A lesson learned

I still stand by the Barlean's Essential Woman oil supplement but I have discovered that figuring out the proper dosage is key.  I had been taking 4 capsules each night but my cycles were a little weird and I wondered if it was the supplement.  I was having NO PMS.  None.  Zip, zilch, nada.  No horrific mood swings or rage issues.  I switched to 3 capsules per night and the PMS anger came back with a vengeance.  Clearly, 3 capsules is not enough.  I have already gone back to 4 capsules.  But I still swear by the stuff.  Even more so now.  If one capsule is the difference between screaming, irrational anger and peacefulness, then the supplement is definitely working!  I have been recommending this stuff to everyone, especially moms of teens with bad PMS.  I really just can't get over the efficacy of a simple oil supplement!

Shea Butter?

I was talking to a friend a week or so ago and mentioned my fear of using shea butter.  Any time I use a product with shea butter in it I get itchy.  I've tried a couple of different body washes containing shea butter thinking they would be great for my dry skin but I just end up miserable.  My friend said she has the same problem.  I now stay away from things containing shea butter but I thought I would mention it.  I'm wondering how common this is.

Crazy new theory!

I know it sounds totally nuts but I have begun to believe that drinking red wine is essential for my skin.  I discovered a couple of weeks ago that on the mornings after having a glass of merlot my skin looks better.  If I drink a beer I'm more inflamed in the morning.  The red wine even counters my milk allergy to some extent.  I have cheated horribly over the holiday weekend and my scalp is flared but my face is not.  It's unbelievable!  I tried to research the idea but all I could find was info on the other benefits of red wine (heart health, etc).  I don't know exactly how or why the red wine is helping but it is.  So I guess I'll be drinking a glass of wine every night from now on.  ; )  There are certainly worse medicines.

Still a work in progress

Well, I have to retract a comment made in my last post.  The Florasone is not working after all.  In fact, I think it's making things worse.  I am going to go back to using some leftover steroid cream that a dermatologist gave me awhile back for a different skin issue.  It seems to be very effective.  I'm hoping that if I can get rid of the flare I can maintain without continuing to use the steroid cream.

I don't know quite what conclusion to draw from this, but since I've been really consistent with taking my medicine and supplements my progress has been wonderful.  I had run out of vitamins and my skin looked awful.  Now I am wondering what it is about my multivitamin that is working.  Is it a particular vitamin, the calcium, the immune boost complex?  Whatever it is it seems to be key.  Hmmm...

I feel like a detective working on a case.  Except that I don't think I'll ever find just one clear solution.  I've found a lot of clues but I know there's more to learn.  I will say that a friend made a good point to me the other day.  I was saying how I'd like a skin transplant but she pointed out that it's not my skin that's the problem; eczema is an immune system disorder. I think that should be the next lead to follow--looking for ways to boost my immune system to see if my skin benefits.  I can't imagine that improving my immune system would be a bad thing so I might as well give it a shot!

I would like to mention that I'm always open to suggestions so if you're reading this and you have ideas, please feel free to leave a comment!  I love getting new perspectives and ideas!  : )

Problem skin is always problem skin.

Apparently I'm a terrible blogger!  It has been a lot longer than I intended since my last post.  I really want to stress something that I had to stress with my husband recently--problem skin will always be a problem, it just depends on how you manage it. There are ups and downs and you just have to find a plan that works and stick to it.  If you stray, you will flare.  I'm hoping that eventually I will have my skin under control enough to give the illusion of good skin but I know I will always have to be careful or I will end up broken out.

I am currently flaring but I knew it was coming.  My husband and I went away for a weekend during Oktoberfest and there was really no way to eat dairy-free.  That plus lots of beer led to some inflamed spots.  I am finally getting to the point that I can tell the difference between a pimple and an eczema bump before it's fully erupted.  This lets me know which product to start using on it.  In a post from awhile back I mentioned a product called Florasone.  I recently started using it myself and I have to say that I'm impressed.  It takes the itch of eczema away pretty well and seems to be working on both the scaly patches and the bumpy ones.  It has reduced the big bumpy patches in about half the normal time (or faster), which thrills me to death!    It is all natural and contains NO steroids.  I am VERY happy with this so far!

My progress before this recent flare was wonderful.  I am hoping to post an updated photo soon but I want to wait for these few spots to subside first.

Nickel allergy

I mentioned an infant with horrible skin irritation awhile ago and I just want to post an update.  It is looking like it's a nickel allergy.  My friend asked me to hit the internet and do some research and what I discovered is that, while contact dermatitis from nickel (earrings, fake jewelry, etc) is not uncommon, a small percentage of people are actually allergic to ingested nickel as well.  Things grown in the ground tend to be higher in nickel than animal products.  AthenaAllergy.com is a great resource for anyone suffering with nickel allergy.

Trying to keep the faith

My face has been a mess for a while now, though it is improving slowly once again.  I think I've pinpointed a few things--the Barlean's Essential Woman supplement is essential, stress is a huge factor, and fake nails help.  I am now fighting off an illness, which always means my skin takes a hit...so I am itchy.  My husband actually urged me to go to a dermatologist and get on topicals and antibiotics again.  His reasoning is that every time I get cleared up I get another flare.  I had to explain to him that that is the nature of skin issues.  Even when I followed doctors' advice I had the same recurrent pattern--it's a sad fact of life for me.  But at least doing it my way I don't have the nasty side effects of the medical stuff.

Stress has become overwhelming for me lately.  I finally broke down and went to the doctor, which resulted in me going on antidepressants long term.  I'm hoping that will help me out enough to enable my skin to clear and maybe even help me lose weight.  It's been less than a week so I'm still waiting for the full effects of the medicine but I do seem to be feeling a little better already.

I think a big part of the solution for me before was the Barlean's oil supplement.  The first little breakouts started when I got less careful about taking it.  I have gotten to the point that I can't swallow the stuff without gagging--the raspberry is just too much for me.  I did find a capsule version of the same thing that I will pick up today and start on.  My PMS has been GONE.  No mood swings, no nothing.  I know that's a direct result of the supplement.  It also made a huge difference for my skin so I'm looking forward to getting back on it.

Overall, I understand that my solutions haven't been perfect and I'm still learning the ropes, but I feel better and have been looking better so I think I'm going the right direction with all of this.  I can only hope that one day I will find the right combination to be able to live in peace and harmony with my skin.  : )  Until then I will continue to stare with longing at women with flawless skin.  Sigh.