The last few winters, I’ve been worried my facial eczema would reappear since the colder weather is definitely a trigger for me. But it has been a few years now since I’ve suffered from the redness, bumps and relentless itching that caused me to change my skincare approach for good. And, I'm ready to share my story.
When I was a kid I had eczema on my arms and legs. It was itchy as hell and my nonstop scratching left embarrassing red patches. When I was a teenager, I even resorted to using a hairbrush to scratch my skin (!) which, of course, made the whole thing so much worse.
Things changed for me in college, just not really for the better. The painful itching and soreness came rushing back, triggered by stress and exacerbated by the dry, forced air in the dorms and by my allergies. Only now, the eczema rash appeared around my eyes, nose and neck. And once it appeared, it seemed impossible to clear up.
I visited dermatologist after dermatologist for my facial eczema, and tried prescription steroid creams and non steroid creams—which sometimes helped but mostly just burned. I tried more natural treatments too, from baking soda and oatmeal to petroleum jelly. And I tested over-the-counter moisturizers of all kinds from Origins and Kiehl’s to Clinique and La Mer.
Along the way, I also went for calming facials, hydrating facials and every promising treatment mask you can think of. Sometimes, in improved in the short team, but honestly most of the time it actually came right back.
While I searched hopefully for something that would work, I covered the rash and the flaky skin with makeup and waited for the flare-up to pass. Sometimes they would last only a few days, but other times they would last months.
This went on for most of my adult life until one particular time in my late 40s.
I had recently dropped a ton of money at Sephora on my latest hopeful solution—a clean beauty skincare regimen of moisturizing serums, creams and oils. I was surprised, frustrated and dejected to discover that each and every product left my skin burning, tight, and visibly damaged. I was at the end of hope, and as I looked around I found that there was nothing left in my bathroom cabinet to even relieve the soreness and discomfort.
Which is why, a little later that same evening, I found myself standing in my kitchen, my phone open on a research study proclaiming the skincare benefits of avocado oil. In desperation (and pain) I carefully patted it onto my irritated skin. The soothing relief was immediate. The two research studies I found noted that avocado oil used topically was proven to hydrate the skin, protect it against oxidative stress and help it heal through its rich nutrients and fatty acids. My skin told me that it felt better and healthier than it had in many years.
That experience led me to look at the concept of skincare differently. I stopped looking for the latest miracle in a bottle and instead concentrated on caring for my skin in ways that would help nourish it back to health.
And that, as you probably guessed, sparked the creation of Avoila Nourishing Face Oil and the skincare company, Avoila. You can read more about our founder's journey here.
Today, even after years of using Avoila Nourishing Face Oil every morning and evening, my well-nourished skin no longer reacts to the triggers like stress, harsh weather and dryness, that used to cause eczema flare ups and even breakouts. And it is protected against oxidative stress--which exacerbates the signs of aging on the skin.
I owe this to the nutrient-rich, balanced formulation that combines Avocado Oil with ingredients such as Camellia Seed Oil, Sea Buckthorn Oil and Kalahari Melon Oil.
In hindsight, it makes sense: we can nourish our bodies to build immunity, improve health and prolong youthfulness, so wouldn’t those same nutrients, blended carefully and applied topically, boost our skin’s immunity and health? The answer is an unequivocal, well-researched and peer-reviewed yes.
*https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3614059/, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11586013/
