Welcome to SKIN Journeys: an exciting new series we’ve started to spotlight the members of our community and their incredible success stories. Here, in their own words, they’ll share about their personal experiences with eczema, rosacea, and acne and the impact it’s had on their lives—as well as how Gladskin provided the relief they had spent so long looking for.
Up first, meet Nicola Green, a customer from the UK who found Gladskin in 2020 after struggling with eczema since childhood. Her story is a classic example of treatment frustration.
Looking for Answers
“From when I was younger, I’ve had all the heavy stuff from the doctors,” she said, “but around 14 or 15 I really didn’t want to use those solutions anymore. I started trying new things. I tried some [supposedly] revolutionary thing at the time in the UK. I spent what felt like a fortune on the full range of products and it didn’t make a difference, so I went back to the doctors. Someone told me not to use Vaseline, so I stopped using that. I tried an “all-natural” skincare brand when it first came out. None of it helped. I went through so many different moisturizers, expensive ones, cheap ones.”
Then, there was a turning point in Nicola’s approach. After years of doctors and skincare solutions, someone suggested a different way of looking at her eczema. “About 18 or 19, I went to visit my friend in Ontario and her stepmum said to me: Have you ever looked into why you’re getting eczema?”
“I heard it could be an allergy to MSG, so I cut all MSG. Someone had told me that I could be allergic to the fillings in my mouth, so I tried changing those. I’d tried avoiding dairy and red meat and loads of foods that could be the culprit. I even had a colonic. I spent thousands, like, I spent thousands. My eczema kept flaring up all the time. I would just balloon, my eyes would get really sore, my face and neck would be really bad.”
More than Skin Deep
The frustration of spending so much time and money was taking a toll on Nicola’s mental wellbeing and quality of life. Like for so many people, the flares and their unpredictability had an impact on more than just Nicola’s physical health. “I’ve lost relationships because of it, I’ve lost friends because of it. My whole attitude when I have a flare is just horrendous. I don’t want to speak to anybody and I don’t want to go out. I don’t want to see people and I don’t want people to see me.”
If you feel like Nicola did, you’re not alone. Skin flares and breakouts are often a source of shame, but they don’t need to be! Nicola mentioned some of the skincare influencers on Instagram who are honestly and vulnerably sharing their journey with inflammatory skin conditions. This move towards transparency and acceptance online is helping people to not only embrace their skin but also to find solutions that work for them.
Finding Gladskin
“Eczema literally ruled my life for so long. And then fast to 2020, the pandemic was happening and I just said I am so sick of my skin. I decided to look for a top eczema specialist in London and I saw an ad for Gladskin. I was so skeptical, but I saw this video on the homepage of the website. I watched that video and I literally just thought, this COULD be the reason. I have just felt like I’ve had a bacteria, an infection that I can’t get rid of. So I bought a 15ml bottle of the Eczema Cream.”
“At first, I just thought it was ‘good,’ which for me means it didn’t irritate my skin. So I kept on using it and after I ran out I bought another bottle. After about three months, I noticed that my T-zone was getting oily! For me, I never feel oily. My face is SO dry.S I even started getting spots (pimples) and I noticed my whole skin had changed. My whole face and neck, I can’t even tell you. It’s not the same skin that I had before, it just isn’t.”
“When you live for 40 years with eczema on your face and then you have this amazing skin… 2020 was the worst year for some people and I know it’s been a pandemic and it’s been awful but honest to God my life has just completely changed.”
“Every now and again, when I’m really tired or stressed, I can kind of get a bit of a flare, but I’ll up my Gladskin use and the next day it’s gone.”
If you or someone you love is struggling with eczema, Gladskin Eczema products offer eczema solutions that work with your body instead of against it — without alcohols or harmful added ingredients. Learn more about the science behind our products here.