Jennifer is great at looking at eczema - and all the challenges it brings - from multiple different angles. Most recently, in collaboration with food allergy singer/songwriter Kyle Dine, she created The Eczema Song, hoping to bring fun relief to kids and parents coping with the daily stresses of eczema. Check out the song below and keep reading for a Q & A with Jennifer. I asked her to answer a few questions about herself and the company, and to offer some tips for anyone currently struggling with eczema.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and how The Eczema Company came to be?
Sure! My son, Tristan, had
severe eczema that peaked when he was three years old. Up until that point
(he’d had eczema from birth), we’d unwillingly tried topical steroids out of
sheer desperation, but they just weren’t the answer for Tristan. Around his
third birthday we discovered, through a series of elimination diets, that
multiple foods seemed to be triggering his flare ups. Once we removed these,
his skin improved by 95% within days! It was incredible. Getting there was far
from easy. We spent a lot of time and money researching natural eczema
treatments to try. Ultimately, we found what worked for us and wanted to help
other families going through the same struggles with eczema.
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| Photo Credit: http://www.viviandoan.com |
Most of the time I try them out on both my children, as well as
myself. My daughter and I have mild eczema from time to time and Tristan still
flares occasionally. We also look for feedback on products that work well from
our customers. We’re always open to trying new products if they have a good
track record with eczema!
For
someone just beginning to deal with eczema, where would you suggest they start?
I’d definitely suggest looking into dietary triggers. This can
be either true food allergies or more commonly food sensitivities, which are
harder to test for. The best way to know if a food is irritating the skin is to
eliminate it from the diet for a few weeks to one month. In small children,
it’s best to do this under the care of a health practitioner. Common foods that
trigger eczema are: dairy, gluten, eggs, soy, peanuts and tree nuts. These are
a good place to start when thinking about an elimination diet, but really, any
food can trigger eczema. And it’s not always just food. Laundry products are
very irritating. I’d recommend moving away from ALL detergents – natural or
not. Try soap nuts or a mineral ball like SmartKlean Laundry Ball as a good
alternative. Probiotics and fish oils are excellent supplements to consider
adding to the diet as well. These can help to rebalance the gut flora, where an imbalance has recently been linked to eczema and many other health conditions.
How
about advice for a frustrated someone who feels like they’ve tried it all?
Eczema is hard! There is nothing easy about it. You have every
right to feel frustrated by it, but know that you are not alone. There are
amazing support groups you can reach out to with National Eczema Association in
the US and Eczema Society in Canada. Having a good support network is essential
and so is keeping a journal to track your progress, setbacks, feelings, etc.
Not only will it keep you organized, but it helps with stress too! Just know
that healing takes time, it will not happen overnight, so be gentle with
yourself and take care of your body from the inside out.
Out
of everything you’ve used, is there one product or tip you and your family
can’t live without?
One,
no….but three, yes! ScratchMeNotmittens saved us in the early days when Tristan couldn’t sleep well because
he would scratch himself through the night. He couldn’t pull off these mittens,
so his skin could begin to repair itself over night. Love these!
Wet
Wrapping helped us during the most hopeless time. It’s amazing how soaking and
sealing the skin for a few hours, a few times a day, can really help restore
moisture to the skin like nothing else would. While this wasn’t a long term
solution, it provided Tristan’s skin the break it desperately needed during the
worst of times. Read about how to wet wrap the skin HERE.
Manuka Honey Skin Cream is our family’s favorite skin cream, which is why I recommended it to
you, Caitie. It has a really unique texture – in between a balm and a cream –
that is so lovely and moisturizing. The Manuka honey and oil make it very
healing, so it’s great for eczema, dry or chapped skin, wounds and more.
Thanks Jennifer for taking the time to answer my questions!
Jennifer will also be giving away a Manuka Honey Skin Cream to one lucky North American (US/Canada) reader! I reviewed the cream last year and can wholeheartedly vouch for how great it is, not only for eczema, but for any kind of skin sensitivity or irritation.
Follow the steps in the Rafflecopter widget to enter:
Thanks Jennifer for taking the time to answer my questions!
Jennifer will also be giving away a Manuka Honey Skin Cream to one lucky North American (US/Canada) reader! I reviewed the cream last year and can wholeheartedly vouch for how great it is, not only for eczema, but for any kind of skin sensitivity or irritation.
Follow the steps in the Rafflecopter widget to enter:
