Ichthyosis 2015

Note as of June 2016: After using the Dermal Therapy lotion (described below) for an extended period, I've come to the conclusion it is probably the best thing to use for my skin for now. One step is enough, overall it's less greasy, my skin feels smooth even in winter, exfoliation is definitely occurring, and I think it's possible that it has helped to remove seborrhoeic keratoses.

2015 (out of date - this page is a bit disorganized, make sure to take note of the dates): I still use the same brand of cream pictured above, although the bottle looks a little different now. The product is $2.99 for 500 ml. However, I now realize that I need to also use something with an exfoliating agent. Over time, in using baby oil and sorbolene cream, I think I made it even more difficult for my skin to exfoliate. I was comfortable (in the sense that my skin didn't feel overly dry), but ended up with a buildup which eventually caused parts of my skin to look darker than others. I had become more self- conscious about my skin's appearance than I had been in many years.

I have tried a lotion made by Dermal Therapy (this company is based in Canada, it's not the one in Australia) specifically for people with ichthyosis which has 10% alpha hydroxy (lactic acid) and 10% urea. It might not have the same greasy feel as the combination of oil and sorbolene cream, but it does have a bit of a gummy feel, and it definitely has a certain smell to it (even though it is unscented), whereas the sorbolene cream is the most unscented of the unscented sorbolene creams I have ever found. The Dermal Therapy lotion does have something of an exfoliating effect, though, and so I have decided to alternate using the Woolworth's sorbolene cream and the much more expensive Dermal Therapy (although I would definitely like it if Dermal Therapy came in a better-designed bottle). The Dermal Therapy product is $25 (USD - as the rate changes, I won't put it in AUD) for a little less than 500 ml, and in addition, the postage to have it shipped to Australia is expensive.

It seems possible to me that better than this option would be to suntan, take regular saunas, and/or engage in long, sweaty exercise sessions (or some combination of these activities.) I still haven't tried coating myself in lotion and wrapping myself in plastic wrap, but I suppose that also might help with exfoliaton.

I have started experimenting with alpha hydroxy acids. The Dermal Therapy alpha hydroxy is lactic acid, and so far on my own I have tried out Skin Beauty Solutions' glycolic acid 35%. I think they assume most people are only wanting it for their faces, but I have tried it on my body (as well as my face), and I do think it has helped me to reduce the buildup of skin and even out tone. The peeling effect at this concentration isn't meant to be noticeable. It can be scary to use it, but detailed instructions are provided, and are quite good. I'm a lot less scared now, and I think I will eventually experiment with higher concentrations.

When I use oil now, I use raw organic virgin coconut oil instead of baby oil. I know it's not for everyone, but I really like the scent, and I think it's possible it works better for my skin than baby oil. Even in winter in Australia, I often find I can get away with using only coconut oil without sorbolene cream, so it's only one step instead of two when I get out of the shower. Also, I had been finding it hard to get unscented baby oil, and the scented kind is something I've never been able to get used to.

[October 2015: I think all the experimenting I did this year with coconut oil, Dermal Therapy lotion and alpha hydroxy acids made a significant difference. It seems to make sense to try different concentrations and combinations of alpha hydroxy acids. I am also wondering if this summer it might be possible to get a suntan to see how that affects my skin now, and in addition to try to do some long exercise sessions in hot weather.]