Tips to help with Moisturiser Withdrawal

Continuing on from my last post (here) all about moisturiser withdrawal, here are some tips and tricks that I think have helped me use next to no moisturisers and actually thrive for well over two years. I would like to say again that moisturiser withdrawal won't be for everyone – we are all different and this is only my personal experience. If you feel your skin could benefit from moisturiser withdrawal, then I do hope you find these tips useful.

1) Take moisturiser away slowly over time.
I talk about how I did this in the last chapter but in a nutshell, I tried to stop using moisturiser many times through TSW by going cold turkey, but it was awful, and I always gave up after a day or so. By taking them away slowly, I was able to give my body time to adjust to such a drastic change. For a while, it's not going to feel like skipping through a field of daisies, but it was bearable and for me, it was the right decision for MY skin.

2) Cover your skin against the elements.
Just before winter hit the year I recovered in 2015, I was really worried how my skin would cope with the cold weather, so I decided I would try to keep my skin covered as much as possible and would always wear gloves when I went out and wrap a scarf around my face. I’m not sure if doing any of that helped but for the whole of winter that year, I didn't feel like I needed to use any moisturiser. The following summer, because I think I have an allergy to an ingredient found in most sun creams, I wanted to find something lightweight to cover my face from the sun and came across something called a Choob. They can be found in most outdoor retailers and are absolutely brilliant. Because they are designed to protect your face, they stay where they are meant to (unlike regular scarves). They are also very comfortable and you can still breathe whilst wearing them. I will warn you now that people's reactions when you have one on are absolutely priceless and without fail, at least one person will ask if you are about to rob a bank – but remember, this is about you and no one else. It's YOUR skin. Now, I still try to keep my face protected where possible – whether it’s from hot or cold weather – but over time, my skin has become stronger, more resilient, so there is less of a need to and as a result, I’ll probably resemble a leather handbag by the age of forty.

3) Avoid long, hot showers/baths.
I know that sometimes nothing feels better than a long, hot shower or bath, but it will dry you out. In the early months of TSW, or when you're really suffering, by all means have a long, hot shower or bath as it's not going to change things and you need as much comfort as you can get … but if you are serious about doing moisturiser withdrawal long-term and want to see some results, I'd definitely turn down the heat and cut the time you spend in hot water. Now, I have a short, warm shower pretty much every day and very rarely take baths.

4) Pat your skin dry and never rub.
This is a continuation of my last point but try where possible when you get out of the bath or shower to gently pat your skin dry opposed to rubbing. I think small changes like this can really make a massive difference.

5) Avoid cleaning (how fabulous!).
Last year especially, I found that my skin really didn’t like it when I cleaned or came into contact with cleaning products which contained a lot of chemicals. Pretty much straight away, my lips would start to tingle before drying right out and my skin overall felt slightly irritated. Oddly enough, my mum experienced the same problem with her lips too. Something I have found to be extremely beneficial that I still do (and love) to this day is to wear cotton gloves under my rubber gloves every time I need to use them. It creates a soft, protective barrier which I cannot recommend enough. I get mine at Boots, but they sell them practically everywhere worldwide.

6) Don't lick your lips.
Try not to lick your lips – especially if they feel dry or irritated as it will only make matters worse. I realised a few years ago that when I concentrate hard on something, I press my lips together or lick them. Even now, I’m still trying to get out of the habit of doing it as my lips can occasionally get chapped or sore if I’ve eaten too much sugar or have a cold, so it can be like rubbing salt into a wound.

7) Don't over-wash your hands.
I hasten to add that I don't go around with dirty hands, but I am very conscious of how much I wash them. We all know that soap dries out the skin – so does repeatedly putting your hands in water. When I do wash them, I’ll use a sensitive soap from Dove that I absolutely love as it’s so gentle (which I talk about in a chapter all about my current beauty routine post-TSW). I try to avoid where possible using stronger, perfumed soaps as I tend to find they really dry out the skin on my hands, especially if I use them over a prolonged period of time.

8) Turn off the heating.
I think you are inevitably going to experience some kind of reaction to colder weather, especially when mixed with any kind of heating – most people do. I always find that my skin, even now, is much drier during the colder months but notice an even bigger difference when I use an electric fan heater as opposed to central heating. Electric fan heaters spew heat directly into the atmosphere and onto your skin which is much harsher, whereas central heating warms the air through pipes and radiators so the heat is contained. Either alternative isn’t great so try where possible to use layers instead of any kind of artificial heat.

9) Keep hydrated.
Apart from when I go out socially, the only two things I’ll ever really drink are water and green tea. On an average day, I'll have two to three cups of green tea after meals which I love then drink water the rest of the time. Instinctively, I have always drunk a lot of water and tend to consume around two litres a day. I would like to state that I am six foot and lead a very active lifestyle so that amount of water feels right for me but might not necessarily be good for you.
I feel like I need to add that I have never liked coffee and in the last few years, I've read a lot of reports about it drying out your skin, so it might be worth cutting out to see if it makes a difference.

10) A balanced diet.
Now this is where I think diet can really make a big difference. I may not believe that food can ‘heal’ topical steroid addiction, but I do think that a healthy, balanced diet can do wonders for the overall quality of your skin. I try to have an avocado every day and eat oily fish three to four times a week. There are many studies about how refined sugar can affect your skin negatively and I couldn't agree more. Now, I find that when I have too much refined sugar, it tends to dry out the skin on my lips. If you have ever looked at my Instagram account then you will know I definitely haven't cut it out but I try to avoid it where possible. I have also never taken any supplements as I prefer getting nutrients from the source if that makes sense. I hope I don't offend anyone reading this, but I do not believe that supplements are good for you – that is only my opinion, and I am sure there are countless studies out there which prove me wrong.

11) Listen to your body.
It sounds so simple but if you take the time to listen to what your body needs, it will tell you. I say this a lot but you’ve got to do what feels right for YOU.

Of ccourse, like all things to do with our particular under-researched skin condition, this is all guesswork, but I would be curious to know what would happen if I didn't apply all these tips to my life … and I don’t think it would be good.

Much love to you all
Cara x

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