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) 

SCALY SCALPS

Dentinox Cradle Cap Treatment Shampoo 125ML: 6/10
You may think I've gone crazy trying out cradle cap shampoo but desperate times and all that! Below I've included the first in my 'knowledge is power' series on cradle cap should you wish to learn a bit more(if you don't already know). I have to admit it wasn't all that bad! The price was the main selling point of giving this a go. With most psoriasis shampoos being very overpriced (in my opinion, based on my experience with their effectiveness) this was very reasonably priced. I was using this after I had been using an anti-dandruff shampoo called Nizoral which you can read about in my previous post. My scalp reacted much better to cradle cap shampoo than some of the targeted shampoos. My scalp was MUCH less flaky and itchy. Unfortunately I still had very thick scales and although it was an improvement on anti-dandruff shampoos, it's not quite psoriasis strength stuff. Might be worth a try if you have very mild scalp psoriasis? 
(http://www.boots.com/en/Dentinox-Cradle-Cap-Treatment-Shampoo-125ml_6709/, £2.09)



KNOWLEDGE IS POWER: CRADLE CAP

I'm starting a new series on the blog which will be chronicling various skin ailments people suffer with. Since being diagnosed with psoriasis I've been inspired to research everything skin related and as the title of the series says- knowledge is power, who knows, I may even find something that helps with psoriasis whilst looking at what helps other skin problems. I know that I may not first hand experience of everything that I'm writing about but as I've found with psoriasis, awareness is so important, as is sharing that awareness. I'll normally be posting in the 'DEAR DIARY' section but as I was reviewing a cradle cap shampoo I thought I'd post the first in the series here. 

Don't worry, I'm fully aware that cradle cap is a form of sebhorroeic dermatitis specifically experienced by babies (aka. honeycomb disease, infantile/ neonatal sebhorroeic dermatitis, milk crust, crusta lactea) and usually occurs within the first two months of their existence -because may as well teach them early on about skin problems- but I thought I would start at the very start (skin problems experienced from birth) and I will do another post on sebhorroeic dermatitis at some unknown point in the future. Anyway, around 50% of all babies born on planet earth will experience cradle cap and most that experience it will usually experience a mild form as severe experiences are very rare. It is one of those things that normally clears up on it's by 6-12 months of age after a few weeks/months and if you're precious bundle of joy is lucky enough to be experiencing a mild as opposed to a severe form then it is likely that it won't be causing your beautiful baba any irritation or discomfort, you might just find it unsightly (I personally think it's quite beautiful & photogenic though).  It is not completely uncommon for this to continue into toddlerhood or childhood but this is less common & when it continues into adolescence it will usually then be classified simply as sebhorroeic dermatitis. 
There aren't any conclusive studies on the subject (but please don't hold me to this) however it has been speculated that babies with cradle cap may develop dandruff / another form of sebhorroeic dermatitis when they are older. It's occasionally linked to immune disorders but this is unlikely unless babe is suffering from other problems such as diarrhoea  and in which case you should consult your GP/health care provider. In an Australian study about 15% of diagnosed bebes had eczema 10 years on. Sometimes cradle cap can turn into atopic dermatitis and rarely it can turn out to be misdiagnosed psoriasis (however if the latter is true then, judging from my experience, you will notice baby experiencing irritation & discomfort) 

The Picture above shows a very mild case of cradle cap but as you may know it is easily identifiable from large or patterns of small greasy, yellow or brown scales on the scalp. The scales may later start to flake and after the flakes come loose, the skin underneath may appear red and although the hair may come away with the flakes the hair will grow back again soon enough! It is also worth noting that cradle cap can also occur on the face, ears, neck, nappy area or in folded skin areas such as at the back of the knees and armpits. Like a lot of skin issues IT IS NOT CONTAGIOUS! 
If your babies cradle cap starts to look red and swollen you should see a doctor as it could be infected. If it is infected your doctor will most likely prescribe some antibiotics along with anti-fungal medication to sort it out so no need to worry. 

