HELLO SKIN

Well it's been a while since I've posted a review of the products I've been using and the reason for that is that I recently stumbled upon HelloSkin and was lucky enough to stock up on all these goodies which have been keeping me going for quite a while. In case you haven't heard of them they're an online shop specifically catering to all of us who suffer with skin ailments which is of course very exciting- but in addition to that their site also recommends products tailored to individual symptoms/ requirements and they also have an awesome blog which is worth keeping up with. Read on to check out my reviews of the above psoriasis friendly products. 

BECOR NALOC NAIL TREATMENT 10ML: 7/10
I recently posted about how I've suddenly had a flare up with my nail psoriasis and this product has been a great help in reducing the discolouration which had affected my nails. I think it's also one of the first products I can also say that I have actually enjoyed applying with it's rollerball- you just give the tube a squeeze and then it's like painting your nails, very therapeutic feeling. It slightly reduced the brittleness but given the product description I was always expecting the reduction of discolouration to be the main aim of the product so even just the slight reduction in brittleness was a plus. It also didn't seem to get rid of any indentations on the nail and the main possible problem I can think of is that it might take a while to dry into your nails but no longer than you would for any other nail paint products. It seems like this product is good value for money, I still have some left in the tube even though I've been using it every night for 2 months and I'll definitely be continuing to use it to see if the moisture it provides further helps to reduce the brittleness. 
(https://helloskinshop.co.uk/products/becur-naloc-nail-treatment, £13)

ART NATURALS SCALP 18 COAL TAR SHAMPOO 473ML: 8/10
Forget about Capasal- this has to be the new go-to coal tar shampoo for any psoriasis sufferer. Aside from the fact that it looks really interesting and shimmery in the bottle ( it doesn't look as ugly on show in the bathroom as other bottles) this product smelt SIGNIFICANTLY less potent than all the other tar shampoos. Don't get me wrong there is still a hit of that familiar tar smell however it's no way near as strong as other products I have used. But forget those superficial points- the real reason I am in love with this is that it really has helped to keep my itching at bay and my scalp seems a lot less flaky. I've been using it everyday and my lumpy moundy of scales have been abolished to an occasional flaky patch whilst leaving me with fairly shiny hair. I also tested it for product removal & was pretty happy with how well it washed out my cocois scalp treatment, there was no residual greasy bits of hair and I mean the smell of the cocois did stick around I really don't know anything that can get rid of that smell. BUT IT DOESN'T STOP THERE, this shampoo has lasted me AGES & I still have lots left that to go so another good value product from Hello Skin- and a product that I had never even heard of before or would've considered trying without their website! The only reason It's not got a 10 is because I'm still experiencing some hair loss. I didn't expect this shampoo to solve that but yeah, I have high standards!
(https://helloskinshop.co.uk/products/art-naturals-scalp-18-coal-tar-shampoo, £12.95)

QV INTENSIVE OINTMENT FOR VERY DRY SKIN CONDITIONS 450g :6/10
I've always wanted to try QV products after hearing and seeing so much about them but I haven't been able to find any of their products in UK shops so I was really excited to try out this tub (I love when moisturisers come in tubs) of ointment (I also really love ointments). The texture of this ointment is divine! For those of you who have experienced the delightful softness of white soft paraffin- this product felt exactly like that and it wasn't greasy which is incredibly unusual for an ointment so you can imagine how much I loved using this. Unfortunately there was one down side for me- I've written before how about with some ointments I end up itching them off because soon after applying it for some reason it gets very itchy and that seemed to occasionally happen with this product when I had applied it after having a shower. I found the best way to solve this occasional issue was to mix the ointment with a little bit of steroid ointment (eumovate is my chosen one) OR if you're not into steroid you could try simply mixing it with a skin friendly cream, it worked well with the Relivio creams pictured above. One the other hand- I know that everyone's psoriasis reacts differently to moisturisers so this may not happen to you, and if it wasn't for the itchy reaction the ointment I would have given it a 10/10 because the moisture it provided throughout the day was excellent with me only having to apply it twice on a good day. The tub lasted me a good few weeks which again is unusual for an ointment & it is very reasonably priced. 
(https://helloskinshop.co.uk/products/qv-intensive-ointment, £7.89)

