It's been a while but I have been extremely busy with the baby. Teething has been a nightmare and he's suddenly decided he hates sleep.
My post partum eczema has been on and off. Over Christmas it was actually going well and looked like it was on the mend for a while but 2 weeks ago I hit a flare up again but it had affected my face this time and it was so sore that my right eye had gotten swollen and infected. This lasted for about a week.
As with this skin condition, I constantly find myself searching online for new products to try in hope to permanently cure this. Unfortunately I have yet to find anything that works miracles. The truth is, when dermatitis is chronic; there is no miracle cure. The only thing to do is find a way to manage it. It also goes without saying that everyone's skin is different so certain products might work for some, but not for others.
I have managed to find certain products and routines that *help* to manage my symptoms which I will review individually in separate posts.
On to the review...
I had bought Dr. Organics Manuka Honey creams on a whim when my skin was at its lowest point (paid extra for next day delivery). I had saw a review video on Youtube and they had said it cleared their eczema on their face in 2-3 days of continuous use.
Bare in mind the state of my skin at the time was horrendous. I had red blotchy patches on both sides of my forehead, under my eyebrows, on my eyelids, on my lower lash line, each sides of my nose had a huge crack that looked like my nose was splitting off, under my nose/upper lip area, cracked sides of lips and lower lip and last but not least; patches of red cracked skin on my chin. At this point, anything I applied really REALLY made it sting and itch even more. I would advise if your skin is this bad, seek medical attention. I tried to prolong the use of Hydrocortisone cream and this is what happened, I still hate using it and I would rather not, but I'm currently applying it twice a day and it seems to have calmed it down and is slowly recovering.
Dr Organic- Manuka Honey Rescue Cream
Product description from the website:
The incredible formulation of Dr Organic Manuka Honey Rescue Cream leaves the skin intensely moisturised, instantly restored and visibly healthier.
-Intensive hypoallergenic emollient
-Nourishes, restores and soothes
-Safe to use on dry, sun exposed, sensitive or irritated skin
-Rich blend of organic Manuka honey, cocoa butter, vitamin E and beeswax
Product Details:
The cream comes in a glass container. The cream texture has a lotion consistency and absorbs pretty quickly and I wouldn't really say it's too greasy or sticky. It also has a strong smell of honey.Price:
The cream is rather pricey considering the amount you get, but if it had worked, the price wasn't really an issue. It's £8.99 for 50ml at Holland and Barrett.Rating:
I applied the cream for 2-3 days religiously for 3 days on the red patches on my face and unfortunately I didn't feel like it had made much difference. I also found that it made my skin sting as well, and I ended up scratching the stinging area which in turn made it a lot worse and took longer to recover.
I don't think I would repurchase the rescue cream as I didn't find it helped my skin.
I don't think I would repurchase the rescue cream as I didn't find it helped my skin.
Dr Organic. Manuka Honey Body Butter
Product Description from the website:
Manuka Honey has a host of properties. We ensure that the bioactive properties of this New Zealand honey are delivered intact while being combined with a complex blend of selected bioactive extracts which help to and hydrate the skin, creating a non-greasy silky smooth sensation.Product Details:
The body butter comes in a round plastic container. Like most body butters the texture is quite thick. I found the cream absorbs pretty quickly and doesn't have a greasy feel to it. It has the same smell as the rescue cream which is pretty strong smelling.Price:
Again, pricey compared to body butters from other brands however, the ingredients do list Active +15 Manuka Honey. The body butter is £9.95 for 200ml from Holland and Barrett.Rating:
This was actually a re-purchase as I had used this before and quite liked it. The first time I had bought it, my skin was sore and broken so I used it once, it stung, and I had put it aside and didn't use it for a while. However, once my skin wasn't so inflamed I decided to start using it along with my usual emollient and I did quite like it. It does have a rich "sumptuous" feel to it but I have also found a high street brand body butter for a fraction of the price which I found essentially did the same thing.
My skin on my face is currently on the mend but is still quite dry as is the rest of my body. I've been trying to drink as much water as possible as my theory is that the hormones during pregnancy and after giving birth had caused my skin barrier to be damaged. Mixed in with the fact that I was no longer getting more than 3 hours sleep a night to further the damage and breast feeding was also dehydrating my body. So for now, everytime I feed, I try to down a pint of water. I moisturise at least 6 times a day, and always use a heavy emollient after I shower. Unfortunately I am still using steroid creams but they seem to be the only thing that is clearing my skin up, I'm hoping once it fully recovers, I can revert back to a normal routine and cut the steroid creams out completely.
My skin currently as above- still dry but not as blotchy! Fingers crossed that this is the end.
Thank you for reading-
Amy x x
