HELP ON THE HIGH STREET...AGAIN

FONTUSDERMA APRODERM EMOLLIENT CREAM 450G: 3/10

Whenever I hear about new emollients I always get excited so when I went to my dr. begging for a new moisturising option I was embarrassingly happy that I managed to get a free sample in the form of a whole bottle! I'm used to teeny weeny one application style samplers (like the hydromal cream you can barely see on my bath salts pack in the photo) so this was a real treat. Like many emollients however it just didn't work for my skin! I know emollients are supposed to be fab for people with dry& itchy skin issues but for some reason they just don't work for me. First of all the pump was a bit dodgy -but maybe that's just cause I got a one off badly engineered bottle (it was free so can't complain too much!) In addition to this I found that my skin would become very itchy again soon after application and I would end up itching it off. Like always I would like to remind you that this is my own personal experience of it, emollients seem to work for a lot of psoriasis sufferers...just not me! 

(https://www.amazon.co.uk/AproDerm-Emollient-Cream-Pump-Dispenser/dp/B00ZU8TO5Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464489665&sr=8-1&keywords=aproderm, £10)

TIDMAN'S SEA SALT BATH 1KG : 3/10

As I was doing my weekly grocery shop I came across these bath salts which claim to help prove skin conditions and considering how easily available it is & how cheap it is I thought I'd be a fool not to try it. I am a big fan of baths but the problem is that some times I just can't be bothered with how long it takes, not a quick way to soothe your skin. I found that my skin felt a lot smoother and a lot less flakier after soaking in the salts, I also noticed all the flakes of skin dirtying up the bath tub afterwards which made me feel like it had help to get rid of the build up of skin cells. Main problem is that after a while I felt that my skin was drying out and that the therapeutic effect had worn off & it didn't help to reduce redness If I'm going for bath salts I'd prefer to go for epsom salts based on my experience so far.

(http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/tidmans-sea-salt-bath-1kg, £2)

DOVE DERMASPA GOODNESS BODY LOTION 200ML: 5/10

I did really love this stuff but unfortunately body lotions just don't do the job for my psoriasis, I tend to need something a bit thicker. I loved how it made my facial skin look radiant too and when I get clear skin this will probably be a regular in my skin care routine.  It didn't fare too badly during the day but as a night time moisturiser I found it to be ineffective. Oh and it smells nice too & I like the marketing of it. 

JOHNSONS BEDTIME BABY CREAM 250ML: 7/10

Sometimes the best remedies come from unexpected places! I always think it's worth checking out baby skin care products because they'll be catered to sensitive skin. This is the best before bed moisturiser I have used yet and found that I mostly managed to sleep through the entire night! I don't know if it's something to do with the scent, I mean I did still have a good itch in the morning but if like me you especially struggle sleeping at night this is well worth trying out. I know I'll be using it in the future and the texture + packaging is ideal. 

(http://www.boots.com/en/Johnsons-Bedtime-Baby-Cream-250ml_954242/, £2.49)

HYDROMOL CREAM: 3/10

As a big fan of the ointment I was hoping the cream I got as a free sample would be equally relieving and moisturising but I found that although the cream lasted a good few applications considering the amount I was using the cream didn't suit my severe guttate psoriasis. It seemed to be too lightweight and  the moisturisng effect didn't last at all long enough. Safe to say I'll be opting for the ointment. 

OLIVE OIL TO TREAT PSORIASIS?

OLIVE OIL: 5/10

When I first got to see a dermatologist I was advised to try slightly heating some olive oil to massage into my scalp. For some reason I always dismissed it and thought it had no chance of penetrating my stubborn scales but now I'm willing to try anything. And since i was trying it on my scalp i thought I may as well try it on the rest of my skin too. 

First things first I'm not sure if you're supposed to use a certain type of medicinal olive oil rather than just your average cheap bottle of extra virgin from sainsburys but ah well, if i find out that there is a difference then I shall go back to the drawing board and try again. 

OK so as a moisturiser for my skin it worked quite horrendously. It was a nightmare to massage into my skin, it smelt of olives and I felt all slippery. I found that my skin was beginning to itch again before it had all absorbed into my skin and it didn't help to reduce redness at all. I think it aggravated my skin more actually. HOWEVER when it came to my scalp it was a different story.

Granted I hate applying oils to my scalp because it can be difficult to know if it's actually reached your scalp if like me you're a hairy one. And there's that not so little problem of trying to wash it out of your hair. BUT I did find it to be quite soothing and that after combing my hair loads of flakes came out also. I definitely would not recommend trying to use this if you have places to be within 24 hours of application as your hair will be greasy and snowy & I'd also recommend to be gentle to your delicate scalp when it comes to massaging and combing. I'll use this for my scalp again ... just not as a moisturiser! 