It's not certain what causes cradle cap but it is believed that an overactive sebaceous gland (which produces an oily substance called sebum) and this gland is most likely to be overactive when us humans are babies and teenagers. There is also a fungal germ which lives in this sebum and a reaction to the germ causes the skin inflammation. In particular it is thought that the yeast Malasezzia along with the bacteria in the sebum cause the inflammation and it is also thought that this Malasezzia yeast is linked with adult dandruff. 
Cradle cap can also occur as a reaction to some baby shampoos and lotions, especially those that contain alcohol or other harsh ingredients. Alternatively it can also be a result of an allergic reaction to the type of formula or certain solid food your baby is consuming. It has also been attributed to hormones passed from mother to baby, extreme weather or antibiotics taken by mum during pregnancy. 

If you decide to treat cradle cap please avoid the temptation to pick off the scales as this can lead to infection. If your baby has eczema you should avoid using shampoos but instead try out petroleum jelly, or a medical emollient and simply wash off. Doctors may prescribe anti-fungal or a mild anti-dandruff shampoo whilst others may warn against the use of medicated shampoo for newborns due to the risk of systemic absorption (although research has shown that anti fungal medication is not absorbed into the bloodstream). Shampoos and creams containing Ketoconazole have proven to be the most effective treatment of cradle cap. Salicylic acid, coal tar, zinc and selenium are also used to treat dryness and flaking. It is sometimes advised to keep a humidifier in the house to reduce skin dryness by keeping moisture in the air, it is recommended to resist over washing (as it increases oil production) your little human and instead bathe them every two to three days and you could try moisturising the scalp post-washing to prevent dryness and scaliness. 

If you would prefer to go natural (aside from leaving it to clear up on its own) this website provides some great methods which I know I'm definitely going to be trying to help soothe my psoriasis too!:

http://homeremediesforlife.com/cradle-cap/

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. 

DITCHING THE ITCH PART III: BOOTS PHARMACEUTICALS DERMA CARE ITCH RELIF CREAM

BOOTS PHARMACEUTICALS DERMA CARE ITCH RELIF CREAM 30G: 3/10
I've been trying out this cream as a budget option to try and get some much needed relief from my very itchy skin recently & I have to say I'm not overly impressed. I mainly get my itchy fits in the middle of the night so I want to find a product that can kick in quickly. Most of the time I've probably already been scratching cause I've been avoiding having to wake up and do something to stop the itching, in which case my skin is probably half shredded with the odd bleeding lesion. When I applied this it stung like hell! That was probably the first hint that this cream wasn't made for psoriasis sufferers. The second was that it seemed to dry out my skin and the third was that on some occasions it encouraged my itching rather than provided relief. On the other hand, once or twice it did succeed in soothing my skin just enough so that I could get back to sleep but I would expect more from an itch relief product so it looks like the search continues. 
(http://www.boots.com/en/Boots-Derma-Care-Itch-Relief-Cream-30g_1129367/, £2.99)

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

WEEK #15: ITCHY & SCRATCHY

I'm sure everyone in the UK has heard of E45, it must be the most popular 'dry skin' product. Not specifically tailored to psoriasis sufferers but thought I would give it a go nonetheless. Can't say this weeks experiences have been particularly successful but there are quite a lot of E45 products left to try. I've had a bit of a crappy week, I've been so so tired so I've skipped washing my hair twice which means flakemania in the morning to deal with. I've also got into the habit of not applying my creams regularly enough out of laziness but ah well onwards and hopefully upwards... read on for my reviews!

