Eczema Care: Dermaveen

I remember sometimes ago, when I were visiting my doctor again for my itching legs which made me awake all night long, he advised me to apply lotion every time after shower, which I hate to. I don't like the greasy feel of lotion / moisturizer on my legs nor my body. I hate the feeling of getting the legs or hands wet after applying those lotion. I just don't like it.

So, the doctor recommended another brand of lotion named 'Dermaveen' to me. According to him, it is not greasy and is easily absorbed by the skin, and above all, it is proven to soothe skin condition that is associated with eczema. I have never heard of this brand before, but I still have about a bottle of Palmers' Cocoa Butter. So, I guess I will try this out when I have finished my cocoa butter.

Palmers' Cocoa butter did clear my eczema few years back, but it seems to lose its effectiveness recently. That was about 5-6 years ago when I was pregnant with my first baby. Eczema flared up on my whole body and the itchiness was getting worse day after day. My gynea recommended me to use Loofah sponge to exfoliate the dead skin cells, and after which after a layer of non-perfumed cocoa butter to lock the moisture. I followed the instructions and it did help. But this time, I'm getting lazy and hate the smell of cocoa butter all over my body. So, maybe it's time for me to switch to Dermaveen!

Some information of Dermaveen (source from TalkEczema):

What is DermaVeen?
DermaVeen is Australia's best selling therapeutic range of skincare products and is ideal for use on the dry, itchy and sensitive skin that is associated with eczema, psoriasis, ichthyosis, rashes and other dry skin conditions.

What is different about DermaVeen?
Dermaveen contains two natural ingredients, colloidal oatmeal and sodium pca. The combination of the two natural ingredients effectively soothes and hydrates even the most sensitive dry skin.

• Colloidal Oatmeal has an anti-itch action that eliminates the sensation of
itch, thus reducing the 'desire to scratch'

• Sodium PCA is the skin's natural moisturiser. It is a very efficient, natural
moisturiser and much more effective at retaining moisture in the skin than
other moisturising agents

DermaVeen is also formulated at pH5 - 6, which is the skins optimum pH. This prevents the skin from drying and helps retain protective oils and moisture

DermaVeen is non greasy and rapidly absorbed into the skin

Is DermaVeen suitable for me / my family?
DermaVeen can be used by all the family, from the youngest, including babies, to the oldest. All products have a low allergic potential as they do not contain any fragrances, colourings or additives.

The range of DermaVeen products as shown below provides effective relief from dry sensitive skin from head to toe.

DermaVeen has become the leading dry skin range in Australia because people have tried it for themselves and found that it works. We have received many testimonials such as the one below, but we prefer you to try DermaVeen and then make your own mind up!

Improve Skin ------ Kick The Caffein Habit

I started to get addicted to coffee recently, ever since I started my low-carb diet about a month ago. I usually have a cup of 2 in 1 coffee non-sweetened in the evening around 4pm. I found coffee has given me the strength to stay awake longer especially during late evening. I thought it would be okay to have 2-in-1 coffee as it is not sweetened with the simple carb. So, I am very much contented with the routine to have a cup of 2-in-1 coffee everyday in the evening. This does not go long before I discovered that my eczema flares up.

I am not sure whether coffee or caffeine rather has anything to do with my eczema. So, I google "coffee and eczema", to my surprise, coffee / caffeine actually has very much to do with eczema. Some studies show that eczema sufferers seem to get improvement after they have cut down or exclude the intake of coffee. So, I guess I have to stop drinking coffee for at least a month to see if coffee / caffeine is the culprit of my eczema.

Here I would also like to share some information that I found in the internet that shows how caffeine affects our skin. Article source: GoodnessDirect.

Caffeine has both a good side and a bad side, did you know....

* Caffeine is found in black and green tea, coffee, cocoa and some soft drinks.
* Caffeine works like a mild drug, acting directly upon the central nervous system.
* Caffeine brings about an almost immediate sense of clearer thought and lessens fatigue.
* Caffeine also stimulates the release of stored sugar from the liver, which accounts for the "lift" coffee, cola, tea and chocolate give.

But these benefits may be far outweighed by side effects. These can include:-

* Release of stored sugar places heavy stress on endocrine system.
* Heavy coffee drinkers often develop nervousness or become jittery.
* Excessive intake can cause or irritate prostrate, heart and bladder problems.
* Can be related to irritability and insomnia.
* The effects of caffeine can last up to 20 hours so some people will have disturbed sleep patterns even when they had their last caffeine drink early in the morning.
* Drinking coffee can be related to eczema. In a study of eczema sufferers, on avoiding coffee, their symptoms were shown to improve.
* Total caffeine elimination has been shown to reduce the symptoms of fibro cystic breast disease.
* Drinking caffeine containing beverages increases urinary calcium loss. Long term caffeine consumers are reported to have an increased risk of osteoporosis.
* Pregnant women should limit caffeine intake to approximately 300mg per day. Research links caffeine amongst other things to low birth weight children.
* PMS can be further aggravated by caffeine.

Why Acne Shows Up Again !!

