Forever Living Product Review

I’ve kindly been given a set of testers to try out to improve the appearance of my skin. Forever Living is a skincare and healthy living company, founded 36 years ago in America. Since then, Forever Living has globally revolutionised the lives (and skin) of many people, and is now available world wide. This is not the first time I have heard about Forever Living; my brother used the products as a toddler to soothe his flared up eczema, and the results were successful. My friend has now become a Forever Living representative, so I jumped on the opportunity to try them out for myself!

Today, she brought round 10 bottles of Forever Living tester products, which I have to keep until the end of the
week. I will use the products numerous times every day in hope that my skin will look healthier, more radiant,
but most importantly, to reduce the appearance of my eczema.

Aloe is famously known in the beauty industry to provoke health benefits, due to being enriched
with vitamins and minerals. Aloe is used to treat scars, burns, acne and various skin conditions,
such as eczema. But aloe is not just a lotion that you can apply to your skin, you can also drink it!
The Forever Living representative, Sarah, explained that eczema is caused by a weak immune system,
therefore if you treat the internal problem, the external issues start to improve! This explains so much;
such as why I have so many allergies and I always seem to be the first to catch a cold in the winter.

Forever Living believe in the success of their products, which is why they offer a money back guarantee
if you are not satisfied with the results after 60 days. But, I cannot see why anyone would do this because
I’ve started to see miraculous results already!

I have been using three products since approximately 4pm this afternoon.

The first, Aloe Vera Gelly, which is a ‘soothing clear gel’ consisting of pure, highly concentrated aloe vera.
The product claims to ‘calm irritation’ and is ‘suitable for the most sensitive skin’. The product undoubtedly
conforms to this description. After just five hours my skin has started to improve: the appearance is not as red,
and it feels soft, smooth and supple. The product was gentle and did not cause any irritation. I was surprised
that this is only priced at £12.24. I was expecting that it would cost a lot more; it is definitely worth the price!

I’ve been combining this with a moisturiser called Aloe Propolis Creme. Propolis is a substance gathered by
honeybees, which is perhaps why it smells so gorgeous! I was walking around Tesco earlier and every time I went
to pick up an item from the shelf, all I could smell was this lovely hand-cream! The formula is quite rich and thick,
which I like to find in a moisturiser as my skin is very dry, particularly on my hands. The product didn’t cause any
 irritation, it made my hands instantly feel hydrated and full of life! This moisturiser is slightly more expensive at
 £14.96, but it should last awhile as each bottle contains 113g worth of the moisturiser. 

I have also been using Aloe Hand and Face Soap. Unlike other brands, this does not sting my hands when I use it as it is free from harsh chemicals. The formula is like a thick serum, and smells very fresh. It can be used as a normal soap, or as a face cleanser to take your make up off at the end of the day. It perfectly safe for use near eyes as it is tear free, which means that if it does gets into contact with eyes then they will not sting and start running. This is priced at £10.84, and is perfect if other soap products seem to dry out and aggravate your skin even more!

The results

You can undoubtedly see from comparing the pictures below to the pictures
 before using the aloe vera product, that the redness of my skin on the front and
 back of my hands has been calmed down from my immediate use of using the
combination of Forever Living products.

I cannot wait to start trying out the other products featured in my testing pack.
 I’ll keep you all updated with my progress!

Leanne x

Jewellery that won't damage your skin

Have you ever had an itchy rash after you’ve worn a piece your favourite piece of Topshop jewellery? I know, the cheap price and pretty designs may be luring. But, have you ever considered that you are allergic to high-street jewellery?

Most high-street jewellery is made from nickel, which is one of the most frequent allergy aggravators activating contact dermatitis. I had the most gorgeous piece of jewellery; it was a bangle bracelet with three rings attached to it through a metal chain (very hard to describe!), but this caused eczema down all of the three fingers that I wore the rings on, and on my knuckles! This was when I realised that it was time to ditch the jewellery, as it did not suit my skin at all! 

