There are three things I want to tell you about myself: I love make-up but I rarely ever put them on; I use more than 5 products on my body in an almost regular basis; and I am the laziest gal when it comes to acts of prettification (yeah, I made up the word). Seriously, I'm lazy. Despite this, I still make use of two different soaps (Oilatum and a whitening solution), three different lotions (Physiogel for the torso, Cetaphil for the limbs, and a whitening liquid lotion for the face and neck), two different face moisturizers (Cetaphil Face Moisturizer with SPF 15 and Physiogel Cream), two different toners (Celeteque Toner and Fade-Out Solution), and a special deodorant that needs to be sprayed.
So what's with 5+ skin care products I often use? Well, if you've read one of my previous post, you'll know I have skin asthma. Skin asthma is sensitivity of the skin to things that would normally won't bother other people. When exposed to triggers, the skin becomes inflamed and irritated. The skin can become dry and very itchy, and even have hives all over the body. I've had all. My asthma is pretty bad when it gets bad, which is why I have all those fancy skin care stuff. Fortunately, skin asthma attacks don't last forever. Unfortunately, it leaves scarring and skin discoloration, which explains my use of some whitening products . Please note that skin whitening products have a drying effect, which is not helpful when one is in the middle of a skin asthma attack. I only started using them when my skin was no longer inflamed, and only on certain areas.
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| Prominent pores suggest very dry skin. Not only is it dry, but the skin here is also inflamed and itchy. |
Although looks horrible, skin asthma is not contagious, but it has no cure. The only way to keep the skin from freaking out is maintenance of a proper skin care regimen, which would help the skin withstand allergens and irritation. I believe it's a different skin care regimen for everyone, but generally the mantra here is to stick with hypoallergenic stuff - no color, no fragrance, less chemicals... which is why Physiogel, Cetaphil, and Oilatum is great for me.
Apart from the skin products, what else can someone like me do to deal with asthma? Here are some tips.
1. If you're in for the real medical treatments, then visit a dermatologist in the clinic/hospital, not a skin-prettification place. Last March, when I was beginning to feel the effect of the sweltering heat, I was forced by my mother and father to go to the dermatologist (thank you, parents) because I had a suspicious growth on the side of my nose. It was actually a holiday at that time, so the dermatologists I often visit at the hospital were out. I opted to go skin care clinic instead. There, I was offer facial, wart removal, and skin whitening treatments, but no answer to the scary little thing on my face except "go to a surgeon". My estimated bill? PHP5,000. The person I spoke with was a doctor as well.
No way. I bought some whitening products for my scars and discoloration, then left. I came back for the facial, but that didn't make me very happy.
I went back to my dermatologist in the hospital as soon as my schedule allowed me a bit of breathing room. I had the scary little thing on my face removed (which turned out to be scar tissue- thank goodness, I was thinking cancer). I paid PHP1,300 for the procedure, the doctor's fee, and the medicine.
Two things I like about going to dermatologists in the hospital: (1) They can handle procedures like minor surgeries properly and (2) they give their clients discounts on skin care products. The medicine I got for my face, for instance, would have cost PHP200.00 in Mercury or other drugstores. I got it for PHP135.00 instead.
2. If it's itchy, DO NOT SCRATCH IT. Oh god. It feels so good to just scratch dry skin. But really you're doing more damage than good. Scratching may provide a (very) temporary relief from the itch, but dry skin is quite prone to damage and you may cause little wounds when you scratch. This may lead to infection, scarring, and discoloration.
What I do whenever my dry skin feels itchy is slap on moisturizer/lotion. I don't know if it's true for everybody but whenever I put on Physiogel lotion, there seems to be some kind of cooling effect and that takes care of the itchiness. If the area is itchy because of sweat, I wash it with cool water and moisturizing soap (Cetaphil, Oilatum, and Dove Extra Sensitive are good choices).
3. Medications. If these don't work, you can use antihistamine, at the advice of your doctor, of course. Find one that works well with your lifestyle. if you're on-the-go, you may want to stick with meds that won't make you groggy. During the time that my skin asthma was bothering me so much that I couldn't sleep, I tool Alnix in the morning (which didn't make me drowsy) and Iterax at night (which killed the itch and knocked me out).
Sometimes, if the inflammation can't be controlled by skin care and antihistamines, doctors may prescribe steroids. I was on steroid for a some time during my skin asthma attack last year. It helped to reduce the inflammation but it has two major downsides: First you may be immunocompromised. The steroid acts to suppress your immune system to suppress the inflammatory effect on your skin, but this means you will also be more prone to infection. The other disadvantage to having to take steroids is it tends to make the body retain water, thus, weight increase. Steroid users would want to watch what they eat - less sodium for less water retention and more fruits and veggies to boost your immune system.
4. Take it easy on the make up. I love make-up. I think it's an awesome way to express yourself. Also, make-up is like drawing on your face, and I love to draw. Case in point:
The thing about make-up, though, is that it's still chemicals being placed on your skin. And chemicals may irritate your skin. When I had really dry skin on the face, I would often use foundation and concealer to hide it. BAD MOVE. The make-up made it look worse. Sometimes, it's better to just go au naturalle. My make-up regimen today consist of a matte face moisturizer, filling my brows (coz I love Cara Delevigne), and a swipe of a lightly-colored lipbalm (still for moisturization purposes).