Acne, one of the most common skin problem that ails the human kind irrespective of the age, caste, colour, gender etc. Acne is a tremendously embarrassing and burdensome problem. Acne can be defined, as red eruptions on the skin some time filled with a white substance, is itchy and also painful. It is a problem on which we do not have our control.

There are different ways to treat acne. One can opt for medication from a skin specialist or one can also try home or natural remedies. Natural remedies are less time consuming, less costly, and have no side effects. It only requires a little more patience because the routine has to be followed diligently to get rid of the problem once and for all. A natural remedy for acne is just as effective as medication.

Here are a few natural remedies to cure your acne:

To start with, your daily consumption of water should be minimum of eight to ten glasses. This helps us to detoxify our system and kill harmful bacteria that cause acne. Too much of oily food also leads to acne, so fried and spicy food should be strictly avoided. Including chromium in your diet also helps to cure acne. There should be a combination of right nutritional balance and proper skin care.

A mixture of nutmeg powder with unboiled milk when applied on the affected area regularly also helps to cure acne. Cinnamon powder mixes with honey is equally effective in curing acne. Boiled neem leaves when applied on acne acts as a disinfectant. The infected area should be washed with anti acne soap at least three to four times a day.

Makeup should be strictly avoided when one is suffering from acne. Makeup makes the acne conditions worse. Acne should never be squeezed as it may spread and become worse. Squeezing your acne may also lead to permanent mark on your skin, which leaves your skin, looking ugly.

Avoid your hair to fall on the acne-affected area. Hair should be kept tied to avoid contact with acne. Pillow covers should be washed on daily basis to avoid the germ to spread. Regular cleansing of your skin should be done to keep it free from germs.

Apart from all these a healthy lifestyle should be followed, with proper balance of food, exercise and sleep. Remember if you take proper care of yourself no ailments can trouble you leave apart a small thing as acne!

Rash – Kind and Cures

"Rash" is a kind of red bump that forms on your body and could be caused due to a variety of reasons. This word is freely used in normal language to denote a number of skin conditions. Most commonly occurring skin conditions or skin rash types are:

1. Non infected scaly patches on the skin.
2. Scaly patches on skin caused by fungal or bacterial infection.
3. Red, itchy patches or bumps all over the skin.

Skin rashes are rarely classified as dangerous, but still warrant medical attention. Rashes should not be self-diagnosed. Proper evaluation of the skin rash type requires a doctor visit. The following list of skin rash types may help you to categorize the condition.

1. Non infected scaly patches on the skin:

Scaly and itchy skin rash type usually represents a condition known as eczema.

Atopic dermatitis: The most common form of eczema is known as Atopic dermatitis. This skin rash type is normally hereditary which often starts in childhood with symptoms like scaly patches on the arms, legs, scalp and torso. During teenage the condition of atopic dermatitis may spread to inner elbows and knees. Adults are affected by atopic dermatitis on the genitals, around the eyelids, on the hand and all over the body as well.

"Dermatitis" means skin inflammation. "Atopic" refers to hereditary diseases. These diseases may include hay fever, asthma and atopic dermatitis. In a condition of atopic dermatitis, the skin turns extremely itchy and inflamed which may cause redness, swelling and cracking. Atopic dermatitis affects off and on for no apparent reason. It is at its worst in winter months, when the air becomes cold and dry.

Contact dermatitis: Contact dermatitis is a skin rash type caused due to contact with a specific material which may cause allergy to the skin. For example poison ivy and jewelry containing nickel causes reactions. Contact dermatitis affects only the touched parts.

The other kinds of skin rash types are scaly rashes. The ones worth mentioning are psoriasis, also a hereditary condition affecting knees, elbows and pityriasis rosea, which forms scaly rashes on the chest and back and generally disappears in a month. Xerosis or very dry skin, may appear as rash during the cold, dry months of the year.

2. Scaly patches on skin caused by fungal or bacterial infection:

Fungal infections: Fungal infections are common but don't appear as often as rashes in the eczema category. Fungal infections are not due to hygiene, clean people are also prone to them. The fungal infection skin rash type is not caught from animals, nor is it transmitted in gyms, showers or pools. They are not contagious.

Bacterial infections: The most common skin rash type caused by bacterial infection is impetigo. Impetigo is caused by strep germs and is more common in children. This again is not due to poor hygiene.

3. Red, itchy patches or bumps all over the skin:

This form of skin rash type is caused by virus or allergy.

Viral rash: Viral infections of the skin like herpes mostly occurs on one part of the body, viral rashes also occur all over the body and are symmetrical. These viral rashes usually last about a week and vanish on their own.

Allergic drug rash: Rashes caused due to drug allergy start in about two weeks of a new medication. It is very unlikely that a medicine which has been prescribed for a few months or years to cause a reaction. There is no specific test to prove whether a rash is allergic as a result of which doctors recommend stopping a suspected drug to see the results.

4. Other rashes

Hives or Urticaria are red welts that are itchy. They appear and disappear on different parts of the body. Because of the vagueness of the term, most people use "rash" to describe the conditions of pimples or rosacea on the facial skin. They certainly do not fall into any skin rash types.