A colleague mentioned that she uses Dermaveen moisturizers and they work well for her, so I decided to give it a try. Was attracted to the additional feature mentioned at the bottle – for relief of dry itchy or sensitive skin.
Even though this is a lotion, I find it thicker than the QV lotion that I have been using earlier. The texture is in between a lotion and cream. Feels slightly sticky if I use it on a humid/hot day. Otherwise, this is a good moisturizer to relief dry skin. I may revert back to the QV skin lotion so that I have a milder alternative on hot/humid days.
The Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*Star) Singapore has come up with a technology that helps researches analyze the quality of sleep. Eczema sufferers have long known that if their skin is calm, they wake up more refreshed, and if not, they wake up groggy and irritated. The reason is of course due to scratching.
But how do you know if you’re scratching yourself without even knowing it? And is it affecting your sleep? This bed will tell you.
According to the website:
“This invention involves using electrodes laid out on a mattress to detect motions of a per-son during sleep. Using the software that is developed, one can analyse these patterns of motion to gauge sleep quality. This device is useful especially for monitoring people suffering from eczema as these patients have intense pruritic lesions on the skin which they unconsciously scratch while asleep.”
I for one would not need this technology as my husband would immediately know the next morning if I had good sleep or not :)
According to the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, March 2010, babies who breast feed for longer periods may actually be more likely to develop eczema.
“The study followed 321 infants who were at increased risk of allergies because their mothers had a history of asthma. Researchers found that among those who were breastfed exclusively for more than six months, 55 percent developed eczema by age 2.”
But before moms start to swear off breastfeeding forever. The link between breastfeeding and asthma and eczema are still fuzzy, and as the article continues:
“Breast milk is considered the best, most balanced form of nutrition for infants, and experts generally recommend that babies be breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life.”
But in the interests of seeing both sides of the story, I also came across the following study from the US National Library of Medicine that says:
“Exclusive breast-feeding for more than 4 months reduced the risk for eczema at the age of 4 years… irrespective of combination with asthma, sensitization to common allergens, or parental allergic disease.”
L to R: Rob Cavallo, Kimberly Caldwell, LeAnn Rimes & Randy Jackson at Yahoo. Image used from Wikimedia Commons at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rob_Cavallo,_Kimberly_Caldwell,_LeAnn_Rimes_%26_Randy_Jackson.jpg
One is a grammy award winning singer, and the other has won numerous Star Awards. And both have to deal with eczema in their lives.
According to Jacelyn Tay’s quote in an article in the Business Times:
“I’ve got eczema, rosacea and a very sensitive scalp, on which so far I can only use two kinds of shampoos,’ says Ms Tay. ‘And I was always on the lookout for something to solve these problems. I would buy moisturisers and mix in my own essential oils, or experiment with different natural ingredients such as egg white and honey.”
“Not only did I have ugly red patches on my arms and legs, the itching drove me crazy. I sat out of activities everyone else was participating in, either to avoid situations in which my eczema might show, or to avoid triggers that could cause a flare-up.
The same article also outlines LeAnn Rimes’ skincare regimen:
“I found relief finally in Elidel, a steroid-free medication: it’s a miracle for me and I use it night and day.” (Bee: I googled this and found it at www.elidel.com. If you’ve used it, let me know in the comments!)
“I also started moisturising my skin frequently, at least three times a day, with a cream or ointment, rather than a lotion, because lotions can be drying to my skin.”My doctor also recommends I apply moisturiser within three minutes after bathing, while my skin is still slightly damp, to help lock in the moisture and keep my skin hydrated.
“Much as I love a hot shower, I bathe with lukewarm water instead of hot, and pat my skin dry with a soft towel – never rub – to avoid irritating my skin.
“I try to wear clothing made from cotton or other soft fabrics and avoid rough, irritating materials like wool and linen. I usually wash my clothes with a mild detergent before using them for the first time.
“I keep my fingernails short, especially during a flare-up, so I don’t break the skin when scratching. Since getting my eczema under control, this has got easier.
“I also make sure I drink plenty of water to keep my body and skin healthy and well hydrated. And I use a humidifier in my house in dry or cold weather.”
Nice to know that her skincare routine has brought her eczema under control :) Many of the points she mentioned are also covered in my own list of daily steps.
Any other celebrities you know of that live with eczema?
People have been asking me what’s my skin care routine like every day? In Singapore, my eczema is directly related to the weather. If it’s a hot and humid day, my skin will flare up. On rainy days, it’s much calmer. Regardless of the weather, here’s what I do (in the following order).
1) Quick shower in room temperature water
Light soap will do so that I don’t dry out my skin. I like to use my clove soap at this stage. No vigorous scrubbing!
