Part 4: Seb Derm – Advice from the twittersphere

As I was putting together my recent series on seborrheic dermatitis, I was conscious I had one experience of it. So I took to twitter and asked people in the know (therapists, bloggers, brands, etc) for their tips on dealing with Seb Derm or for recommendations on gentle shampoos and conditioners that could help. These are the results:

@astaraskincare passed on a glowing recommendation from a customer about their Blue Flame Purifying treatment. It looks like this one is for American readers only but if you wanted to try it out, it’s available here and there’s a 20% discount using the code FAB20 (not sure how long it’ll last though).

@thebeautyretrea tweeted about a customer who responded brilliantly to the Emminence Organic Calm Skin range, which is available here and the Emminence Organic Stone crop range, available here. I’ve never heard of the Stone Crop plant but the blurb from the website claims it helps to hydrate the skin, as well as protecting against age spots and skin blotches.

@TouteAllure recommended Green People’s organic version of sudocrem – the Soothing Baby Salve. This link will take you to the complete range of Green People products targeted for eczema and psoriasis. While it doesn’t specifically include Seb Derm, many of the principles for including ingredients will be the same. She also said the following: “From what I’ve observed..our emotions affect our skin..my Hubby had a flare up instantly after conversations with a Parent…Very important…gluten free diet and avoid stress. Eating bananas and organic olive oil and using organic skin care.”

@anagoesgreen whose fantastic blog can be found at http://anagoesgreenbeautyorganic.blogspot.co.uk/ said “Use oils such as coconut and avocado to nourish the scalp. Take healthy fats internally such a omega 3 and 6. Ensure you use gentle products that are non irritating. If I avoid stress that also helps inmensely and I manage any stress that does crop up with exercise.” Do have a look at her blog for lots of fantastic product recommendations.

@GreenPeopleUK recommended their Rosemary shampoo and conditioner, which “combines science with nature and stimulates circulation and combats irritation. Our NoScent range is great for anyone with severe sensitivities too.” Visit the Green People website to find out more.

Two of my favourite bloggers Buff Beauty Blog and Sugarpuffish gave me recommendations for products that can help soothe a dry or irritated scalp.

@BuffBeautyBlog suggested the Feed Your Youth hair oil from Yarok, available at A Beautiful World. She says it “gently removes irritating residues & hydrates scalp & hair.”

@sugarpuffish has been using Essential Care Herb Shampoo and Desert Essence Raspberry Conditioner for almost a year and loves them both. I’ve never managed to stick with anything that long so that’s got to be a good sign!

As part of my fact finding, I got some really interesting information about a new product range called Hope’s Relief, which I’m keen to try out. It relies on a combination of five natural ingredients – calendula, aloe vera, gotu kola, licorice and manuka honey. There are some fantastic natural soothers in that line up and the manuka is both antibacterial and antifungal.

At a recent talk from the editors of five top magazines (check out #HearstEditorsTalk), I was very fortunate to meet Alex Bridgwater, PR at Balance Me. She offered the following product advice: “I would recommend you give the super moisturising hand cream a go on any patches on your body and particularly around your hairline. Our stellar face balm [which works all over the body] is also really great at helping to calm inflammation and contains organic virgin coconut oil.”

@fionaharlowe said “I find diet is always key but topically ‘old school’ coal tar (unadulterated coal tar from farmacia – mix it yourself) combined with LED (not UV) light therapy can help a lot.” I’d heard of light therapy being used to help alleviate the symptoms of psoriasis but it might be worth investigating for Seb Derm.

Finally, @lizearle recommended their Superbalm (which I’ve used in the past and smells divine) “as an emergency skin salve which is great for soothing dry skin conditions.

You can see Parts 1, 2 and 3 by following the links below:

Part 1: Seb Derm – Know your enemy

Part 2: Seb Derm – Finding the products that work for you

Part 3: Seb Derm – Good health is more than skin deep