Citric acid AHA have in the past caused me trouble when I was in an active eczema flare up on my cheeks, however when I am not experiencing a flare up they have been fine and even beneficial on my very sensitive skin – as has been the case with the MB Enzyme cleanser. Since using this I have less flaky skin patches – sometimes I get those around the outer edges of my eyes from rubbing them. My skin also feels like it has better integrity. Because it is not flaky and rough it seems like there are less ‘compromised’ areas, which means less itchiness. Aside from the smoother, stronger feeling skin, using this has done wonders for acne due to clogged pores.

This past summer has been very humid and when skin is sweaty, perspiration that stays on the skin can promote small pimples from blocked pores. Using a cleanser that gently removes the dirt and dead surface layer skin cells does a great deal to prevent this kind of acne. Unfortunately I don’t think it has a huge impact on cystic acne around the chin and jaw line as I believe that this type of acne originates mainly from within. For more on this kind of acne and diet (specifically vitamin a) have a look at my post on acne and vitamin A here. Using the enzyme cleanser has reduced the inflammation on the cystic acne area though, which has markedly improved the appearance of the acne. It is not as red and inflamed. I’ve been using this in conjunction with the Mario Badescu control cream, which I’ve reviewed here and added to my recommended section as well. Although a lot of the reduction in inflammation may be due to the cream, I do think in some part it is the cleanser as well as the seaweed toning lotion from the same line I have been using (which I’ll review next). When starting a new skin care regime it can be hard to tell which particular product is having the beneficial effect. No irritation, great results and good price mean that this may become one of my favourite, staple products, although I would not use this during an active eczema flare up or when the surface integrity of the skin is compromised.

Ingredients List
Deionized water, Glycerin, Papaya Extract, Grapefruit Extract, Lauramide DEA, Monomide, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben.

I bought my MB products from the Kit cosmetics counter in the Sydney CBD Myers department store.

So I ended up getting a bunch of MB products and samples to try out, the first up for review today being the Control Cream. The ones I chose were to address a couple of recent skin issues I’ve been having. One is hormonal cystic acne on my chin, which reminds me of what I had heard about acne as a teenager; spots on the chin are hormonal, on the nose are due to diet and on the forehead are due to stress (I’m not sure how accurate this is). The other issues are my usual redness/sensitivity and dry/combination skin. For these reasons I decided to start with MB’s Enzyme Cleansing gell (with AHA’s for acne), the Seaweed toner and the Control Cream, specifically created to reduce rosacea related redness and inflammation. It contains as a key ingredient Balsam Peru, an anti-inflammatory herbal remedy recommended for eczema and other skin irritations.

I have been using the Control Cream at night for a short while so am reporting on the immediate effects (keeping in mind I am also using the cleanser and toner as well). For the long term impact on reducing redness I will make an update in a month or so’s time. First off, the cream is blue, like totally blue – something which lends it quite an unnatural feel. Don’t get me wrong,  I have nothing against so called ‘unnatural’ products, many of them work much better and are less damaging than some purported ‘natural’ products. I often suspect that words like natural and organic are over and improperly used for marketing reasons anyway.

The blue stuff comes in a .5 and 1 oz jar. I got the smaller size jar as I was warned that it is quite potent and only small amounts are needed.  The tiniest amount of cream spreads a long way and I use a lot less of this than other moisturisers. It didn’t seem too rich and it didn’t grease up my combo skin at all. I specifically focused on areas of redness and dry skin, like my cheeks and the areas of inflammation where the cystic acne was^. In the morning after application my skin is not an oil slick which I get with some heavy duty night creams. Neither is my skin dry or crepey. There is a nice smoothness and gloss to it which is also due to the AHA cleanser but at least partially attributable to the Control Cream. Dryness and redness are really improved. The most improvement I found was with the redness of the inflamed under-the-skin acne. My skin felt noticeably calmer, cooler and less inflamed – I am overall very satisfied with this cream. I am really looking forward to seeing the longer terms effects on skin redness. From the first week of use I would give this 4.5 out of 5. The whole MB skincare line is turning out to be very promising for sensitive, troublesome skin like mine and the Control Cream specifically for stubborn skin redness and ruddiness. Anyone I come across with rosacea or so called ‘couperose’ skin is going to get a MB Control Cream recommendation from me.

*Mario Badescu is even cheaper from the eponymous US website, which you can find here

^ MB makes a lot of products for the different types of acne, and the healing cream seems to be the one for this kind of inflamed acne.

N.B. More information about Balsam Peru can be found here. It should be noted that it may cause irritation for some and is not recommended for long term use as a straight up remedy but I think it’s okay for regular use as a minor ingredient in a topical cream. It also should be noted that AHA’s (alpha hydroxy acids) as mentioned in this article are not recommended for rosacea.

I’ve been a big fan of La Roche Posay’s “Rosaliac” cleanser for years now but lately I haven’t been able to find it in my favourite stores. That is online stores, La Roche Posay is no where to be found in brick-and-mortar stores in Australia at all. If I’m wrong please correct me as I would love to be able to buy it from Australian stores if I need it in a hurry.