GOING ORGANIC

GROOVY FOOD ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN COCONUT OIL 283ML: 3/10:
The first time I tried coconut oil on my skin I bought the cheap KTC stuff only to find out that it was processed. I read everywhere that for the best results  you must go organic/cold-pressed. So call me crazy but I didn't notice any difference at all apart from that the organic stuff smelt of coconut where the processed one had no scent but then again maybe it's only for cooking where such a distinction matters and cooking is probably the only place for coconut oil in my future. Actually I'm being slightly harsh, I did enjoy a dollop during bath time(but watch out for a super slippy & scummy bathing experience). It didn't do too much for my scalp either, mainly because it was quite hard to apply in the first place and wash out in the last. It's also not the cheapest option if you're heading down the oily route. When it came to applying to my skin I found that it sometimes inflamed my psoriasis patches and I became itchy quite quickly. On the other hand lots of people rave about the stuff so it must be beneficial for some people, worth a try to see if it's more suited to your skin! 
(https://www.ocado.com, £5.99)

AYUMI PURE ALMOND OIL 150ML: 7/10
So had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this oil. Feel like i always bang on about how annoying oils are to apply but I do really hate applying them. I was surprised when I saw how cheap it was after stumbling across it in the hair care aisle of my local morrisons supermarket and even though I know nothing about almond oil I thought I should try it given the health benefits linked to skin which are attributed to almonds. The oil didn't ease my itch much on my skin but was sometimes soothing on my scalp (again hard to wash out though) and it absorbed quite quickly which may be good for some but my psoriasis patches sucked up all the moisture extra quickly leaving me needing to re moisturise not long after application. So why are you giving it such a high rating ? I hear you ask and my reply is that by the time I was nearing the end of the bottle I had noticed a noticeable reduction in the redness of my patches and even a slight reduction of redness= huge optimism. I will definitely be using this in the future to see if it's success can be sustained. 
(https://groceries.morrisons.com, £2) 

GARNIER ULTIMATE BLENDS MULTI-PURPOSE SOOTHING BALM 200ML : 2/10
The marketing of this product makes it seem so soothing and comforting for all skin types with it's soft , rounded pastel tub & use of words like 'fragile' and 'delicate'. I thought this was going to be the ULTIMATE comfort cream - but no- of course I was taken in by the marketing lloyds yet again. Not long after applying this I was itching it off, and when I did manage to stick it out long enough for it to absorb my skin became SO SO flaky when I was itching. Do not be as foolish as me, avoid this falsely reassuring product!
p.s. it does smell gorgeous though & I would probably love it if I didn't have psoriasis
(http://www.boots.com/en/Garnier-Body-Ultimate-Blends-Multi-Purpose-Soothing-Balm-200ml_1793043/, £3.99)

GARNIER ULTIMATE BLENDS RESTORING BUTTER- HONEY TREASURES: 3/10
Not as bad as the above mentioned garner product but still- with it mentioning honey and all, the warm packaging colours & words like 'restores & repairs'- I was expecting more. I could get a good few hours before I was itching again but when I was itching again I was flakin' all over the place. Nich so gut. 
(http://www.boots.com/en/Garnier-Body-Ultimate-Blends-Restoring-Butter-200ml_1743691/, £3.99)

GARNIER BODY REPAIR ANTI-DRYNESS RESTORING BALM 250ML: 3/10
And if this product name isn't marketing genius then I just don't know what is, if only it was anti-itch too then it would just be perfect. So maybe this balm does repair normal skin but defs. not the skin of psoriasis sufferers. Looks like no garner products so far will be making it to my ultimate skin care basket! 
(http://www.superdrug.com/, £3.39


BOOTS TRADITIONAL SKIN CARE MOISTURISING CREAM WITH VITAMINS A&E 200ML: 3/10
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a sucker for pretty packaging so this vintagey looking pot with an affordable price tag AND vitamin E made me wanna try this out. To be fair I didn't have high expectations and it wasn't all that awful, mainly I really like thick lotions and ointments and this was a bit light for me, it absorbed too quickly for my liking which sometimes meant I was back to being itchy. I won't be using it again as part of my psoriasis skin care regime however it did look nice on my bed side table for the short period of time it was there. 
(http://www.boots.com/en/Boots-Traditional-Skin-Care-Moisturising-Cream-With-Vitamins-A-E-200ml_846148/, £3.05)