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Nonsteroidal Lip Eczema Treatment: Atopiclair Review

2018-03-30T15:02:00.001+08:00

According to Patientinfo.com, use of topical corticosteroids can include the following. (I've summarized them, so click on the link for more detailed info.)

Local Effects:

stinging or burning feeling on initial application
thinning of the skin
stretch marks, bruising, and spidery blood vessels with long-term use
may trigger or worsen other skin disorders (e.g. acne, rosacea, perioral dermatitis)
change in skin color, especially for dark-skinned people
more hair growth around the area of application
development of allergy to the contents of the corticosteroid

Systemic Effects:

some get through the bloodstream
fluid collection in the legs
high blood pressure
bone damage
Cushing's syndrome

I didn't want any of that, or I want to avoid them as much as I could. I especially disliked the thought of thinning skin. I've seen it on my mom who used to apply Dermovate and other corticosteroids on her eczema on her foot. Yes, they were effective, but they also made her skin much more prone to lesions. Also, Since my worst eczema flareup is always on my lips, I dislike the idea of corticosteroid getting in my mouth. It was just unavoidable.

Image Source: atopiclair.com

I got introduced to Atopiclair when they sponsored a forum on eczema at the school where I used to teach. What caught my attention was the fact that it was non-steroidal. So I bought it about 2 years ago and tried it.

My experience:

It was good at relieving itchiness and burning sensations.
Worked as well as corticosteroid cream (Elica was what I used to use).
I didn't worry about reapplying as often as I needed to as it was non-steroidal.
My conditions improved within 3-5 days.

To learn more about the ingredients of Atopiclair, visit their FAQ page: http://www.atopiclairasia.com/faq

I no longer use Atopiclair as I now use more natural options. But would I use it again? Yes, as I find it is effective in treating my eczema flareups especially the itching and burning sensations. Would I recommend it? Yes, especially since you don't need prescription (at least in the Philippines) to buy it. It's a little more expensive than a small tube of Elica, but the Atopiclair tube is much bigger.

Lip Eczema Treatment: My Experiences with Topical Corticosteroids

2017-02-13T09:48:00.003+08:00

Topical corticosteroids are effective in the treatment of eczema, especially lip eczema. I have tried a few of them, and I'd like to share some of my experiences.

Corticosteroids that I've Tried

Elica by Bayer

The first corticosteroid I used was Elica (mometasone furoate). It was prescribed to me by our school physician. I have to say it was very effective. It relieved me of discomfort in a matter of half hour or so.

Oftentimes, my eczema flareup would greatly improve after several days of treatment. She reminded me not to use it for more than 2 weeks. I used it on other areas of my body where I would get eczema flareups, and in 2 days or so, I would see improvement.

Dermatologist Prescribed Hydrocortisone Creams

I've also tried unlabeled hydrocortisone creams prescribed by dermatologists. These are creams that dermatologists carry themselves or they put a sticker on the container with their name on it. Over the three times that I consulted with a dermatologist, I experienced them offering me a hydrocortisone cream they carry. And all these times I bought them.

I didn't like the consistency of these creams. I also didn't find them as fast acting as Elica, so I just went back to using Elica.

Reminder

Please don't take this as a medical advice. You might be allergic to some of the contents of Elica or any hydrocortisone cream. Consult with a trusted doctor or dermatologist first before applying any topical corticosteroid.

I do have to say I have a level of mistrust on Philippine dermatologists, especially since in my experience, I still have yet to meet a dermatologist that really cares. The ones I've met were all just concerned about pushing their products and customers buying the products. They didn't discuss with me options and long-term side effects, especially not in detail.

Anyway, I hope you find this helpful. Let me know your thoughts or your experiences. That just might help other eczema sufferers out there.

Virgin Coconut Oil Brands in the Philippines: a Comparison

2017-02-13T00:37:00.002+08:00

I started using virgin coconut oil more than 2 years ago. I've taken it as food supplement and used it as lotion and moisturizer alternative, and I never went back to using lotion or moisturizer again. In those 2+ years, I've tried a few brands available in the Philippine market, but I always kept coming back to one brand.

