Beauty Tips For Body Care
Hello SCA! Long time lurker here. I wanted to share with you my skin care and lifestyle journey after dealing with severe skin sensitivity for over 10 years.Background: I live in a dry city in Canada. I had a summer job in 2008 working in the engineering department. The rooms I worked in were dry, dusty, old, gross, and located above welding areas with questionable ventilation. At work, I began developing severe itchiness which developed into hives and rashes. I spent the summer (4 months!) dealing with this new extraordinarily reactive skin. At first, I dealt with it by taking a myriad of oral medications, OTC and prescription, and dealing with all of their side effects. It was awful. After the summer, I finished the job, and the rashes and hives stopped appearing. My skin was left extremely sensitive and reactive, a condition which has only worsened with time. I believe that something in the environment at this workplace permanently "sensitized" my skin.At first, I cut out all products with fragrance, this includes essential oils, and anything with mint or menthol. Over time, I realized that I also cannot use anything containing sodium laureth sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate. I can use derivatives, such as sodium lauryl sarcinate, etc. Note that I don't actually have any allergies, these are sensitivities.I will note that my sensitivity is the WORST on my scalp, fairly bad in the armpit / sides of body region, as well as my inner thighs. My face is also fairly reactive, especially near my hairline, nose, and cheeks. The products that most aggravated my skin were soaps, shampoo and shaving cream. I have developed eczema in these regions, as well as sebhorric dermatitis on my scalp. I cannot use the majority of prescription and OTC "dandruff" shampoos, as they contain SLS and/or fragrance.One things to note - product rotation is key with hyper reactive skin. If I use the same ingredient repeatedly, there is a higher chance that I will develop a sensitivity to it. What does that look like? Hives, rashes, itching, breakouts of dandruff, etc. Because of this, I try to use products with as few ingredients as possible (less possible irritants to react to or develop reactions to). I also rotate certain products, especially cleansing agents as these seem to be the things I react to most often.Here are the products that I use to keep everything in check:Hair:Note on Shampoo: Due to the sebhorric dermatitis, my scalp develops thick, oily, scaly sebum and skin buildup that one shampooing does not adequately remove. I will alternate between using Shampoo 1 one day, Shampoo 2 the next day, both shampoos the third day. I try to wash my hair at most 2-3 times per week, as I react to the water in the shower (more on that later) and my skin on my torso reacts to shampoo rinsing over them.Shampoo 1: Psoriasin Treatment Shampoo. This contains salicylic acid, no SLS or fragrance, and a rather short ingredient list. I follow the directions on the bottle to leave on for a few minutes. This is my HG for keeping the sebhorric dermatitis at bay, though I do find it slightly drying.Shampoo 2: Cliniderm Soothing Scalp Shampoo. This is an eczema approved shampoo that I find very soothing and gentle. SLS and fragrance free.Conditioner: I don't put on my scalp, so don't need to stress as much. I haven't found any HG conditioner, so use whatever I find at the health food store that is fragrance free with as few ingredients as possible. Typically I find these products rather heavy and leave my hair feeling weighed down, but my goal is to not have scales and rashes, so that is okay. I currently use Nature Clean Unscented Conditioner and was recently using Green Beaver Coconut Moisturizing Natural Conditioner.No styling products except for minimal use of silicone-free low fragrance heat protectant (long discontinued so I won't bother mentioning the brand) which I avoid getting on my roots.Body and Face cleaners and moisturizing:Avene Xericalm AD Lipid Replenishing Cleansing Oil: This is so soothing, gentle and gentle. I mainly use this as a body wash. You can also add it to the bath for a soak. I also use it to wash my face in the shower. When my scalp is having a really bad day, usually because some jerk sprayed cologne around me, I will use this in lieu of shampoo. I don't regularly use it on my scalp, because it isn't as good at removing sebum buildup as the shampoos listed above.Eucerin Complete Repair Cleanser: I rotate between this and the Avene cleanser for body and face wash in the shower. I find this one a bit more cleansing, but still very gentle.Shaving cream: Aveeno Therapeutic Shave Gel is my HG. It's fragrance free and so soothing! I don't like to travel with the pressurized container, so I bring Every Man Jack Fragrance Free Shave Cream which I also adore (but it's pricier). I have also used Cerave Cleansing Bar as a shaving medium for shorter trips, which works very well too.Eucerin Eczema Relief Body Cream: My HG! I use this body and face, anywhere that is itchy or scaly. It's expensive, so I only use it on those spots and only when needed. This is AMAZING for getting rid of itchy spots, hives, eczema, everything.Eucerin Skin Calming Cream: This one is almost as good as the Eczema Relief Body Cream, but I can get it for cheaper because Costco sometimes sells it. Use it the same way as the Eczema cream.Cerave Daily Moisturizing Lotion: This is my HG! I use this to moisturize my face, neck, and chest. I have tried the Moisturizing Cream, but personally find that it doesn't absorb as well and feels too heavy and the moisturizing payoff doesn't seem any better than the lotion.Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Lotion (Fragrance Free): I put this all over my body wherever the other creams did not already cover (mostly lower legs, arms, stomach, etc). Excellent every day moisturizer.Clarins Contour Body Treatment Oil: Okay, this one doesn't seem to fit, but I love it so much. If I am having a good day with my skin (no itching or hives), I will use this immediately after the shower on wet skin from the ankles to the waist, plus on my arm flab. I follow with the moisturizers listed above. This oil smells AMAZING, I don't react to it at all, and it leaves my skin absolutely silky smooth, soft, and FIRM. It is amazing for cellulite too.Deodorant: Routine Cream SUPERSTAR Deodorant. As mentioned before, my armpits are extremely reactive. I cannot handle anything with fragrance, or with aluminum, or alcohol, or anything. I am also a naturally very smelly (ew) person. After years of rashes, burning, and itching, I gave up on smelling okay and settled for various natural deodorants that didn't really work. I tried many products, from salt-based (stung and didn't work) to rice based (didn't work), and have finally found my HG. I honestly don't know what I would do without Superstar, it is fabulous. It seems pricy at $30 per tub, but they last me over a year each. They smell strongly, but it's all natural and I don't react to it at all. SUPERSTAR contains coconut oil, kaolin clay (my fave ingredient) and several trendy ingredients like activated charcoal, magnesium, and probiotics. It is absolutely amazing. It honestly works better than any other deodorant or antiperspirant that I have ever tried, and my arm pits feel so happy!Hand soap: Due to my SLS and fragrance sensitivities, I get very bad skin reactions from hand soap. I love Live Clean Coconut Milk Hand Soap. This is my HG, I'm in love.Toothpaste: Okay I feel silly including this, but I kept getting canker sores in my mouth and finally realized that my tooth paste had SLS in it! Since switching to Sensodyne Fresh Mint Tooth Paste (note that you have to check the ingredients - many have sodium laureth sulfate) my gums have been much happier!Face Skin Care:In addition to my Cerave obsession, I am really into Asian Skin Care, namely as I find the products tend to be gentle and good for my sensitive skin. Sensitive skin ages faster than other skin due to its damaged moisture barrier, so I try to use serums and repairing products as tolerated. I also have developed rosacea and have issues with clogged pores, but since I don't tolerate actives very well, this is the skin issue that I have yet to find an adequate solution for.Cleansers are listed above with body stuff - my face is so sensitive that I can't really use anything else. I occasionally dabble in double cleansing on good days, so will use Hado Labo Cleansing Oil followed by the Eucerin cleanser listed above**.** Not much to say about this - I don't notice much of a difference (good or bad) when I use it. I was hoping it would help with clogged pores, but it doesn't really. It is excellent at removing foundation, so I always use it if I wore makeup that day.Hado Labo Gokujyun Lotion: This toner has a lot of hyaluronic acid in it and is great under moisturizer. I use it AM and PM unless I'm in a major reaction (less is more on those days!).Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Essence: I use this anytime my skin feels drier or is experience more redness than normal. I find using it regularly makes it less effective, so I try to use it only 1-2x per week. I find it makes a huge difference with skin redness and flushing due to heat.Lip routine: Aquaphor: Love this as a lip balm. First I apply Gokujyun lotion to my lips, let it get tacky, then apply my Cerave moisturizer, let it absorb a bit, then apply the aquaphor in a thick layer. Lovely! For whatever reason, this combination makes my lips quite pink and people often ask me what lip gloss I'm wearing (LOL!) My husband will try not to kiss me because he doesn't want to get the colour on his lips.Environmental factors:Water: I have found that I react strongly to chlorine in water. The amount of chlorine in my water fluctuates depending on the time of year (usually worse when runoff is higher, like in spring). I