Products that relieve allergic itchy skin

Earlier this year, I broke out in hives. I have no idea what triggered it as I never had an allergic reaction before but for 6 weeks everyday, I would develop itchy rashes across my legs, arm and body (thankfully my face was spared).

These weren't your regular rashes either; they were scary itchy and painful mosquito like lumps that bandied together and formed a large raised patch on my body and sometimes my finger tips would be so itchy they swell up and become painful.

My GP prescribed me 1% cortisone cream and put me on antihistamine tablets to control the symptoms. The cortisoid cream only gave temporary relief (15 mins) and antihistamine tablets were the only thing that effectively stopped my rashes from forming until the drug wore off and I need to take the next dose.

However, I didn't want to be dependent on drugs and steroids (which is what the cortisone cream is) all the time and so started looking for alternatives to relieve the itch and pain. I found some in these amazing products to help deal with my on-going skin irritations.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR Multi-Purpose Dry Oil for Face, Body, Hair 50ml* – RRP $24.95 /A$29.95 (non-shimmer/ shimmer version) 

Dry oil did I hear you say? Yes, dry oil – which means it doesn't leave a sheen that normal oil products do on skin and there is not the slightest greasy feeling at all. In fact, my skin has a smooth velvety feel after the luxurious French oil is absorbed.

This luxurious French oil softens skin and relieves my itching bumps better than the cortisoid cream ever did - I kid you not. Although it also only gives temporary relief (about the same time of 15 minutes), it’s also adding moisturise back to by dry scaly skin and with its pretty gold shimmer particles, imparts a subtle golden flickering as well.

Made from over 95% natural ingredients including a blend of wonderful oils (macadamia, sweet almond, hazelnut, camellia seed, borage, olive, sunflower), rosemary extract and vitamin E, this dry oil is suitable for all skin types on the face, skin and hair (I haven’t tried this on my face yet, only on the neck and I’d only work this into the ends when using it on hair) but who would have thought a natural product fared so much better than a prescription drug – I have Yishan of BeautySwatch to thank for alerting me to try this for my hives.

Available at selected pharmacies and Adore Beauty online.

Ingredients listing for Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR

*

Cetaphil Restoraderm Skin Restoring Body Wash 295ml* – RRP $19.99 

I’ve been avoiding all possible skin-irritants so I've been keen to stay away from soap and body washes containing SLS (sodium laureth sulphate) as it is a known skin irritant. I found this soap-free and fragrance-free body wash a soothing addition. With sunflower oil and vitamin E to soften and niacinamide to provide anti-inflamatory properties, it is designed to restore skin's natural barrier and protects it.
I found this body wash very gentle, easy to rinse and moisturised the body, keeping it soft and supple whilst not aggravating problem skin such as eczema and rashes has helped reduced my itching.

Available at pharmacies and Priceline nationally.

Ingredients listing for Cetaphil Restoraderm skin restoring body wash

*

Suvana Paw Paw and Honey Balm 25g – RRP $8.95 

This organic balm is very rich and leaves a greasy feeling on skin so I only use it on the problem skin areas (the actual rash bumps) and don’t work it into my entire body. It provides itch relief as well as soothes the bumps so they settle down faster.

This multi-tasker also works wonders on cracked lips, elbows and heels and also makes a kick-ass lip balm/conditioner that I apply at night for soft chap-free puckers in the morning. It is small enough to carry around everywhere making it handy to keep into the handbag.

Available at Chemists nationally and online

Ingredients listing for Suvana paw paw & honey balm

*

After 2 months, I no longer take any antihistamines to control my symptoms and rarely apply the cortisone cream – I still break out in rashes every few days but thankfully, they subside after an hour or so now and by using these alternative products daily and watching what I eat (alcohol and shellfish seem to bring out the rashes), I’ve managed to keep my conditions under check.


Do you suffer from any allergies – how do you keep it in check? What other products do you recommend?

Products marked * were provided for consideration. Other products were purchased by yours truly. 

Review: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream

When the seasons change, so does my the texture of my skin. It's no different this season and due to the crazy hot-cold weather currently playing out. Add to that, my recent fraxel procedure (I'm still working up the courage to blog and post photos about it), my skin has been super dehydrated, fragile and sensitive to the external conditions.

During the days whilst my skin was peeling and healing, I need a ultra gentle moisturiser to keep skin my moist and hydrated and give it a layer of protection.

