03/05/2013

Bit of a lame post because I didn't do much today apart from realise that when I do not have a front door key, I cannot get out of the house. Apparently our back door is one way only, as in you can't open it from the outside which means neither can you lock it. I also came to realise my climbing days are well over. I tried to climb the fence on to the shed but realised I was more likely to catch myself on a rusty nail rather than make it over safely...

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 Moisturising Routine For Those With Eczema Prone Skin On The Face.

Something a little different that I thought I would share is my moisturising routine. I suffer from eczema, quite badly on my hands if you noticed in the video above. I suffer on my face too but that has proved far easier to combat (I wash my hands and awful lot but am far more careful when washing my face) but if I skip a day of using the following, the itchy, blotchy, weepy skin soon returns. Below my nose, mouth, the area below my eyebrows, my forehead (every time I wash my hair) and the area in front of my ears are the areas it usually effects. I cannot stay at any of my friends or family members houses anymore because I have terrible reactions, which involve my face swelling and the areas mentioned dripping with weeping and flaking bright yellow skin. I'm not trying to tell a horror story, I just want to paint a picture of how bad my skin has been so that the following video can demonstrate how bloody fantastic it looks now.

There was a small red area here earlier, which turned in to a cut. I didn't moisturise properly last night and so this happened. I am one of those that can prove lazy, acting against my own advice, even when I know I may suffer later on.This is very, very mild in comparison to what I've had before but sadly, the healing process for sore, blotchy skin is for it to shed the effected layer off. After the flaking is done, the area will be right as rain again. If I continued to lapse in my routine however, the cut would deepen and begin to weep, making the area itchy and prone to further redness.

Recently I've found that I have become allergic to nearly everything, from cats, to shampoos to even cleanser. However, thus far Clinques 'Comforting Cream Cleanser' has proved a saviour, as I can no longer use the gentle face wipes that used to be my staple nor Avons cream cleansers. At £15, it's a pretty pricey cleanser but when placed against the suffering of an allergic reaction, it pays for itself. (Ok, my mum actually bought this for Christmas for me.) If my skin is particularly flaky but not sore, I have used the Clinque' 7 Day Scrub Cream, Rinse Off Formula'. You can simply wipe this off with a cotton pad, which is perfect for me because I cannot get my face wet. My skin is now too sensitive to get wet without it flaring up red and becoming incredibly itchy, which means I only use the 'liquid soap, extra mild' when my skin has become so weepy and sore that it needs to be cleaned before I can pile cream on to it. I find water by itself doesn't work but the mild soap cleans it better and prepares my skin for my creams. If I wake up and find a red patch or a flaking area of skin on my face, I now go straight for my hydrocortisone cream. This is by prescription for myself but I imagine it to be quite easy to get a hold of if you go to the doctors. It's usually used for rashes, bug bites etc. I receive other steroid creams but this is the only one that should be used on the face. This doesn't work alone for me though, I team it up with LUSH's Dream Cream, which has worked miracles for my skin. Everyday felt like a fight for my skin to just look normal. It would look OK in the morning but by the time I arrived anywhere, faced with the outside weather it would have flaked, reddened or even cracked but since using this combination, my skin has managed to stay strong. I always avoided shops such as LUSH, as due to my sensitive skin I could never use any of the products but I am now a devoted fan of this cream. It really saved my skin. It does give you spots if you're not careful so I tend to only use a small amount of the effected area. You'll have noticed I haven't mentioned any toners. I used to use a mild one from Clinque but I ran out. My skin is so sensitive and dry that not using a toner has not proved problematic for myself but I was told by a sales representative that people have complained of black heads when using the cleanser because they hadn't removed it properly so let that be a warning. Besides Carmex (which I have made the terrible mistake of licking my lips after putting it on) the only other lip balm that has generally worked for me is Avons 'Protecting' lip balm. If I do not use it every morning and every night, cracks develop on the sides of my mouth. This happens if I swap lip balms too, as in even if I use them cracks still develop. Luckily, this lip balm isn't too expensive if you buy a few when a deal is on. It's an absolute saviour as dry skin flaking off either corner of your mouth can prove somewhat unsightly, in my case anyway!

Since developing this routine, I have been able to wear as much make up as a like, without the threat of thick flakes. It still flakes in some areas during the day but nothing as bad as it once was.

Examples of my make up (when I'm not being lazy)

Yeah, I have a favourite lipstick...MAC's 'Rebel'.