First of all, what to look for in selecting pure virgin coconut oil?

explicitly says VIRGIN coconut oil in the packaging
cold pressed
provides manufacturing and expiration dates

How do you tell you're getting good quality VCO? Here are my two best indicators based on my experience:

smell - It should smell coconutty, similar to "latik" (you'd actually end up smelling a bit like food).
taste - You should be able to taste fresh coconut in the oil. Stale coconut oil has a sour taste.

VCO Brand Comparison

Here's a comparison of the three virgin coconut oil brands that I've tried and what I like and don't like about each one of them.

SM Bonus VCO

I tried this brand because I was searching for a cheaper virgin coconut oil. I believe it cost about 149.00 for a 250ml bottle when I bought this about 2 years ago at SM Hypermarket. I only tried it once and used it only a few days.

What I like:

cheapest of the three brands

What I don't like:

smelled like rancid coconut oil mixed with plastic
tasted even worse than it smelled; I couldn't bring myself to swallow it.

Was it effective? I don't know because I couldn't bare to use it any longer. It was a waste of money for me, because at that time, I bought two bottles. I don't know if the SM Bonus VCO quality is like that until now, or it has improved. But I just can't go back to it.

Peter Paul VCO

Image source: Cory Quirino World of Wellness

I bought this at SM Hypermarket as well. It was one of the two brands available at SM. I don't recall how much it cost, but I think it was a little more pricey than SM Bonus VCO, yet a little cheaper than my preferred brand.

What I like:

a little cheaper than my preferred brand

What I don't like:

had a rancid smell like old, stale coconut oil (though not as bad as SM Bonus VCO)
tasted only a little better than SM Bonus, but I could still taste a bit of a sour, stale taste.

ProSource VCO

The image below shows my loyalty to Prosource VCO.
bottle 1: the one I use as moisturizer & lotion

bottle 2: the one I take as supplement

bottle 3: my sister's bottle

Among the three, Prosource is the best brand of VCO that I've tried, and this is the brand I went back to, and I've never changed brands since then.

This costs 195.00 pesos at Mercury Drugstore. At that price, I thought it was a little expensive, hence I started looking for a cheaper brand. But 195.00 for 250 ml that lasts me for more than 2 months as moisturizer and lotion is not expensive at all in my book.

What I like:

the food-like smell I described earlier - the smell of latik
no rancid smell
often comes with a free calming oil
tastes fresh and not sour or stale

What I don't like:

None.

I like Prosource VCO a lot that it's the only brand I recommend to friends and family. One might contend that it was probably that particular batch of SM Bonus or Peter Paul that had gone rancid and not all of it is. But in my POV, that just speaks of the standard of quality that each brand has. And from my experience, Prosource VCO has always maintained its quality. I am sure that every time I buy one from Mercury Drug, I won't buy a bad VCO.

When I was starting, I thought all coconut oil brands are most likely the same, especially since they all claim to be virgin coconut oil. However, that isn't the case with these brands. Maybe you have a different experience than I did. Let me know and comment below.

Affordable Dewart Treatment in Meycauayan at DermDoctor

2017-01-30T14:23:00.001+08:00

Image Source: DermDoctor Facebook account

If you're looking for an affordable dewart treatment and you're within or near Meycauayan, I highly recommend that you go to DermDoctor along Malhacan Road.

Most other clinics either charge you by piece or by area. For example, in one clinic I went to that advertises 50% off, the aesthetician told me that their promo costs only PHP1,500. Sounds cheap right? Wrong. She didn't initially say it was per area. I had to ask if it cost 1,500 for the whole face, and that's when she said 1,500 per area. So I asked, how much for the whole face then, and the cost was a total of 6,000 pesos. Yikes!

Derm Doctor Dewart Package

I asked around different clinics in Meycauayan and SM Marilao. The total costs involved were just too much. Finally, I went to Derm Doctor and learned they offer a package of 2,500 for the whole face and neck. That sold it for me.

On the day of my treatment, I asked how much it would cost to have dewart treatment in my body as well, and the Arnilou, the aesthetician, gave me a discounted total cost of 3,500 including face, neck and torso (front area only). That may sound expensive, but honestly, it's fairly cheap considering the fact that it's for treatment of the face, neck, and front body.

After treatment, Arnilou offered a post treatment cream. (This is pretty standard across the industry.) It's a hydrocortisone cream. In my experience, you don't really need this as the cauterized warts are very tiny and they will just heal on their own. Just don't pick the scabs afterwards. So if you're on a budget, you can just refuse this and save a few hundred bucks.

Other Services

DermDoctor offers many other services that you can avail. Feel free to inquire through their contact numbers below or visit their clinics. Their other services include:

facial therapies
acne therapies
scar correction
skin resurfacing
age-defying procedures
warts removal
hyperpigmentation therapies
hair removal
therapeutic body massage and spa
face and body contouring
whitening, rejuvenating and revitalization IV and oral therapies
hair restoration
premium waxing procedures
vein and keloid therapies

If you want to visit DermDoctor, Meycauayan, here's their location.

DermDoctor Meycauayan is located in front of Jetti gasoline station along Malhacan Rd.
Contact: Arnilou, 0948-028-8774

Other locations:
Main Branch
JP Rizal ST, San Sebastian
Hagonoy, Bulacan
Tel: 044-793-5574

Malolos Branch
SRDC Building, 2nd Flr, Unit 3
Sumapang Matanda, McArthur Highway
Malolos City, Bulacan
Tel: 044-794-9584

How to Remove Rust Stain from Clothes

2014-02-06T20:10:00.002+08:00

I learned this trick and I would like to share this with you. If you live in the Philippines, you don't need to get lemon. You can just use calamansi.

So here are the steps to removing rust stains from clothes:

1. Mix lemon/calamansi with table salt until the consistency is pasty.

2. Spread the mixture on the rust stain and rub lightly.

3. Wait for several minutes (to several hours depending on the severity of the stain) until the stain is dissolved.

4. Wash your clothes as usual.

If the stains don't easily come off, you may have to reapply the mixture until it completely dissolves.
Hope this helps!
:)

Lip Balm with Peppermint or Menthol: Lip Eczema Big No

2014-02-06T20:02:00.001+08:00

Disclaimer: This is solely based on my experience.

A friend gave me Burt's Bees Wax Lip Balm with Peppermint and Soothing Lip Balm with Eucalyptus and Menthol when he visited me once. He knows about my eczema and that the only lip balm that works for me is one made with bees wax. However he couldn't remember if a lip balm with menthol was good for me or not.

I first tried the one with peppermint as I was afraid of using the one with menthol. Initially, the balm gave me a cooling and a bit of pain relief. However, my lips were irritated after a few days of using it. It was not as bad as using a lip balm with menthol, but I decided it was not good for me.

After a few weeks, I tried Burt's Bees with Eucalyptus and Menthol.I knew that menthol lip balm had an adverse effect on me. However, I was curious if it would affect me in the same way. I wanted to see if the brand and how the lip balm was formulated could be the cause. After using the BB balm, I noticed my lips were irritated and red the next day although not as badly as the one sold under Watson's brand. My lips were irritated by they did not swell nor had watery stuff oozing out of the surface of my lips.

My conclusion: avoid using lip balms with peppermint, or menthol whatever the brand is. I am not sure about eucalyptus as I have not used a lip balm that is infused with eucalyptus essence alone.

Lip Eczema and Lip Balms

2013-04-14T14:36:00.004+08:00

It's not easy having lip eczema - endless lip peeling, highly sensitive lips. Not fun. And the worst thing is, eczema has no cure. Your lips may get better and normalize for a certain period of time, then you will have flare ups every now and then which can range from months to years especially during seasonal transitions.

The key thing about lip eczema treatment and management is to avoid irritants and to ALWAYS keep your lips moisturized using a lip balm - never lick your lips to moisturize it as this actually does the opposite.

Here is a list of several lip balms as remedies that I have tried and my experiences with them. Please note that lip balms may react differently to different people. I am just sharing my experiences with them.

Discalimer: this is not a medical advice. It's best to consult with a dermatologist.

