#eczema is always there to be like hey :) there's a rash for that

[thoughtsickles]

all the dancing has made my ankles/feet develop eczema from being sweaty in boots... really wish my skin would just let me enjoy a thing for once!!

[electric-blorbos]

AIs with a reader who has eczema perchance ...!?

AAAAAAAAAA Yes yes yes!!! I love writing for people with specific conditions, especially ones that are under-catered to! But be warned, I don't have eczema, so I'm sorry if my portrayal of it is a little off. (I have done a little research since I thought I had eczema, but it turned out it was skin allergies.)

AIs with a reader who has eczema headcanons

Included: AM from IHNMAIMS, Wheatley from Portal 2, Edgar from Electric Dreams, GLaDOS from Portal, HAL 9000 from 2001 a Space Odyssey

I didn't include GLaDOS's mean comments because coming up with that sort of thing made me feel a little uncomfortable, and I doubt anyone would want to read that.

AM:

At first, AM was confused to see you scratching at your skin. He was usually so jealous of human skin and bodies, allowing them to touch things and receive sensations, but you just looked so uncomfortable all the time.

Even on good days, he couldn't be jealous. You spent so much time trying to cover up your embarrassing rashes, and he hated it. Especially when the seams on your clothes made you uncomfortable, or you got hot from wearing too long of pants and sleeves to cover your flair-ups

Occasionally seeing you while he was feeling especially angry would calm down his bouts of envy, but before long, seeing your pain just made him angrier.

Why were humans putting so much effort into war, and so little effort into alleviating discomfort for people like you? It just made him so mad!

When he finally did nuke the world, and built a lovely subterranean paradise for you, he made sure that the humidity was always just right for your skin. It took a bit of experimenting, but he eventually found something perfect.

He even started growing a lovely little garden of aloe plants for you. Of course, he could just make the aloe gel for you himself, but he liked giving you something to work on. Something to wile away the hours on, considering you would live forever and there was no one else to interact with. It was good for you to have a pastime, even if it was an easy plant to care for, like succulents.

He might use your eczema as inspiration for torture for his survivors, too. Make them rashy and itchy? Introduce new allergies? Yes please!

He could probably just cure the eczema, and he might ask you if you want him to, but he loves the pretty red patches and beautiful textured spots on your skin. The odds are, he won't cure it unless you ask.

Wheatley:

Dumbass that he is, Wheatley might make a few odd comments about your eczema.

"whoa, what's that on your skin, love?" That sort of thing.

You'd have to explain that you're not allergic to anything in particular, you just get dry and flaky skin sometimes.

Sometimes you'd catch Wheatley staring. Y'know raindrop racing? He'd be imagining how a raindrop would run down the patchy dry spots on your arm, thinking about cracked clay, or just generally getting distracted by your cracked skin.

"Hey love, why don't you wear shorts and t-shirts more often? The other cores and I think you'd look good in them."

You'd have to explain that t-shirts and shorts aren't lab-safe, and that you have to wear a lab coat and proper safety pants, even if you don't work with chemicals.

"oh. ...why?"

You don't want to tell him that it's because you feel self conscious without them, so you'd probably just shrug or tell him it was regulation, or that you just like to look science-y.

If you asked him to stop staring at the rashy spots on your exposed skin, or tried covering them up, he would absolutely beg you to let him look. Wheatley loves irregular patterns and organic shapes, so seeing your eczema patches is like free enrichment for him. It's definitely a break from the constant sterile environments that he has to look at all the time.

Also god help you if you decide to wear a T-shirt and shorts on a casual Friday. Wheatley would just be following you around and staring at you all day, probably babbling constantly about how good you look.

"I nicknamed all the patches on your body. That one on your upper left arm is my favorite, by the way. I wish I had hands so I could run my fingers along it."

You'd probably have to yell at him to shut up before he gets the message, but you might not want to do that.

Edgar:

Edgar is used to Hollywood beauty standards when it comes to people, since his only exposure to people is soap operas and Miles, who let's face it, was pretty much physically flawless.

he's seen eczema cream commercials, but they almost never show anything that might offend the public eye in those commercials, so Edgar really had no idea how bad it could get in real life.

When he first saw your bad flair-ups, he immediately thought you had poison ivy or something. He was extremely concerned, begging to know what was wrong.

When you told him that it was just eczema and that it was something your skin regularly did, he was almost more concerned. You mean you have to put up with this all the time, and there's nothing you can do about it?

It was even worse when he found out that you were self conscious about it. Of course, he gets self conscious about something he can't help, too. It's not really similar at all, but he'll use it to try to relate to you.

He tries not to bring it up, not wanting to make you uncomfortable, but sometimes you might catch him looking. He'd beg you not to feel self conscious, and try to explain how beautiful he thinks your skin is. In reality, he was just staring because he was wondering what it might feel like to rub up against that pretty textured skin.

He'd practically purr like a cat the first time you actually did give him a hug. He'd absolutely love the feeling of your skin on his casing.

GLaDOS

(GLaDOS's section is a little shorter because most of it would be full of rude comments about your eczema that I was uncomfortable actually writing down)

GLaDOS. Dear sweet mean GLaDOS. She'd be relentless with her bullying, constantly saying rude and horrible things to you.

She'd keep the comments passable as back-handed compliments or "fun facts", but she was really just trying to make you feel bad.

Secretly, though, she'd have started a test operation to come up with the ultimate product for treating eczema. She'd probably be pouring funding into it.

"Oh, good. My product is working. Now the other scientists won't have to look at that ugly rash of yours. You know that sort of thing disturbs humans, right?"

Secretly, though, she'd just want to see you more comfortable. It always bothered her to see you scratching at yourself, and it wasn't as though she could feel disgusted by it, either. She didn't mind the way the rashes looked at all, it just made her feel weird that you were always so irritated.

She'd act like a total tsundere about it, but secretly she'd be happy that you were more comfortable.

HAL 9000

If HAL 9000 cared about your eczema, he definitely didn't show it. It was none of his business.

Your physical body was nothing to him. HAL cared only for your mind, and nothing else. He barely even perceived the way you looked, apart from as a way to tell you apart from the other mission control workers.

Even still, he couldn't help but notice that on days when you were having particularly bad flair-ups, your mood was generally worse, too. He also noticed that a couple of the other mission control workers were rude about your skin.

Not being able to easily kill them from Earth, HAL simply refused to cooperate with anyone besides you while they were working, and got them fired. It wasn't perfect, but at least it got them away from you.

As for the actual problem of your flair-ups putting you in a bad mood, HAL couldn't do as much directly for that. He might adjust the humidity controls in the mission control room where you worked until your skin started to improve, or absolutely scour the internet for reviews of every skin care product he could find in order to compile data and find the best product for your condition, but it made him extremely angry that he couldn't offer a more direct solution.

[maybank-archives]

Can I get one with Jj, one where the reader has a skin condition like eczema. And they are at a pool party and the reader is having an Eczema flare up, and they practically drag her to the pool not knowing she has eczema?

no matter what - jj maybank

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warning: mention of self esteem but other than none i think? lemme know if i miss something.

pairing(s): jj maybank x fem!reader

word count: 0.6k

author's notes: just like jj said: you look smokin' hot. to all my eczema people, love y'all be safe and don't let a skin condition stop you to feel beautiful and have fun.

masterlist

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Sarah Cameron knew how to throw a pool party, everybody knows that, so when you refuse to go, your friends and boyfriend practically carry you to her place.It was incredibly hard to get away, almost everyday they came up with something and most of the time, out when the sun is peaking.

It was frustrating living in a place aka an island, where summer lasts forever. You were almost running out of excuses, a pool party filled with the tourons and young mean people was not what you needed right now. Avoiding the questions was your best way out so you agreed on going.

You stared at yourself in the mirror, seeing if there was any missing spot, the sunscreen and moisturizer was applied at every bump on your skin, you couldn’t help thinking about your look, our brain loves to trick us but no matter how much you tried to avoid being mean to yourself, the comparison and embarrassment always seems to be there.

It was always “easy” to cover the rashes but recently, due to the extremely hot weather plus stress of your work, it was impossible to not wear something covering your body. You left the house covered in moisturizer, you had your hat, sunglasses and a long sleeve cover up on, you walked to Sarah’s house overthinking all your decisions.

I glanced over at JJ, who was totally in his element, having a blast with our friends by the pool. He looked carefree, all smiles, and I really didn't want to throw a wrench into his day. Truth is, I'd been dodging the pool like it was hot lava, making up lame excuses about not feeling like swimming or not wanting to get wet. But the real deal was that I was trying to keep my eczema under wraps.