My dermatologist recommended Cetaphil for its gentle basic moisturising properties but my skin was so dry during this, I would have been slathering the stuff every 1/2 hour - not something I was wanting to entertain. Luckily I had a tub of something even better on hand to use during this critcial period of skin trauma.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream - 125ml 

Back in May when I has a skin consult at the Kiehl's counter, I was already prone to dry skin so was provided this jar of moisturiser for intense hydration. Little did I know that this tub would be so handy months later for more than your average dry skin conditions.

• Rich and nourishing but non-greasy and light textured, the formula has a good slip and a gel consistency but does takes some rubbing to absorb into skin. 
• Contains Imperata Cylindrica extract, a catcus plant that thrives in the Australian dessert and Antarcticine which contains a clycoprotein extracted from organisms from Antarctic sea glaciers that provides hydration and protection from extreme harsh conditions so is good for our dry climates as it helps to retain moisture in skin. 
• Is scentless and non-irrating, even for extremely traumatised skin and can be use over open cuts or wounds. 
• Provides immediate hydration that lasts all day in most conditions. While my skin was healing and peeling from the fraxel treatment, I applied after washing my face in the morning, and topped up during the day when my skin was feeling tight (about 6-8 hours later, especially during the first 2 days after treatment) and then again at night. 
• This leaves skin hydrated and feeling comfortable and helps rid the tight feeling when skin is overly dry. On normal dry skin this would be able to provide all day hydration and can last up to 24 hours (although one would usually have washed their face at least once by that time and reapplied but it's good to know it would last that long in extreme conditions). 
• This would be suitable for those with extremely dry or wind-chapped, and would help those suffering from ecezma or mild dermatitis to sooth and hydrate. 

This is truly a hard working hydrator that skins well into skin and lasts all day. It's little wonder that the Ultra Facial cream is Kiehl's hero product and has been on it's best sellers list internationally for so many years. As part of Kiehl's 160th anniversary celebration, they've even put out a limited edition with the heritage packaging - chic no?

RRP A$64 at selected Kielh's counters at  Myer, David Jones stores or Kiehl's online.
This product was provided for consideration.

Review: Natural Secrets' Goat Milk Soap

Spring is finally here in Melbourne. The days are warmer, nights milder (barring the crazy days we still get and are renowned for) and everything is in full bloom. Unfortunately for many, this is also a season of allergies with lots of pollen and airborne irritants floating around, causing itches, sneezes and other skin irritations.

Fortunately, I don't really suffer from the seasonal allergies but I do have a mild case of eczema that leaves my skin in a perpetual scaly and dry state. A recent trip to the dermatologist prompted me to review the skin products I've been using that may exacerbate the problem.

So I started looking at the soaps I use and noticed that the key ingredients in them is sodium laureth sulfate, a known skin irritant and is quite harsh for sensitive skin. I didn't think I had sensitive skin as they don't get itchy and I don't break out in rashes but hey, what do I know?

So off I went to look out for a more gentle soap.

Natural Secrets' Goats milk Soap

Ingredients listing

• Suitable for dry, sensitive or itchy skin.
• Made locally with goat's mild, sweet almond oil, glycerin and vitamin E to soothe and moisturise irritated skin. 
• Fresh scent of freesia - but not too overwhelming during use which is good as fragrances can irritate sensitive skins. 
• provides a very good lather so I get that nice clean feeling and it leaves skin soft as a baby's bum.
• The scaling on my skin has improved quite a bit. It's not all gone but I hope that with continued use, I'll see further improvements.  
• Is a soft soap so can dissolve faster than regual hard bar soaps if you don't leave it in a dry soap dish.
• environmentally friendly with no phosphates used to make the product.  

In fact, I thought it worked so well for irritated skin I also bought a bar for my dad who suffers from some sort of permanent itch and is forever scratching his skin until they are raw and bleeding (no joke!). He was skeptical at first but decided to give it a try. After finishing up a whole bar, his legs look so much clearer without the scratching and he isn't itching anymore. He's even decided to stock up himself and ditch the Pintasol medicated soap that didn't really help his skin irritations. 

So if you have sensitive skin and find youself itching (and not in the good way), look into goat milk soap. This one is affordable and readily available so you have got nothing to lose, except that itch of course. 

Rating: 10/10. RRP A$3.39 available from Chemist Warehouse and leading pharmacies.