Rock bottom
In my 20s I barely thought about looking after my body. I am very much a “yes” person and as a result
found myself running from pillar to post, juggling a non-stop, demanding job as a fundraiser for an arts
charity as well as a very busy social life with hardly any pauses in between. I just expected my body to go
along with it.
Which was why I was surprised when it started to send out warning signals that it wasn’t very happy! I
would often catch colds, would regularly feel exhausted and then my skin started to complain.
Eczema
At first it was just eczema patches on my elbows, which I thought I could sort out with a special cream,
which did help a bit, but it kept coming back. It would get itchier and itchier, and I couldn’t help scratching
at night in my sleep.
Then the eczema spread and kept spreading until it was virtually all over me. When it was at its worst,
my face was red raw and super dry, to the point where I couldn’t go out in the evening without taking
some moisturiser to soothe my skin.
All during this time I sought out help from my GP (who prescribed hydrocortisone creams and steroids),
and when that didn’t work, I tried every alternative therapy under the sun, from homeopathy (which I
really believe in usually) to reflexology.
Nothing worked.
I couldn’t work it out. I didn’t eat junk food, was young and fairly fit, so why was my body so blatantly
upset?!
And then I went to see an acupuncturist, after a recommendation from a friend who knew of someone
who had been healed of psoriasis by acupuncture.
I instantly liked the acupuncturist, who was called Nancy. She seemed to get the measure of me straight
away. I had a gut feeling that she was going to sort me out, and it was such a huge relief!
After this appointment I didn’t stop crying for about 4 hours, and I couldn’t explain why! I felt utterly
exhausted and had to call off sick from work and just went home to my parents to be looked after for a
few days. My skin seemed worse at first, but I had a sense that this was a good sign. After 3 sessions my
skin started to improve, then after about a year of consistent treatments it had gone away altogether,
never to return!
The beauty of retrospect
In retrospect it is really obvious that I had burnt myself out! I was working all the hours of the day fundraising for a well-known orchestra (with a huge fundraising target), was super-stressed from my crazy life in London, living in a really dodgy neighbourhood, always late for things and trying to be all things to all people. I also wasn’t happy in my relationship at the time.
Yet despite all this I was in denial! I thought I was happy! I thought I loved my job, I thought I loved my boyfriend and my life! My body knew differently. It knew that this wasn’t my true path and I was super-stressed and exhausted! Thanks to acupuncture, and also shiatsu massage which I was also introduced to at this time, I started my path back to health.
What did my recovery look like?
It was complicated, and involved lots of changes! This included taking Chinese herbs, having regular
acupuncture and shiatsu massage, using quality skincare, wearing natural fabrics, using non-bio washing
powder and less toxic products in my home, eating more green leafy veg, taking a tonic, doing yoga (this
was key), getting back into singing with choirs, learning which food I was intolerant to (I did a blood test…
happy to provide more info), and also changing my overall lifestyle. I split up with my boyfriend, changed
my job, moved to live in Brighton, in my own flat. And then I met the love of my life….Charlie!
Even though I was commuting to London, living in Brighton was so good for me. I had started to listen to
myself more, and what I wanted from life.
I had regular acupuncture for about 2 years (my acupuncturist was like a mentor as well as a therapist),
and studied shiatsu massage for 3 years, qualifying in 2004. I also have been doing yoga and singing
regularly ever since then, and they have been beneficial in so many ways. In particular helping me to
breathe better! I think when I was living in London I used to hold my breath a lot, as there was a lot of
exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke in the environments where I lived and worked.
The Third Lung
Traditional Chinese Medicine nick-named the skin the “Third Lung”, seeing it as the guard and gateway
to the body – the barrier between our internal and external world. Often lung issues and skin issues go
hand in hand.
If you yourself struggle with skin issues, make sure you are breathing properly. You can find yoga/
meditation breathing exercises on youtube, which I highly recommend.
When it comes to some symptoms of stress, like those associated with the skin, I do think that Traditional
Chinese Medicine, which includes acupuncture and shiatsu massage, is the best solution, as it has a
completely holistic approach. It looks at the whole person. We are such complicated beings, so it makes
sense to find out the root causes of a symptom like eczema, which could be many!
Gut health
Since learning more about this area, it is obvious that when I had bad eczema, and was intolerant to lots
of foods (which I am no longer intolerant to), I had chronic inflammation in my gut which was stopping me
from absorbing nutrients from my food. Gut issues often show up in the skin. Yet no-one suggested that I
take probiotics. I honestly think that these would have sped up my recovery! I now take them every day
and have noticed a major difference in my energy levels, mental clarity and immunity (I can’t remember
that last time I was properly ill).
Why I’m grateful I had eczema
Developing chronic eczema was actually one of the best things to happen to me! It made me take stock,
look at my life and work out what was right for me, and change what wasn’t working.
Since having children in 2007 and 2008 I have made healthy living my priority and my business! I have
been working part-time as a shiatsu massage practitioner for 20 years, which I love and find deeply
rewarding. I have helped to ease/ cure the following symptoms: eczema, insomnia, back and joint pain,
asthma, labour, sciatica, IBS, and other stress-related symptoms.
I became a reiki healer 12 years ago, and then 4 years ago decided to build a business from my love of
Arbonne’s vegan, no-nasties skincare, makeup and nutrition and become a health and wellness
consultant with this brand. I’ve been using these products for 8 years now and have seen a major
improvement in my skin, energy and overall health as a result.
We all have the power to make daily decisions to thrive, and not just survive! The path of conscious
living means examining the small details in our life, and intentionally choosing what is right for us, as
individuals. These small shifts, through purposeful choices, can create big impacts.
Thanks to some major changes, but primarily some small daily changes to my lifestyle, I have never had
a flare-up of my eczema, in 20 years. I’m also the healthiest and happiest I’ve ever felt, and I’m 49!
If you are currently struggling with skin issues please get in touch, and I’ll be happy to share more
specifics about what worked for me, plus more about the Arbonne products that have been particularly
beneficial for my skin and overall health.
When you have eczema for a while you begin to feel that you will have to cope with it for the rest of your
life. That nothing will fix it. I firmly believe that this just isn’t true!
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