E45 INTENSE RECOVERY LOTION FOR VERY DRY SKIN 250ML: 4/10
Firstly, I like my daily moisturiser to be thick, from personal experience the thicker the moisturiser the more moisture and comfort it provides, this is definitely not thick and generally speaking I'm not a fan of 'lotions'. The name enticed me more than anything, however I didn't experience any recovering unfortunately. Although it absorbed quite quickly (still not as quickly as I'd expect for a lotion though) and it did leave my skin feeling soft before the itching started, it didn't provide me with the moisture my scales were left craving for. I managed to get through the whole bottle within the week, probably because I was lathering it on though to make up for its texture. I had a few bad nights where I woke up itchy and re-applying this moisturiser didn't help.
(http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=272489212, £4.50)


E45 EMOLIENT WASH 100ML: 5/10
Like the moisturiser, the body wash was of thin consistency so I would have preferred it to be a bit thicker but apart from that I don't really have strong feelings about it. I didn't mind having it on display in my bathroom as the packaging isn't too offensive like many of the products I've tried in the past. Also reasonably priced. Could take it or leave it really, I'd use it if there was nothing else on the supermarket shelves. 
(http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/body-care/e45-facewash-250ml, £4)

E45 DRY SCALP SHAMPOO 200ML: 2/10
I HATE THIS PRODUCT SO MUCH!!!!! Makes me angry just thinking about how much of a flake I've been this week thanks to this shampoo. I was so excited to try it but no, it's messed up my scalp quite badly. I've been enduring the worst scalp itching I've had for a long time. Safe to say I will most definitely not be using this again.
(http://www.boots.com/en/E45-Shampoo-for-Dry-Scalp-200ml_867585/, £5.99)

DERMOVATE OINTMENT 50G: 4/10
After two weeks of use I'd be expecting to see more of an improvement from a steroid that I thought was supposed to be quite strong. I've been applying it usually about twice a day. I like the consistency and it's thickness. One of my faithful psoriasis buddies told me it can take a while to kick in but it's had it's chance with me. It worked quite well in calming down my inner ear psoriasis which had been a nightmare and although you can see that my psoriasis is less pronounced in the areas I've been using it compared to where I haven't used it but not a strong enough improvement to warrant using it daily. 
(PRESCRIPTION)

WEEK #14: HYDRATION HEAVEN

What a difference a good moisturiser makes! From rough and reddy to smooth and mostly itchless. My scalp's not on point at the moment but I have plenty more shampoos to try so never fear. Still feeling so inspired after world psoriasis day, so many beautiful, brave people raising awareness. This week has been hell for me, I've been working really long hours trying to get some extra dollar for christmas so I've been very quite on social media lately which makes me sad. I also hate that I can't apply my skin stuff as regularly as I normally do. So I won't be reviewing Dermovate this week but read below for my opinion on everything else in tha pic.

HYDROMOL OINTMENT 500G: 9/10
Eeeee this has to be my favourite so far. First of all, TUB!!! Being the stingy person that I am I like to scrape out every last bit so tubs are the best for that. As far as ointments go, this has to be the least greasy one that I've tried. I'm not saying that you won't completely eliminate the shininess and stickiness problem that accompanies most ointments (which is why its not a ten out of ten) but this one absorbs relatively quickly. It also made my skin feel comfortable after applying it if that makes any sense. I didn't like it to use a washing product though. It was a bit of a faf having to melt it before pouring into the bath and although it was nice to have a bubble bath (most psoriasis bathing products still leave the water clear and plain) it wasn't as moisturising as I was expecting considering the effects of it as a moisturiser. Also rather expensive to use considering one pot only lasted a week on the basis of applying three times a day. But that was also using it in the bath and I won't be doing that again if this makes it to my shortlist. 
(TESCO PHARMACY, £8)

DEAD SEA SPA MAGIK MINERAL SHAMPOO 330ML: 4/10 
Didn't help with my flaking at all= nightmare at work where I love wearing black cardigans and blazers. It didn't inflame the itching but it didn't completely soothe it either. The price seems excessive for this product and apart from the fact that it is odourless and doesn't make my scalp any worse than it already is 
(http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/dead-sea-spa-magik-mineral-shampoo-60031076, £8.99)


