Three weeks ago, I woke up with an allergic reaction.
While my skin may not have appeared that bad to onlookers (I am grateful that I was able to cover the symptoms with makeup, understanding that many sufferers of cystic acne are unable to do so) however my skin was sore and, without makeup, I felt as though I looked like I was recovering from chicken pox. In the grand scheme of things, this is not a big deal. It did, however, deliver a swift hit to my confidence.
In what can only be described as a sheer coincidence, I’d agreed to start trialling the CeraVe range that week. I was worried. Although I’d read and listened to rave reviews from dermatologists locally and internationally, had an awareness of the brand’s cult following (upon announcing the brand’s long awaited arrival on Australian shelves, I was met with a flood of messages from those relieved they’d no longer have to import their CeraVe routine in from overseas), and had been given the go-ahead from my most discerning dermal clinician friend, I was still concerned- how could a budget, pharmacy-available brand (CeraVe has launched into Chemist Warehouse stores and online nationally) heal my skin? My other concern, having read up on the brand, was that many of the testimonials were coming from sufferers of eczema and psoriasis- two skin conditions widely associated with dry, flakey skin. My issue was red, painful bumps without heads that rested just beneath the skin’s surface, a reaction that I thought would only be worsened by the kind of thick, hydrating lotions one might use to soothe eczema.
In what seems to have become a recurring theme on Glow Journal, I was wrong. While this story is sponsored, I write this roughly three weeks after that allergic reaction and can say, in all sincerity, that my skin was completely clear within seven days of beginning my CeraVe trial.
I cut harsh exfoliants and actives from my routine and in favour of the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser and Moisturising Cream- nothing else (the Moisturising Cream is quite thick, so on the odd occasion on which I felt my skin might not respond well to a heavy moisturiser I swapped it out for the CeraVe Moisturising Lotion which is lighter and more fluid- a good option for anyone with an oilier skin type).
CeraVe’s name combines the two things at the core of the brand’s formulas – three essential ceramides and MultiVesicular Emulsion Technology (MVE), the former of which I am a large fan and the latter I have only just learnt about but am now mad for. The reason these products worked so well for me was because the CeraVe ethos is all about strengthening the skin’s natural barrier and ensuring the skin functions at its healthiest (ceramides have incredible natural healing properties, while MVE slow-release tech allows moisture to be released into the skin over a 24 hour period). Because my reaction was the result of applying too many harsh, foreign actives at once, my skin’s barrier was compromised. Focusing on rebuilding that barrier, rather than attempting to strip it further, is how I’ve brought my skin back to its healthiest.
The entire CeraVe range is now available nationally in Chemist Warehouse stores and online.
This post is sponsored by CeraVe Australia however all views are, as always, my own.
