A video update! Things are improving with these three things...

So the past few months have been trying to say the least, and everything translates to my skin - you know that saying wearing your heart on your sleeve? Well I wear my "heart" aka stress on my neck, as that's where my Darier's manifests the most.

So I tried:

Bio Oil = fail.

Recovery Balm from Saje = fail.

So next I went back to what I know: lower sugar, no dairy, less stress (isn't that always the goal??) and of course the tried and tested supplements. I went back to taking Vitamin A gels at night, Zinc 15 ml at lunch, and ok, I admit, something new....

I vlogged about it! Check it out:

I ordered Germolene on Amazon: 

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B008D0MLGA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Darier's White Disorder Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/21860644983/ 

Living with flare ups.

So my January and February were both nuts. Seriously. I don't think I managed any downtime until this past weekend, the last weekend of February. I had a major major audition that made me live on edge for a week and then a final term paper due the day after. It was a stressful time.

So I needed to unwind! I went to a friend's cottage and kicked back a few beers and eat vacation food (read: sugar and fats) for 48 hours. Guess what happened?

This:

Yup. Sad Panda. 

A flare up so bad that it hurt to wear clothes. The camera doesn't capture just how raw it is (because it's still flaring!) and how much it has grown. It has turned up along my neck again and all down my back. Does your DD move around your body too? Mine used to be thighs and neck. Now it's mainly neck and back? 

I am trying to eat clean: lots of veggies, oatmeal for breakfast, no processed/added sugar, a hault on all things alcohol. It feels like I'm back in detox. I haven't started the food journal but if it doesn't get better in a week's time I think I will have to start one up again - and that means really detoxing. I cycled in Vit E cream but I find it greasy and not as good as Vit A cream but I am hitting Desperate Levels at this point!

I need to remind myself that there is no overnight treatment, that it is every action I take - I need to meditate, eat clean, and drink lots of water. I need to make sure I don't skip vitamins and pine bark. This seems so simple but then a friend's birthday is here and the party is at a bar - pop and booze = ugh. You know this story. It's hard to always stay true to your DD. 

5 Things I Will Do For My Skin

1. Drink Water like I'm a camel

2. Keep up on my pill therapy: pine bark, Vit B, D, Multi, Probiotics, *Zinc and *Omegas (which I am bad at remembering)

3. Lots of clean eating, meaning easily digested and without a lot of sugar and fat (like brown rice, green leafy veggies, oatmeal)

4. Go back to taking my tea and coffee back (sad sigh)

5. Yoga and quiet times. Gotta get that stress down!

What do you do when you flare up?

Having to change (creams) is hard

Recently I had to stop using the great A Cream that Shoppers Drugmart Life Brand makes because they discontinued it. Major fail. So I switched to something in the same price bracket but at a health food store:

My face has been okay with it, but the rest of me is not sold on it. First: it smells like...roses? I think it wants to be roses. And that means there's more than Vitamin A in there :(

It's been a few weeks, and a hot summer. I spent all last week in the sun on vacation, mind you I was never in a bathing suit I was mostly covered up and always wearing SPF 60. This summer has given me a lot of freckles - so is this flare-up (see picture below) from the sun, from the new moisturizer, or…

I haven't had flat flare ups in a really long time. They have mostly been the little red dots but  I'm used to them. I'm starting to think I might have to take more than just Pinebark Vitamin B and D to deal with this again, like when I started.

I hope it's just the increase of sunshine/acting stupid on vacations and that I should probably be more careful about how much sun/sugar I'm consuming. But it could just be what it is - with age it does get worse. Here's hoping it's a blip on the radar and not a full "storm" coming on.

UH oh... break outs.

Breakouts.

Stress is starting to kill me here. My 3+ year boyfriend and I almost broke up. My legs and my stomach has broken out - this was taken days ago, it has gotten worse....
 big red and blotchy. I am thankful it is not my neck (tho it is itchy or sensitive which is not a good sign) and my fingers are all scabbed from my picking them from the worry and stress.

I am also in a huge transitional phase of my life. This breakout is a by product of all the change and worry and stress. I am trying to manage it with good food (trying, almost in vain) to cut out sugar. And staying away from alcohol completely. Lots of water. I also have a new yoga pass and I am going to do some reiki next Monday. I feel so out of sorts/ Are you going through the same thing? I hear it is to be blamed on the stars and planets (Jupiter and Uranus are apparently making the world have huge change and forcing it against most people's will...) If you believe that.

Regardless I am trying to practise what I preach and make sure I don't let this break out get to me.
More probiotics and more pine bark.
ugh.

Though I am trying the dairy free BioK yogurts - the soy one that is mango flavour was good! I will try the vanilla rice one soon and tell you my verdict...