Carmex (gel form) - This is the first one that I have tried. It gives a cool numbing sensation. I found this especially good during my worst flare ups. Carmex felt like a sort of anesthetic to pain due to irritation. Also, it gave relief when my lips were extremely itchy. However, after a while, I felt like it wasn't effective to me anymore. So I switched it with another lip balm

Get Carmex on Amazon.com

Nivea Fruity Lip Balm (Strawberry) - This used to be my staple lip balm before I had lip eczema. It actually did a good job of moisturizing my lips before. However, it didn't give me the kind of treatment that I needed. I guess this okay for ordinary moisturization needs.
Nivea Lip Therapy- Like most lip balms, this is petroleum jelly based. Since it said lip therapy, I tried it. However, I saw very minimal improvement in my lips' condition using this lip balm.
Human Nature Natural Lip Balm - This was the best lip balm that I have ever used. I still am using this until now. After trying the other lip balms, I thought okay, I'll look for a lip balm with beeswax as advised by my then-bf. One day, my sis made me try her lip balm. I looked at the website of Human Nature and read that their lip balm is made of beeswax instead of petrolatum. Luckily, I realized that their shop is just a walking distance away from work. My lips have improved greatly. It has rather normalized for as long as I regularly apply the lip balm.
Watsons menthol lip balm - I bought this lip balm at the mall because I ran out of lip balm and the Human Nature shop was already closed when I dropped by after work. The first time I used it, my lips felt weird. On my second application at home a few hours later, I felt like my lips were becoming swollen, saw some water-like ooze coming out of my lips - like my lips were sweating. After a while, my lips looked really swollen. Then the next day, they were very itchy. It was a bad idea. I then learned in an article that menthol/mint lip balms are actually irritating for people with lip eczema. So, please avoid menthol lip balms if you have lip eczema.

If you have lip eczema like I do, maybe you should give any beeswax based lip balm a try. And I suggest that you use Human Nature's lip balm because it's the only one that has worked perfectly for me.

My Lip Eczema Experiences

2013-04-14T14:08:00.002+08:00

I have lip eczema. First it came out just a small, round, dark patch on my upper lip a few years ago. I thought it was nothing. Until it first became bad last year. My whole lips were peeling endlessly, they turned dark in color, and were often itchy to uncomfortably painful when very irritated.

So i started reading what my condition could possibly be. Since it was peeling endlessly, I thought could it possibly be eczema? I did a Google search of eczema images, turned out they look very similar to my condition. That's when I realized there is actually lip eczema - that you can have eczema on the lips. I kept on reading for what can trigger lip eczema. Some include:

cosmetics
toothpaste
extreme weather conditions (too hot or too cold)
food

I thought, could it be the toothpaste I was using? Back then, I was using Colgate with liquid calcium. I thought maybe it was harsh for me so I stopped using it. After that, my lips started getting better, but not well. It still kept peeling, just not as bad as before.

One time, I told my then-bf about my eczema. He told me to get Carmex or any lip balm that has beeswax. I then searched on ebay for Carmex and found a seller. I tried Carmex for several months, though my lips got better, they still felt not okay.

Then that summer we went to Camiguin Island, did some island hopping and of course snorkeling. My lips felt bad the day after, and worse as days went on. Turns out, saltwater can aggravate lip eczema too. I kept on using Carmex, until I read somewhere that Carmex shouldn't be used for a long time. I forgot why. Maybe you can just do your own research about it.

Anyway, I read that unfortunately, lip eczema has no cure. All you can do is avoid irritants so you don't have flareups and ALWAYS keep your lips moisturized. It pays to have a good lip balm.

I'll write another post on my experiences with different lip balms.

Removing Mildew Stain from Colored Clothes

2012-08-22T13:09:00.001+08:00

I was preparing my laundry yesterday when I saw that my new tie-dyed Dr. Pig t-shirt that I had worn only once had mildew stains all over it. So I searched online to look for solutions on how to remove mildew stains from clothes.

There are many resources available most of which advised to do several steps and repeating them all over again. But what I followed was using vinegar and hot water. Hot water will kill the mildew and so will the vinegar. I thought that's a powerful combo without the discoloring effect of bleach.

Here's what I did.

Part 1

1. I boiled a pot of water then poured it into a small basin.

2. I mixed a cup of vinegar with the water then immersed my t-shirt in it.

3. I placed a heavy glass plate to press down the t-shirt to fully submerge it in the mixture.

4. I left it soaked for about 3 hours (mainly because I was doing other things. Others say 1 hour is enough. But I wanted to be sure also.)

5. I washed the t-shirt in the mixture by hand targeting the areas with lots of mildew. (I noticed the mixture getting dark in color. My t-shirt came-out free from mildew after this.)

