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.

Oil Pulling and Darier's?

This article online made me think of a new craze:

"Topical retinoids such as tazarotene, isotretinoin, and adapalene have been shown to be effective in some individuals. Tacrolimus ointment, a calcineurin inhibitor, has been helpful in moderating symptoms in some patients. Surgical treatments, including dermabrasion, carbon dioxide laser, and erbium YAG laser, may be effective in treating localized areas. Antibacterial washes, antiseptic creams, and oral antibiotics may help with odor and skin infections. Using high factor sunscreen, avoiding sun exposure, and wearing cotton clothing may help reduce flare-ups of the disease."

-from http://www.firstskinfoundation.org/content.cfm/Ichthyosis/Darier-Fact-Sheet/page_id/892

Have you heard of this new (well old) trend called Oil Pulling?

  

You are supposed to get all these benefits from swishing organic coconut oil for 20 mins! It made me think of that article that says we DW sufferers need more anti-fungal and antibacterial washes. Maybe try this?

I tried one teaspoon of coconut oil and I have to admit I only made it to 5 mins! But it wasn't as unpleasant as I thought it would be. I can't imagine doing it with any other type of oil, and the health benefits of coconut are much higher. Do some research - see if it's for you! But clearer skin is my prerogative so why not try? I have been reading that it could be a while (4+ days) until you start to notice clearer skin and whiter teeth. I'm willing to do it for a week and see.

Would you do it? Have you? Testimonies please!

Yes to... carrots?!

In a search to find products that are less irritant - read: less chemicals and more organic/natural - a friend who has been having skin issues since the birth of her son found this:

http://www.yestocarrots.com/ingredients.html

She swears by it now. I have yet to try it but it looks promising (as long as I don't use the ones with actual carrots!)

Have you found something that works for you?

Long time no see!

A follower of my blog contacted me to see what was up! I have been MIA since October 2013.

I wish I could say it was because I had nothing to write about: that I had no flares and no symptoms. The answer is I have been overly focused on two things:

One is my show that I am producing and it has devoured my life. Take a look at the website and reels I created:

www.everythingbutthecat.net

Next, I set out to plan the bestest vacation with my bestest girlfriends. I hadn't been on vacation since 2011. It was time to pack up and get out of town: to Europe!
http://www.tumblr.com/blog/smashingtriotakeseurope


Since Europe disrupted my eating patterns (I am really sensitive to the carrot family and I'm allergic to dairy from cows...) I had one of the worst flare ups ever.

To combat this I had to make sure the SPF was at 50, drink plenty of water, and of course try for a normal diet as per my stomach.

I'm trying to find new ways to be gentle to my insides and outsides, as a recent trip to my dermatologist (an annual check-in because they know nothing to help me except for those terrible overly expensive creams that only irritate my skin) I realized I have been eliminating chemicals from my beauty regime.

You can look back to old posts, but basically I have been doing baking soda and used coffee grounds as a cleanser and exfoliate. Yes I use scent and fragrance free Aveeno and Garnier cleansers too, in rotation, but I want to lessen that too.

Check this out: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/   you can find your beauty products on the Environmental Working Group to see how hazardous it is to you and the earth. Hidden lead in your lipstick? Chemicals you didn't think existed in your foundation? This will help you find what is triggering your flare ups!

This will be an endeavor, I know. But the research and due diligence you do now will be worth years of flare-up free skin :)

Let me know what gems you find and what are you using to combat and soothe your skin.

Pine Bark = my best friend

This whole journey started way back when I was working at Davids Tea and a woman scoffed (rather loudly) at a book we had on our shelf beside the teas. It was a book about what you can eat to defeat cancer. She was very audible about hating the notion that cancer could be cured by just eating more leafy greens.  I stepped up to serve her and, seeing she clearly wanted to rant about healthcare, I asked her how one should attack something like cancer which led to a conversation about my skin disorder.

She grabbed the receipt tape and jotted down some things for me to take. The thing that I latched on to was the maritime pine bark pills. And I still take them to this day. It's been about 5 years since this chance encounter with "Nadine" and I am so happy that we happened to chat that day.

Here is a visual of what I'm taking now: 5 years later.

Internal:

Vitamin B 1xday
Maritime Pine Bark 1xday
Greens+ 2xweek
Vitamin D  1xday
Probiotics 2-4xweek

And a multi-vitamin geared towards woman's health 1xday

Topical:

Fragrance free moisturizer
gentle/fragrance free foam cleanser
FX make up
gentle Toner
Tea Tree Oil (spot treatment)
Vitamin A cream

Info from a reader

Recently I received an email from a reader of this blog who wanted to share her insights about DD and specifically gluten diets. Her email about what a Doctor passed on to her about his observations:

Just about anything that is chronic. I have successfully used gluten-free diets for disorders such as ADHD, fibromyalgia, lupus, migraines, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, microscopic colitis, psoriasis and even type 1 diabetes. The list goes on and on. I have even used it successfully for weight loss when everything else failed. If you have an illness that is not responding to medical intervention you have absolutely nothing to lose. Wheat, rye and barley may be the culprits. And, you can get far better sources of nutrients from other sources. There is absolutely no harm in giving a gluten-free diet a try—even with a child. I have a dramatic case of Darier’s disease that completely cleared with a gluten-free diet. I didn’t even know what this disease was. I called one of my physician colleagues and I researched it. You are basically born with this disorder and it usually manifests by the time you are a teenager. Imagine the worst case of psoriasis from head to toe. This man never wore shorts, tee shirts or a bathing suit until he went gluten free. This is an autoimmune genetic disorder that completely cleared on the diet. He stayed on the diet for the rest of his life and his skin remained clear. None of the medical treatments (some quite toxic) he received had worked.

What are your thoughts? Any insights into what is working for you?  In her email she also mentions that her photodynamic treatments have cleared most of her skin of the DD. My father has very bad Psoriasis and swears by going in the sun or a to a tanning salon to wipe out break outs on his body. No need for lengthy treatments (I mean we are celtic decent and aren't made to tan!) so he started at 15 seconds and worked himself up to 5 mins and he says that does him just fine!

I have remarked in the past that diet is a huge step in understanding why your skin is acting the way it is. So take care and nourish yourself, don't just feed your hunger.

A support group online?

So I came across this community while trying to find out more information about gluten-free vs. Darier's
http://www.mdjunction.com/dariers-disease

I am just now looking around it and wondering if you are online there too!

Do you have any experience with a gluten-free diet in regards to break outs? I would love to know!

Thanks,

Adri