We put the word out on Instagram, and 47% of you said that you experience eczema.
Those of you who currently have eczema, or have had it in the past, will be familiar with how it impacts your everyday life both from the physical discomfort and the way it can knock your self-esteem.
You might have felt like you've tried everything and are completely at a loss as to what to do.
To restore your hope for an eczema-free existence, we wanted to share the incredible story of BePure's General Manager, Lily, about how eczema affected her, and the long, but ultimately rewarding journey she's gone through to support her whole body wellbeing and clear up her eczema.
Two years ago I had terrible facial eczema.
It itched and cracked, redness around my eyes, nose and chin. However, the constant physical pain and discomfort of it was nothing compared to the amount it knocked my self-confidence. Having big patches of dry, flaky redness all over my face definitely didn’t make me feel so good about myself, especially in social situations. I could barely look people in the eye. It was awful.
However, the constant physical pain and discomfort of it was nothing compared to the amount it knocked my self-confidence.
I tried endless amounts of topical creams in an effort to control it, but the only thing that worked was a steroid cream… And just when I thought I had found the solution to all my problems, this turned out to only work short term. Being filled with so many nasty chemicals, it began to thin my skin, returning my face to constant state of redness.
I would also try covering it up with foundation and other powders, but it would sting then dry out and flake, ending in a much worse look than if I’d just left it alone in the first place.
I tried endless amounts of topical creams in an effort to control it, but the only thing that worked was a steroid cream… And just when I thought I had found the solution to all my problems, this turned out to only work short term.
Being very passionate about natural health, I hated the idea of using such synthetic products on my precious skin. I also used other beautiful natural lotions, but nothing would ‘cure’ my eczema, it would only soothe the hot, itchy pain for a while.
This was when I started my journey with BePure. I knew something was triggering my eczema—some weeks or days it would be so much worse than others. I was lucky enough to join the team at BePure and learn more about their testing services via the BePure Clinic.
I started on a BePure Comprehensive Programme and jumped straight into testing, starting with the IgG/IgA Food Sensitivity Test.
Initially, I had suspected coconut was causing a reaction, it was in fact almonds that were the culprit! Along with bananas, salmon, and eggs. Who would have thought that these natural, healthy, whole foods were behind my eczema? (Gluten too, but that was less of a surprise.)
I immediately cut these foods from my diet and began adding more nutrients in from nutritional supplements recommended by my Holistic Health Practitioner. Within three weeks, I saw massive improvements, with my eczema disappearing from certain places on my face, and only forming in a few patches on my face.
This improvement encouraged me to dig a little deeper, to really get to the bottom of why I was reacting to these foods, and how I could clear my eczema once and for all.
This improvement encouraged me to dig a little deeper, to really get to the bottom of why I was reacting to these foods, and how I could clear my eczema once and for all. I knew I was on the right path to healing my eczema, but there was still some more investigating and experimenting to go.
My incredible Holistic Health Practitioner taught me about the permeability of your gut and how ‘leaky gut’ could contribute to things such as eczema. Upon her recommendation, I took a Complete Microbiome Mapping Test to find out what the balance of my beneficial vs ‘bad’ bacteria I had occupying my digestive system. The test also checked to see if I had any parasites hanging out there too. Kind of freaky, perhaps gross, stuff, but I was so intrigued!
The results came back, revealing that I had a huge imbalance in my gut bacteria—way too many of the baddies had taken up residence in my digestive system! On top of this, it showed not only that I had candida, but I was playing home to multiple parasites!
Having spent most of my twenties travelling to distant countries, I likely picked up these bad guys along the way. A few more could have ‘snuck’ in when I was growing up on a farm where we'd drink spring water too.
After getting my stool test results back, with the support of my BePure Holistic Health Practitioner, I worked on evicting the collection of parasites I was hosting, and re-inoculating my gut with plenty of beneficial bacteria.
It’s been a draining and full on journey, but ultimately such a rewarding one.
It’s been a draining and full on journey, but ultimately such a rewarding one. The overall inflammation in my body has reduced dramatically. For the eczema to have broken out on my face, the level of inflammation my insides were experiencing must have been through the roof! I used to be so achy and tired, like my body was decades older than it actually in. Now this has subsided and I’m free of that waking up with that ‘creaky’ body feeling old people experience.
For the eczema to have broken out on my face, the level of inflammation my insides were experiencing must have been through the roof!
And my face is totally free of eczema! If I choose to eat loads of eggs, or any of the other foods highlighted on my IGG/IGA results, it does tend to flare up again. But this is getting less so now, and at least I now have an awareness of my personal inflammation and eczema triggers—our bodies are unique, and everyone will have different sensitivities, intolerances and reactions. Plus, I know that with continued healing of my precious gut, I will be able to include some of these delicious foods back into my diet regularly.
At least I now have an awareness of my personal inflammation and eczema triggers—our bodies are unique, and everyone will have different sensitivities, intolerances and reactions.
I know it sounds like a long journey, but it’s one that is so worth the time and energy. I only hope it inspires someone else to pursue curiosity around what their body is trying to tell them, and to listen closely on the journey of healing.
If you'd like to find out more about how the BePure Clinic can support you on your unique health journey just like Lily, we'd like to invite you to set up a FREE discovery phone call with Lucy, our BePure Clinic Journey Consultant. She can discuss what's going on for you and recommend how we could best support you going forward
If you have any immediate questions about the BePure Clinic or our clinic services, please feel free to give us a call on 0800 52 54 52 or email clinic@bepure.co.nz.