However I love jewellery, and I wasn’t ready to give it up for good so I needed to find some alternatives to complete my outfits!

I had a rummage through my jewellery box and the first alternative I found was an elegant pearlbracelet. The best thing about pearls, is that they go with any outfit (and, of course, they don’t trigger any allergy!). ‘Tiffany and Co’ sell some beautiful pearl bracelets, but similar designs can be found on the high-street.

One of my favourite necklaces is from Zara. The wonderful thing about this necklace is that, although it has been made from a metal, the metal is covered with a satin material, so none of the metal comes into contact with my delicate skin. It was approximately £30, but this was a Christmas present and Zara change their stock regularly. However, look out for similar designs! I wear this necklace with anything and everything! My day-time style is usually smart-casual, and when I go out I like to dress up! Therefore, this beautifully embellished necklace makes every outfit!

Front of Zara necklace

Back of Zara necklace

Finally, although this isn’t jewellery, no one can be without a silk scarf! So many shops sell them, from high-street to designer. If you suffer from eczema or dry skin around your neck, then it’s a great way of covering it up, and because of the soft and silky material it will not aggravate your skin. I like to wear a lot of black and cream, so it’s a good way of adding in colour to your outfit, and a good way of making a casual outfit look smart. I’m sure that I wear mine at least twice a week, if not more! Here’s some of my favourites:

It would be rude to not include an Alexander McQueen scarf, buy the Psychedelic Multi Skull Silk scarf for £325 here:

This Givenchy Mermaid Rose Cotton Scarf  is equally as gorgeous, buy it here from Selfridges for £365.

Paul Smith Floral Pashmina 

Aspinal’s Horseshoe-printed Silk Scarf is less expensive at £70 and available to buy here:

If you would like to know more about make up, skin care routines, and beauty products suitable for all skin types (mostly sensitive skin), please click here.   

Miracle Serum for Eyes

As a result of using this product, I have been able to wear make up products such as eyeshadow and a MAC mascara, which previously dried out my sensitive eyes even more!
I have sufferrd from dry and red eyes for years now, and I have struggled to find a suitable product that’s delicate enough to treat the eczema on this highly sensitive part of my body. However, this all changed when I was introduced to using a ’1% Hydrocortisone’ ointment by family members that also have eczema. After one use, the swelling on my eyelids had reduced and now, less than a week later, my eyes are completely eczema free!

I have been told that there’s strict rules for using this product. You must apply it three times a day, if your eczema is extreme, then once when it’s clearing up, and stop using out when your skin has healed! Obviously, this is just an outline of the procedure and you should listen to the advise from your doctor or skin specialist! But if I were you, I would book an appointment at your local doctors, so you can see the amazing results from using this product!

If you would like to know more about skin care products suitable for dry, sensitive or eczema prone skin, please click here. 

Suffering from skin conditions? Look no further than at your pet

My last two posts explained how I had a new house mate, Sherman the hamster. Since having Sherman, my eczema has been out of control; it has been dry to the point of bleeding, my eyelids have cracked, and I have been as red as a lobster. Unfortunately, much to everyone’s dismay, after a week of living with Sherman I made the decision that he had to be re-homed.

Last night I didn’t stay in the house, my skin was so bad that I needed a night away from Sherman and, in less than twelve hours, my skin has made radical changes. My inflamed, dry and cut skin has healed! It’s now just a little bit dry, but not to the extent that they were previously, definitely nothing that a few applications of ‘Yes Nurse! Protect Your Lovely Hands’ can’t handle (a product review and buying instructions are available here!). 

I knew that Sherman was affecting me, but I didn’t realise that just spending a few hours out of the house would cause such an improved difference! This just goes to show how much pets can affect skin, and although it’s difficult, it’s best to keep your distance. Whether this means staying as far away as possible, such as putting the pet in its own room, taking anti-histamines, or even consider re-homing them.