Part 2

1. I rinsed the t-shirt to remove the vinegar smell.

2. Soaked the t-shirt in a detergent overnight. (Because I was sleepy and tired already. 30 minutes should do it.)

3. I washed it to make sure no stains are left, then rinsed it.

4. Dried it under the sun to make sure any mildew pore residue would be killed.

It actually is simpler than I had enumerated. Just 2 parts: Washing with hot-water-vinegar solution, then washing with detergent. This is a good option if you have asthma or are allergic to mold and mildew like me. Most advice to scrub the fabric outside of your house, but that wasn't an option for me because of the spores that I could inhale. That's why I soaked the t-shirt without pretreating or brushing it.

Diamond Peel During Period?

2012-03-16T17:05:00.000+08:00

If you're wondering if it's okay to get a diamond peel treatment when you have a period, the answer is NO.

Take it from me, I speak from experience.

My fourth session for diamond peeling fell on a day during my period. I searched around if it's okay to have the treatment during one's period. Although a lot have said that one should not have it during their period, there were some who said it was okay. It had been 3 weeks since my last treatment and I had been itching to have the treatment, so I went and had it.

During the whole treatment, I realized that it was a mistake that I went that day. My tolerance for pain was low. My skin was extra sensitive. Each time the wand touched my skin, I felt serious pain. I felt worry from my facialist. (I didn't tell her I was in the middle of my period.) When I got home, I understood why. There were bruises on my face on some areas that were touched by the wand.

Why don't I recommend getting a diamond peel treatment during your period?

Your skin becomes extra sensitive to the pain.
Your blood easily clots during your period so you will get bruises easily.

However, if you still want to go for it despite my warnings, go ahead. If you don't mind the extra sensitivity or if you don't suffer from that during your period, as well as if you don't bruise easily during your period, then go ahead. But what's a few more days' wait?

Diamond Peel Effects

2012-03-04T11:49:00.000+08:00

Initial Effects

After my first session, I felt my skin way cleaner than it used to. My skin no longer felt grainy. That night, my pores really looked tight. They looked diminished. I get this effect every time I had a session.

On the first few days after my first session, I had some tiny breakouts. However, they're not the usual big pimples that I had before. This is usually happens on the first week after a session. This gets better though on the next week.

I noticed that you will appreciate more the effects of diamond peel a week after you had your session. You get clearer skin and you don't have breakouts anymore. I guess this is why experts advise not to have a facial treatment a week before a special occasion such as a wedding. Facials should be done at least 2 weeks before.

Long Term Effects

Since I had a diamond peel treatment, I never had bad breakouts again. I never had large pimples anymore. My skin pores have minimized. And my face doesn't feel grainy anymore.

Another noticeable effect is that my eye wrinkles have diminished. Before treatment, I had these nasty lines around my eyes when I smile. But since I had the treatment, I noticed that they have greatly diminished.

The best long-term effect? My acne scars have shallowed. I have only had 8 treatments so far, but the effects are very visible. I hope to get a picture soon so I can show you how much better my facial scars have become.

Right now I am saving up for my next 6 sessions. I availed the 7 sessions promo once more but I have only paid half of it during my last visit. I can't wait to see the effects after 14 sessions. I know it will be great!

Diamond Peel First Session

2012-02-14T00:02:00.000+08:00

July 23, 2011

My first session of diamond peeling at Dermstrata. I have read before in another blog that unlike other facial clinics, Dermstrata gives one a thorough facial first, which was one of the reasons why I chose the spa. True enough, the whole facial took longer than the actual diamond peeling procedure. The facial was to prepare my skin for the skin peeling so the blackheads would be easier to remove and there will be less chance of infecting the skin.

My facialist was April of the Dermstrata SM Marilao Branch. How she treated my face was way beyond my expectation. She was very thorough in cleaning my face, not missing my jaw line, not like other facialists who scrub your face just to say that they did. It felt like she could see all the dirt and sebum on my face and that her sole purpose in life was to remove them. She was by far the best facialist I've met.

