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 #13: PSORIASIS, BE GONE!

Well my skin has certainly been angry this week, so very very itchy and red and raised. I can't lie, I'm rather happy to be ditching these products, definitely not going to be making it on to my psoriasis dream cream list. I'm really happy to have started to make some wonderful psoriasis friends over instagram and I hope to get to speak to some more people, it really is so reassuring to know your not alone in your struggles and get to make some new friends in the process. This week is my last week off work, I'll be back to the daily grind on monday which means more chance of me not being able to stick to a skin routine, not being able to use certain products (due to smell, messiness, time etc), more stress, more self-consciousness. Ah well I'm gonna boss it out. I hope your skin isn't causing you too much trouble dear reader and if you're interested in a more detailed review of the products read on, if you're not I basically don't have it in me to recommend any of these products...although I won't be reviewing the shampoo & conditioner till next week.

GARNIER INTENSIVE 7 DAYS DAILY BODY LOTION WITH SHEA BUTTER FOR VERY DRY SKIN (250ML): 3/10
How this product can be advertised as for very dry skin I really don't know. Since using this I've seen other reviews also stating that it really should be labelled for normal skin. The moisturiser absorbs quickly and after application skin was soft but after an hour I was back to being itchy. I tried it on my face just for a laugh (I try all the moisturisers on my face even if they're no supposed to be for the face just to see how it works). It was especially irritating at night, I haven't bled much for a while but this week has left me a bit scabby. On the other hand I like the bottles and it's a very economical product, you get a lot for what you pay for...oh and it smells ok too I suppose.
(QUALITY SAVE, £1.99)

PSORIDERM 225ML: 2/10
After two weeks of use this really didn't appear to do much to my skin. I applied it topically only to my lower legs and lower arms and although it probably counteracted some of the extra redness caused by the moisturiser there was only the teeniest amount of difference between the areas. And the smell, I've used coal tar products before but WOW, this is by far the strongest smelling coal tar product I've used, the smell even lingered in the room for about 15 minutes after I'd shut the bottle never mind the stench that followed me around. I did like the bottle though which of course is an essential factor when choosing your skin products (I joke). There are other psoriderm products that have higher percentages of coal tar and lecithin so I might give them a go at some point in the future, I also didn't realise that this could be used on the scalp and in the bath but I'll probably try save trying that until I have a bit of time off work (cough, cough the smell...and I literally mean cough cough I almost choked on the smell). This particular product is not a high scorer for me I'm afraid. 
(AVAILABLE ON PRESCRIPTION)

CAREX MOISTURE PLUS SHOWER CREAM (500ML): 4/10
I wasn't overly keen on the smell of this product although it does beat coal tar. The cream itself felt like it would provide moisture for my skin (if that makes sense...like the texture of it?) Anyway it didn't harm or irritate my skin but as soon as I left the shower I was itchy and very much in need of immediate moisture which isn't something I often feel from products that claim to be moisture intense. For the price I can't really complain but not something I would use out of choice, thought it might be worth a shot when I saw it in the shop.
(QUALITY SAVE, £1)

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 #11: OIL ME UP BABY

Reduced redness & smoother skin can only be a good thing. The star of the show this week goes to  the small but mighty bottle of dermav10 Rescue oil, half of which managed to spill in my bag thanks to the split plastic bottle covering everything in my bag in an orangey slickness. The box it came in should be white not orange. All products here reviewed this week, simply read on.....................


-ALPHOSYL 2 IN 1 MEDICATED SHAMPOO 250ML: 6/10
I had very high hopes for this initially but gradually those hopes dwindled. It did reverse some of the damage caused by my anti-dandruff shampoo venture (lest we forget) & so my plaque build up was reduced. This unfortunately wasn't accompanied by a reduction in itching. SO SO ITCHY!! Packaging isn't very attractive or discrete. The smell is even less attractive & discrete, although my boyfriend liked the smell so it is entirely subjective (not that I trust his opinion in the slightest). Also quite pricey although it does last a while since I've been washing my hair with this twice a day for about three weeks. Personally, I prefer Capasal.
(http://www.boots.com/en/Alphosyl-2-in-1-Medicated-Shampoo-250ml_5041/, £6.69)