also struggle with hard water. I don't know if the minerals in the hard water cause reactions, or if it is simply the fact that hard water does not remove cleansing products as effectively, so perhaps I react to the product residue on my skin. For this reason, I try to limit bathing to every other day and only wash my face in the evening. I try to wash my hair twice a week (so often shower without wetting my hair). I don't get very sweaty or dirty, so am able to pull this off. Either way, my biggest priority over the last few years was to get a water softener. This meant changing my living arrangements, but honestly it has been so good for my skin. The water softener is supposed to have a chlorine removal component as well, but I'm not convinced it works completely, as I still see seasonal fluctuation with my sensitivity to water in the bath or shower.Air Humidity: My skin is significantly worse if it is dry in the air. I use a humidifier to keep my home as humid as possible without getting water damage from condensation.Pollution: I live in a city with very clean air. We aren't that clean, but our wind blows the pollution away (sorry neighbors!). I notice that when I travel, my skin reacts if I am in big cities or areas with smog. I deal with this by wearing extra layers of moisturizer to create a barrier. I also am a huge proponent of scent free public spaces. I tell people who work in close proximity with me that I have severe fragrance sensitivities and ask that they do not apply scented products (hand cream, cologne) when I am nearby. Most people are kind and willing to accommodate this. I will gently remind someone if I see them pull out a perfume bottle, and they are usually gracious and willing to skip it. If someone is wearing perfume previously applied, this is less of an issue than spraying it around me. Some people have serious health conditions triggered by fragrance, like asthma attacks, so it's not a ridiculous thing to ask for.Home cleaners and laundry detergent: I react strongly to most of these. I like to use natural home cleaners, like from the brand Method. Most of the time we use dish soap to clean, which is recommended for many of the delicate surfaces in your home anyways (acrylic, quartz, etc). I use Nellie's Laundry Powder for my sheets, and unscented regular laundry soap for my clothes and towels. If I use scented laundry detergent, I will get hives. I also can't walk down the laundry soap aisle at the store, I will get hives...Sun: Sun exposure is really bad for rosacea, plus aging. Unfortunately I react to most sunscreens. I am currently using Aveeno Positively Mineral Sensitive Skin SPF 50. I don't love this product - it leaves a white cast (but I'm so pale that isn't a big deal), is kind of greasy, but it does it's job and I don't react to it (yet). I will not repurchase. My biggest way to deal with sun exposure is hats and UPF clothing. I know it's not sexy, but skin cancer, wrinkles, and hives (from sunscreen reactions) are also not sexy... so I'm the lady with the long sleeved, collared shirts and the wide brimmed hat when outside during the danger hours of 10-2 pm. I always use sunscreen on my face if outside for prolonged periods of time, but if I'm going for a 20 minute walk, it's a big hat for me!Diet: I've been told by many pseudoscience practitioners that skin issues of this magnitude are often linked to the gut. I have yet to figure out how to fix this, although I do avoid caffeine, alcohol, and all forms of fun. Just kidding! I do notice that if I have alcohol, caffeine, or certain foods (chocolate, dairy) my skin sometimes is worse. It's not a strong correlation though... I've tried the gamut of naturopathic options and feel that they are all a bunch of hooey. They don't hurt though... but nothing has fixed my skin issues. The only supplement that I find useful is Omega 3 Fish Oil which is supposedly good for the skin, but I take it because it is amazeballs for helping my joint pain. Also, I drink lots of water, this is supposedly good for your skin.Doctors: I have had bad luck dealing with doctors with my skin. They really like to prescribe steroids, which are terrible in the long term and do not deal with the root cause. I don't know what the root cause is, but the doctors don't either! I will use steroids, especially on my scalp, in absolute emergency situations. The biggest thing that helps my reactions / eczema breakouts is the Eucerin Eczema Relief Cream. EVEN more than steroids, honestly! Recently, I've been trying metronidazole cream which my doctor prescribed to me for the facial rosacea. I don't like it because I feel like it's kind of drying and greasy at the same time, but am currently dealing with some rosacea quarantine breakouts that this has helped immensely with.If you made it to the end, thanks for reading! Hope you can find a tidbit that may help you :)
Girls Blog 2015
Submitted by leif_the_warrier
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