Some health insurers have found ways to control costs or improve the quality of diabetes care.
Managed Healthcare Executive – Health Management
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Dove uses eczema models. Real people making peace with their skin – including me!
Last year, I was invited to work alongside Dove to contribute to a campaign which at its heart aims to address confidence and self-esteem for those suffering with visible skin conditions. Following my first few blog posts for beczema five years ago about eczema management, body confidence and the real need for more images of people with visible skin differences in the media, I never could have dreamt that I would be invited to consult for a company that actually has the power to change the way the condition is perceived. But that is exactly what happened. Read what happened next.
beczema
Acne: What is Making You Break Out & How to Avoid It
Dr. Norris has been practicing dermatology for over 20 years and has seen her fair share of skin problems. From common conditions like acne and rosacea to rare conditions like Lupus and Leprosy. When it comes to treating your acne and preventing your next breakout she is the expert that you can trust! While some tips work for most skin types there are a few tips that are especially helpful for those with extremely dry or oily skin; so stick with us while we cover what is the best for your skin type.
Sometimes we think we are doing all of the right things: washing our face, avoiding certain lotions, or using the product that our favorite celebrity says they cannot live without, but what you might not know is how important diet is when it comes to the skin. According to the AAD, studies suggest that eating high glycemic foods such as bread, potatoes, candies, and desserts may cause or worsen acne breakouts. Along with those sweets and breads another thing to avoid is dairy. Dr. Norris has found that dairy products, especially nonfat milk, can actually worsen acne and cause more breakouts on your face. Minimizing these foods and drinks will help to keep your skin clear.
In terms of washing the facial skin (and the rest of your body), be sure you are not over-washing. Dr. Norris suggests washing with a simple pH balanced facial cleanser only once a day. She says that you should avoid harsh soaps and gritty face washes that have beads or exfoliating properties. Your skin naturally exfoliates and using products that claim to exfoliate may actually cause irritation and inflammation of the skin which could lead to darkening of the skin and even scarring if the acne is severe.
When moisturizing your face, steer clear of creamy or heavy moisturizers as they may clog pores which can lead to more acne. If you have acne, you do not need a moisturizer as your skin has its own natural oil. Cream based and lotion based sunscreens may also worsen acne. Get your skin under control and keep it looking its best!
Links for References:
The Eczema and Allergies Connection: How To Determine if Pollen Is Making Your Skin Flare-Up
By Dr. Hotze (see bio below) You may be familiar with eczema flare-ups in the winter, as the combination of dry air and extreme temperature changes (cold outside, hot inside) can exacerbate your skin’s condition. However, have you ever considered the correlation between your eczema and allergies? As a doctor who’s treated many people with eczema, I’ve […]
It’s an Itchy Little World
Is your shampoo making your eczema worse?
We often hear from adults with eczema who are looking for a shampoo that doesn’t irritate their itchy, sensitive scalps. Perhaps not surprising when the back of a shampoo bottle often reads like a chemical soup of unpronounceable ingredients. Which is why we love the website Dandruff Deconstructed which was set up by Chris whose eczema first appeared as an adult. Here he tell us what to look out for when shopping for hair care products…
Chris from Dandruff Deconstructed
It wasn’t until my adult life that I developed eczema. I’ve had trouble with my skin for as long as I can remember unfortunately but eczema didn’t rear its ugly head until my 30s. However when it did arrive, it arrived with a bang. I’d developed atopic eczema and my first outbreak was very severe. My fingers and toes blistered so badly it looked like I’d dipped them in hot oil.
Unfortunately my first dermatologist wasn’t the best and said it’s “eczema or psoriasis or something like that”. These weren’t enlightened times.
As it turns out I suffer from two forms of eczema; atopic eczema and seborrheic dermatitis. I also suffer from rosacea but it took over a decade for all three to be diagnosed. It was during these times of uncertainty that I decided to take matters into my own hands. I knew that my skin products were having an impact, particularly shampoos, and I started to study the ingredients. Before this I had been relying on labels such a Fragrance Free, Natural/Organic, Hypoallergenic, Dermatologist Tested or Gentle. Unfortunately all of these phrases are marketing nonsense. Fragrance Free might just mean that there is no perceptible smell because masking agents have been used to hide it. Natural ingredients can be just as harmful and irritable as artificial ones. Hypoallergenic means absolutely nothing! Dermatologist Tested means nothing at all unless the dermatologist is a good guy. Gentle is a meaningless description – what is it or the ingredients gentle at?
So unfortunately I couldn’t rely on the headline marketing messages. As a result, I started to compile a list of the known allergens and irritants commonly found in my shampoos and the results have been staggering. I have found over 100 ingredients that are known contact allergens or irritants. I’ve listed them all on a dandruff shampoo review site called Dandruff Deconstructed
Dry, itchy scalp
For every shampoo we’ll scan for these ingredients and warn our readers what allergens the shampoo contains. Recently we added a search function whereby readers can search for shampoos that are free from particular allergens they may be sensitive to.
Over 100 allergens is a lot to digest and so if I were to recommend allergens and irritants to particularly watch out for then I’d go for the following:
Fragrances
There are over 2500 different types of chemicals that can go into creating a fragrance. Rather unhelpfully the manufacturers will often list just “perfume”. Meaning in many cases we are unaware what effect the fragrance will have. The EU now insists that 26 chemicals must be listed separately because they can cause such bad allergic reactions in folk. Linalool and Limonene are two fragrances to particularly watch for from that list as they are so common.
Sulfates
The sulfates will help give your shampoo or shower gel a dense, luxurious foam. They are also very good cleaners too. They are often added to toothpastes. And engine cleaners. Unfortunately they will often strip your skin of all it’s natural oils leading to dry skin, and in some cases cause an allergic reaction. A lot of manufacturers nowadays will label if the product is SLS free (meaning it is free of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate – the harshest of the sulfates). However the manufacturers will often replace them with Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS) and/or Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (ALES). These are typically considered less harmful than SLS but they’re still pretty harsh ingredients. Try to find sulfate free shampoos if you think these are causing a reaction.
Formaldehyde Releasers
To help preserve our products, manufacturers will often add formaldehyde releasing chemicals. Yes, the stuff used to preserve corpses. Needless to say it’s a pretty harsh preservative and will cause a reaction in some of us. Unfortunately there’s a few of these to watch out for but the three most common in my experience are Quaternium-15, DMDM Hydantoin and Imidurea.
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
This ingredient is in almost all bottles these days. The American Contact Dermatitis Society named this the Allergen of the Year in 2004. It’s extremely tough to find a shampoo or shower gel without it at the moment.
Kathon CG
An unpronounceable chemical called Methylisothiazolinone won Contact Allergen of the Year in 2013. The manufacturers often add this with the equally unpronounceable Methylchloroisothiazolinone. Combined they are called Kathon GC. Kathon CG caused major headlines in the UK in 2013 for causing, and I quote, an “epidemic of contact dermatitis cases”. The European Cosmetics Trade Association told its members to remove MI from skin products. A number of manufacturers have already promised to remove this from all products but not all have yet.
Alcohols
There are two types of alcohols added to a shampoo. Some are actually beneficial and some are bad. The bad ones are called short chain alcohols and will dry your skin in most cases and cause can cause allergic reactions. The two most common of these are probably Ethyl Alcohol and Ethanol. Some manufacturers will label their products as alcohol free. They are probably your best bet if you’re worried about this one.
What's actually in your shampoo?
This isn’t a definitive list by any means. This is a complex and sometimes controversial area but my take home would be, we need to be incredibly vigilant as to what we are putting on our skin.