Dealing Skin Asthma and Derma-Worthy Tips I Paid for (but You Get for Free)

It is a known fact that, between my brother and I, I got the nastier sets of genes. Sure, my Grammar is better than his and I am confident to say that I am more creative in wielding the written words, but he got the Math genes from my father's side of the family, while I struggled with it all throughout high school. The only thing that makes us genetically equal, really, is that we both have our father's dark skin. The trait is so damn powerful that the natural fair skin of 1/2 of our bloodline has perished completely. So much for being half Chinese. 

Both my brother and I have dark skin, which is okay, but only I inherited the skin asthma. 

I do. When April came and the hellish heat made us suffer for two months, I suffered more than the ordinary person because, unfortunately for me, my skin asthma trigger is the heat. To make the long story short, I was about as inflamed as I can get. 

Example of irritated skin. Dryness and redness are apparent.
This condition is not communicable but is a recurring annoyance. Itchiness occurs especially  in folds of skin where sweat is usually deposited. 

I'm not really vain (I mean, just recently, I got told off my the boss for not wearing make-up at work so now I have to wear lipstick so I don't look like death), but the condition was getting preposterous and it does absolutely nothing for my withering self confidence. Sometimes, when I go temporarily gaga, I forget the fact that I'm smart and talented just because I can't wear a particular dress. Conditions like skin asthma can really mess with the head and bring insecurity.

Thus, when I finally had the money, I ran to the nearest dermatologist to find out how I can get rid of this condition, lest I go mad and consider something bloody and drastic, like skin transplant. The entire ordeal, including the stuff I had to get if I wanted salvation from discomfort and embarrassment, cost me a whopping PHP1,700. 

Let me save you 400 bucks by sharing what the good doctor told me. The tips are pretty general and are also applicable to those with or without the condition. Here they are.:

1. Moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize.  Dry skin is usually the cause of itching and irritation. The best way to prevent this is to drink lots of water, pack up on lotion and cream, and avoid long luxurious warm showers. If you're like me, the last one is a bit of sacrifice, but there you have it - arm water actually dries the skin. 

So how do you apply lotion properly? After taking a shower, pat your skin dry. Pat. Do NOT drag the towel against your skin, as the friction may cause more irritation. When the skin is still damp, slather lotion all over your face. Show the torso and the back some love too. 

The face need some attention too, of course. Moisturizers for the face are best in cream form. 

2. Choosing the right product. Products that are best for sensitive, "I-will-revolt-upon-use-of-the-slightest-harsh-chemical" skin are expensive, but trust me, it's worth the money. When looking for moisturizers and soaps for delicate skin, stick to colorless products. Stuff with coloring also means it has a lot of preservatives which can irritate skin. Also, stay away from perfumed lotions and soaps. 

My arsenal against skin allergies: Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15, Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion, Cetaphil  Cleanser, Physiogel Lotion, and Oilatum Soap.

I love Cetaphil products, because they work really well. They don't come cheap though, but that's quality for you. The lotion is around 700 bucks up, but it really packs in the moisture. The skin cleanser is so gentle you can use it on babies. Physiogel lotion is around 700 bucks, and if you can believe it, that's now cheap. A few years ago, one bottle of that baby would cost you 900 pesos. The Oilatum bar soap is roughly PHP150 pesos. Other products you might want to look into are urea lotion (Nutraderm)a which is a bit cheaper than Physiogel, and Dove Extra Sensitive soap, which is only about PHP50. 

3. On the Issue of Skin Whitening. I love my beautiful Filipino coloring, but because of the onslaught of allergies, I now have some hyperpigmentation - dark spots. When I asked regarding treatments for whitening (just to have an even complexion - who wants to look like a dalmatian but dalmatians?) the doc said it's a no-no. Apparently, whitening treatments like bleaching and whitening products like kojic soap makes the skin dry and thus may exacerbate conditions such as mine. 

It's not as if people with sensitive skin can never get treatment for my dalmatian-skin, though. It'll just take a while. The first step is to rejuvenate the skin then gentler products can be used to lighten the dark areas. 

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The skin, as a part of the body, does not only serve aesthetic purposes but also physiologic ones, like protecting you from external conditions, pathogens, and injury.  Also, being able to feel comfortable in one's own skin (to not want a skin transplant, in other words), is a definite boost one's confidence.

And if you have skin asthma like me, I just have one piece of advice:

Don't forget the lotion.