The facial has several steps:

Cleansing - She washed my face first with cotton pads wet with water, then applied a liquid facial cleanser; then, washed the cleanser off with wet cotton pads again.
Facial Scrub - After washing the cleanser off, she applied a facial scrub that has microbeads in it to remove dead skin cells; then washed it off with cotton pads again.
Steam - She applied another cream on my face and gave it a little massage. She then put moist cotton pads on my eyes and a gauze to protect my eyes from the heat of the steam. She then left with the steam aimed at my face for about 15-20 mins. The process is to open up the pores and loosen sebum.
Blackhead/Pimple Extraction - After the steaming, she wiped off excess moist from my face. She first scraped my face of small blackheads that were making my face feel grainy centimeter by centimeter using a pimple extractor. Back then, everytime I rub my face with my fingers, I could collect tiny blackheads and whiteheads. I also had several pimples that she pricked and extracted the sebum. The pricking wasn't bothersome as she used a very fine sterile disposable needle (I think. I mean, I couldn't see what the tools looked like as my eyes were closed the whole time.) After the extraction which took about 30 minutes because I had lots then, she showed me all the sebum she had collected. It was really gross!
Vacuuming - After removing the sebum, she vacuumed my face to remove stray dirt or blackhead out of my face.
Laser - I'm not sure what this is for, but she used a laser rod all over my face and covered my eyes with moist pads again.
Mask - She put a gauze and covered my face with a cream for the mask. It was a cold cream. It's for moisturization, I believe. The mask was left on my face for around 10-15 mins.
Diamond Peeling - After the long wait, finally it's done. She ran the microdermabrasion rod on my face centimeter by centimeter starting on my forehead to my temples, my cheeks, my chin, and my jaw line. The sensation wasn't seriously painful. It was tolerable. After this process, she showed me all the dead skin cells that have accumulated . It was gross. About 2 millimiters thick.
Cold Press - After the diamond peeling, she wiped my face with her hands like she was wiping dust off ot it. She then applied a cold cream and then ran the cold press on my face. This I believe was to close and tighten the pores.
Bonus Massage - After lying on the bed for over an hour, I felt my back tired. It was a good thing that she gave me a massage after the whole session. I felt reinvigorated after the massage.

Those are the steps in the diamond peeling process in Dermstrata. I realized after the first session that the service was well worth my money. Yay!

Diamond Peel at Dermstrata

2012-02-13T14:37:00.000+08:00

I have acne scars that I got from pricking them when I was in my early twenties. I had a late acne breakout. I never broke out when I was a teen. But I guess I had a serious hormonal change in my early twenties that I had acne break out, leg hair thickening, and breast cyst all within a period of 2 years.

I was never really conscious of my acne scars except when I see them in the mirror. I had wished for a way to remove them. Until I heard from a colleague that one of our colleagues has a better skin texture because of a diamond peel. Since then it would cross my mind that maybe it would be the best solution for me (I didn't like chemical peeling; it scares me.)

I never really thought of getting a diamond peel until I got promoted and received a raise because I knew it entails money. So, I searched around for a good, effective, yet affordable diamond peel. I learned that there are spas that offer diamond peeling for as low as 500, but I have read also that a lot of these actually do not use diamond crystals but regular crystals. And then I came across a blog about Dermstrata diamond peeling. I read some more and finally decided I'm going for Dermstrata diamond peeling.

Going for My Diamond Peel Treatment

I went to Dermstrata SM Marilao branch and had my first session on July 23. I learned from the blogs that Dermstrata offers discount if you avail 3, 5, or 7 sessions at a time. Initially wanted to avail only 3 sessions just to try it out so I paid 2,700 for the 3 sessions. Each session is for 1,200, discounted to 900/session if you avail 3 at once. (Please check with the clinic for the promo and price.)

The receptionist warned me though that diamond peeling doesn't really remove deep acne scars, but it can only make it shallow. I appreciated her honesty.

Before my first session started, April, the facialist, asked me if I would like to avail of their promo of 7 sessions for 5950. That makes 850/session. At fist, I didn't like that it was the first thing she told me. I was thinking hmp, another sales offer. So I told her, okay, I'll think about it. But then I knew beforehand that to see the most results, you need around 12-14 sessions. So, since I like the service she gave me, I decided to avail the 7 sessions.

I am glad that it was April who was my facialist, she was really good. I highly recommend her. I told her I will look for her on my next session.

I will share my diamond peeling sessions on my next articles in this blog.