2) Apply cream to very dry skin areas
Now to tackle the problem areas. For very dry areas, I apply my QV cream since it’s thicker to coat and protect it.
3) Apply lotion to the rest of my body
General moisturizing now. Liberally apply your moisturizer (I use QV lotion) everywhere. Choose a light moisturizer so it absorbs easily.
4) Focus on bumps, weeping, scaly, flaky areas
Now the tough part. For areas that are weeping, red, or blotchy, I use a topical steroid called Elomet. I have both the cream and ointment versions. The ointment works better for me since it stays on longer, and forms a thicker barrier on my skin. Unlike the cream, which seems to absorb and disappear. The way I apply it is to use a cotton bud. Apply a thin film, and don’t spread it around too much.
5) Treat infected areas
If you unconsciously scratched during the night, that area may now be weeping heavily or have a yellow discharge. Thankfully those areas are less common for me nowadays. If it does occur, I then apply some antibiotic cream. I use Fucidin. As above, apply with a new cotton bud.
6) Cover up problem areas
In order to keep my clothes from rubbing itchy areas (such as my waist line or shoulder straps), I sometimes put a small plaster/ over them, after I’ve applied my steroid cream/ointment. The plaster I use is Primapore dressing strip. I’ve tried regular plasters, but they are really hard to remove at the end of the day, and leave a sticky residue, forcing me to scrub it out (and making the itch worse). I even put them on exposed areas such as my legs and arms. Co-workers sometimes think I just suffered a bicycle accident, because of all the plasters :)
7) Keeping my skin calm when I’m at work
Now that I’m all done, I just need to keep my skin moisturized while I’m out at work or during the weekend. When I arrive at work, I put some moisturizer on my exposed arms and legs. I only do this after I arrive at work because having too much moisturizer on when travelling to work makes me feel uncomfortable, especially if taking the MRT or bus. The moisturizer I use is either QV cream or Palmers Skin Therapy Oil.
8 ) In case an area gets itchy
I’ve found that a dose of Aloe Vera Gelly seems to cool these areas and stop me from scratching it. This sometimes happens near my elbows (where I’m resting my arms to work at my laptop).
When I get back home, it’s time to repeat the process.
So there you have it; my rituals (as of now). I will substitute certain things as I discover new products, but right now, this routine seems to keep my skin calm.
It has been so hot lately that I had to switch on the aircon every night when I sleep. In view that my skin is exposed to drier air, I decided to humidify the room and the area around my sleeping area with the uMist air humidifier by Osim.
I chose this humidifier because of it’s sleek size and ease to refill.
You can get it at any Osim shops or Best Denki(with Osim section). It costs SGD108.
I’ve used it for 1 month so far and I notice a difference when I wake up. My skin is not as dry. Plus I seldom wake up at night to scratch due to dry spot.
You can check out more details at the osim website
A Japanese study reveals that eating greens may just be exactly what you need to give your baby an eczema-free life. According to Asia One, “A larger intake of green and yellow vegetables, citrus fruit, and vegetables and fruit high in beta-carotene (generally those that are red and orange coloured) may lessen the risk of having a baby with eczema (itchy, dry, red patchy skin)”. This was based on a study conducted by Dr Yoshihiro Miyake at Fukuoka University.
It’s the same thing every year. Driving up the North South Highway from Singapore, and getting stuck in a baking car in traffic. For those heading back to kampung during the festive season, Chinese New Year can be a fun and feasting experience, but for eczema sufferers, it’s a jump into the “discomfort” zone.
So, what’s the battle plan? How do you stay cool and comfortable, even while you’re bombarded with joss stick smoke, scorching sun (a standard occurrence for CNY), and non stop Yeos chrysantemum and mandarin oranges? Continue reading Top Tips for Chinese New Year Travel
I was trying to find a way to protect eczema spots which are raw and oozy. I read that after applying steroid cream, it would be more effective to keep it closed up for a short period of time and also to protect it from chaffing/scratching.
I tried many different brands of plaster and wounds dressing strips. Some of it irritated my skin, some were too sticky and hard to peel off, and some left glue bits on my skin when peeled off. So far, this dressing strip works the best. And also, it comes in a long strip and you can cut to the length you want.
I normally put it on when I go to work so that the raw spots are not chaffed by my clothes or exposed to dust/bacteria. However, in order to air it, I would remove it when I come back home. But one thing is I find it quite pricey. For a 6CM X 1M length, the price is about SGD 5.25. The longest I can find so far is 1M length. If anyone knows of a longer or another brand which works as well, do share!!
I chose this humidifier because of it’s sleek size and ease to refill.
Who said what