H A N N A S I L L I T O E

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Ever been kept awake by itchy, painful skin? I know that feeling. At it's worse, my psoriasis and eczema was so itchy and painful I would wake ten to fifteen times a night. It was hell. Each time I'd wake I would try and get comfortable again or slather on more creams to re-hydrate my dry, itchy skin. 

It wasn't just the physical aspect of my skin condition. The horrible psychological elements would keep me awake too. Worrying about what to wear to a friends party, stressing over a date, even something as simple as racking my brains for an excuse to get out of my hair appointment because my scalp was in such an itchy, flakey mess. 

I appreciate it does not sound like a pleasant emotional cycle. Stressing over a skin condition which is ultimately made worse by stress! So it's understandable that new research has established this connection between sleepless nights and psoriasis. 

Researchers evaluated patients seen Toronto Western...

When it comes to psoriasis, there are often stories that make me shed a tear. A relatable comment about the emotional burden of the disease or the desperation someone feels in constantly dealing comments and stares. And when it comes to children suffering the itching and pain of this horrible skin condition, my heart absolutely goes out to them and their families. 

Little Charlie Nagy from Arizona is just 19 months old. Her mum Ashley shared her story online in the hope that it would educate their community on Charlie's skin condition. More than anything she's keen to stress it's not a skin disease that can be passed from person to person via skin to skin contact.  

Ashley, who works in property, explains: ‘Strangers can be very cruel about it, when we’ve taken her to the playground the parents of other children have dragged their kids away thinking she’s contagious.'

The couple call Charlie their ‘Unicorn Baby’ to reinforce how unique...

Shocking research suggests that lotions and creams labelled as 'hypoallergenic' may not be as pure and natural as the label would imply.

Roughly 83 percent of moisturisers labeled “hypoallergenic” contained at least one ingredient believed to potentially cause allergic reactions, the study found. And 45 percent of products claiming to be “fragrance free” actually contained a fragrance or a botanical ingredient.

Furthermore, many of the moisturisers contained chemicals known as parabens, which can cause rashes and worsen skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

This means patients can’t assume that moisturisers marketed as hypoallergenic, fragrance-free or even dermatologist-recommended will actually help skin conditions, said lead study author Dr. Steve Xu of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

“Ultimately, there is no such thing as a zero-risk cosmetic product,” Xu said by email.

“For moisturisers, white...

Guest Post by Sania @ The Smart Women Blog

5 Essential Oils that can transform Your Skin

Essential oils are being used as remedies for the skin and many other ailments since the days of old. Even now, science has proven that there are a number of benefits these oils impart on your skin, which is why essential oils are very often found in skincare products.

Seriously, every good face mask, face wash, scrub and serum boasts about essential oils being an integral component. If you want to achieve radiant skin with the help of essential oils, here are my top five favourites;

Lavender

Lavender has been known far and wide for its soothing and calming qualities. Lavender has excellent abilities as massage oil but it works wonders for your face too. If you have scar tissue forming on your skin, if you have blemishes from the sun or if you want to clean a wound or a small cut, you can use this oil.

Also just dab a few spots of the oil on your face and massage gently for instant stress...

Living with psoriasis for 25 years means I've heard, read and seen some of the most weird and wonderful purported cures. From well meaning friends who excitedly email over the latest breakthrough in autoimmune disease to sensationalised newspaper headlines which I must admit inspired hope in my most desperate times! Not one of them ever really amounted to much, but I found them intriguing all the same.

This week scientists claim the venom from fire ants could be our salvation. Researchers at the Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta used a skin cream made of solenopsins - the toxic component carried by the fire ants - to help combat symptoms of the skin condition in mice.

The trial concluded that the mice treated with solenopsins cream, saw a 30% reduction in the thickening of their skin. The solenopsin compounds also dampened the production of the inflammatory signal IL-22, believed to make the condition worse.

Lead author of the study Dr Jack Arbiser said: 'We...

