Day 78 - The Miracle Of The Dead Sea Salt

Just last week, my friend who has mild eczema on her legs, told me about Ahava's dead sea salt and the miracle it brought to her. I wasted no time in getting a pack of it (although very costly in Singapore at SGD16 for a 250g pack), and rushed home to soak my itchy, flaky, inflamed feet.

OMG t's a GOD SEND!

It stinged for the initial 5mins, but after the feet has absorbed it, it was soothing and there was immediate noticeable improvement! Even my boyfriend agreed! I marveled at the difference - redness reduced and my feet felt light and calm, like a good detox. I just soaked again today when it was starting to itch and found relief. However, I realized the water has to be rather concentrated for noticeable improvement, and 1 pack only gets me 2-3 foot soaks and that's rather costly. I've also tried epsom salt soaks countless times, and although it does reduce the itch, the effect is nothing as spectacular as pure dead sea salt. Epsom is purely magnesium sulfate, while dead sea salt contains high concentration of magnesium and a whole slew of other minerals ie. sodium, calcium, potassium etc - all goodness for blood circulation and skin hydration. It's ironic that it's called 'dead sea', isn't it?

Now I wish I had the Dead Sea in my backyard.

Day 66 - Just Done With 4th Flare

In the last month, I tried to live a life that's closer to normal after getting a more calculated idea of what goes on during/after each flare. The 3rd and 4th flare was pretty bad, but considerably less serious and definitely more tolerable than the first 2 (sheer nightmare), but I had good days in between flares which I felt comfortable enough to head out for dinners and chilling sessions with my friends. A flare typically goes like this - crazy itch takes over my legs and arms for 2-3 days and the skin is begging to be scratched hard and furious, and nothing gives relief, not even an anti-histamine pill! Of course, the end result is anything but a relief - inflamed red blotchy mess all over my skin :(
I know full well I should not be doing that but I can't help it, but trust me, it's not psychological.

Certain friends think I stay home too much and not participating in their social happenings. I doubt they understand the intensity of the situation that I'm going through, and it's frankly hard to even half comprehend it unless they are in my shoes or actually bothered to do quick research on it.

So far, the affected areas are on my lower arms, entire legs, and the severity of it at my hands and feet, and thankfully the eczema is contained within these areas and has not spread! Hallelujah. During the first few days of a flare-up, I'd dread taking baths as the water will sting my freshly scratched wounds, and after a bath my skin becomes really dry and tight and feels really uncomfortable. The moisturizing regime of slathering moisturizer and oil (seriously time-consuming) does provide some relief, but the discomfort still lingers. During this period, massive amount of skin is renewed, hardened and shed! Constant cleaning of bed and room leaves a heap of dead skin (sorry for the visual). Thereafter, things look-up with significantly clearer skin and less shedding, although the itch still lingers with sudden bouts of mad itch throughout the day. As you can imagine, it's not easy to get out of the house.

I shall not even start on the social embarrassment when you try to go out in the day, or the heat which really irritates the skin. And the contact of slippers/shoes against my inflamed feet causes abrasion and aggravates the condition.

Thankfully, my boyfriend is extremely supportive and does not mind my skin at all! It made me realize how selfless he is and how much he really loves me. And my dad who eagerly replenishes the fruits supply (for juicing) and badgering me to try TCM(traditional chinese medicine). More of my holistic regime in the next post!

Day 31 - Itch Fest / Flare #2

Second round of flare coming right up!

And it's itch fest all over again. I'm finding it hard being productive working on my online store (thankful I have this to provide me with some income while going through TSW) when I'm constantly itching. My mind is just on the itch and nothing else. It's really hard to try to think about something else when all I want is relief!

Day 24 - JUST GROSS

I collected enough dead skin from the renewing and shedding process (i shall call it snaking process) from my hands and feet from the past 3 days to make a purse if I will.

I woke up on Day 20 to a hideous crusty hands that wouldl give a 150 year old's hands a run for their money. it felt like there was a thick foreign skin stuck onto my hands and arm and I experienced what some described as 'something crawling under the skin'. An Epsom salt soak provided some relief and reduced the damaged caused by peeling/sloughing off the dead skin. Within a mere 3 days, my skin is looking up. The angry red spots and thick dry skin cleared up about 60%, but I know this is far from over. As what I've read on itsan.org, it's 'two step forward and one step back'.

See the pictures below at your own peril!! You've been warned!






At Day 20, before an epsom salt soak. I could hardly open my hands or move my fingers. It was horrifying to say the least.

After an epsom salt soak, with dead skin sloughed away.

Day 20 - Green Supplies & Fake Leather Hands

Woke up with dry, thick crusty hands, and prickly dryness at the crease of the arms. It proves to be a bitch to move my arm and hands without feeling the tightness. The entire of my right arm is so extensively covered looks so ghastly raw and red, it resembles and feel likes a fake leather glove (except its real!) 

On a happier note, I received my first anticipated loot containing mostly green and organic items from iHerb. I'm awaiting more of my holistic and natural items to arrive but I'll save that for later when it arrives. A review for the items below will be in the pipelines- I can't wait to share these with anyone who wish to lead a less toxic life as well as reduce their carbon footprint.

If you wish to place an order with iHerb, you can use the my personal iHerb coupon code CHK442 to receive $10 off your first order of $40 and above, or $5 for $40 and below. Please do use my code for me to receive referral points!

My get-up for the day to stock up on groceries. Figured I had to go out now before it takes over my face as well.

Day 19 - It's creeping insidiously to my face

The affected areas are insidiously spreading - it's moving upwards.  It's currently on my hands, extending towards the mid upper arm, and it's taking over the whole of my legs as well. For the past week, I was hoping against all odds that I would be lucky to have my torso and face be left alone, since I've never applied steroid cream on those areas. But alas, my luck ran dry. My cheeks, eyelids and upper lip area are now showing signs of dryness and redness. Fuck me!

I was still functioning with some semblance of sanity and normality when my face was intact. I'd simply just cover up in longs and I'd look pretty normal (except for the gross feet and hands). However it's not all that enjoyable going out all covered up in a tropical country, where the ridiculous heat and high humidity makes me feel sticky and itchy as quickly as stepping out of my house. But now with the face thrown into the picture as well, it's gonna be a different ballgame from here. 

Come what may, I'll take you on.

Note: Took my first zyrtec (anti-histamine) an hour ago, and I seem to feel much less itchy! It's pretty costly at SGD1.20 a pill.