My Battle with Eczema

Throughout my life I have suffered from quite severe eczema that has affected my body self-confidence. Eczema is a condition that makes your skin itchy and red, with a dry and rough consistency. The severity of my eczema has varied over the course of my life, ranging from mild to severe. I will go through my battle with eczema and how I managed to contain it. All the information regarding products is based on memory alone. Some creams may have been reformulated and may not have the same effects that I mention in this article.

Childhood Years

I was born in Singapore and moved to Scotland just before the age of three. I came into this world with some skin complications, with the main one being eczema. I was diagnosed with an allergy to G6PD, a common symptom when having eczema. My two brothers also suffer from eczema, with each of us having unique cases. I have a fuzzy memory and I can’t remember much about the condition of my skin as a child. I can recall it being quite mild based on the photos that I have seen of myself at that age.

Primary school was when my skin deteriorated. Not much changed in my daily routine, although I did get a dog at this point! His name was Jambo and was dear to my heart. Looking back, his molting hairs were probably a trigger for my eczema. At the time I was scratching excessively and wasn’t in control. I’d scratch without thinking about it as it was a form of relief and comforting for me. I remember how rough and dry my skin was, to the point I looked like a burn victim. It wasn’t a pleasant sight and it was very concerning for my parents. I’d go to school in bandages to maintain the cream that was put on but the temptation to scratch was too much to bear.

My skin wasn’t the best during my childhood. It was mainly on my joints and I’d say it was on between 20% of my body. My legs were my worst location along with my neck and face. For the creams I used, it came from the NHS at the time. I used a mixture of creams, bath oils and steroid creams to try and control my eczema.

Product	1Source
E45 Moisturising Lotion	Methylparaben Propylparaben Paraffinum Liquidum Phenoxyethanol
Oilatum Bath Oil	Paraffinum
Aqueous Cream	Phenoxyethanol Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Hydrocortisone Ointment	White Soft Paraffin
Johnson’s Body Wash	CI 42090 Sodium Laureth Sulfate Parfum
PH 5.5 Body Wash	Methylisothiazolinone Ethylparaben Methylparaben Propylparaben Phenoxyethaol

Teenage Years

As a teenager I was more active and my skin got better as I aged. My joints were still a victim, especially my legs. I loved scratching my legs as a form of relief and it still continued into my teenage years. My skin was more controllable at this age as I was more educated about how to maintain it. I still used a variety of creams because it was always my goal to try and get rid of it.

The creams I used during my teenage years were prescribed by the NHS (National Health Service in the UK). I did not source my own creams however my mum would give alternatives to try out, but my core treatment were my prescribed selections. At the time, the cream settled my skin and was able to maintain my eczema to a more controllable state. I can’t remember what soap I used, but it was usually an unscented brand of soap. I remember experimenting with coconut oil as it had healthy nutrients that were proven to be great for skin. I did see some improvements, but all it really left me was a dirty bath tub and me smelling like coconut! 

Product	1Source
Diprobase	Chlorocesol Paraffin Paraffinum Liquidum
Oilatum Bath Oil	Paraffinum
Aveeno Moisture Daily Lotion	Chlorxedine Digluconate
Neutrogena Norwegian Body Lotion	Phenoxyethanol Mineral Oil
Hydrocortisone Ointment	White Soft Paraffin
Betnovate Cream	Chlorocresol Liquid Paraffin White Soft Paraffin
Coconut Oil

Adulthood

Throughout my adulthood my skin has been at its best and worst. Currently I can gladly say it is at is best; however this wasn’t always the case.

During university I had many complications with my knee. I had a total of five surgeries in the time period of 4 years which is quite excessive. I had to take a lot of antibiotics and painkillers when I was undergoing my physio therapy. My social life was different, as I indulged myself in what adults can do, like drinking alcohol. I was working in kitchens at the time, exposing myself to many different kinds of cleaning products that contain chemicals that were potentially harmful to my sensitive skin.

