Euphrosene Labon

Thursday 18: The antihistamines are working (just about), as is a new cleansing regime with something called Aqueous Cream, Allergenics non-steroidal cream and Alphosyl for my hair. I have, it appears, allergic dermatitis. Not that I thought it was serious anyway. The sensation of minute creatures playing tag all over my face was more of a troubling distraction than cause for real concern. But it has increased my empathy for burns’ victims.

For myself, I probably didn’t help by giving up vitamin tablets a few months ago. As a normally faddy vegetarian, my immune system was bound to take a hit with the various current stresses and strains on top of eating things like mince pies and other wheaty, yeasty foods. So I also stocked up on B complex, Starflower, zinc and a vegan multi-vitamin. Best to play safe.

Which reminds me. I saw the doctor nearly three weeks ago, had the blood test a week later… and still haven’t heard anything. On the plus side, it could mean everything good, though given the way we pay more and get less, it could just be appalling organisation and communication skills.

Meanwhile: The trouble with ageist media, is that young-ish journalists write about things as if they had only just occurred, or as if they had just been discovered or as if no-one before them had ever had similar pain and discomfort in their lives before. Like the guy who was made redundant twice. Wow. Like it hasn’t happened to countless thousands before, and probably more than twice! (For that, read this particular blogger!) Like middle class people joining the dole queue. Yup, that too. And in recent memory.

Paradox time: I have cheapie light bulbs which are still going strong after ten years. In contrast, every time I use one of those long life bulbs, they invariably last for months at most (and cost far more!). Yet didn’t I read somewhere that we were going to be forced to buy/use them?

Euphrosene Labon Mind Body Spirit Artist Author Writer

Buy my art at Imagekind!

allergic dermatitis, vitamin tablets, vegetarian, doctor, journalists, light bulbs, long life bulbs

Wednesday 17: Cancelled a trip into London for a press Christmas lunch do as bits of my face are so dry they are red raw. And that is despite using only gentle emollients. Actually, Johnson’s Baby Lotion and Cocoa Butter products are fine, as is Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream.

By trial and error, I discovered it was the E45 cream which had caused the rawness - so that is out now too. Anyway, since the patchy geisha look (thanks to the ever dependable Sudacrem) is not quite how I want to socialise, I am now skulking and sulking. And looking like a half-finished clown. Sigh.

Having had oily skin all my life, this is a horrible ‘new’. My own fault, I suppose, as, for the last couple of years, I have been using various treatments for melasma. In the process of trying to get rid of one skin condition, I seem to have given myself dermatitis!

Later: I ended up spending the entire day, stuck inside, sans maquillage, plastered in Elizabeth Arden. Not a pretty sight, but it seemed to control the dermatitis. Also not a pleasant condition, as it feels like little creatures crawling all over your face.

Which reminds me of another thing I nag The Almighty about : the underwhelming human characteristic of deterioration. If it is not the mental variety, we have the pleasure (not) of physical deterioration to look forward to. Sheesh.

Re the mind body connection: flaking and peeling skin relates to a few things including getting rid of old ways to allow the new to emerge, but also being unable to let go. Annoyingly, the layers being peeled away are not the melasma bits!

A corporate blog tells us that people do not trust corporate blogs. Not much better are personal blogs at 18%. But then trust increases if we feel we know someone.

I gather the way to win trust is through consistency, transparency and authenticity. At least with my openness and honesty, my readers must surely trust me - even if they have a mental image of someone physically repellent! (Thank God for mirrors that love me!)

PS I disagree with Debbie Weil on ghostblogging. An empathetic writer should be able to accurately convey the thoughts of a CEO or whoever is too busy to do the blogging themselves. And yes, I am open to any ghostblogging opportunities!

PPS Message to H: yes I quite like Firefox.

Euphrosene Labon Mind Body Spirit Artist Author Writer

Buy my art at Imagekind!

Johnson’s Baby Lotion, Cocoa Butter, Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream, Sudacrem, melasma, dermatitis, The Almighty, mind body, blogs, ghostblogging, blogging

Thursday 11: On current form, recipients are likely to get this Christmas greetings card from me sometime in the middle of next year. The image looks as I wanted - fine lines and coloured pencils to give it a ‘light’ touch. Unfortunately, the HP prints are rather washed out. And slightly skewif… with a small bend in one corner. Hardly a good advertisement for Wise El merchandise even if it is an interim arrangement. (I will be using a professional printer for bulk runs.) It is frustrating but will have to do for now.

To give my eyes and fingers a rest, I went out to the Woolworths‘ sale. As has been reported, not that much had 50% off but I did get Christmas presents for the little boys (the little girls will have to wait till February). The grown-ups got treats from a more expensive shop of ’stuff’. Even keeping costs down, I always buy on the basis of wanting it for myself. Then, if anyone moans, I’ll just keep it.

All my life I have been a ’soap and hot water’ person, even for my face. Now that routine has been binned in favour of Johnson’s Baby Lotion because a combination of facial lotions and melasma treatments effectively burnt my skin - just under the eyes and around the mouth. It dried and tightened the skin, with water making it even worse. It was a rather horrid forewarning of what really old age might look like.

Anyway, all the harsh potions have been binned, and it is now E45 and Cocoa Butter Formula Scar Serum. Three days on, and at last I can see a slight improvement. Oddly, this regime seems to be helping the melasma too.

PS Had a really daft moment (over two weeks) trying to find a software disk which was not where I usually file that kind of thing. It was driving me to distraction and, as usual, I harassed the Almighty (”You cannot even give me something as simple as that!, I harangued. Yes, that is how I ‘talk’ to my bit of God…)

Today, I got the urge to de-clutter a magazine rack (yes - a magazine rack!!) and there it was, neatly stored in a plastic envelope.

And that’s the thing with my bit of God: I do always get what I ask for, but usually after I have either forgotten or given up on it… which is all contrary to what most modern self-help writers suggest (excluding me, of course!).

A secondary issue is when the goal or desire costs money or is your livelihood. It is very difficult to forget and allow the Almighty to sort it out whenever when the current need is great. Belief has to stay strong.

PPS Precisely HOW has gordon brown ’saved the world’? He (and the rest of those pygmies in the Labour party) live a little too much for today, something Peer Steinbrück remarked on - that Brown is "tossing around billions" and ’saddling a whole generation with a bill for paying off British debt.’

Yes, some of us had noticed.

Oh yes, I finished the Christmas card, and it’s okay for a first effort.

Euphrosene Labon Mind Body Spirit Artist Author Writer

Buy my art at Imagekind!

Christmas, greetings card, Wise El, Woolworths, melasma, old age, E45, Cocoa Butter Formula Scar Serum, self-help, Peer Steinbrück