-NIVEA IN SHOWER MOISTURISER NOURISHING COCOA 250ML: 5/10
I got this tip from psoriasissecrets.tumblr.com and thought it kinda makes sense. Obviously still applied my body oil (which I was using as my moisturiser) even though it says just shower and go. So it did feel like it was full of moisture however it didn't really moisturise my lesions, just my normal skin. It wash't irritating, it smelt nice and my skin felt smooth whilst applying but after I washed it off my lesions felt raised. This is another product that I could take or leave. 
(http://www.boots.com/en/Nivea-In-Shower-Body-Moisturiser-Nourishing-Cocoa-Skin-Conditioner-250ml_1427529/, £3.69)

-DOVOBET GEL 60G: 4/10
As soon as you say you have psoriasis doctors immediately prescribe this for you. When I'm using topical treatments I just apply it to my lower arms and lower legs otherwise it will take ages and it minimises the risk of negative side effects whilst testing if it works. It didn't work that brilliantly for me but a lots of people say it works a treat for them, even if it didn't clear me it reduced the redness a teeny bit and the fact that it's a gel means it adds a lil bit of moisture. But Steroids :(
(PRESCRIPTION)

-DERMAV10 RESCUE OIL 150ML: 7/10
Like most oils this was messy to apply and one bottle lasted two days so ended up costing me more than I planned (didn't help that one of the bottles split and I had to get a new one). It claims to alleviate dry skin conditions, I think it's basically a cheaper and more orange version of bio oil but maybe not that much cheaper in the long run. Skin was smooth and less red. In my worst affected area (my bum and back) my skin became flaky and it didn't completely stop the itching. I'd like to compare this to bio oil and maybe try it for a bit longer. They also have a cream that I'd like to try after my positive results. The packaging isn't great considering my mishap and don't apply it whilst your standing on a light coloured carpet or you'll get little droplets of red everywhere (I speak from experience). 
(QUALITY SAVE £1.99)

WEEK #10: LIFE'S AN ITCH

Again, I shan't be reviewing the Alphosyl & Dovobet this week as I haven't finished my period of trialling it. All in all it hasn't been a bad skin week,  there was still quite a bit of itching but there was also a reduction in redness, read on if you would like to read my reviews of the products pictured:

PALMERS COCOA BUTTER FORMULA BODY LOTION 250ML: 7/10
I was very angry upon learning that this was available in a tub! It would have saved me a lot of inconvenience because there was still loads of lotion in the bottle even after I couldn't squeeze any out hence why I had to remove the top and try and cut into the plastic (waste not want not!) but I still got through two bottles of the stuff in a week so not cheap. Loved the thick texture however it isn't that quick at absorbing into the skin. The smell didn't bother me, as a chocoholic I did in fact quite like it but maybe not suitable for work-there's a guy in my office who always comes in smelling like cocoa butter and is therefore the subject of a few running jokes. My skin did feel very soft the main problem is that it didn't sooth my itching much and I was sometimes scratching after only just applying it. I would strongly recommend as an indulgence product if your lucky enough to have psoriasis without the itching. 
(http://www.boots.com/en/Palmers-Cocoa-Butter-Formula-Body-Lotion-1-x-250ml_2327/, £4.19)

WESTLAB HIMALAYAN SALT 1KG: 7/10
I think I might be starting a love affair with Westlab's bath salts. I loved the fact that they were pretty and pink (not a big selling point I know but makes a change from the usual ugly stuff I get prescribed) however not all of the salts dissolved and clung to the bath so I had to wash the bath after which was a bit annoying. Apparently the bath salts contain over 80 different minerals to nourish your skin. This is most definitely not a moisturising product, I did still get a bit itchy in the bath, the packet states that you should use the whole 1kg of it in the bath but there's no way I'll be spending £21 a week on my baths. I've noticed a slight reduction in redness and raised patches which I'm attributing to these bath salts. 
(£2.99, QUALITY SAVE)