This is something I have wanted to do ever since I found out that liquorice acts like a natural steroid in the body. Then recently, after hearing about more things that could end up being problematic for anyone going through TSW, I knew the time had finally come to put everything down in a proper post as part of my TSW database because I feel it is important to share them with you so you're not in the dark, like I was until recently.
Please note that this is not intended as medical advice (because I'm certainly not a medical professional), and merely some things I would like to have known about during TSW. On the flip side, some have actually said that a few of the things I have mentioned have helped their skin, like Ashwaganda and liquorice. Regardless, I think it's important to share them anyway then leave it up to you to make an informed decision, weighing up the pros and cons.
In this post I won't be discussing food intolerances like gluten, dairy or sugar, or things like natural oils etc. because it's too subjective – and besides, I think they've already been discussed enough, and this post is already too big as it is! If you would like me to do a proper post on those things, I'd be very happy to do so.
I would also like to say that I think a lot of people during TSW blame triggers and food when it is simply just TSW skin being unpredictable. Not in all cases, but I think it is important to mention as I think most of you will probably know by now that I believe time is the only true healer and that your skin gets better no matter what you eat or put on your skin.
Finally, I want to end by saying that I would hate this post to scare you. I am simply sharing it to put it out there so you can be mindful of them. I am not going to go into too much detail or share lots of medical information as I am not qualified to do so.
I will be adding to this list over time, so please do email me (tswcara @ hotmail dot com) or comment below if you know of anything that might be important to add.
Liquorice
I first heard about the link between liquorice and TSW a few years ago when I noticed some people mentioning it in the Facebook groups. Then, months later, others started to message me asking if there was any truth to it, and I'd always say that I didn't have a clue, because I didn't. It wasn't until last December when I received a message from someone who had experienced a reaction firsthand and wanted to share their experience that I really sat up and paid attention because up until then it had only been hearsay. They told me that they had switched from drinking red wine (because they flared every time they'd had it) to gin. They had some Gordon's and Whitby brand gin and said that they thought they had found some kind of miracle cure for TSW because their skin was amazing shortly after having it, until they realised it was because those particular gins contained liquorice. In layman's terms, liquorice acts like a steroid in the body and essentially assists the the adrenals by stopping the breakdown of cortisone ... sound familiar?
Most people have liquorice in teas or as part of supplements like Brittany Stephens (@britt.anystephens) did, who took a supplement which contained liquorice that was recommended to her by her naturopath for gut healing. She kindly gave me permission to share photos of her skin before, during and after taking it.
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| In July, when Brittany's rashes were spreading during TSW. |
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| In September when her legs started to clear up. |
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| In December, one week on the new supplement which contained liquorice. Brittany said her skin was red, rashy with a burning itch, but that she also felt cold inside. |
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| Two weeks later after cutting out the liquorice. |
Even though I have drunk gin since I've recovered and not experienced any issues, this is something I will now avoid within an inch of my life because I simply don't want to take the chance. Although saying that, I have received countless comments saying that liquorice has been invaluable during their own withdrawal.
So the moral of this story, like everything, is to do your own research and make sure this is something you want to risk. Some benefit from it whereas some really don't.
Please note that it can also be called Glycyrrhiza.
I find it sad that I never knew about the amazing properties of liquorice when I had eczema and my skin wasn't compromised by steroids. That's how I look on my skin now. Some options have been taken away from me because I was unfortunately not educated on the potential dangers of steroids. Why they never recommend liquorice when it is proven to have such incredible anti-inflammatory benefits, I'll never know ... oh wait, yes I do ($$$$$).
To end this section on a more positive note, if you're a gin drinker and all this talk has left you feeling a little disappointed, fear not, as apparently the gin brand Hendrinks does not contain liquorice. Cheers to that.
Ashwaganda
Just like liquorice, this has divided the community, with some saying it has been an integral part of their healing, whilst others have suffered badly from taking it. I'd never heard about Ashwaganda until very recently when I started to notice a lot of people discussing whether it should be used at all during TSW. Essentially, Ashwanganda is an Ayurvedic herb with wide-ranging health benefits which mostly come from its withanolides (naturally occurring steroids). Crazy fact: Ashwaganda's steroid properties are actually much higher than hydrocortisone.
In my non-medical opinion, try to remember that our skin during TSW is volatile, it is not eczema and instead compromised by steroids, therefore it will see anything that acts like a steroid in the body and maybe latch onto that. Again, only my opinion, and I just want you to be careful whatever you choose to do.
I think there is a common misconception that when something is natural or a herb it's safe to use. That is not the case, and because things like Ashwaganda can have powerful healing properties, you need to ensure that you seek medical advice as it can mess around with some prescription medication (this is what I read from multiple sources online).
Again, do a lot of research and remember that this is YOUR decision and no one else's.
Propylene Glycol (PG)
This is again another thing that I'd never heard of until a few weeks ago (literally the only thing I appear to know about our condition is to stop using steroids and you'll get better eventually ... it's quite embarrassing actually) when the lovely @tswmarisa shared on Instagram that she'd recently discovered that she had an allergy to Propylene Glycol. After a long patch of clear skin, at the start of the pandemic, Marisa found herself flaring again. At first, she couldn't understand why and thought it might just be a regular TSW flare, until she figured out that she did indeed have a sensitivity to PG, and about 5 days after removing all PG products, her hands cleared up. Her face also recovered soon after that with only her neck playing catchup. Another thing to mention is that Marisa wasn't sensitive to PG before TSW, and unfortunately it is something that she believes is damage from steroids.
Apparently PG is a very common eczema trigger which was even voted Allergen of the Year in 2018. Regarded 'safe', PG is used in countless products and foods - and, very topically, hand sanitisers.