I received an email last week from a lady asking for advice. That in itself is not unusual, sharing my story has enabled me to connect with people all around the world and help them make lifestyle changes that will ultimately reflect in their wellbeing and skin. 

What made me take note was the 'sent from' email address. This lady - I'll call her Rachel - is a qualified Doctor.

I tried my best to answer Rachel's questions, whilst all the time having a thousand of my own. I was never very academically minded so the opportunity to become a doctor would not ever have been even a remote possibility for me. But to possess this hard earned knowledge alongside a curiosity to understand natural healing methods is such an impressive conjunction. 

I asked Rachel to stay in touch and yesterday her incredibly powerful email made me cry. With her permission I wanted to share it with you, as I believe it highlights just how cold and clinical the skin treatment...

STRESS & SKIN

When it comes to healing your skin condition, I like to consider the body as a whole. I talk a lot about the incredibly calming benefits a healthy anti-inflammatory diet can have on skin, but it’s equally important to calm the mind. Easier said than done right? It’s very simple to ask someone to cut gluten or dairy or sugar from their diet, but I used to hate people suggesting to me that I ‘stopped getting stressed’. Like it was a switch I could simply turn off and on. Had it been that simple I would of course have turned my stress off. Problem solved. But the mind is a complex thing and unfortunately it’s not quite as simple as that.

When we consider the correlation between mental wellbeing and skin, there are hundreds of studies indicating a close correlation. Healing the mind can often be a huge step forward in healing the skin.

Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, MD, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine in...

Many people who speak to me about their skin condition, often express a sadness that their doctor or derm fails to acknowledge the emotional impact their skin is having on their life. 

MIND, BODY & SKIN

It's interesting, the mind and body have for a long time been considered as almost two separate entities. Whilst it's sometimes accepted that a skin condition might cause stress, it's less commonly considered that anxiety might be the very thing responsible for our skin problems. 

The fact is, in reality mental disorders and physical diseases frequently go hand in hand. For the first time, psychologists at the University of Basel and Ruhr University Bochum have identified temporal patterns in young people;

• arthritis and diseases of the digestive system are more common after depression
• anxiety disorders tend to be followed by skin diseases

Findings from the study suggest that depression may be a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases such as high...

Are you struggling to cover the cost of your skin care medication? You're not alone. According to the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF), one in three people with psoriasis have trouble paying for the cost of care.

A new study has found the price of some widely prescribed creams and pills for skin problems has risen rapidly over the past 5 years. In some cases as much as 400%

Psoriasis medications can run into the thousands of dollars. A tube of topical psoriasis medications might cost between $500 and $600. And biologics, a relatively new class of treatment for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, can run $15,000 to $20,000 or more a year.

So what are the options if you're struggling to cover the cost of medication?

1. Check your health insurance policy; In some cases, getting your prescriptions by mail order can be less expensive than getting them from the pharmacy.

2. Invest in a home light therapy unit; If you have a $50 co-pay for doctor’s office visits and...

KIM KARDASHIAN'S PSORIASIS PHOTOSHOOT 

Have you seen the video of Kim K openly sporting her psoriasis on this latest photoshoot? Interestingly when the finished photographs appeared in the press the patches had been airbrushed away to perfectly smooth, flawless skin.

Take a look at this behind the scenes video which shows the photoshoot in action.

Okay, so we all know celebs are fans of photoshop, and who can blame Kim for taking advantage of the airbrush. Clever shadowing and smoothing has erased any sign of her skin problem. But what's a girl to do? Kim has already said she's learned to live with her psoriasis and no longer makes an effort to cover up the condition in public. 

'I don't even really try to cover it that much anymore,' she wrote on her app KimKardashianWest.com 'Sometimes I just feel like it's my big flaw and everyone knows about it, so why cover it?' 

'Everyone with psoriasis has different symptoms; sometimes the rashes are itchy, sometimes they're...