Pictured below is my hands while living with Sherman, compared to 12 hours living away from Sherman.

Living with Sherman

Living without Sherman

I’m not a Doctor, but in my opinion, none of their prescribed medicines have ever healed my skin as quickly as this. This just goes to show that when it comes to eczema, one of the main problems is the aggravating factors around you, such as stress or allergens. My best advise is if you erase the aggravator, you erase the problem. A gentle high street moisturiser such asDove Summer Glow for your body, Yes Nurse! for your hands, and a No7 face moisturiser, will help you keep things under control after the allergen or aggravator has been removed.

I hope you have found this as interesting as I have!

To learn more about make up and beauty products suitable for sensitive, allergy, and eczema prone skin, please click here.

Leanne x

Beauty Secrets to Calm Allergies

My post yesterday described my allergies to pets. I’m going through one of those ‘depressed-about-my-skin’ phases, so I’m trying to disguise my eczema and allergy infected skin as well as possible.

To do this, I’m using a hand moisturiser called ‘Yes! Nurse: Protect Your Lovely Hands’. I brought this online following the advise of my hairdresser, who suffers from dry hands, because she’s constantly washing them! The product was developed by a nurse who suffered with eczema. Her hands became red-raw as she had to wash her delicate skin so much. Therefore, she decided to make her own moisturiser using natural ingredients, to avoid dryness and to have a product gentle enough for eczema prone skin. I have just applied this product, and although my hands are still red the dryness has decreased. This product is definitely a good investment for people suffering with dry hands, such as hairdressers, busy mums, doctors, dentists, nurses, people working in the catering industry – the list is endless! This product has been featured in Vogue, so you know it’s worth an investment! In terms of price, it’s not expensive at £5.49 for a single tube, or you can buy two for £10. The tube itself isn’t bulky, so it’s perfect to fit inside any sized bag; whether it’s a tote bag or clutch. You can also include this in your cabin luggage at the airport (I must stress that taking a moisturiser on a plane is aMUST for people with dry skin, because the air conditioning completely dries out our fragile skin and does it no favours!).

My eyes are also affected by my pet allergy; they’re red, puffy, and swollen – just what you need! I struggle to know what to put on my eyes when they’re dry. The only thing that seems to work, and is gentle enough for my skin, is Aloe Vera Vaseline. Today I applied a thin layer, because it’s very oily and sticky, then applied No7 ‘Stay Perfect Foundation’ (click here for a product review) to dry and mask the redness. Luckily it worked, it may not have erased the problem completely, but at least my eyes look slightly more normal now!

To keep my shoulders and arms as free from an allergic breakout of eczema as possible, I am applying Dove Summer Glow twice a day, instead of once a day, to try to keep my skin as moisturised as possible. It comes in two different shades, for Light to Medium, or Medium to Darkskin tones. This product really helps keep my skin under control; you can see the benefits of using it here. Not only does it moisturise my skin, but it also builds up a gradual tan, which is perfectly preparing me for the summer months ahead!     

To buy any of the products I have mentioned, please click on the links below.

• Dove Summer Glow
  
• No7 Stay Perfect Foundation
• Vaseline
• Protect Your Lovely Hands Moisturiser

To learn more about make up and beauty products suitable for sensitive, allergy, and eczema prone skin, please click here.

Leanne x

How Pet Allergies Contribute to Pet Allergies

I love pets, but sadly I am allergic. I have two pets at home, one short haired cat named Dee, and a long haired cat, named Perdy. In my other house, where I am currently living, a new resident has just moved in: a hamster called Sherman. People are surprised that such a small animal can cause such adverse affects on my skin.