RELIVIO DRY SKIN BODY CREAM 200ML : 5/10
So I believe that 'Relivio' is a new range formulated by Leo Pharmaceuticals (whose name will ring a bell for any current or previous Dovonex/Dovobet users). I loved the texture of this cream, it's very lightweight and absorbs quickly into the skin and it doesn't seem to really have a scent either which is always a plus for psoriasis specific skincare. Because it is so lightweight, a little of the moisturiser goes a long way, meaning that the tube lasted me quite some time. The only downside to this product is that the moisture didn't quite last long enough for my skin and due to my psoriasis spots being so quick to dry out, numerous applications were required throughout the day - I found on average I was moisturising about 5 times a day as opposed to my usual three times. Due to the product being good value for money though it's definitely worth trying, it's a product formulated by psoriasis specialists so chances are that even though it probably wouldn't be an efficient product for me- it could work better for you. Furthermore, after looking at the product description on the website the product works best as barrier to bacteria so it will be a good one for all of you who often find yourself bleeding from scratching so much as it will prevent infection. Oh..and it contains ingredients which help to rebuild the skin. 
(https://helloskinshop.co.uk/products/relivio-dry-skin-body-cream, £10.50)

LA ROCHE-POSAY ISO UREA MD BAUME PSORIASIS 100ml: 6/10
I was really attracted to this product with it not only being specifically for psoriasis but also because it contains Urea which I believe is fab for relieving itching...not to mention the reputation of La Roche-Posay for skincare (they have a spa which is supposed to be amazing for psoriasis sufferers). This was probably my ultimate favourite out of all the moisturisers. Again, it was a cream so it was lightweight and quickly absorbed HOWEVER this time my moisture hit seemed to last longer, I was back to my usual 3 times a day application regime which made me happy. The texture was dreamy too- it felt soo velvety and comfortable. My only hang ups here were that although it was good for moisture, the anti-itch effect wasn't as strong as I had thought (perhaps my expectations were too high though) and the price is a little to high for me to be able to afford to use it on a regular basis. 
(https://helloskinshop.co.uk/products/la-roche-posay-iso-urea-md-baume-psoriasis, £19.41) 

RELIVIO PLUS PSO BODY LOTION 295ML: 6/10
Another easily absorbed lightweight cream specifically for psoriasis!! I found the cream did ease my itching ...for a short period of time. The problem for me was that it didn't provide enough moisture so I was having to re-apply quite frequently. With my scales being rather thick I have found that thicker and greasier ointments are more suited to my skin- so if this was in the form of an ointment I think it would be perfect for me! that being said, if you have moderate psoriasis this could be the product you've been searching for. Again, it's good value for money and it comes in a pump bottle which is always easier to use than a tube. 
(https://helloskinshop.co.uk/products/relivio-plus-pso-body-lotion, £16.50)

THE CLASSICS

I'm sure the majority of psoriasis sufferers are familiar with the two creams pictures above and will require no review of them but I did say I would review everything I try so here goes.  As always I must remind you that these are my personal experiences of these products, just because something doesn't work for me doesn't mean it won't work for you! I apologise -yet again- for not posting much recently, I blame life and stuff for getting in the way. I plan to be back on form very soon. 

Cetraben Cream 479ml: 6/10

Thing thing I like most about Cetraben is that you feel like your skin being properly moisturised as opposed to many high street products which often make you feel as though it's only moisturising the very surface of your skin. The main problem for me is that this moisturiser doesn't last for long enough and it doesn't always soothe the irritation and itchiness which accompanies the dryness. If I applied this just before I went to bed I found that I would wake up feeling like I immediately needed to moisturise again, my skin felt tight and itchy again. Cetraben is also very expensive considering that it wasn't that effective so I won't be purchasing this cream again. Maybe the lotion version will work better for my skin. 

(http://www.boots.com/en/Cetraben-Cream-475ml_1658598/, £12.99)

Epaderm Cream  500g: 5/10

Although I found the two creams to be very similar, this one was slightly more displeasing, especially  during the evening. I found that I would wake up in itchy fits in the middle of the night and my skin would still be screaming with itchiness after I had reapplied it. It was similar to Cetraben in the sense that you feel it was penetrating the skin with moisture but unfortunately it didn't soothe my irritation at all. I don't understand at all why it is so expensive, some people really recommend these two products so it may be worth trying them out but for me they won't be making the cut. 

(http://www.boots.com/en/Epaderm-Cream-2-in-1-Emollient-and-Skin-Cleanser-500g_1220331/, £12.20) 

WEEK #17: LUMPY & BUMPY

I've been slacking on my product reviews recently...and just keeping up with my blog and skincare regime in general. It's a busy time of year and also a horrible time of year for my skin, so dry, so red, SO ITCHY! Red's a festive colour though I suppose :/. Next year I definitely need to learn to become more organised instead of letting work rule my life. My scalp is awful at the moment. I've been flaking everywhere, I can't so much as touch my head without creating a mini snow storm. I hate running my fingers through my hair and feeling all the lumps & bumps of piled up skin. Oh well, on with the review.

