The joys of having hypersensitive skin…I’ve suffered with reactive skin since my early twenties, eczema and allergic type reactions being my primary afflictions. The following image was taken yesterday after a gardening session, something had clearly triggered an allergic response on my arm. Covered in a welted rash that was becoming progressively more inflamed, itchy and angry. Resisting the urge to scratch myself to ribbons, I immediately reached for my go-to skin curative, the ultra soothing Epione Therapeutic Bath Soak. A little backstory – she was the first product that I formulated in the TAΣIA range – developed as a natural alternative to cortisone cream, to ease the severity and frequency of my eczematous flareups.
I combined a tablespoon of Epione with a smidgen of cold water to create a calming unguent, and pasted it all over my arm – within moments – a welcome sense of relief. Twenty minutes later, et voila! The redness and irritation has subsided dramatically, the itching had reduced immensely with only minor traces of urticaria evident. As you can see, the improvement from barely half an hour prior is tremendous. So the question is, how did my skin go from being rash riddled to pacified and soothed? With a little help from Mother Nature, that’s how. Epione is composed of a healing blend of botanical extracts and minerals that function synergistically to ease skin irritations and inflammation. In terms of alleviating the dreaded itch, the two actives of interest originate from polar ends of the natural spectrum, one a grain and the other a mineral.
Oats possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties; courtesy of the presence of compounds such vitamin E, ferulic acid, and aventhramides. Aventhramides are the main antioxidant found in oats, which inhibit inflammatory responses in the skin by reducing the rate of histamine release in mast cells, which promote allergic skin reactions. In turn reducing the sensation of itching. Oats are also a rich source of starches and beta glucan; which help retain moisture, delivering hydration to the skin. They additionally contain polysaccharides and hydrocolloids, these compounds also create a protective barrier to keep the skin from losing excess water.
The next question is, what do baby bum creams, antiseptic ointments, sunscreen, and calamine lotion all have in common? The answer of course is the non-allergenic mineral, zinc oxide, renowned for its ability to soothe the skin and protect it from irritants. It has antibacterial properties, supports wound healing, reduces visible irritation and redness. Due to its ability to soothe skin irritation, zinc oxide is often utilised to calm and pacify sensitised or reactive skin. Similar to oats, zinc is a useful treatment option for inflammation because it reduces the secretion of histamine, which alleviates the dreaded itch. An additional benefit is zinc oxide’s ability to create a protective barrier on the surface of the skin, reducing trans-epidermal water loss, thereby helping to keep the skin hydrated and moisturised.
In combination, these two actives deliver a therapeutic dose of anti-inflammatory, healing, and moisturising properties. So whether you’re experiencing a pesky rash, eczema flare up, psoriasis, general skin dryness, insect bites, or sunburn – reach for the Epione Therapeutic Bath Soak to soothe away the inflammation and restore your skin back to its happy place.