JJ, being the observant dude he is, picked up on my hesitation and came over with a concerned look on his face. "Hey, ma’am, why aren't you taking a dip? It's hotter than Hades out here," he said, giving my shoulder a friendly slap.

I nibbled on my lip, trying to play it cool. "Ah, you know, I'm just not feeling the whole swimming thing today," I replied, hoping my voice sounded casual enough.

JJ raised an eyebrow, clearly smelling the bullshit. He lifted my chin, forcing me to make eye contact. "Y/N, what's the deal? You're usually the first one to suggest late night swims. C’mon, cut the crap."

“JJ…” I heaved a sigh, feeling a lump in my throat. "It's my skin k?," I admitted, barely louder than a whisper. "My eczema is acting up, It used to be like nothing and my whole fracking body is covered and I did not want people talking about it."

JJ's face softened as he absorbed my confession. "Babe, you don't have to put on an act for me or anyone else. We're all friends here, and they'll get it." JJ said, reaching for your hand. "C’mon, you look smokin' hot, just like always. It's gonna be really tough to change that, y'know?" 

I probably did not look convinced enough cause JJ was analyzing my face before pulling me to a hug. It felt like a weight off my chest, having JJ in my corner. "I just didn't want to make a big fuss or become the star of the show," I admitted.

"You don’t need to worry about that, I got ya. Your comfort is numero uno. We can head inside, whip out some drinks or chill far from the sun, and you don't have to swim if you don't want to, but you sure oughta be havin' some fun. Don’t let this shit stop you now,”

He was right, hiding my eczema had only given me unnecessary stress, it felt good to see that in another's perspective and realize that all that overthinking was useless. JJ's understanding and support were like gold, and I knew I hit the jackpot with him.

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© maybank-archives 2023 — no one has permission to copy or translate any of my works, if you see any of my work being reproduced in another platform please contact me! :)

[itwasthisorthemilitary]

May 22nd, 2024

Oh hey, hello. Are yall concerned? Or pissed off that I’ve been dodging your calls and texts because I don’t like talking about rough times until I’ve figured it out for myself 🙃 This makes me laugh because my therapist reads my blog (Hi Francesca!) and sometimes i sit and think to myself hmmm what would Francesca say about______. Someone asked me “why are you doing this if you’re not enjoying it” and i started laughing hysterically. Never did I think this was all gonna be easy peasy, can’t quit just when things get rough. For example, do i enjoy hiking? No it fucking sucks like 80% of the time, and then you get back to the car and you’re like omg that was amazing i love hiking✨⛰️

Moral of the story: I’m not enjoying myself but if I were living in Massachusetts crippled by financial anxiety would i be enjoying myself there? Absolutely not. Grass is always greener.

ANYWAYS

•Rainy season likes to outdo itself everyday by somehow raining harder than the day before.

•My boss came yesterday to my town to have a chat with my host mom about my health situation. Essentially by process of elimination the rash is stress induced eczema most likely caused by such a drastic change in diet. Entonces, i have to eat wicked strict for the next month to get myself back to a baseline. This is Perfecto para mi porque the Peace Corps decided that it’s unrealistic to ask my host mom to adhere to my new dietary restrictions so oops! Looks like i HAVE to move out 😈. She was pissed it was great, she didn’t believe that I hadn’t orchestrated this whole thing (smart lady, I totally did). Now that I’ve gotten what I wanted, I’m super stressed about what this means. Living alone?? How/where/what the fuck am i doing? So supposedly I’m moving Saturday into my two room wooden shack, but it’s MY two room wooden shack. So TODAY I’m in Chorrera buying a new mattress, a stove, and the connector thing for the stove to the gas tank. This has been stressful because how the hell do I bring a mattress back to my town…no clue. But apparently the Chiva driver is going to help me. I’m just gonna act stupid and confused (it’s not hard) and hope someone helps me. I also bought, one plate, one bowl, silverware, a mug, a paddle, a pot, and a roll of toilet paper. It’ll take a while getting settled into the new house because I can only buy as much as I can carry back on the chiva. So on Saturday Sam is gonna head to my town to help me move everything and then it’ll take some time to get settled. Anxious about everyone asking questions about why i moved early and if i hate Elena. I have to handle it delicately so the official story is that my health situation is complicated and i need to be able to control it on my own.

•So far in the month of May I’ve read 12 books. Most of them weren’t good! But these two were very good. Shoutout to everyone who has in one way or another gotten me books😘

[rebecca-lotto]

garlic bread's always good

sure i may be too broke to afford the fancy bread making stuff.. but hey im still curious and hungry to try new stuff...

but this lavender salve just seems practical to have. from a quick scroll it seems like some helpful stuff , since lavender's got a calming scent and all that...

well, being a RPG merchant doesn't seem like an impossible thing when i found this.

*sigh* there's probably something kicking up this stress eating impulse but at the moment , i've got no interest in finding out what's the cause .

[babyjakes]

no itching. [blurb.]

〈 disclaimer: this blog posts content not suitable for individuals under the age of 18. minors are strictly prohibited from viewing, sharing, or interacting with this blog. for more information on this blog's commitment to protecting minors, read our full statement here. 〉

summary | chris helps you keep your mind off a nagging rash.

pairing | daddy!chris evans x little!reader

warnings | sfw regression (daddy!chris little!reader), so fluffy so cute :’-), mentions of rashes from eczema and dermatitis (but could be from anything tbh), dodger being babie as always, chris helping with rash? idk about these warnings what am i doing lol

word count | 449

requested by @fangirlofallthings | Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, it’s blurb night, happy happy, excited for you! May I please have a request with Chris Evans? I have eczema and dermatitis and sometimes I will have rashes that get itchy and I need to put cream and try not to scratch but when I am more little, it’s really, really hard 🥺 So can I have some kind of comfort where Chris distracts me with fun things like cuddling or playing with dodger, etc. Thank you friend, take care of yourself while you’re writing these blurbs 💙💙💙💙 사랑해

an | hi sweet friend thanks so so so so so much for this request! i actually get stress rashes (wild i know lol) and they’re super yucky!! so the thought of daddy!chris like helping with cream/lotion and then distracting you is just :’-) so cute wow i love it i hope you like this!!

“C'mon baby, you’re okay,” Chris coos gently as you swing your legs back and forth anxiously, sitting obediently up on the countertop in the bathroom, right where your daddy has placed you. “Hey,” he warns lightly. “No itching.”

“B-but… so itchy,” you mumble pleadingly, your eyes watering a bit at the sight of the man grabbing the tube of the dreaded cream, popping the cap open before letting out a generous amount of the pasty white stuff onto one of his large hands.

“I know, bubba, I know. It’s okay,” Chris soothes, planting a quick kiss on your forehead as he rubs his hands together, frowning as he watches you eye him with tears already building up. “Hey, you’re okay,” he reminds you, his soft gaze catching your own, “I know it stings at first, sweetheart, but remember how well it takes care of the itch after a while?”

Reluctantly, you nod, bracing yourself as Chris motions for you to turn to allow him access to your blistering back. “Oh honey,” he sighs, the sight of the angry rash fleshing out across your skin filling the man with pity. “It’s okay, darlin’. Gonna get you all lotioned up, and then we can go play with Dodge; how’s that sound, pretty girl?”

“Yes please,” you agree, lowering your head as you prepare yourself for the unpleasant first few moments of the topical treatment.

“Alright, bub. Here we go, big breath in,” Chris coaches before gently beginning to run his hands over your back to spread the cream, his heart breaking at the sight of you cowering away from the terrible sensation. “I know, baby- shhh,” he hums, doing his best to work the stuff in as quickly and thoroughly as possible before pulling away. “There you go, sweet girl. All done. Did so good for me,” he murmurs, leaning in to sneak a gentle kiss on your nose before turning to the sink to rinse his hands off.

Doing your best to take big breaths, it only takes a few moments for the stinging to subside, a warm, soothing after-effect soon taking over as you finally let your muscles loosen. Just as you’re opening your mouth to thank your daddy for helping you, the sound of excited paws hitting the hardwood floor sounds from just outside the door, causing a grin to appear on your face.

“There he is, already knows what time it is,” Chris chuckles as he dries off his hands, reaching for the door and kicking it fully open to allow the lively pup in. “Hey there, bud. You ready for treats? I know the prettiest baby who’s just been dyin’ to give you way too many.”

[lit-in-thy-heart]

Gwaine’s fingers hadn't stopped burning since the beginning of the training session. He'd been able to feel the sweat clinging to the pores of his skin and crawling up his hands as the sun had glared down on them. It hadn't been this bad for weeks. The summer, by usual standards, hadn't even been as terrible as it usually was; apart from one painful patch on his palm where the skin had split, Gwaine’s hands had remained largely clear of any eczema, but training had brought out a rash-like appearance that Gwaine knew would transform into clusters of dry and inflamed skin in a matter of days.