Rosaliac is a gel cleanser, and it has a beautiful soothing, cooling feel to it which is perfect for (as the name implies) anyone with Rosacia. If you have Rosacia I strongly recommend it for you, it may be the best cleanser you’ve ever tried. As for me, I am prone to Rosacia but if I avoid alcohol, sugar and spicy food (which is not always) my main skin concern is sensitivity and a compromised lipid barrier that can turn into eczema if I’m not particularly careful with my skincare. Even though Rosacia isn’t my main concern, La Roche Posay’s cleanser for it is simply a favourite for my skin. Living in a hot country made me appreciate the cooling quality as well. So I am pretty annoyed that I can’t find it easily anymore.

Due to the difficulty finding it I tried another of La Roche Posay’s gel cleansers – their “Physiological Cleansing Gel”. This one is indicated for normal to combination sensitive skin and even though the skin on my cheeks and neck can get uncomfortably dry I am also prone to combination skin making finding one single cleanser that does a good job at removing grease and not drying out skin incredibly hard.

My first impression was that it felt exactly like Rosaliac, with less of the cooling feel (but still a fresh and slight cool sensation). So I was very happy about that – no irritation and quite soothing like my good old favourite in a blue bottle. The next two things about it have almost made me think that this trumps my all time favourite. First, it completely removes make up and grease without stripping the skin of oils. There is no rubbing and scrubbing, light circular motions with your finger tips do the trick and I can even use it around the eyes to get rid of some eye make up (although I do recommend using an eye make up remover for that, especially for water proof mascara which this doesn’t remove). The next thing was how smooth and soft my skin feels after using it. It’s like the effect of a retinol cream almost at making the skin feel smoothed out.

Although I use a few different cleansers at any one time to avoid sensitising to ingredients; Physiological Cleansing Gel has become the staple of mine. I have been using it for over a year now with no diminishing returns in it’s ability to smooth and cleanse the skin amazingly. I’m very happy with this one and have broken my posting drought to let readers know about it and how good it’s been for my skin. If you have sensitive skin that can be both quite dry but also a little combination-oily like mine this might be perfect for you too. Great for Rosacia prone skin (like me) but if you suffer from full-blown Rosacia do try to get your hands on the Rosaliac cleanser and give it a try too.

What does all this mean for healing eczema?
I say healing, not curing. Eczema can’t really be cured if it is a tendency of a particular persons physiology, but the aim to keep eczema flare ups from occurring or reducing their incidence and severity is possible. It is also possible to mediate any secondary negative effects or causes, such as malnutrition.
Medical creams for eczema target the inflammatory immune response and tend to be effective at reducing the severity of eczema, but cannot be used to prevent it. Being an immune system over reaction, some might think that avoiding allergens would prevent attacks, but this doesn’t mean going overboard with hygiene since most body and face washes include offending ingredients even though anti-bacterial control is needed (salt baths are a good natural anti-microbial). What also needs to be done it to bolster the bodies natural defences against allergens. Washing the skin too much strips the skin of protective oils and damages the primary barrier between our insides and the external world. General steps to boost the immune system will also help. A helpful list of 20 things you can do to boost your immune system can be found here. I would apply most of these tips to eczema as well. More specifically for eczema, steps need to be taken to prevent inflammation. There are a host of resources available on how to do this, and one of the most common ways is to modify your diet i.e.; cut out refined sugar. If you’ve found that eliminating wheat from your diet has helped your eczema it is probably not because you had a wheat allergy (celiacs disease). It’s more likely to be the follow on reduction in inflammation from that beneficial dietary change. A low sugar, good-fats diet is very important in managing and preventing eczema, as is getting a plentiful and wide range of nutrients to compensate for the drain eczema can have on your body. Being malnourished can also cause eczema as the body lacks the resources to maintain healthy skin and immune responses. Expanding the range of nutrients you get is equally important as avoiding sugary foods in addressing eczema with diet.

Understanding the link between eczema and the immune system allows the solution to be approached more holistically, with good common sense measures to improve overall physical and mental health. Yes, mental health too is linked to immune system health, which is why some of the 20 tips listed in the link above concern stress (14), emotion (5) and friendship (11). With eczema and the immune system so many factors can be involved; which makes it hard to address the cause. The same rules apply concerning skin care – use plenty of emollient creams and cleanse less, but dietary and lifestyle factors that affect immune function should also be targeted.

Have you tried any diet or lifestyle changes to help treat eczema, and if so did they help? Comment to share your experience.

You can buy Avene’s rich compensating cream for around $35 at the Pharamundi store on Amazon below:

You can get this make up on Amazon

In store the hydra-calm cream retails for around $80 but you can find most Ren products on Amazon at prices around $30 cheaper.

P.s. I believe ren means ‘pure’ in Swedish.

The only risk you take in eating an excess of beta carotene is carotenemia, a harmless condition which causes the skin to go a little orange. People with carotenemia are actually rated more attractive than those without it because the skin takes on a nice yellow, orangy glow like a fake tan (but of natural origins).

So, if you suffer cystic acne try the beta carotene loading tactic and as a benefit you can get a nice fake tan look without all the smudgy, smelly gloop involved in the packet fake tan products. Your body will thank you for the extra, natural beta carotene, as will your skin and you will avoid the risks involved in taking vitamin A supplements or medications.

P.S. Although oils aren’t good for eczema prone skin, I recommend using Vitamin E oil on healed acne. It really works to accelerate skin healing and prevent scars. If you have eczema prone skin and need to use Vitamin E to heal acne scars only use it where the acne damage is – not all over your face.