You'd be surprised how letting your skin breath is good for you. I've been going out with an almost naked face for a couple of months now. You'd be surprised how relatively healthy my skin looks, given that March - June is skin asthma season for me. My facial skin has never been better though.
Extra tip on make-up: If you've got sensitive skin like me, it's really important to keep your make-up products clean. Make sure you wash your brushes regularly and that your pigments are not collecting dust. You don't want to be putting anything dirty on your face.
The skin may be a superficial part of the body, but its purpose is far from superficial. It protects other parts of the body from harm such as the muscles below its layer; it prevents water lose which means the skin protects you from dehydration; and acts as a sensor for external stimuli so the body can react to it properly. Taking care of your skin is as important as eating properly, getting proper sleep, and exercising. It is also important to note that skin asthma does not only wreck havoc on the skin; it also wrecks havoc on the confidence. I know. I've been insecure about how I look like all my life (but of course, something of more importance tend to occupy my attention, such as a cool new book, or writing, or trying to earn money for a cool new book - you know, important stuff). The feeling of being not as pretty as others because my skin seems out to get me is not a good feeling.
At the end of the day, though, what matters is not how you look but how you feel about yourself and how your body feels. The question is, "Are you healthy?"
This why whenever I get lazy when it comes to doing my skin regimen, I always tell myself that what I do may seem like vanity, but the true goal is health. Beauty is just a plus.#
Apart from the skin products, what else can someone like me do to deal with asthma? Here are some tips.
1. If you're in for the real medical treatments, then visit a dermatologist in the clinic/hospital, not a skin-prettification place. Last March, when I was beginning to feel the effect of the sweltering heat, I was forced by my mother and father to go to the dermatologist (thank you, parents) because I had a suspicious growth on the side of my nose. It was actually a holiday at that time, so the dermatologists I often visit at the hospital were out. I opted to go skin care clinic instead. There, I was offer facial, wart removal, and skin whitening treatments, but no answer to the scary little thing on my face except "go to a surgeon". My estimated bill? PHP5,000. The person I spoke with was a doctor as well.
No way. I bought some whitening products for my scars and discoloration, then left. I came back for the facial, but that didn't make me very happy.
I went back to my dermatologist in the hospital as soon as my schedule allowed me a bit of breathing room. I had the scary little thing on my face removed (which turned out to be scar tissue- thank goodness, I was thinking cancer). I paid PHP1,300 for the procedure, the doctor's fee, and the medicine.
Two things I like about going to dermatologists in the hospital: (1) They can handle procedures like minor surgeries properly and (2) they give their clients discounts on skin care products. The medicine I got for my face, for instance, would have cost PHP200.00 in Mercury or other drugstores. I got it for PHP135.00 instead.
2. If it's itchy, DO NOT SCRATCH IT. Oh god. It feels so good to just scratch dry skin. But really you're doing more damage than good. Scratching may provide a (very) temporary relief from the itch, but dry skin is quite prone to damage and you may cause little wounds when you scratch. This may lead to infection, scarring, and discoloration.
What I do whenever my dry skin feels itchy is slap on moisturizer/lotion. I don't know if it's true for everybody but whenever I put on Physiogel lotion, there seems to be some kind of cooling effect and that takes care of the itchiness. If the area is itchy because of sweat, I wash it with cool water and moisturizing soap (Cetaphil, Oilatum, and Dove Extra Sensitive are good choices).
3. Medications. If these don't work, you can use antihistamine, at the advice of your doctor, of course. Find one that works well with your lifestyle. if you're on-the-go, you may want to stick with meds that won't make you groggy. During the time that my skin asthma was bothering me so much that I couldn't sleep, I tool Alnix in the morning (which didn't make me drowsy) and Iterax at night (which killed the itch and knocked me out).
4. Take it easy on the make up. I love make-up. I think it's an awesome way to express yourself. Also, make-up is like drawing on your face, and I love to draw. Case in point:
You'd be surprised how letting your skin breath is good for you. I've been going out with an almost naked face for a couple of months now. You'd be surprised how relatively healthy my skin looks, given that March - June is skin asthma season for me. My facial skin has never been better though.
Extra tip on make-up: If you've got sensitive skin like me, it's really important to keep your make-up products clean. Make sure you wash your brushes regularly and that your pigments are not collecting dust. You don't want to be putting anything dirty on your face.
The skin may be a superficial part of the body, but its purpose is far from superficial. It protects other parts of the body from harm such as the muscles below its layer; it prevents water lose which means the skin protects you from dehydration; and acts as a sensor for external stimuli so the body can react to it properly. Taking care of your skin is as important as eating properly, getting proper sleep, and exercising. It is also important to note that skin asthma does not only wreck havoc on the skin; it also wrecks havoc on the confidence. I know. I've been insecure about how I look like all my life (but of course, something of more importance tend to occupy my attention, such as a cool new book, or writing, or trying to earn money for a cool new book - you know, important stuff). The feeling of being not as pretty as others because my skin seems out to get me is not a good feeling.
At the end of the day, though, what matters is not how you look but how you feel about yourself and how your body feels. The question is, "Are you healthy?"
This why whenever I get lazy when it comes to doing my skin regimen, I always tell myself that what I do may seem like vanity, but the true goal is health. Beauty is just a plus.#
thanks for sharing this! :) I also have a skin asthma. I don't know wether there is that medicine in here or not (I'm from Indonesia), however I would try to search for it.
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