Friday 25 May 2012

Living With Eczema: Body Shop Hemp Body Butter

I think I've mentioned it a couple of times before but I suffer from severe eczema and have for about a year and a half now. I have discoid eczema and atopic eczema and it's pretty much taken over my life since it started. Not only is it constantly itchy, sleep disrupting and painful but my skin is very dry which makes it prone to breaking when I scratch. I don't think I own any piece of clothing that isn't spotted in blood anymore! 

I have steroid creams and moisturiser prescribed from the doctors and I have to apply the moisturiser as soon as I get out of the shower without drying off or anything, but even then my skin is back to being really dry within in hour. Sooooo, my mum did some research and heard that a lot of eczema sufferers were championing Body Shop's hemp body butter, and since I don't have anything to lose I thought I might as well give it a try!
My only regret about this is not finding out about it sooner! MY GOD. This stuff is pretty much a miracle cream. A little spread over all of my leg, for example, will last from 8 AM until I get home from work at 4 PM without needing to be reapplied. A little really does go a long way so it's great value for money too. Almost instantly after I used this I felt a crazy different and for the first time in ages my skin felt soft and healthy. Okay, so it hasn't stopped the itching but the product sort of sits on your skin as well as sinking in so it helps protect my fragile skin (the steroid creams thin the skin). Honestly, it's pretty much a wonder cream.

The product has a very odd smell. It's not nice, but it smells natural and to me it smells like wet soil. I quite like the smell of soil after it's rained (not that I go around sticking my nose in soil all the time) so I'm all right with it! I would totally recommend this to anyone with ANY type of skin. Iit is designed for very dry skin but I can't see it not benefitting a lot of different skin types. It's quite steep at £12.50 a pop, but currently Body Shop have got a two body butters for £15 deal on which is great! I also bought a citrus lemon body butter which I've been using on my face and under my arms to keep me feeling fresh at work, plus it keeps the flies away! 

Are you an adult eczema sufferer? Please share any tips and tricks you may have for dealing with skin conditions, because they are incredibly hard to live with. Some days I don't even want to get out of bed I feel so terrible and it's very disheartening to hear people to tell you to "just stop scratching", so I would love to hear some other stories!

12 comments:

  1. My skin gets really dry too and eczema is something that I have had to deal with a lot over the years! Thanks for the heads up, I will be trying this out immediately!!

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  2. Hey! I just stumbled across your blog from Scathingly Brilliant. Firstly, my name is also Robyn. Secondly, I also have a nose ring :) Thirdly, i suffer from discoid eczema also! I'd honestly say sometimes it's alot weirder looking than all over eczema, or the patches on the elbows/joints etc. What's worse is it can be mis-diagnosed as ringworm so some people freak out :( Mine's not so much itchy but just very red looking. I unfortunately have a very obvious looking round patch on my face at the moment which really sucks. Nothing seems to have worked well so i am really looking forward to trying this! Does it help to ease it away also? I'm trying aquaeous cream bp at the moment and nothing exciting so far :\

    Anyway! I look forward to reading more of your blog :)x
    (Also I am starting my own vintage site soon if you're interested!)
    vintageisavirtue.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. oh wow that is super weird, haha! IT'S LIKE WE'RE CLONES OR SOMETHING.

      When I first got it I got checked for scabies EVERY SINGLE TIME I went to the doctor but I'm pretty glad I don't have scabies! I would say since I've been using it that I haven't had any new flare ups, it's quite cooling when you put it on which might help with the redness? It's definitely worth a shot, and I'd also say maybe some cream with cucumber in to help with the redness, if the stuff fromt he doctor isn't working!

      I will definitely check out your blawg! xo

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    2. Anonymous5/11/12 12:16

      Hi just to let you know you can get Hemp body butter at www.trulymadlyshop.co.uk for £6.50. It comes up as a wedding shop but if you put Hemp in the search box it comes straight up for you.. Happy shopping..Stacey

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    3. Hi Robyn

      One of the most fantastic treatments for all forms of Eczema or other skin problems is The Victorian Garden's Lavender Body Butter and/or their Honey and Propolis Eczema cream which can be used as a moisturizer for the face. They also have a Rosehip healing facial oil which is wonderful for dry scaly skin and prices are incredibly reasonable. they post anywhere world wide. check out http://www.thevictoriangarden.co.za/welcome.html best of all they're organic No Horrible Chemical ingredients which can not only aggravate but cause eczema

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  3. I too have severe eczema and couldnt sleep at night. I even took two vicadin and a benedryl to see if I could sleep, didnt work, I was awake till 4 am!
    my eczema exploded all over my legs, arms, chest, neck and face with puffy eyes. I understand the worst cases..the itch, rash, heat, boiling burn, emotion, sadness.
    but last night I did two things. I covered my legs with a thin layer of hemp oil, then wound plastic wrap around them and put on pants, and I had a fan blowing on my arms and chest area as I lay on my back. The fan cooled the area to a comfortable tempurature and I was asleep within 10 minutes.
    The hemp oil takes the itch away and from what I read, is a cure for eczema.
    Hope this information can help give some of u a good nights rest.
    email me for support, questions, or to see if we can help eachother out. Noone knows the pain like an eczema sufferrer.
    musicalmelody@gmail.com

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  4. I too have severe eczema and couldnt sleep at night. I even took two vicadin and a benedryl to see if I could sleep, didnt work, I was awake till 4 am!
    my eczema exploded all over my legs, arms, chest, neck and face with puffy eyes. I understand the worst cases..the itch, rash, heat, boiling burn, emotion, sadness.
    but last night I did two things. I covered my legs with a thin layer of hemp oil, then wound plastic wrap around them and put on pants, and I had a fan blowing on my arms and chest area as I lay on my back. The fan cooled the area to a comfortable tempurature and I was asleep within 10 minutes.
    The hemp oil takes the itch away and from what I read, is a cure for eczema.
    Hope this information can help give some of u a good nights rest.
    email me for support, questions, or to see if we can help eachother out. Noone knows the pain like an eczema sufferrer.
    musicalmelody@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello :) I'm going out tomorrow to buy this. How has your skin been so far? Is the hemp body butter still working?

    side note, really like your navigation icons :)

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  6. Hello :) I'm going out tomorrow to buy this. How has your skin been so far? Is the hemp body butter still working?

    side note, really like your navigation icons :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous13/2/13 16:37

    Hi, I recently had what I thought was a terrible rash ( docs also thought it could be scabies which did nothing for my stress levels!) It turns out to be Atopic Eczema. I took steroid tablets which made it worse when I came off them so have since been looking for a natural way of helping my skin which is still very very itchy and sore. I find exersising makes it worse (sweat I supose) which is anoying but I just wanted to say thanks for your info here. I have never been so frustrated than I am now in trying to get my skin back to normal so I think I will give this hemp cream a go. Its good to read about other peoples experiences and to know there are sypathetic ears out there with more answers than the doctors can give! Thank you :0)

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  8. Anonymous22/2/13 14:27

    Hi again. I just wanted to say it has worked! After my last post (above) I gave it a go and I cant believe the differnce it made. I just wanted to leave another comment so if anyone reads this and is in two minds about trying it, dont be, It has made my skin go back to normal and I cant tell you how happy that has made me. Thats for your info here Robyn.

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  9. Anonymous23/3/13 03:32

    Hello, just saw your blog and would like to try this too. I have skin allergy since I'm young and it clears up pretty quick with medicine which the doc prescribed. Unfortunately a week back, I had ezcema for the 1st time and it's terribly itchy and swelling. I know I'm not supposed to scratch but it got quite worse. The doc gave me some pills and steroid cream but I wanted something natural as far as possible. And guess what, Oolong tea, primrose oil helps and the best is Fruit of the Earth Aloe gel. It reduce my swell, itchyness and redness. Of course you need to use it diligently. But ever since I have dry skin, I dont mind trying the body butter too.

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