By Paola Bassanese
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What is your profession and your age?
As a professional massage therapist and freelance writer, I work with my hands all the time. I am in my early 40s and I have noticed that my skin reacts badly to stress and aggressive detergents.
What is your skin ailment?
I suffer from what I can only call as a hybrid condition: I have contact dermatitis when I touch dusty surfaces and wash my hands with aggressive cleansing products, and have stress-related eczema at particularly busy times of the year.
At its worst, the skin on my hands cracks and bleeds making it impossible for me to work and therefore earn. As a self-employed business owner I cannot afford to stop earning.
How did this affect you in life (physically, emotionally)?
I don’t feel confident and comfortable when my hands look red and patchy and I am forever trying to moisturise them when it happens. When I have a bad eczema flare-up I am less likely to socialise too. If I am working, I need to keep my hands as soft as I can and when I talk to clients I tend to hide my hands if they are very red. It’s not an ideal situation when your work requires you to deal with the public and you are supposed to look healthy.
There’s some things in life like stress that you can manage up to a certain point, but sometimes, even with all the best will in the world, you get flare-ups.
What did you try in order to remedy the condition (products, diet etc)?
When I have an eczema flare-up I need to moisturise as much as possible – I tried various creams but realised that even those creams designed to help with eczema may contain irritants. I normally choose creams with natural ingredients and absolutely no glycerin.
With regards to diet, I have found that a diet rich in Omega 3 essential fatty acids from fish and seeds can help soothe the skin. The effects are not immediate so you need to be persistent. Also, avoiding saturated fat and strong tastes like chocolate and chilli helps.
How did you find out about Hope’s Relief?
I found out about Hope’s Relief through twitter.
How long did it take before you started seeing results?
It takes a few days for an eczema flare-up to calm down, however even from the first few applications the skin on my hands started to feel smoother (and not smothered!).
How long have you been using the product for now and how is your condition?
I have been using Hope’s Relief hand cream for a few months now and I am keeping my flares-up in check. I am also putting more effort into managing my stress levels better.
How would you describe the impact Hope’s Relief has had on your condition and your life?
I would say that using Hope’s Relief hand cream has helped with my eczema. As I mentioned you need to take into consideration many factors when you have eczema so I would say my overall experience with Hope’s Relief has been positive.
Would you recommend Hope’s Relief to others?
Absolutely. The products are very gentle and soothing and made from natural ingredients.