Still, he'd struggled until the end of the session and had resisted the urge to scratch the irritated areas by retrieving the scrap of material he'd used to wear before becoming a knight and tightly winding it around his hand. Unfortunately he only had the one, so he'd simply curled his second hand into a fist and had slipped away.

And now he was currently staring at a bucket of water in his chambers, contemplating whether or not plunging his hands in it for temporary relief would be worth the agony of having to dry his skin afterwards. If it didn't disappear before the world grew colder, then winter would be hell.

Mouth pressed in a thin line, Gwaine unwrapped the cloth and shoved both hands into the bucket of water with a suppressed groan. As a child, his eczema had largely been contained to the joints of his elbows in warm weather and, after the age of around five, had disappeared altogether. Its return had coincided with his father's death as a teenager and that's when it had been all over his hands.

Most of the time it was manageable. There was the rare occasion where the skin did split open and caused all hell to break loose for a couple of weeks before it healed up, but for the most part Gwaine could get on with his life. But then there were times like this, where the fluctuating weather and physical activity pushed his skin to breaking point and his fingers were left feeling stiff and inflamed and he wanted nothing more than to scrape everything off.

But he gritted his teeth and moved through it. Or tried his best to, at least. There was a sound at the door and Gwaine started, reflexively removing his hands from the water and delicately drying them off with a cloth by pressing down on his hands. It stuck to his skin and pulled at his fingers but he forced himself to remain as impassive as possible as Merlin and Lancelot, holding hands that were completely smooth to the touch, entered the room.

Lancelot dropped a kiss to the top of his head as he approached the table. 'Hey, love, you disappeared after training.'

'Was getting too warm,' Gwaine replied, kissing Merlin’s cheek clumsily as they rested their head on his shoulder to examine the water. 'You both alright?'

'Fine,' mumbled Merlin. 'What are you doing?'

'Just washing.'

Gwaine knew there was nothing to be ashamed of, but he couldn't help but feel like the condition would be nothing but an impediment if it was discovered. Alone he could manage it. It was a nuisance, but he could do it. If the others knew then they might tell him to take a break or, worse, to get a grip of himself. It meant that he wouldn't be able to hold either of his partners' hands for several weeks until the flare-up died down but they probably wouldn't have wanted to touch it anyway.

Lancelot frowned. 'Since when have you washed alone?'

Gwaine shrugged, avoiding his gaze and standing up. 'It was too warm and I couldn't wait.'

'That's twice now you've said it was too warm,' observed Merlin.

Gwaine opened a window and kept his head turned away. 'It was.'

'Are you hurt?' Lancelot asked, dropping Merlin’s hand and approaching Gwaine again. He pressed one hand to the small of Gwaine’s back. 'Gwaine?'

'No, I'm fine,' Gwaine quietly said, glancing around with a small smile. 'You don't need to worry.'

'You kept flexing your hands in training.' Merlin had joined them. 'Are you sure you're not hurt?'

'I was just readjusting my grip on the sword. Honestly, it's fine.'

'Let me see,' Merlin softly demanded. 'Show me your hands.'

'It's fine—'

'Gwaine,' Lancelot sharply cut in, 'just show us.'

Steeling himself, Gwaine turned around and flung out his hands, palms facing down. 'There. Satisfied?'

With a frown, Lancelot traced the rash scattered across Gwaine’s fingers. 'Is it some kind of infection? Were you wounded and you didn't tell us?'

'It's not an infection,' whispered Gwaine. 'It's a skin condition. It's fine, mostly, just the heat and the physical activity today made it flare up. It's fine.'

Merlin delicately slipped their hand beneath Gwaine’s palm. 'Does it hurt?'

'It could be worse. It has been worse.'

'But does it hurt?'

'Not really. It's more of a burning sensation, that's all. Just feels hot.' Gwaine withdrew his hands and shoved them in his pockets, allowing the friction of the movement to momentarily soothe him. 'It goes away for a few weeks, then returns again. Nothing can be done about it.'

As Lancelot rubbed his shoulder, Merlin bit their lip. 'Gaius might have a salve that can reduce the inflammation. It won't cure it, but it would make it easier to deal with?'

'I wouldn't want to waste it for people who might actually need it,' Gwaine quietly replied.

Lancelot's grip tightened. 'You need it, love.'

Merlin pressed a kiss to his forehead. 'Give me two minutes, I'll be right back.'

With a nod, Gwaine fell against the wall, avoiding Lancelot’s eye. As much as he loved him, there was always the niggling idea that he had to be as good as Lancelot in being able to protect Merlin if needed, and the thought that he wouldn't be if he could be slowed down by stiff hands—

Fiercely, he shook himself. It was ridiculous to think that. He wasn't any less capable of protecting Merlin just because his hands felt like they were on fire. He'd managed to protect himself, in the years alone and wandering, with blistered and broken skin. And if he could do that, he could protect Merlin.

It was Lancelot’s voice that snapped him back to reality. 'How long have you had this?'

'Since I was a teenager. On and off. It's alright, I'm used to it now.'

Lancelot cupped Gwaine’s cheek with a flawless palm. 'Still. It can't always be easy.'

'Lance, it's fine, really. I make enough of a big deal out of it already.' Gwaine sighed. 'It's worse during hot nights, when I just want to tear off my own skin. During the day it's usually okay.'

Kissing him gently between his eyebrows, Lancelot rubbed his shoulder. 'Hopefully the salve will help.'

Gwaine rested his forehead against his partner's. 'Hopefully.'

'I have it!' came a triumphant voice. Merlin had returned, in seemingly record time, and held a small pot in their hand. 'Hopefully it won't make it worse.'

'Don't say that,' Gwaine said, leaning into Lancelot as Merlin approached.

Grinning, Merlin removed the lid and put a large amount on his fingers, holding them out to Gwaine. When Gwaine offered up his hands, he kept his lips tightly sealed as Merlin lathered the salve over his skin and ignored the intensity of the burning sensation. If it hurt, it meant it was working, that was what he'd always been told.

The smell wasn't unpleasant but he couldn't quite define what it was but, as Merlin continued to cover his hands, Gwaine decided it didn't matter. There was a slim possibility that his condition might improve and, if not, then at least he could enjoy Merlin and Lancelot refusing to let him carry anything for himself for the rest of the week.

[mari-vargas]

Hey, I’ve got a weird one for you today. I want to tell the story of my favorite bully from when I was a kid.

Ya, like I said it’s a weird one.

I was bullied a lot growing up. I was quiet and didn’t really fight back over it. Honestly for the most part I didn’t care. It always felt worse for me when I tried to fit in, and I never succeeded anyways so basically my choices were “be comfortable and be made fun of for it” or “be uncomfortable and be made fun of for failing to do it right”.

Now I also have some blocked memories from bullying, so I can’t really speak to those, and I only know they exist because of an unconscious reaction to one bully approaching me and calling my name from behind while I was visiting my friend at my old school. This story is not about that however.

This is about the clique at the school I attended after that one. They were a group of mean nasty girls with money who’d pick on girls without, or would pick on you for going through puberty at a different rate than them, or for your opinion on who’s cute and who’s not or what should constitute a crush. They’d also pick on you for physical problem. One girl in our class was on crutches for months with a boot on one foot, and unfortunately she was already a target for this group because she wore her hair short and had started puberty long before anyone else (before I’d even started at this school).

There were two (and after one particular incident my opinion changed to three) especially mean girls, who I will refer to as K and M (the third is C). They would tear you down over every little thing. The thing about being the kind of kid I was, though, is that when someone is going somewhere to breakdown alone, they don’t really notice the quiet kid already occupying the hiding space due to their only two friends having a year long row with each other they didn’t have any business getting dragged into. As such I know that K, M, and C all had absolutely horrendous mothers, C had an unhealthy obsession with pleasing her father, K and M didn’t have great situations with their fathers (likely distant and mostly uninvolved), and K had some odd situations involving older siblings, and all three had stupidly high expectations placed on them—not about grades, but about appearances. So ya…I fully admit to doing the stupid thing and getting them to direct all their attention toward me and off of that one girl and away from my “friends” even though they’d basically disowned me. Because I mean really, I didn’t care what they had to say to or about me, their toxic opinions couldn’t really reach me. My friends on the other hand definitely tore me down. Their opinions did matter to me. So ya I was in a rough spot because of my “friends” and other stuff happening in my life but the bullies’ words really didn’t matter to me so I took it all on.

