Nonsteroidal Lip Eczema Treatment: Atopiclair Review

 

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

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

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

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

Lip Balm with Peppermint or Menthol: Lip Eczema Big No

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.