My skin condition varied. When I was working in kitchens during my time at university, my face was my main area of concern as it was my most exposed area. I was too reliant on steroid cream to try and get a ‘quick fix’ to the conditioning of my skin. I wanted to go out, so I wanted to have clearer looking skin every time. This was a bad practice; it made my skin on my face very fragile and thin. My joints on my legs especially were still the same as, like I mentioned before, was my comforting location to scratch. When I lost weight, my skin got better as I was healthier than before.

Hong Kong

I moved to Hong Kong in 2016 and the humidity did wonders to my skin. Although I did have a complication as my eczema took another turn for the worst in 2018. It became very raw and to the point that it started oozing out what can be described as skin discharge. I never saw a dermatologist or went to a doctor as I was confident with my knowledge of my body and past experiences with products that I could solve the situation myself. Cost was another big factor; there wasn’t a guarantee that a specialist can cure me.

My eczema was towards the severe scale. It covered 30-40% of my body and parts of my skin were oozing out discharge, mainly in my legs. My whole torso excluding my chest was covered to what can be described as a rash. I didn’t get any allergy test as I thought it was only a temporary thing. My lifestyle didn’t really change and it came at a shock. I was living in a new place and it had some mold problems. My skin started deteriorating when the temperatures and humidity were rising, around spring time. My skin was at its worst during summer and I had to take serious measures when it became unbearable to look at and affected my joint movements.

During this stage of my life I took great care in my daily routine. I became aware of what I was eating, the products I was using, how active and fit I was and the cleanliness of my surroundings. This is what I changed in my lifestyle that helped me get to my skin to the best condition it has been;

• When showering, a full scrub down with sensitive soap that worked for myself
• Cool down then apply my moisturizing cream
• Increased my activity to at least 5 workouts per week
• Limited the amount of junk food I had, increased my fruit and vegetable intake
• Santized and cleaned my living area multiple times a week (bed lining every 3 days and towels everyday)

It wasn’t an overnight fix. It took months of a fixed routine but it was important to have that consistency. It worked for me and now my eczema is at a level that doesn’t require as much treatment. My cream consumption has gone down considerably and my new fixed routine has allowed my body and skin the chance to flourish.

Product	1Source
Childs Farm Sensitive Skin Moisturiser	Alpha-Isomethyl Lonone Benzyl Alcohol Parfum
Zerobase Emollient Cream	Chlorocresol Liquid Paraffin White Soft Paraffin
Aveeno Moisture Daily Lotion	Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Cetaphil Moisturizer Lotion	Benzyl Alcohol
DML Moisturising Lotion	Benzyl Alcohol
Hydrocortisone Ointment	White Soft Paraffin
Betnovate Ointment	Liquid Paraffin White Soft Paraffin
Dettol Body Wash	Methylchlorisothiazoinone Chloroxylenol Sodium Laureth Sulfate Parfum
Dove Sensitive Skin Body Wash	Methylisothiazolinone (10) Phenoxyethanol Sodium Laureth Sulfate Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Fragrance

What Products I Use Now

These are the products I use every day to maintain my conditioning of my skin. It works for me but it may not work for all. I’d say the products I use along with my daily routine have allowed my eczema to in a more controlled state.

Product	1Source
DML Moisturising Lotion	Benzyl Alcohol
Dove Sensitive Skin Body Wash	Methylisothiazolinone (10) Phenoxyethanol Sodium Laureth Sulfate Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Fragrance
Alpecin Caffeine Shampoo	Methylparaben Propylparaben Phenoxyenthanol Sodium Laureth

Reflection

The information that has been provided by 1Source has highlighted that the products I have used in my lifetime have a high potential risk index. After reviewing my results, I can pinpoint what products and ingredients may have contributed to the severity of my eczema. By exposing these ingredients, I can research more into how it may be affecting my skin and look for alternative products that are considered to be safer in terms of ingredient safety.

The products that I use now currently work for me and I have seen great results. However 1Source is a platform that has allowed me to further my knowledge of ingredients in products and how potentially harmful they may be. I highly recommend anyone with skin problems like myself to check the products you have been using and to see if there are ingredients that may be considered harmful.