Since Sherman has started living with us, I have had small white bumps emerge on my hand, a dry rash on my face, red puffy swollen eyes. These are the same symptoms that happen when I go back home,especially if I am close to Dee (a short haired cat). As much as I love her, I have to keep my distance. This means, she is not allowed on my bed, although she tries, and I try to avoid her using my lap as a second best option for a bed. As far as Sherman is concerned, I try to keep my distance, although he is currently in a communal area, which isn’t helping my skin and is difficult to avoid.

Long haired pets definitely have a different affect. Perdy is my oldest pet, and because she has long fur, it comes out in clumps which look like cotton wool. Whereas Dee’s fur seems to get everywhere! I have never had a bad experience with Perdy, and as far as I was concerned before we got other pets my only allergies were nickel and hayfever. Therefore, if you are going to buy a pet and someone in your family has an allergy a long haired pet will be best. But, incase it does affect someone, it’s probably best to stick to fish I’m afraid!

It wasn’t until I was away from home for a few months that I realised I was allergic to pets. Since I adore them so much, I didn’t make the link that my bad skin conditions got worse when we got Dee, and cleared up when I was away from her for a long period of time. The addition of Sherman confirms my allergies to pet fur.

But what to do?
The only way I can keep the allergies at bay is by taking Tesco’s ‘One-a-day hayfever and allergy relief’ tablets, that are non-drowsy. It’s so important that you buy non-drowsy tablets, because the only way I have found that drowsy tablets work is by knocking you out! This helps slightly, but my skin is still ridiculously dry and swollen. Sherman will be moving from the communal areas, so I don’t have to come into contact with him, so hopefully this works, because no matter how much moisturiser I apply, it doesn’t seem to be keeping things at bay at the moment.

If you have any advise, or are in a similar situation, I’d love to know how you deal with skin conditions by commenting below!

Let’s hope things improve soon!

Leanne x

Exfoliation: The Golden Rule for Dry Skin

It is a common misconception that people with dry skin shouldn't exfoliate. Up until I received advise from a skin care specialist, I also thought that exfoliating was one of the worst things to treat dry skin. However I, like many others, are wrong. In fact, exfoliation has been one of my skin savers when I break out in a bad spell of eczema. It's important to remember that dry skin is usually very sensitive, and some exfoliators can be very rough. Therefore, I would advise using an exfoliator marketed for use on the face on the whole body, because products designed for using on the face are usually designed to be gentle, which will not upset delicate skin types.

As a general rule, I now do not use any product that isn't marked 'hypoallergenic' or allergy tested. This means I am quite limited to the products that I can use, but it's worth having full confidence that the product I am buying will not aggravate my skin. Therefore, I use Clinique '7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula'. It's £18.50 but a little goes a long way, so the product lasts ages. I use this product at least once a week, depending on how dry my skin is: the more dry my skin is, the more I use it.

To use this product, I wet my face with a flannel using warm water. Then, I put a little blob on my nose, cheek bones, and forehead, and use circular motions to ensure the product covers my face and allows the exfoliation process to work. Once I feel as though the product cannot be rubbed any more, I take it off using warm water and a cotton wool pad. I use cotton wool, because I feel like it removes the residue better than a flannel. After this, I moisturise using No7 ‘Beautiful Skin Day Cream’ for Dry/Very Dry skin. 

My skin instantly feels smoother, and all the flakey skin has been removed, revealing a soft base ready for applying makeup.

My advise is, that any one with dry skin should go out and buy a hypoallergenic exfoliator to be one step closer to achieving perfect skin!

To buy the products mentioned, please click on the links below:

No7 ‘Beautiful Skin Day Cream’ for Dry/Very Dry:http://www.boots.com/en/No7-Beautiful-Skin-Day-Cream-for-Normal-Dry-Skin-50ml_1245032/

Clinique '7 Day Scrub Rinse-off Formula' 
http://www.clinique.co.uk/product/1682/5003/Skin-Care/ExfoliatorsMasks/7-Day-Scrub-Cream-Rinse-Off-Formula/Rinse-Off-Formula-For-All-Skin-Types/index.tmpl 

Leanne x