my skin was also suffering from not being able to go outside to exercise to get vitamin D from the sunlight, which is vital for helping to control psoriasis. But instead of panicking and getting depressed, I decided to really concentrate on managing my skin as I had more time to focus on it as I wasn’t working. I increased my use of Oregon Intensive Serum to 2-3 times daily and cut gluten from my diet completely. The greatest dent to my skin management routine was not being able to get to the gym. I was overweight for much of my late teens and so I know how easy it is for me to put weight back on if I don’t exercise regularly. Losing weight really helped control my psoriasis. I was terrified of slipping back into my old ways of comfort eating and getting lethargic. I ordered some basic home gym equipment and became my very own personal trainer, devising a strict daily workout time which I just do not matter how I feel and I’ve been experimenting with my new exercises every week. I’ve been uploading two videos every week on my YouTube Channel instead of one and have started a new series on Instagram (psoriasis_bodybuilder) where I go live with other people who have psoriasis and we do interviews and talk about our psoriasis journeys, which has been a really positive experience. Oregon Intensive Serum was a real saviour during lockdown and has helped compensate for the lack of vitamin D from the sun and my normal exercise outdoors. Switching to a plant based diet and weight committing to a serious exercise programme has fundamentally improved my psoriasis from the inside by reducing my excess weight and strengthening my body’s resilience to fight the condition and the Oregon serum applied externally has significantly helped reduce my psoriasis on the outside. I’m confident that I may emerge from lockdown with better skin than before I entered it, which I hope is something that will give hope and inspiration to others coping with psoriasis during lockdown.”
Learn more