Since sharing Marisa's post, I have received countless messages from others saying they have also experienced a bad reaction to the chemical. If you are concerned that you may have an allergy to PG, it is something you can get tested for. Apparently the most common areas to get a reaction are the scalp, face, neck and hands.
Other names for PG are 1,2-dihydroxypropane, 1,2-propanediol, methyl glycol, and trimethyl glycol.
I have also been told that PG might be in some of the covid vaccines so best to double check if you are concerned.
Crazily, I've just found out that PG can also be found in STEROID CREAMS.
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| Used with kind permission of @tswmarisa (here). Top photo is from year one of TSW and the bottom photo is Marisa twelve weeks after being PG free and two weeks after introducing PG free makeup. Apparently before removing PG, her face had been in and out of flares since the start of the pandemic. |
Nightshades
The only food-related one I will share because pretty much everyone I have ever spoken to has reacted to something on the nightshade list during TSW. Even I noticed a reaction to a nightshade (raw tomatoes), although very mildly, and that, along with strawberries, was the only kind of reaction I experienced to food during TSW.
I have known about nightshades being a trigger for skin ever since my good old eczema days as they can be an issue for people with autoimmune diseases due to their lectin, saponin and capsaicin content.
The full list of nightshades are:
Ashwagandha (oh hello again...), Bush tomato, Cape gooseberry, Cocona, Eggplant, Garden huckleberry, Goji berries, Kutjera, Naranjillas, Paprika, Pepinos, Peppers (including bell peppers and hot peppers like jalapeños and chili peppers), Potatoes (but not sweet potatoes or yams), Tamarillos, Tomatillos and Tomatoes.
As an FYI, I no longer have any kind of sensitivity to raw tomatoes, or any food, but I do think it's a food group to be mindful of when going through TSW because a reaction to foods in that group seems to be so so common.
Alcohol
A question I get asked a lot is whether you can drink during TSW. I never did. I'm mostly a social drinker and during TSW I wasn't doing a lot of that so...
When I was asking what items I should include on this list, a fair few people mentioned alcohol, although the kinds of alcohol that are better than others seem to vary, and so do the reasons behind it.
From what I could make out, for the most part, it appears to be the sulphites in some of them that are the main flare culprit.
Sulphites are essentially compounds that occur naturally in grapes and hops which are used to make beer and wine as they stop bacteria from growing. Most wines and beers have extra sulphites added for that reason.
Beer, brown liquor and ciders are high in sulphites (and also high in histamines which some also experience problems with). If you are looking to avoid sulphites, best to stick with clear spirits and natural wines.
Alcohol is also known to dry out the skin and dilate the blood vessels so with people prone to eczema and TSW, it makes a lot of sense that it would make our skin redder, more irritated and uncomfortable.
But like everything else on this list, some don't experience a problem with alcohol at all. I think like most things during TSW, it's about trial and error - and of course drinking responsibly and being of legal age to do so :)
Stress & Anxiety
I feel like this is a given, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.
I think the best thing you can do for yourself during TSW is to do whatever you can to take away stress and be kind to yourself. For me, that meant coming off social media, watching and seeing only positive things and trying not to overthink the crazy situation I currently found myself in. I sound very flippant saying this because I am both a very anxious person and overthink EVERYTHING, so I know this isn't an easy thing to do, but during TSW I was probably kinder to myself than at any other time in my life. I didn't feel guilty for eating bad foods or worry about the life I was missing out on, I just took it day by day. I cannot begin to tell you how many messages I have received and posts I've read from others in the community who beat themselves up for slipping on a specific diet or ask when they'll get better then overanalyse every little thing their skin is doing. When it comes to food guilt, I say this a lot, but you are going to do more damage to your skin worrying about the food you've eaten, than any damage the food could ever do in the first place.
In every area of life, stress is bad and its effect on the body can be great. It doesn't help that the stress and anxiety through TSW is like a vicious cycle so the idea of kindly telling your mind not to feel it is easier said than done.
If you are looking for ways to destress, I would definitely recommend limiting social media/phone time and trying to distract yourself by only focusing on positive things. Doing all this during TSW was a conscious decision and I really did benefit from making these changes. I will also be eternally grateful to Josh in Australia. One of the most positive and upbeat people in this community who shared videos during his withdrawal (here) which ended up having such a great impact on me. There were still some very dark times during TSW, especially in the second year when I really started to question whether I'd ever get better, but for the most part, these things truly saved me from going under - because you've got to remember that TSW is a trauma that NO ONE should ever have to go through.
I never tried it through TSW, but maybe consider giving meditation a go - although saying that, with the pretty much constant irritation during TSW, I can't imagine it would be easy to be mindful and not think about your skin. Definitely worth a try though. There are many great apps you can use, but I usually just search for a 15 minute mindfulness meditation on YouTube. *This* is one of my favourites.
Just like at the end of an episode of Jerry Springer, I want to add a final thought. Why when we go to the doctors about our eczema do they not ever mention any of this; known triggers or other more natural options to consider first? In a doctor's appointment we are instead basically given two options: steroids or immunosuppressants, along with the flawed advice to moisturise moisturise moisturise. I truly pray that the next generation who will hopefully know about the potential dangers of these drugs will know that there are other options, other things they can try first. So much of eczema is an enigma, and I'd love it if they'd just stop throwing rubbish at us and maybe consider why we have it, then look for an answer and not a mask.
To end on a positive note, I wanted to say that it does get better. It's been over five years since I recovered and TSW remains the best thing I've ever done for myself. Don't suffer in silence and know that you are not alone.
Cara x
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