Welcome to my Psoriasis menu of trials and tribulations.
I would like you all to take a wild guess of how many treatments I have tried to help heal, soothe or even “cure” my psoriasis? You know I have tried a fair few treatments.
Let’s start with steroid creams
I can already feel some of you saying “ooooo no she didn’t”, or “Why would she even go down this route?”
Steroid creams were the one thing that overnight would just make my psoriasis vanish, it was like magic. For a good couple of years I thought this was my only solution but little did I know how much it would hurt my skin more. I would use steroid creams when my skin would get really bad, or just before attending a wedding because I needed my skin to look as “clear” as possible. But as we all know there is no such thing as clear skin when you have psoriasis, it’s called patchy skin.
I started to notice that this steroid cream would make my skin flare back with a vengeance. My skin would be so sore, itchy and just massively flaky after using it. My psoriasis would get even worse before my period and when I was stressed out. I needed to find another solution.
So next was UV light
Before I got married I had a long chat with my husband and with my dad who was also a dermatologist at the time. I told them my skin had gotten so bad we had to find another way.
I also eventually wanted to have children and I really didn’t want to have any sort of steroid in my blood. So the next thing I tried was UV light. Now this was something I had to get authorised from the specific department at the hospital.
They saw my skin and didn't hesitate to say yes. So for 3 months I had to go once a week. UV light was almost like going into a tanning salon and giving my skin that warmth.
Now did it work? Yes it did.
It cleared up my skin and helped even out my skin tone. I was definitely 2 shades darker in foundation after, but I felt much happier with myself and a lot more confident.
Did UV light help forever? No it did not.
It triggered back once I gave birth to my daughter. I was breastfeeding, my hormones were everywhere, lack of sleep and I was trying to understand what being a mummy was. This made me realise that UV light again is not a cure.
Psoriasis may be able to disappear for a weeks, months and possibly years but if your body is going through change, or if you are mentally going through some hardships, or your diet has changed then this will trigger your psoriasis to come back for sure.
Off the shelf treatments I have tried
I have also tried dovobet ointment and cetraben cream. Cetraben just did not work out for me. It is supposed to help repair the skin barrier by locking in moisture and protect against irritants and water loss. I personally felt like it just didn’t do that for me. It almost left this white shade of cast on my skin and my skin just felt sticky more than anything.
I obviously looked at high street brands for a solution. Now the skincare products I looked into said it would help with psoriasis and eczema. But the fragrance that was in the products was just way too much for my skin to handle.
As much as I loved my skin smelling so lush, the products just never helped. I ended up spending so much money, and I know if you are a psoriasis warrior like me I’m not the only one who's wasted money.
Oh and let's just mention that there's various ingredients in these products that I was just not able to pronounce, I still cannot pronounce.
My psoriasis journey continues...
So this has been my menu of treatments I have used in the past. This has been my journey and my experience with the above products and treatments.
My experience may not be the same as yours, so please consult with your dermatologist before trying any of the above out.
Since launching So Sona Skincare, I have been testing a wide range of natural ingredients. I've blended together ingredients which work for me into what I call my 'little potions'. These have worked amazingly for me. Although they are not a cure, they've helped me control my psoriasis and even prevent flare ups.
If you are like me and want to stick to natural products, do check out So Sona Skincare's range of body butters, soaps and scalp oils.