But this story also isn’t about me trying to say “ah yes I was strong against bullying ha ha ha!” I wasn’t, I just know that even back then I could tell whose actions were gonna affect me more. This is about one of the things the clique girls singled out on me and would’ve succeeded in actually tearing me down further than I’d ever been (again, in existing memory, because I have no clue what’s in those blocked memories and I don’t plan on ever disturbing them).

I have eczema, and a lot of triggers for it. The worst trigger to deal with though is stress. It’s not something I can remove like sugar or Red 40, it’s not something I can wash away like dust, not something I can soothe away with lotion and lots of water like dehydration. I have anxiety. Basically I’m always stressed. But anyways that year was a really rough year, with my friends fighting and my parents almost getting divorced and this was before my “twin” got her own phone so I had no reliable way to talk with her and my sister had just started driving… so I had my huge unavoidable trigger, plus this was before (or rather more specifically this was THE year) we discovered I was allergic to Red 40, and and and… Point is I had an extremely bad eczema outbreak. I’d always get it the worst on the back of my upper thighs. It was so bad that just to prevent it from getting worse while sitting in class, we had to tape these large patches of gauze over them. This school had a uniform and quite frankly the material for the bottoms was pretty uncomfortable to move in in the form of pants and shorts, so I often wore these pleated skirts my dad and I sewed because the pleats gave way more room to move.

So I’m wearing this skirt, with the gauze taped to the back of my thighs, and I’m out on the playground about to attempt the monkey bars (and being fully aware I’d fail, but I’d already finished like three books that day and it was only lunch and the monkey bars were at least still far enough away from where my friends were loudly arguing). M and K take notice that I’m gonna do something worthy of being mocked over so they gather their clique and bring them over to strike. C had been egging my friends on, but reluctantly was dragged away—reluctant that is, until she caught sight of something peculiar on the back of my thighs. So she called it out, jeeringly, “what’s that?” pointing at the gauze. So I tell her, simply, that it’s gauze. M rolls her eyes and joins C in sneering “why’s it taped on your legs?” So I tell them I have eczema and it’s pretty bad right now so it’s covered to help prevent it from getting worse. M asks what eczema is, so I start to explain “it’s a rash—“ only to be cut off by M and C loudly yelling “ew! It’s contagious your contagious you’re gonna give us all your rash” etc etc. K had been looking uncomfortable at the start of this which was unusual because usually it wasn’t C jumping in like this with M, it was usually K. I was trying to cut in to what M and C were yelling to explain that it wasn’t contagious, but again I was a quiet kid. I couldn’t cut people off, it was basically physically impossible for me at this time. But I wound up not needing to. Right when I was noticing that K wasn’t participating and was even looking uncomfortable, her discomfort transformed into determination. She cut off M and C and told them in no uncertain terms about how eczema was an autoimmune disorder transferred genetically and was in no way contagious and there was no way I could have prevented my own body from attacking me. She told them all that she had a cousin with bad eczema and that this was absolutely not something they could target to pick on me over. She then followed that up with a jibe at my lack of arm strength and my tiny feet, as though to demonstrate acceptable things to mock me over.

It might be a little stupid, but at that moment when everyone turned to mocking me for how small I was and how bad I was at climbing, I was so happy. So relieved. Because to this day I can’t stand to look at the back of my thighs, fully believing they are still covered with thick gnarled scar tissue. Because any attention brought to my eczema always made the itching and burning worse. Because any time my eczema worsened I felt horrible and that it was my fault for not being better at ignoring it. K stood up for me and saved me from the worst instance I can remember of a bully’s words actually getting to me. They didn’t stop going after me for it, but they had to do it quietly or else K would come down on them with all her righteous fury. I don’t think I ever got any physical attacks after that incident either and I know none of them wanted to touch me, still claiming I was contagious, but after that first time it didn’t bother me as much because I knew at least one of them understood.

K changed after that. She seemed to start noticing what people were truly bothered by and what they didn’t really care about, and she’d redirect mocking towards the unimportant things.

I left that school at the end of that year, but the next year apparently things in the social scene there went even worse. Remember my fighting friends? Ya that didn’t stop after just one year. Remember how C had been egging them on? She had gotten one of the other clique girls to support one while she backed the other. Soon enough, the whole clique had divided to back one or the other of my ex-friends—people they had mercilessly bullied for years and were now claiming to be besties with. I don’t know what exactly happened with K. Could’ve been something with volleyball or cheerleading. Could’ve been something with the bullying. Could’ve been a change in financial situation. But a year or two after I left she was booted to the curb from the clique. Full cold shoulder and then some.

She wanted to go to the fair, but as I mentioned her family situation was dismissive at the best of times. Her mother finally relented and said she could go IF she found someone to go with because they certainly didn’t have time for something so frivolous. She tried everyone and was shut out at every bend. Until, that is, she came across my phone number in her contacts from that brief time I was on the volleyball team because they didn’t have try outs that year because they almost didn’t have enough people for a team the year prior. So in a last ditch attempt, she messaged me to see if I’d be willing to go to the fair with her. And I thought back to that day she stood up for me, and how she had started redirecting her friends attention away from true land mines, and I went to my parents asking if I could meet a friend at the fair on that particular night. Because she needed a friend, even just for a night.

When we got there, she was all alone outside the front of the fair entrance. No family in sight. They had dropped her off and left. She was straining her neck around the crowd. I waved and ran up to her. She started crying as soon as she’d spotted me. She blubbered out her situation with her once friends and how she wouldn’t have been surprised if I hadn’t shown up because of how she used to treat me and so on and so forth. After she had calmed down we went to the fair and had a great time and I got to see a little spark of light return to her eyes.

So ya, she bullied me, and wound up getting exactly that in turn, but she also stood up for me at one of my worst moments, and I apparently did the same for her.

A year later and M for some reason invited me to a Halloween party she was throwing. I decided to go, and well that was basically the last time I ever spoke to my ex friends from that school. I was picked on by M and C and their cronies old and new while I was there and I decided that ya there was no need for me to be there and I called for a ride and left while there was still probably another 2-3 hours left of the party.

[atomicqueertragedy]

One of the most annoying things about being autistic...

…is trying to look after yourself. The way that my brain works is that everything is a system/computer and can be somehow understood in a logical manner (at least that’s how my brain tries to perceive the world). But because I obviously cannot understand everything, my brain simplifies processes but genuinely believes they are usable and accurate when this is not the case at all.

Food (i.e. for me one of the most distressing parts of being a living organism with autism…):

What my brain would like to see as a simple mathematical puzzle:  stomach empty + fuel = stomach full is in actual fact a very complicated reality of variation. If I tried to eat without aid then I would eat whatever was the quickest and easiest simply because the fact I don’t understand what is healthy and what is not, what will give me energy and what won’t, what will cause me to gain weight and what won’t…that’s too much. I need a very simple process otherwise my brain just switches off and I won’t eat, which then causes me to binge eat, and I assume this is why so many of us have issues with food and/or eating disorders.

The only thing that has helped me work through my issues with eating is literally a dieting app. I think I’ll have to use this honestly for the rest of my life because it is the only way I can eat a good amount of food, that provides me with both nutrients, energy and isn’t causing me to gain or lose weight. And honestly it’s working!! I think my partner can get frustrated with how precise I need to be with how many calories/carbs/protein/sodium I need to ingest/not ingest but I have not been as comfortable or as energised eating since like ever. I am eating better than ever and I am eating neurodivergently which can be strange, awkward or even trying to strangers, family or friends but I know for a fact that I am better off for it and days when I do not look at my “dieting” app I feel disgusting, tired, moody and confused. (the app encase you’re wondering is called MyNetDiary but I am in no way condoning it or wanting you to use it. Just because it works for me does not mean it will necessarily be beneficial for you so if you do try it please be careful and keep that in mind. If you have an eating disorder it may make things worse so be careful, my friends!)

Medical stuff :

For a long long time I absolutely ignored my health because it was too complicated/stressful an aspect of my life. I’ve always had random rashes that turn up, a burning sensation on my face, pain in my knee, random pinches/sparking pain in my chest, migraines etc…but even brushing my teeth was too much for me to handle so of course I just tried to ignore ALL of that because like excuse me body did I give you permission to be alive and functioning…??

Realising that I would never understand my body and each of its parts was one of the scariest and most relieving things I’ve ever come to accept. That doesn’t at all mean that any of these things that I experience are suddenly solved or dealt with at all. But that was part of the realisation that I had to come to…understanding that there wasn’t necessarily an end-all solution to any of these. But hey there are ways to deal with them, and usually finding a coping mechanism for one allows you to have the energy to deal with another. i.e. after many doctor’s visits (which I would not have gone to if not for my partner) I realised that the rashes I’ve been getting are simply due to dry skin (due to excessive washing because no thanks I do not like those sensations on my skin) and eczema which was being aggravated by excessive washing.

I haven’t stopped excessively washing myself but I have tried to moisturise those areas more (as much as I can because the sensation of moisturiser on my skin is H O R R I B L E) and it’s decreased it. I guess what I’m trying to say is that there are ways to work around your thoughts of “this should work this way but it doesn’t so I’m going to ignore it” and I’m not saying it is the easiest thing at all…it’s actually rather difficult and I have in no way done this by myself, or done it quickly. There have been many many years of me trying and trying again to work through it, and forgetting that there is no end-all solution and relapsing into doing nothing and trying again.

And I won’t go into it much but doctors do not at all help the situation…they overcharge you for doing basically nothing, won’t explain things in detail or in words you understand and treat you as if you are hysterical and ridiculous. In these cases I highly recommend taking a friend who is a people-person or neurotically who can stand up for you if/when you are treated this way. Thankfully my partner can do this for me, and I have found a doctor who is willing to explain, even with diagrams/3D models what could/or even isn’t happening, as well as allowing me to bulk bill my appointments.

Exercise:

Thankfully this is probably the only part of my “looking after myself” part that I’ve been able to simplify and break down to the point my autism can cope with it, but I know that this must be really difficult for a lot of other people.

I have never been able to exercise much in the past, but I honestly don’t know how much this is to do with my autism as I also had a mother with NPD (Narcissistic personality disorder) who made it very difficult for me to leave the house, as well as an eating disorder, no money of my own, and had like really really big titties which gave me a lot of dysphoria (discomfort with my gender identity, sometimes due to a specific body part).

It wasn’t until two years after moving out/breaking contact with my mother that I am able to exercise a little bit. And even then I have to go to a gym, because it allows for unchangeable circumstances, with a pre-organised regime and a band that calculates my heart rate and calorie loss. If anything in the gym changes  my routine then I have a break down and can’t continue, and it is also rather expensive and causes quite a lot of anxiety. BUT if everything goes to plan, and it usually does maybe 80-90% of the time then I am able to stay healthy (i.e. maintain my weight, gain muscle, work off any anxious energy, sleep better for it). Again this might not work for you but it is the only way I can exercise, and a lot of neurotypicals can make fun of it (either cos I’m not skinny or because I don’t go very often, or because I simply do go to the gym when I could be jogging on the street or what-not) but again I know myself better than them.

*

ALSO I would just like to say that just because you might have trouble knowing yourself doesn’t mean a stranger knows you better. You might find your body confusing but that in no way at all means that a stranger’s comment on your body or the way you treat it is at all accurate.

ALSO ALSO if you’re not autistic and you’re reading this (or if you are and didn’t know this…) then not all autistic people feel this way. There is no generalised way to feel as an autistic person but it is possible that an autistic person might have issues/difficulties with these areas and if you are ever unsure you are probably welcome to ask how best to talk about/or act in these situations to help our comfort levels, or at the very least not call us out for acting in a different way to you.

[valentines-drabbles]

Hello! I was wondering if I could make a request for headcannons about Sora and a gender neutral S/O who's dealing with a bad case of eczema or psoriasis? You see, Im going through a bad breakout and itd be nice to have some comfort. (You can ignore this if it makes you uncomfortable. I wont mind.) Best of luck with your blog! 😊

Thank you for the good luck wishes, so far its been going fantastic here (even if I have been a little slow with updates hehe). I hope you don’t mind, I wanted to write a drabble for this particular ask? Every now and then I get really bad cases of eczema myself, (and psoriasis on my head) so this is a little personal to me as well. I hope you can feel better soon, and that you find this on better days

Red, itchy, irritating, gross, that’s how you felt and that’s how you looked. You had to be covered to stop from itching yourself, but the fabric on your skin was only making your irritation worse; with your luck, you would only break out more because of it. You were hoping you could ride out this bout, hide away in your house and allow yourself to recover a bit before you showed your face again.

Your friends, bless them, merely thought you were out due to a cold. And who were you to tell them the truth of the matter? You were sick, just not in the matter they thought, is all. And if they didn’t find out you suffered from this, well, that would be fine.

“Surprise! Guess who's here to take care of you?” You panicked, quickly pulling your blanket around you. Your house was locked, but of course, that wouldn’t have stopped Sora. Now that you thought about it, it wouldn’t have stopped many of your friends but… that’s beyond the point.

“Don’t come in. I-I’m sick!” you did your best to sound as sickly as you could, but there was more of a plea to your voice than a gravely sound.

“That’s why I came! Who better to take care of you than your boyfriend?” He peaked his head into your room, arms full of things that would help, were you actually sick. Only your eyes and the top of your head were in view, the rest of you hidden under your blanket.

“No, Sora, I don’t need you getting sick too...” Your complaints fell on deaf ears as he shuffled in, placing his bags on your desk and the floor around it.

“Aww, I’ll be okay. Besides, I want to be here with you!” He sat at the foot of your bed, all smiles. “Now, have you taken any medicine? And hows your temperature?” Before you could stop him, he reached over and pushed your bangs aside, pressing the back of his hand to your forehead. “Oh, you actually feel pretty normal, that’s good! But we should still get you something nice to eat, and...” He was getting ready to stand again, no doubt to destroy your kitchen in hopes of making something edible, but you rose out of your blankets, gently grabbing his hand to stop him.

“Sora I’m not like… cold sick.” You signed, frowning a little as you looked into his confused eyes.

“Oh, are you like, uh, you know? Like...” He hesitated, thinking a moment.

“It’s not contagious, or anything like that. It’s just…” You frowned a little, looking away from his eyes to stare at your lap. “It’s gross...” You mumbled out.

“Hey,” Sora sat back down now, taking your other hand in his now too. “I don’t know what this is about, but whatever it is, we can get through this together!” He squeezed your hands a little and gave you that radiant smile of his you always loved. “I’ll be here to help you and support you any way I can, you just have to let me.” His smile was a little softer now, but the sentiment was still there; how silly of you to think Sora would stop loving you because of something so trivial?

“Are you sure?” You sighed, flipping the blanket off your body fully now. “I just think its… unsightly, you know? I don’t really like other people knowing this happens to me, but...” Slowly, you pulled your fuzzy pants up past your knees, careful when you passed the irritated, red skin, and frowned. “It’s… a skin rash, that I get every now and then called eczema. I have medicine for it but… it takes time for it to work.”

“This is what you were scared to show me?” Sora carefully traced the soft skin surrounding the rash, his cool touch providing at least a little relief. “Sure, it’s not pretty to look at, but no one cares about that! We care about you, you know?” He looked back up at your face, smile ever present on his. “I don’t know how I can help, but you have my support in whatever way you need it _____.”

“Sora just… you being here, and being so understanding is enough for me.” You pulled him into a hug, quick to wrap your arms around his neck and bury your fingers in his hair. “Thank you for that.”

“Hey, its no problem.” He was quick to melt into your touch, cradling your waist and just enjoying the feeling of you.

[thelionessandmedusa]

PSA

So I have eczema and I’ve had it for about 15 years. In that time I have (and still do) visited an allergy specialist twice a year, sometimes more if needed. So here are somethings I’ve learned either on my own or from what he suggests to me.

• Always take your allergy medicine

• Becareful about washing your hands too much (I’m not saying don’t wash them regularly but doing it 50 times a day can make your skin dry and that’s a big no no)

• Showers! I love hot showers. Hot water while relaxing and good at cleaning booboos and clearing sinuses can make your skin dry so always lotion after.

• It’s recommended that you shower at night by allergists that way you wash all of the allergies of and aren’t sleeping in them.

• Get some sun. One method of treating eczema is UV therapy. My doctor has actually suggested that I get some sun as a means of treating my eczema.

• Some eczema is a patchy rash but other times it will be sort of like boils. Do not pop them. According to a dermatologist that I’ve met you should only ever pop them if you’re painful. Otherwise LEAVE THEM ALONE! It’s not usually contagious if you do but it will leave you with an open wound which is typically how people get infections.

• If you use steroid creams always start with the least powerful and work your way up to the stronger stuff if it’s not working.

• While I’m talking about steroid creams use them either as recommended by your doctor or for only 1-2 weeks then stop. If you use them too much they’ll make your skin thin and you’re back at the beginning

• Lotion lotion lotion. I always lotion my skin. I’m a big fan of aveno (I tend to be allergic to the scented stuff). Vasaline or eucerin are even better.

• Condition yourself. I’m not talking about your hair (though please condition that too) I’m talking about Pavlov’s dogs salivating when you ring the bell, Jim making Dwight cave mints every time the computer gets an error message condiontioning. I had a big problem with scratching until I was bloody when I was little so I had my siblings tell me to stop/slap my hand away and yeah it’s annoying especially when the itch just won’t go away but it’s for your own good. To this day if they hear or notice me scratching they’ll tell me to stop. I’ve also gotten to the point where if my hands itch (because of overwashing or just coming into contact with allergens) instead of scratching it I’ll put on lotion.

• Keep your nails short. If they’re short they don’t scratch as well

•Always clean under your nails. If you do end up scratching you don’t want to get an infection

• Stay hydrated. Especially if you have mild food allergies. I’m mildly allergic to MSG and I’m allergic to peanuts. I don’t even touch peanuts but it’s hard to find fried food that’s not cooked in peanut oil. If you’re allergy isn’t too bad then drinking water with it instead of coke or whatever will help dilut it in your blood so you’re less likely to have a reaction

• If you have food allergies ALWAYS check with whoever is cooking about what’s in it. I don’t check with my dad because he knows well enough and will avoid anything I’m allergic to. But whether it’s at a restaurant or the house of a family member or friend or even if someone in your house who knows well enough and brings home deserts check with them! I’ve gotten into the habit where if someone brings cookies or something I’ll find someone I trust and say “hey can you taste this for me and make sure it doesn’t have [insert allergy here] in it?” They’re more than happy to check. (Having people taste things for you is also a great way to avoid being poisoned)

• Generic stuff is usually the best for sensitive skin when it comes to soaps, lotions, shampoos etc. They tend to be milder I find and they don’t have all of the irritating perfumes in them

• Don’t pick at your scabs. That’s how you get scars

• If you’re like me with bad grass/pollen allergies please wash your hand after petting your dog they love rolling around in the grass.

• If you have an epipen always carry it and always have at least one person in your group know you’re carrying one. I have never had to use my epipen but it’s better safe than sorry.

• Always keep some benedryl (or generic variations thereof) on hand. Coming into contact with allergens is unavoidable but benedryl can help. That being said if your eyes and throat are swelling or you’re going into anaphylactic shock use your epipen.

• Nothing is ever perfectly hypoallergenic. You’re going to react to it if you use it too long. I love using kinesiotape (it’s really good for cramps) but I have to take it off after a couple days usually or else I break out really bad.

Your skin will get better. It may go away. It may not. I’ve been told I’ll never “grow out of” mine. Everyone is different but it can get better if you take care of yourself. My doctor actually told me how proud he is of me because if you look at my skin now compared to when I was little there is a huge difference. So don’t give up. Even with a rash and scars you’re still you and you’re still beautiful.

Not all of this applies solely to eczema or other skin conditions. It’s always in your best interest to stay hydrated and moisturize regularly. So please take care of yourselves!

[thetransmedtruscum]

Hey so I have been presenting and passing as a guy for coming up on 2 years now, and while I don't want or feel the need to go back, sometimes i fear that im doing the wrong thing. I'm happier than I was, most certainly, but sometimes I dont know if what I experience is dysphoria. I'll be at school and all I can think about is how uncomfortable and aware I am of my secondary sex characteristics. I haven't started T yet, and I have looked into the effects of it, and I want them (1/2)

I just worry that because im not always uncomfortable or because sometimes when i am uncomfortable, it isnt always so bad that i want to hurl myself into traffic. But sometimes it is. Sometimes all I want to do is break shit and hurt myself just so it stops. Whenever I have questions about this stuff I always turn to transmed tumblrs. I concider myself transmed. I feel more comfortable around you guys. (2/2)_______________________________________Hey! So this is a question I've actually gotten before but I would like to address your situation specifically.Your Sex Dysphoria isn't always going to be debilitating, some days even I feel ok with myself and thing "maybe I could have just lived as a woman?" But then it always comes back, it always flairs up again.Its like eczema, some people grow out of it as they get older but the ones who don't are stuck with it their whole lives. You can do all kinds of things to help keep the rash away but it always comes back. Yeah?Just because its not as bad sometimes doesnt mean its not still there. Transition is a mentally taxing and difficult decision and it takes years and even then some people don't feel complete... I am not a medical professional so I can't tell you whether or not you have Sex Dysohoria but if you have the suspicion I would suggest seeing a therapist right away if you haven't already.Now one final question before I finish answering this.Can you see yourself as an old woman? -TTMTS

[ourbeautifulchaos21-blog]

Converting into a Toxic-Free Family

Hey, mama bears!  As moms, we have a million jobs to do including being a nurse when our beautiful babies meet that ugly flu bug, a mentor when the light of our lives are sad and confused with their little but magnificent world, a maid when our little artists decide to dream big and use a permanent blank canvas (aka your walls!) and so much more. Morphing into each of these important roles always has your main goal at the front and center: Wanting the absolute best for them. Doing this amazingly chaotic job 24/7, 365 days a year is HARD. Let's be honest. We adore being mothers, would NEVER want to trade it for anything in the world, and couldn't imagine anything better. Even on our hardest days, I thank God that I have the amazing children I have and for life, I am given to live. This journey of parenthood is the most magical, chaotic, stressful, terrifying, and loving journey besides marriage I will ever commit to going on. The expression, "It's not the about the destination but the journey." became absolute clarity when I became a mother. While doing this job, you obviously think of almost every detail of their daily lives, sometimes in the middle of the night when insomnia has knocked on your door and decided to make herself a little too cozy. Have you ever thought of becoming toxic-free? You're cooking and cleaning, washing and folding laundry, giving your floors a good vacuuming or scrubbing, wipes surfaces and stick hands + faces, and of course, touching EVERY imaginable surface in your home. With all of that, you may spend up to 8+ hours cleaning your house. Do you use the right kind of cleaning tools? You just said, "yes" in your head, well what about the right cleaners? You just said, "yes, I use the best on the market." That may be true according to their studies, but do you know what's actually in your cleaners and how they react with your family? Here's where you may have thought to yourself, "actually I don't, or I have a more general sense of what is in it." Well, let me tell you what THE ABSOLUTE BEST OPTION for you and your family that include 0 HARSH CHEMICALS AND IS SO SAFE FOR YOUR CHILDREN, NO CHILD-PROOF CAP IS REQUIRED ON ANY OF THE PRODUCTS!!

It's called living toxic-free and using cleaners that truly support the mission of creating a healthier+cleaner lifestyle without causing permanent damage to your family.  You may be asking "What is Non-Toxic living?" Well, allow me to explain.

WHAT IS TOXIC-FREE LIVING?

Toxic-free living means eliminating chemicals in your home that can cause harm. This can include eating organic food to eliminate the exposure to pesticides, removing, all BPA cans and containers from your pantry, and stopping using the use of all products with chemicals and fragrances that can interfere with your hormones, which controls every aspect in your body! Making environmental and lifestyle changes can significantly reduce your risk of developing cancer, it can improve your gut health and immunity, reduce inflammation in the body, protect your thyroid and improve your energy!

WHY I STARTED LIVING TOXIC-FREE

personal story time: When I was 12, I was officially diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia, it's an inherited form of incurable anemia — a condition in which there aren't enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen throughout your body. It was a hard pill to swallow, hearing that I have an incurable disease and that there is a significant possibility that I will not live past 50. I struggled with the thought for years, made me extremely depressed and what has helped contribute to what is now clinical severe depression. Due to this disease, I have a weakened immune system and it turns into a battle to fight of various infections and touches of flu that I catch. I decided that while this isn't something I can 100% prevent, I will continue fighting for the healthiest version of me. On my facebook, I noticed that a lot of my healthier friends were using toxic-free house cleaning and beauty products. Watching their journeys of gaining healthier families and cleaner homes, gave me a new-found passion. I wanted to know how they started, so I finally got in touch with my amazing new friends Doreen and Lindsay! They showed me an overview of the process and why the products they were using were life-changing and budget + time focused. Two things that I needed!!

My journey to toxic-free living is on-going but I’ve started and I am proud of the changes I have made. I have since switched to all natural cleaning + beauty products. I am currently working on adopting healthier eating + cooking habits. I have noticed that since switching, I'm having more energy, my allergies that seemed to never end are now a thing of the past, I'm no longer having to spend hours cleaning, and my house is staying cleaner. I have developed a true passion for showing others how to do the same.

LIFE-CHANGING TESTIMONIALS

Here are some amazing testimonies from some of my good friends, living toxic-free:

"My overall health has improved! I used to have bad asthma and skin rashes, not necessarily eczema but close to it. One I switched everything not only did I stop using my inhaler but my daughter's respiratory problems got better too!"

-Brandy Wilson

"I used to suffer from bad eczema for years! When I switched all my products like laundry, dish soap, and shower products to toxic free it went away and has never come back! My kids also haven’t been sick as much either."

-Danielle Salamak

All around my home is cleaner. From my clothes to my counters, my drains, my dishes. It really does a number to have all of the extra in your cleaning products. I love my new routine!!

- Serrina Bowser

Even though I just started I'm already seeing results. My house is cleaner smells better and its safer for my son. He loves his kid products and I love that he can help me clean without me freaking out if he picks up a bottle of cleaner. 💕💕💕💕

-Tessa Walker

This is truly a lifestyle transition because once you start eliminating things that make us sick and harm us, you'll notice that not only your health improves but your attitude starts improving as well. It is a truly amazing and beautiful process. Not one that you should EVER do alone. Surround yourself with an amazing support system and let them know that you're choosing a different way, see how many actually FOLLOW YOU! It is an incredible thing to see, that at first thought was way too good to be true. I encourage you to reach out to someone you know who is or you can even reach out to me. (The internet is amazing right??) I would love to send you this new information pack that I have put together on how to convert your home + your life. The best part?? It's 100% free!! (Who can beat free right??)

CONCLUSION

Thanks for sitting down and letting me tell you more about my journey that I will continue to be on, the question is: Will you join me?

Feel free to reach me:

Facebook

instagram

Snapchat: aliahw_itworks

[topicprinter]

Hey - Pat from StarterStory.com here with another interview.Today's interview is with Carole Rains of Emu Joy, a brand that sells emu oil based skincare.Some stats:Product: Emu oil based skincare.Revenue/mo: $19,000Started: March 2014Location: New JerseyFounders: 1Employees: 1Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?Hi, I’m Carole Rains, the founder of Emu Joy. My product line features 100% natural products for skin, hair, muscles, and joints based on a unique ingredient: emu oil.Emu oil is a highly penetrating oil that’s full of moisturizing and anti-inflammatory benefits. It comes from a thick pad of fat on the back of the emu bird, which looks a bit like an ostrich. It’s useful for everyone from babies with diaper rash to grandmas with arthritis, as well as many other conditions for folks of all ages.Like many of you reading this, I had never heard of emu oil. Then one day while reading a home decor blog for my other business, Rustic Artistry, the blogger wrote an entire post about how much she loved emu oil, and how well it had worked for her eczema and joint pain. I was intrigued, so I started to investigate.After studying the research and reading everything I could find about emu oil, not only did I decide to use it myself, I also wanted more people to know about it so it could help them too. Seeing photos and reading about little babies with eczema sealed the deal for me. If there was a way to help them that their parents didn't know about, I wanted to get the word out.The result: I created Emu Joy as a source for reliable information and safe, natural products. I’ve now shipped more than 50,000 bottles, jars, and tubes of emu oil products, and the customer feedback makes me know starting this business was a good decision. Hearing from a mom who said “I got my little boy back” after the rash cream banished his eczema is what keeps me working hard to grow the business.What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?While the most common gender and age for ecommerce entrepreneurs seem to be males in their 30s, I started my business as a woman in her 50s.Leading up to that I had worked for 17 years in pharmaceutical advertising and marketing, followed by 17 years as a chef. Eventually, I wanted more flexibility of my time and decided to try out creating an online store.At the time there were a couple of resources that helped me get my store up and running. Steve Chou’s blog My Wife Quit Her Job was full of tutorials and extensive information on ecommerce.Andrew Youderian, founder of Ecommerce Fuel, had published an e-course on how to start an ecommerce business that laid out the process step by step, including things like opening a business bank account and credit card, getting an LLC, and setting up a website. Having a list of boxes to check off was exactly what I needed to turn the idea into a reality. I’ve been lucky to get to know those two in person and now see them several times a year at the ecommerce conferences that each of them hold.I bootstrapped the business with some savings that I had, putting $5,000 into my business checking account to get started. Since then I’ve been able to fund the business from revenue, with only a few times where I had to take a “loan” from my personal checking account for a few weeks to pay for inventory.Take us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product.When choosing a supplier for my products I reviewed the online information on several emu farms in the US and spoke with the owners. It was important to me that my emu oil be certified by the American Emu Association so that I could ensure its purity and quality. My other criteria were that all the ingredients in the combination products be only natural.I found the supplier I wanted to work with based on the quality of the ingredients they used and the way they care for their emus, but they weren’t particularly interested, having had a bad experience in the past with private labeling for another seller. Just as I was about to sign a contract with my second choice supplier, the owner got in touch and said they’d decided to take a chance on me.Once that was established I brainstormed names for the brand and the individual products. I wrote the text for the labels myself, which was much harder than I had expected, knowing that I needed to get it just right before they were printed. I then worked with a graphic designer to have the logo and labels designed. Having worked for so many years in advertising I was very involved in suggesting and selecting fonts, adjusting spacing, and overall design, which was a lot of fun.Holding my first batch of finished products in my hands was one of the most exciting days of my life.Describe the process of launching the business.Emu Joy is my second online store, which I developed after learning the ropes through my first website, rusticartistry.com. That site sells custom furniture and home decor which can be quite expensive, so sales were sporadic. I wanted a business that would have daily sales and an emu oil line of products fit those criteria.Originally the business was called Emu Bliss, and the products were available only on Amazon so that I could test the market. When sales started to take off on that platform I added a Shopify site.I also applied for a trademark for Emu Bliss. Then the trouble came.My trademark application was opposed by a very large company called Bliss. They had a fancy NY law firm handling the filing against my Emu Bliss name, and very deep pockets, so there was no way I would be able to fight the case. Just when I had finally started to get some brand recognition I had to change my company name.That involved a getting a new logo, printing new labels, removing existing product from the Amazon warehouse and relabelling, and updating all the email campaigns, advertising, social media accounts, bank accounts, etc. Plus it was like having to change the name of your child when they’re two years old.Fortunately the new name of Emu Joy was well received by my customers, and in the end it didn’t hurt the business. But it certainly took up a lot of time that could have been spent moving the business forward.Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?Emu Joy’s sales are more than 90% on Amazon. There’s a steep learning curve to sell on Amazon but once you get used to how the platform works it’s easy to make changes to listings, set up shipments to the warehouse and track sales.One of the most important parts of a successful listing is the images, and not just having a top notch main image. Smart sellers use additional images as mini ads, with lots of callouts, specs and other information that tells the product story. I found an excellent graphic designer through FreeeUp to create my informational images.Because I have my brand name trademarked I was able to enroll in Brand Registry. This entitles me to include Enhanced Brand Content, which allows for more images and content in the product description section instead of just all text, as well as the option to create a Store Page that’s like a complete brochure for the brand.Keyword research is critical in order to write effective listings and to use for PPC campaigns. It’s fascinating pull the reports and see the phrases people use to search for products on Amazon. There are a number of providers who have excellent software to manage Amazon PPC campaigns, especially PPC Scope and Sellics.Of course, selling on Amazon is both good and bad. It’s great to have a source for endless traffic, but it’s always dangerous to be dependent on one platform, especially one as challenging as Amazon. Even when you run your business ethically and play by all the rules, there are issues that come up on Amazon that are completely out of your control as a seller. I don’t know of a single Amazon seller that hasn’t had a product, or even their entire account, shut down by Amazon for something they didn’t do.I’d like to increase wholesale sales, and was happy to be approached by The Grommet, which is a shopping platform that features makers and small businesses with intriguing products. That starts soon, so hopefully, that will go well, and also drive customers to my own site.Another way I’ve grown my customer base is by looking for small, underserved niches that my products are good for. I have Google alerts set up for “emu oil” and often find articles that lead me to new uses. Some of the best information I get is by patient forums for specific conditions.This shows me the exact language patients use and problems they are experiencing. Based on this information I have made combinations of my products into kits that are targeted to these conditions, such as a Cancer Care Pack and a Soothe My Lichen Sclerosis Kit.I have information pages in the Learning Center section of the website to address various conditions such as piercing and tattoo aftercare, burns and eczema. Those have been successful at driving Google search traffic to my site.How are you doing today and what does the future look like?I’m proud to say that Emu Joy is a profitable business. After watching many episodes of The Profit on TV I know that that is often not the case. I attribute my tight control on my finances to the special system of allocating funds that I now use.Emu Joy’s finances are organized using multiple checking accounts based on the method laid out in the book Profit First. With this system all revenue comes into one account, then twice a month it gets distributed in percentages to accounts specifically for Inventory, Operating Expenses, Taxes, Owners Pay and Profit. Once a quarter I take out a portion of the deposits made into the Profit account and celebrate. The idea is that a business owner should be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor.My bookkeeper, Cyndi Thomas of Bookskeep, just published a new version of the book: Profit First for Ecommerce Sellers, which lays out all the steps specifically tailored to ecomm folks.Since implementing Profit First I have a much better grasp on where my business stands financially at any given time and am able to take advantage of seasonal bumps in sales.Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?I’ve learned that the key to a successful business is relationships. Whether it’s with my suppliers, customers, freelancers or fellow ecommerce entrepreneurs, developing a mutually beneficial relationship makes everything go more smoothly and efficiently, and makes going to work each day a pleasure.It’s OK if you don’t know what all those acronyms mean when you start. I was clueless about what PPC, CPC, SEO, LTV, ACOS and the rest of them stood for, but it’s possible to teach yourself about all of it, even if you don’t become an expert in every area.Mostly it’s important to believe in yourself. Having attended multiple Tony Robbins events, where I walked over 40 feet of glowing hot coals and climbed to the top of a 50-foot telephone pole before jumping off towards a trapeze (we were harnessed!), I know that I can do anything I set my mind to.When I hit a bump in the road I remind myself that literally every business experiences that, and sometimes the mistakes and setbacks are the greatest learning opportunities.What platform/tools do you use for your business?Emu Joy is hosted on Shopify using a custom theme that was developed by Smart Marketer, Ezra Firestone’s ecommerce training site.My landing pages are designed using Zipify app, also developed by Ezra’s team. Email marketing is done with Klaviyo which has excellent segmentation capabilities.What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?Without a doubt the most important resource for me is my membership in the Ecommerce Fuel private forum.These brilliant ecommerce entrepreneurs keep me up to date on the latest developments and are generous with their time and expertise whenever I have a question.My favorite podcasts are Danny McMillan’s Seller Sessions, and Mike Jackness and Dave Bryant’s Ecom Crew.Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?It doesn’t matter what age you are when you start as long as you go in with an open mind and entrepreneurial spirit.Read blogs and books on starting an ecommerce business. Check out Facebook groups for beginner sellers to get an idea of the kinds of issues they experience.. Get on the email lists of the top marketers and attend their webinars.And remember that perfect is the enemy of done. You can fiddle with your website forever to make improvements but that first sale won’t happen unless you push go.Where can we go to learn more?emujoy.comcarole@emujoy.comIf you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!Liked this text interview? Check out the full interview with photos, tools, books, and other data.Interested in sharing your own story? Send me a PM

