Sometimes, When Nothing Works - Reset

Moisturizers, healing salves, steroid creams, light therapy, supplements…

There are so many products and things that we can do to our skin that promise great results, and the more the better right? At least, that is the mentality that I grew up with. If a little is good, a lot must be better!

A lose-lose situation

But, in my experience, that has not always been the case. Probably the best and most relatable example that I can share in the eczema community of this model not being true, is the prescription and use of steroid creams, ointments, and pills.

Ever since I started connecting with the eczema community online, particularly on Instagram, never did I hear so many stories of failure from people who used steroid after various steroid product, without any relief.

A faulty default plan

It seemed the more a steroid product was used, the higher the concentration needed for it to work. This meant that you needed to buy more of the product, which ends up adding to your budget over time.

It is definitely a lose-lose situation. I honestly don't know why dermatologists still revert to steroids as the default or initial plan when it comes to treating eczema.

The good, the bad, and the ugly

Another example is eating healthy food and using dietary supplements. Even when it comes to consuming superfood, you can still overdo it.

The bad and the ugly

At the very least, you may get a really bad stomach ache from not keeping your appetite in balance with your desire to heal. Sometimes, if you cleanse out your system with really healthy food, all of a sudden and at a high rate, it can induce a healing crisis.

This can make you feel worse at first because all the toxins are being purged so quickly, that many of them dislodge and come to the surface. Usually, it occurs in various forms, including the appearance of worsening skin symptoms, when in fact it's just supercharging your skin's ability to detox.

Ending on a good note

Eventually, you will run out of toxins to purge. This allows for healthy skin to show through if you stick through the end of the healing crisis, however long it may last.

But, if you are not already aware of such a thing as a healing crisis, you might then think that the first day or two of worsening symptoms is a sign that superfood and cleansing herbs are just a bunch of hocus-pocus. And you haven't given them the time and chance to show you what they can really do over the long-term perhaps in more moderate amounts.

Words of wisdom

When it comes to vitamins and supplements, we only need a certain amount per day to keep our body functioning and healing at a healthy pace.

Less is more

I share these examples because I want to show that the old adage “less is more” is still very much true to this day. In my experience, if my skin is not doing well, no matter how much moisturizer I put on, how many healing herbs and digestion-supportive foods I'm consuming, or if my stomach is not feeling well, sometimes the best thing you can do for your healing process is to take a break.

In a way, it's sort of like "skin fasting" which in my experience feels like doing a reset. Sometimes it is the break, space, and air that our skin needs to continue to progress towards a stronger and more supple existence.