DEAD SEA SPA MAGIK CONDITIONING SCALP MUD 150ML: 2/10
I love getting down and dirty with mud it's such fun, even the word itself is a fun word to say and this product looks like nourishing mineral mud that would be great for the scalp. Unfortunately it proved to be of absolutely no benefit to me. For the price I was hoping it might at the very least make my hair look extra special but nahh. It was also quite difficult to apply. Defo won't be using this again. 
(http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/dead-sea-spa-magik-conditioning-scalp-mud-60024069, £10.29)

WEEK #12: NO MAGIC HERE

Dead sea spa magic my arse! Not happy my spots are coming back all red and angry after I was on a roll. They were starting to fade on my lower arms and hands but this weeks products haven't helped. I'm currently looking for a new job so I'm in interview hell at the moment which equals stress which equals bad skin so it is possible that the stress is causing this red resurgence. AND MY POOR EARS! My ear psoriasis is so bad at the moment, I'm constantly picking and trying to itch the inside but I  just end up bleeding and in more pain. I also apologise for the late post, this can also be blamed on job hunting.  I won't be reviewing the hair stuff as it's not ran out yet and I'm going to be nice and give it a little longer to kick in. I also won't be reviewing the Psoriaderm until next week.

DEAD SEA SPA MAGIK SILKY SMOOTH BODY LOTION 350ML: 3/10
I think this is the culprit for my sudden flare up. This moisturiser would be an absolute dream if you didn't have psoriasis. My normal skin was, as advertised, silky smooth, however the majority of my body is covered in psoriasis. Therefore the majority of my body was left feeling itchy and uncomfortable. Definite no no on the price & effectiveness. Will possibly try some of their other moisturisers in the future but they are all quite pricey... fingers crossed I get a job offer soon!
(http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/dead-sea-spa-magik-body-lotion-60031043, £7.99)

DEAD SEA SPA MAGIK BATH SALTS 1000G: 5/10
It may be that the moisturiser ruined the effectiveness of the bath salts but I was very disappointed that it didn't make much of a difference (sorry all you dead sea salt loving people). I was itchy during the bath as it's not a product designed to provide moisture. On the other hand I loved the texture of the salts...always look on the bright side and all that! Maybe I should give them more of a chance to work i.e. longer than a week but I'm an impatient bugger. I'm most likely going to try out another brand of dead sea salt stuff in the future so I haven't given up hope yet, I just wouldn't particularly recommend them as a skin fixer.
(http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/dead-sea-spa-magik-body-lotion-60031043, £5.99)

WEEK #9: ITCHING FOR NEW SKIN

Again, I'm not going to review the Alphosyl shampoo just yet as it's not as easy to determine it's effectiveness as quickly as it is with moisturisers & shower/bath products. The products on review this week didn't particularly help my psoriasis & were mainly chosen on a budget basis as I'm spending a significant amount of money on skin stuff now.  I do realise that a lot of people have already given Aqueous cream a no-no but thought I would try it out anyway as I've not used it before and it was cheap and I would like to exhaust all product options before choosing the ones I'm going to use on a regular basis. 

AQUEOUS CREAM 500G : 4/10

So I think it should be compulsory for all moisturisers to come in these tubs. I LOVE being able to completely smoother my skin in moisturiser and tubs allow that to happen easily. The first night I used this I thought I had found the one, I felt so comfortable after applying it & slept right through...and the the night after I was back to having my midnight itchfests. My skin generally felt softer and my psoriasis patches smoother but I've also read that aqueous cream merely seals in the moisture already in your skin rather than applying any moisture for your skin to drink up. Also the smell was very medical and clung to all my clothes. Definitely not one you'd want to be applying at work. It's also not that cheap despite what I said earlier, considering that one tub lasted just under a week if you apply moisturiser at least three times a day like myself. 

(£4, BOOTS)

SANEX SENSITIVE SHOWER GEL 500ML: 5/10

Not a product I have strong feelings about. It wasn't moisturising but it wasn't irritating & didn't dry my skin out. It smelt nice and for value for money I can't fault it. I'd definitely use it if I was in a position where I had to get something readily available in a supermarket. I was initially enticed by their dry skin adverts so I'll probably have a try of some of there other products. 

(£1.59, BOOTS)

DIPROSALIC OINTMENT: 6/10

I'm fully aware of the aversion to steroids and I completely understand why. When your psoriasis is widespread like mine it's entirely impractical to cover each dot in steroid cream whilst avoiding your normal skin so I just stick to using it on my lower arms & lower legs when I'm trying stuff out. Diprosalic (I think) is quite a potent steroid and I was applying twice a day. It's probably no surprise then that I did notice a tiny improvement. My spots reduced in redness but this was usually accompanied by new little red dots appearing. I also don't like to use the same steroid ointment for more than two weeks due to side effects. Judging by my use of it I think it would be ok for short term use intermittently (i.e. use for two weeks then have a break for a week or so then resume using it). For most people though steroids really are not a solution but an emergency fix, and even then they're not that effective unless your psoriasis is severe. 

(PRESCRIPTION)

WEEK#6: TWO DOWN SIX TO GO {AVEENO}

Not quite such a successful week compared with last week's products. Last weeks products seemed to have faded a lot of my lesions and reduced itchiness massively. This week I haven't been so lucky and I seem to have new dots appearing accompanied by a resurgence in my itching :( 
Oh well that's the point of experimenting with different products, finding out what works and what doesn't. And I must remind you that what doesn't work for me might just work for you...Unfortunately I just have that incredibly stubborn kind of guttate psoriasis.
So here's the weekly review...
P.S. The reason for the title is that Aveeno products have been recommended to me by a few different doctors so thought I'd try out there whole product range. There are eight different products shown on their website and I've used two now...just thought I should explain. 

AVEENO SKIN RELIEF BODY LOTION WITH SHEA BUTTER 200ML: 7/10
Advertised as for 'extra dry, irritable and sensitive skin' to 'moisturise the skin for 24 hours'. 
I think this would work fantastically if your skin was just dry & you didn't have any kind of skin condition. Not so fantastic if you have psoriasis however. It does provide long lasting moisture for the skin...all day... and I often felt like I didn't need to moisturise as much as I normally do (3 times a day) but my lesions would get itchy and irritable so I did still end up moisturising 3 times a day. I feel like this lotion was the responsible for my new spots flaring up  & existing spots getting bumpy. I also used 4 bottles in a week!!! So based on price alone I wouldn't use this on a regular basis. I'd highly recommend for people with just regular dry skin, it would be a lifesaver. 
For those of you like me with severe psoriasis though I'd say don't waste your money.
(QUALITY SAVE £3.99----I've since seen this on offer @ co-op pharmacy for £3.49 if you're in the uk & fancy trying it)

AVEENO BATH & SHOWER OIL 250ML: 6/10
It's such a nice change to have a nice smelling, nicely packaged shower gel! Based on it's use as a shower gel it's not a product I have strong feelings about. It didn't feel as though it was that nourishing to my skin but it certainly didn't do any harm, although it did dry out my skin a little. This product would last quite a while, I still have loads left, but it wasn't effective enough to justify the price. I'll probably review it again as used in the bath some time in the future but not that impressed with it. 
(OCADO ONLINE, £7.99)

DERMALEX PSORIASIS CREAM 60G: 4/10
So I was supposed to moving back on to diprosalic ointment this coming week but it's recommend to stick with this for two weeks to notice a difference so I can't provide a review for this yet. It caught my eye in the shops and I thought it might be my miracle cure. Judging by it's effectiveness so far it's probably not going to clear my skin but still it's very appealing that it's cortisone & steroid free. It is rather expensive but a little goes a long way and it probably lasts quite a while. I'll get back to you next week with my findings  

*To get straight to the point, this didn't work for me although I have a feeling it might help on people with mild psoriasis as the middle bit of the spots faded a teeny weeny bit...not enough for me to pay £18 for the tube, I'd rather get steroids which I can get on prescription 
(SUPERDRUG ONLINE £17)