OILATUM BATH FORMULA 300ML: 4/10
Very similar to E45 bath, it didn't dry out my skin but it didn't provide as much moisture as I would have wanted. I tried it in both the bath and shower but still wasn't really satisfied with it's effectiveness. I wasn't a huge fan of how it left my skin feeling, it seemed to have a strange texture but I can't really think of any words to describe what I mean. Also expensive. 
(http://www.boots.com/en/Oilatum-Bath-Formula-for-Dry-Skin-300-ml_7514/, £9.35)

OILATUM CREAM 150G: 5/10
My main issue with this cream is that the bottle only lasted for two days so it would end up being rather expensive to use on a daily basis. I didn't like the texture of the cream, although my normal skin felt ok, my psoriasis spots ended up feeling really raised. My experience with Oilatum hasn't been an overly positive one so far!
(http://www.boots.com/en/Oilatum-Cream-150g_981663/, £3.99)

T/GEL THERAPEUTIC SHAMPOO 250ML: 4/10
So this is something that always ends up being recommended to me by people who know someone who has psoriasis so thought I'd try it out. Neutrogena have a range of T/Gel shampoos but it was specifically the therapeutic coal tar treatment that's for psoriasis. I was happily surprised with the smell of this product which isn't something that can often be said of coal tar shampoos. It wasn't too pricey compared with other products either. Unfortunately though my head was so so itchy. It did alleviate the flaking but I was still waking up in the middle of the night itching my scalp like mad and waking up to find blood spots on my pillow case which hasn't happened before. I hate to say it because I really wanted to like this product but it won't be something that I'll continue to use. 
(http://www.boots.com/en/Neutrogena-T-Gel-Therapeutic-Shampoo-250ml_1056/, £6.99)

EUMOVATE OINTMENT: 5/10
I've used this product before with great success on my face and ears. I was amazed how quickly it cleared up the patches on my face and it worked a miracle on the psoriasis in my ears but I'd never tried it on other areas of my body before. This time around my experience with eumovate wasn't so successful which was annoying. It doesn't seem to have done much at all apart from provide a little extra moisture (I do love the thick protective texture of ointments). Even on my face I still have some patches that it hasn't improved. Maybe I've just become immune to it now or something, I don't understand why it wouldn't work this time around. Therefore, this is a hit and miss product for me but I'd most definitely recommend giving it a go for yourself if you can get it on prescription. 

WEEK #16: RED REVIVAL

My E45 experience has improved from last week but I still don't have much hope of any of their products making the short list. Less than one month until my dermatologist appointment and I just can't wait! I'm spending a small fortune on skin stuff at the moment so I'm going to be cutting back. I'm also going to make a start on diet changes, I'm not eliminating anything from my diet at first but I'm going to try adding recommended stuff and I'll be starting with probiotics. If you're interested i'l be posting an article on my instagram which prompted me to give the cultured way of life a go and I'll be sure to post about my progress. I'll just be trying it out for a month at first and then I'll probably move on to something else! This weeks review won't include the TGel and Eumovate, I'll be saving them for next week but you can read about the E45 stuff below. Sending you all lots of good vibes and best wishes.

-E45 Emollient bath oil 500ml: 4/10
I remember using this ages ago and thinking it was brilliant, this time around though my skin didn't seem to like it so much. I tried it both as a bath additive and as an in shower product (it advises on the packaging you can use in shower too). It didn't make my hair as greasy as I expected like some bath oils do but it also didn't provide as much moisture as I expected either. Using it as a shower product I found that I had to put quite a lot on the sponge to see any of the product transferring to my skin. It's quite expensive for what it is and although it would probably last quite a while I'd rather spend my money on something more effective. My overall impression of E45 has been that they provide good surface moisture but it doesn't really deeply penetrate the skin if that makes any sense haha.
(http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/e45-bath-500ml-4071938-p-44) £6.50

-E45 Cream 350g: 6/10
So this is probably my favourite E45 product so far but it's still not good enough for the price. It's quite a bit thicker than their normal moisturisers and it is labelled as for psoriasis suffered. It can be a tad messy to apply but it is misty odourless (there is only a slight medicinal smell). This tiny tub got used up so quick so it's not value for money and I didn't feel particularly comfortable after applying it, sometimes my skin felt a bit tingly (not the nice type of tingly) but would calm down relatively quickly. Although I didn't wake up in the night itching (this may purely be because I've had an exhausting week anyway) I woke up itchy and felt I immediately needed to apply more cream. I've tried better, I've tried worse, but I won't be using again unfortunately apart from in case of emergency. 
(http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/body-care/e45-cream-350g) £6.65