My battle with eczema

 

EDIT: Routine as of 1/3/2013 posted here. 

There are several areas I would willingly fork over hard earned money for: clothes, shoes, food, and skin care.

My skin isn’t perfect. It’s dry and incredibly sensitive. Back in California, it would be somewhat dry and I’d break out sometimes, as normal. It certainly was not glow-y or beautiful, but it was alright. When I moved to St. Louis, with and actual, dramatic change in seasons, my skin reacted in unpleasant ways. Winter dryness -it plagued me. My face became so dry that eczema would form. Take it from me, having eczema on my arms and legs is frustrating enough, but my face? I have enough vanity to do everything I can to prevent scars/ dark patches/ excretions that often accompany eczema. Not only that, my face would itch, sting, and even form dry wrinkles. It was terrible. Fortunately, though, dry wrinkles are easily curable. My first year in St. Louis, I didn’t know what to do. I looked online and frequently applied my normal moisturizer, Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizer for type 3 skin. I bought a humidifier, bought organic Vitamin E oil, and relied on those. That winter was not fun. Spring came, as did moisture, and my skin was semi-normal again. The dryness remained, however, until I paid a visit to my dermatologist that summer and was prescribed Protopic for face eczema. Do not use steroid cream your face!!

I also researched and learned more about skin care. Turns out I was very ignorant. Last summer I learned about two important skin products: toner and face masks.

Back in the States, I listened to my friend Christine who undergoes similar skin problems and made a move from Clinique to Kiehl‘s. I love it. However, I am not Kiehl’s exclusive. I also use Clinique and Shiseido.

I tried different products. This recent winter was not as bad due to the addition of toner and face masks, but still unpleasant. But recently I watched Michelle Phan’s video on her nightly skin care routine. Watch this video. Michelle not only describes her own routine but talks about the type of skin care and what it does. The way she applies he products do matter. I started doing the “piano fingers” and patting my face. I decided to take what I knew and put together my own routine, with those “massages”. I’ve been doing this routine for about three days, and it has proven very dramatic results! My skin feels smooth, calm, and renewed.

1. Kiehl’s Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser & Clarisonic’s Mia Sonic Cleansing System

Mia is great. It’s gentle, it removes dirt, and its a nice facial massage.

2.Morning: Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avacado, Kiehl’s Rare Earth Pore Refining Tonic, and Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 15

Suncreen is very important! Sometimes, though, I will use Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizer, which I still love

3. Nighttime: either Kiehl’s Imperiale Repairateur Moisturizing Eye Balm or Creamy Eye Treatment with Avacado, Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate, and Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream.

When it starts getting warmer, though, I will be switching to just Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizer. ‘Tis not good to apply too strong products! Eczema sufferers, Ultra Facial Cream hydrates SO WELL! I just started using the concentrate, and I do feel recovered. My skin glows in the morning.

4. Face Masks: My Beauty Diary & Dainty Design brands.

I do these twice a week after applying toner before bed. These are great stress relievers. Leave them on for twenty minutes, then use a cotton pad with some moisturizer and gently blot/wipe the remaining residue off.

5. Shiseido Purness Blemish Clearing Gel or Kiehl’s Acne Blemish Control

I don’t use both at once. They are both spot treatment -Kiehl’s is a bit gentler, so if you have dry, sensitive skin, use Kiehl’s. However, I find Shiseido’s to be more effective, so if I really need to clear a blemish, I use that.

Come to think of it, I do use a lot of Kiehl’s products. I’ve had good experiences, and it is reasonably priced. My skin truly feels amazing now. It”s still not perfect, but after a long time of dry skin on my face, I feel great.

Now I understand why Chinese women on average spend a third of their monthly pay on skin products.

• beauty
• eczema
• eczema skincare
• routine
• skincare