Carly Findlay

Writer, speaker, appearance activist. Loving life!

Carly’s guide to top beauty survival products (part 2)

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Yesterday I shared the beauty survival products I use in the shower, for my hair and skin. Today I am sharing the products I use when I am sore, and the ‘luxury’ ones.

The list is a modified challenge set by My Favourite Things.

Note – these products work best for me, and I recommend you seek your doctor’s advice before trying them on you or your child.

Soreness

When I am sore I usually have a bath. I use a combination of these three products – all from the supermarket. Olive oil and table salt, or bleach.

I keep my olive oil in a pretty ceramic decanter in the bathroom. I use about a cup each of oil and salt to a bath two thirds full of water.

Bleach baths are not scary. They reduce inflammation and infection, and actually moisturise. I use half a cup of bleach to a bath two thirds full of water. Bleach baths were recommended by my top dermatologist. And he knows his shit. I even splash the water on my face.

When I first had a bleach bath, I did it at my parents’ place in case things went wrong and they had to rush me to hospital. Nothing went wrong. It did reduce the inflammation on my face and Dad kept singing Michael Jackson’s Black or White. It was funny.

I also soak chux cloths in salt water and use them as face and body compresses when I am sore.

I use these creams (on my body only) when it’s sore. Silvazine cream and Diprasone ointment.

Usually these are last resort options – when I am almost dead or in hospital.

Silvazine is a burns treatment. I use this with bandages like a mummy. Like this. (Except never Silvazine on my face.)

Diprasone is used on my body too. Maybe on my face, but I think it’s more likely to be Sigmacort.

Both have side effects. Silvazine can be absorbed into the body. I fear I will end up like the guy who turned blue from absorbing silver.

I probably won’t turn blue. It’s too expensive for me to stock up, and the PBS does not prescribe a great amount anyway. But turning blue would be exciting for me! Silvazine also dirties clothes.
Diprasone is a cortisone and thins my skin so I can end up with sore patches after a week of use.
Fortunately I don’t use these frequently.
There are other creams I’ve been prescribed but the combination of cost and side effects leave me choosing the ones I really need/can afford.

Luxury items

I guess these are my real beauty products. Luxury items!

I only use Calvin Klein Eternity perfume and Lucas paw paw ointment each day.
I love the subtle smell of Eternity. Sometimes I use Estee Lauder Beyond Paradise or the Body Shop’s vanilla oil. I either spray the perfume on my clothes or dot the oil on cotton wool, roll it so the oil is on the inside of the cotton wool and won’t touch my skin, and stick it down my bra. 
Paw paw ointment is used on my lips and hands during the day. Vaseline doesn’t moisturise my lips like paw paw does. 
The other products are ‘sometimes products’. For special occasions.

Body Shop Brazil nut define and no frizz hair cream is brilliant for softness and curl.
Lush American Cream conditioner is good as a leave-in styling product. It creates tight ringlets and smells good. As a real rinse out conditioner, it leaves my hair with the Pantene effect – siliconey and a very scaly scalp. Beware though, if it rains, it may run down your face. I had the experience of a rainy night on Lush-styled hair and it made my face infected 🙁
I sometimes use L’Occitane shea butter on my lips and hands. It smells of rice pudding, and is so gentle. There used to be shea butter lip tints sold in Australia, and I liked the bright red one. Sadly the store does not stock them anymore.
Speaking of lips, lipstick (or gloss, whatever it is called) and nailpolish is the only true makeup I use. I use lipstick about twice a year. I got some freebies last year and here I am wearing some, on set at No Limits.

I hate removing nailpolish so I usually only wear it on my toes.

It was fun compiling and writing this extensive list.

I hope you found my list interesting and of course, useful. I am particularly keen on hearing back from people with ichthyosis. There is nothing glamourous about my beauty survival regime. It’s relatively cheap, but I only wish more of it was listed on the PBS for the Medicare Safety Net. Please remember, these products work best for me, and I recommend you seek your doctor’s advice before trying them on you or your child.

Comments

  2. Thanks for sharing so much about your life and personal things like whats in your bathroom cabinet! I love the BodyShop products, i just had a BodyShop at home party it was a huge hit! I also just voted for your Jebediah party, gosh wish i could come if you win lol.

  3. I NEVER knew that someone turned silver from Silvazine!!!

    Amazing!!!!

    I'm going to google that now and keep it as a 'fun fact' for work.

    Thanks for sharing this extensive list. You're right about the PBS, we had a patient that had to fork out $20,00 for each DOSE of cancer treatment. They relied on donations. Our PBS could be so much more.

    Great post Carly!

  4. Great posts, good to see there are some products you can go and splurge on when you feel like it! We had an email sent around at work (Maternal Child Health Nurses) about the bleach baths, think it may have been for exczema? Not sure, we all freaked out too, but amazing how it works. If you're sore, you'd try anything for relief, right? And go Dad for the dad jokes haha

  6. Hey Carly,

    I don't really recognize any of the products listed. I think maybe because they are available only in Australia? I'm not sure. But since my mom flies there frequently I think I will ask her to be on the look out for some of the products you listed.

    My routine seems to be a LOT simpler. I only use Aquaphor on my face, and Vaseline on my body. And I am definitely not a fan of bleach baths. They are my last resort. I hate smelling like bleach and it often burns even more. I've never tried salt but only because going into the salt water KILLS my skin. I almost cry every time I go to the beach in the water. So I'm surprised it would actually help you. I usually have a bad reaction and am barely able to walk after being exposed. The olive oil seems like a great tip. I found that oatmeal works very well. You can pack it into washcloths or just throw some in your path. I also bought a can of oatmeal powder made just for baths and it's very helpful. Aveeno makes a great one, I'm sure you've tried it though. You seem like you're more up to date on this stuff hahaha 🙂

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Copyright

The material on Tune into Radio Carly is copyright. The writing in this blog is by Carly Findlay unless otherwise stated. Most photos in this blog are by Carly Findlay unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without permission from Carly Findlay. This blog represents my personal opinions and experiences. It does not reflect those of my employers'. The information I provide about ichthyosis is mostly based on personal experiences. Please seek medical advice or counseling before trying any new treatments I've written about. Where stared, I use affiliate links on this blog. By clicking them, I receive a small percentage of the purchase.