Welcome back to our fifth installment of SKIN Journeys: a series where we spotlight members of our community for their incredible eczema success stories. Here, in their own words, they get real about their personal experiences with eczema and the impact it’s had on their lives — as well as how Gladskin ultimately changed the game for them.
Meet Sasha, a natural health enthusiast, herbalist, and inspiring member of the Gladskin community. Below, Sasha shares her lifelong journey with stress-induced eczema flare-ups, and how Gladskin (along with other alternative therapies) is finally helping her heal.
Searching for an Alternative Solution to Eczema
“I had eczema starting as a baby. The worst flare-up was in my early 20s when a small spot on my face eventually took over and turned most of my face into a swollen, itchy, agonizing eczema breakout. This lasted for several years and was humbling and horrifying as it was so obvious and couldn’t be hidden from anyone!”
“In my early 20s, I went to a dermatologist, and they had five minutes for me: they told me 1. there was not much anyone could do for eczema and 2. if it got really bad, the best they could offer was a cortisone shot. I left his office filled with anger and disgust, knowing that I hadn't received proper care. Within a month I was on the lifelong journey to study "alternative" health in all of its facets.”
“I have done food allergy testing... made total diet changes based on the results of the tests plus my own observations about what foods work for me and what don't. I have taken the fish oil and vitamin C combo most frequently advised for eczema and allergy sufferers. I have been in acupuncture for years-long stretches. I use adaptogenic and nervine herbs, and I have made a consistent effort to exercise on a daily basis in order to manage stress and blood cortisol levels, and I sauna and hot spring as often as I can.”
A Stressful Situation… Made Worse
“At its worst, my eczema is so irritated that every tiny bit of adrenaline or stress in my body causes it to start itching within mere moments. It can also get so swollen that the joints under the skin even seem to be affected.”
“The most irritating thing about eczema is that it makes me feel like I don't know how to take care of myself, because I try everything under the sun to manage it and still it won't go away. It makes me feel out of control and full of despair that my body is broken and I have no idea how to fix it.”
“One of the important things with the eczema/stress connection is that once eczema has flared up, it's very presence triggers more stress, and it's hard to break the loop. It's no fun to feel ashamed and discouraged that part of your body looks and feels "wrong" and to even have to explain it to worried friends and strangers, or work to try to hide the area from sight. It becomes a self-perpetuating cycle of stress.”
The *One* Topical Product That Changed the Game
“I was drawn to Gladskin because it was advertised on my favorite podcast. I was having my worst flare-up in years due to a combo platter of extreme stress: the pandemic (need I say more?!), living in an area of California in the top ten "most likely to burn" areas (which in fact came quite close to burning a few weeks before my flare-up), and living with extreme smoke from all the western wildfires and the constant unknown of the electrical grid being shut down due to the fire dangers. On top of it all, I had family coming to visit. (It sounds like hell, and I guess it was, for my nervous system!) Voila, a major flare-up that then refused to abate.”
“I have had very little luck with any topicals, mainstream or alternative, until Gladskin. Hydrocortisone creams only help for a day or two, and then they do nothing. Salves and lotions of all kinds purporting to heal eczema have often made the eczema hot and itchy and much worse. It always made me feel like, "Does anyone even understand what eczema is really like?!" It's actually a miracle I ordered Gladskin after all of these letdowns, but when you suffer from eczema you are always hoping that something new will come along.”
“Gladskin feels like a protective coating more than a cream. It does not irritate my skin at all like the many other products I've tried, and it calms down the hot and swollen skin immediately. My experience has been a mind blower. I used Gladskin several times a day for the first week until my flare-up abated, then I used it once a day for another few weeks, and now I put it on when I get out of the shower (a few times a week… it's cold here and I'm not a daily shower person) just as a preventative measure. I have needed a product like this my entire life.”