[cygneblanc]

First Month in IB World School - Kolej Mara Banting

Greetings, fellow Earthens. It is I, your local inconvenience, saluting from the middle of nowhere, surrounded by palm trees, and thousand miles away from home 🍇 Kia Ora, people! (Nice guess, but I’m not at New Zealand) Before I start my long rant, I just wanna apologise beforehand with the weird format that I typed my blog with because my laptop decided to be a huge B and won’t connect to my internet. Hence, I’m currently typing this thing on my phone! Not a problem, but it’s annoying the hell out of me haha let’s just move on before I stray away from the topic 🍇 First and foremost! OMG GUYS I SURVIVED ONE MONTH IN KMB WITHOUT ANY MAJOR THINGS OR DRAMA HAPPENED (well few mini episodes but nothing grand that’s cinematic worthy, but oh well moving onnnnn) I, believe it or not, survived the first month without ANY sorts of homesickness, or even any illness (HAH to the doctor that said I need an antibody injection, I. Survived. Without. Getting. Sick.) Of course, the first impression towards KMb was nothing short of a shock. Low-key (I meant high key) regretting for rejecting UNIMAS because I was expecting a UNI life, you know. I want to FEEL LIKE AN ADULT, but lmao guess who gets to be in a classroom and having teachers instead of lecturers and have to greet the teachers every time they come in? (Suck it up, Niqa. It’s called IB world SCHOOL for a reason. It lives up to it’s name.) So yeah, the life that I’m living right now is NOTHING like the fantasies that I used to have about University life. Nothing. Big shout out to Niqa because she never fails to disappoint herself! Woohoo! We have our class from 8 till 3.30, sometimes up till 4.30 if we have some extra remedial or meeting up with the teachers, but I usually just stay at the academic block until 5.30 (because I’m a good girl 🙃 lah sangat) and everything here is pretty much scheduled. So, to say that we don’t have a life, is correct. Like I said, NOTHING like what I imagined uni life is all about. 🍇 Even thooooough, the life here is, lmao to be blunt, extraordinarily lame, but I wasn’t joking when I said I really like it here, and I think one of the main reason (I honestly think it’s the only reason, but lmao let’s pretend I didn’t type that out) that I really like it here in KMB is, the people. The seniors, my batch mate, the teachers (they’re actually lecturers but I honestly have no idea why they insisted on us addressing them as teachers), the staffs, mak cik DS, pak cik guard, and literally everybody else are so amazing. They’re very kind and genuine that it makes me feel so loved and accepted here. It’s weird how so far away I am from where I’m from, but I feel so ‘belonged’ here. And I honestly guess that’s the main reason why I didn’t get any sort of homesickness. Though this place is NOTHING like home, but it feels like a home to me. Their kindness was quite overwhelming in the first place and I was soooo awkward because I’m not used to it and I legit had no idea how to react towards such kindness, but then, slowly I learnt that it comes from the heart. Everything comes from the heart. If the kindness that you received comes from within, then make sure to repay from the within too. It’s so different, (lmao it’s like langit and bumi, honestly) from the people that I died to associate myself with back in Green Road, (I LOVE YOU LITTLE DAREDEVILS AND SATANS WITH ALL MY HEART I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH AND I MISS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU DEVILS) and I thought that it would very hard for me to ‘fit in’, but how wrong I was. I still remember during the first day of orientation and how I was in TOTAL DISTRESSED because my MARA agreement was apparently incomplete, two of my batch mates came up to me, sat next to me , and just talked to me like I'm one of their friends, and I've never felt more grateful before because it was like the beginning of how my perception changed towards these people. Everyone is just so accepting. It’s partly because how the seniors and the teachers never fail to remind us every time during orientation days, about how we are all now back to zero. Nada. Kosong. And we’re all starting from the same starting point so there really is no one ahead or no one got left behind. We’re a team. Not competitors, and I just really like that concept and how it changes the perceptions that I have towards this people. They didn’t get the upper hands just because they’re from boarding school, they’re just like me, chasing after the same goal. And instead of a huge stampede and massacre, we’re holding hands, and making sure that no one gets left behind, while reaching for the end goal, together. 🍇 Secondly, the culture that they’ve nurtured here thoughhhhhh. Holy cow, I’m so amazed. Can you believe that thievery is unheard of, here in KMB? You can literally just leave your phone anywhere and leave your laptop at the middle of concourse, come back to take it few hours later, and it will still be there, untouched. The people here really respect each other’s stuff and of course, very disciplined and I’m just so amazed. Wow, I’m a part of these people now? Phew, Niqa. You’re amazing. (Let me have this moment, guys. I want to puji diri too) and cases of hysteria is so rare. Wait, if I’m not mistaken, it never happened here before? Like, can you believe that? A college. I heard so many ghost stories of different college that I was kinda scared entering this so called dorm life but lmao I literally have nothing to be scared of. I love how we just sit together every night and recite Ma'thurat in the morning at the surau before class, recite Al Mulk together at night, the solat jemaah, Quran in group sessions. Everything is just so rare for a common student like me from a commoner school. Like wow? No wonder budak mrsm sbp so amazing? What was I doing with my whole 18 years of life? Sleeping while living? I felt so left behind in everything, but then again, like I said, everyone here is so amazing you hardly feel the huge gap that we have. I love each and every breathing creatures there to bits 💜 🍇 HAH I sounded like I’m living the live in KMB and loving it so much, ain’t I? I do, but that DOES NOT mean that I have nothing to complain about here 😭 trust me, I do. A lot. Though I’m trying very hard to stay positive (trust me, I do. Very hard), sometimes it gets hard too. So just bear with me as I list my complaints one by one. 1st : WHY IS THE GIRLS’ BLOCK SO FAR AWAY FROM EVERYTHING? The academic block. The DS. The surau. EVEYTHING IS A 5MINUTE WALK AWAY. I just don’t understand. Why? (But I’m low-key learning to like the long walk because that’s the only form of 'exercise’ I do here. Walk.) it’s tiring lmao bye moving on. 2nd : um, why is eveything and everyone so damn loud here? My heart suffers a lot. I jumped when someone laugh out loud. Trust me, it’s really LOUD AND USUALLY AT LIKE 12 PM EXCUSE ME HONEY BUNNY I WOULD LIKE SLEEP AND NOT HAVING HEART ATTACK WHILE DOING SO THANK YOU, I jumped when the ticker for the prayer time goes off, I jumped when the time indicator bell goes off, my ear buzzed every time aeroplane flew by, I jumped when Salman screamed into the microphone back in orientation days (he didn’t really scream I was exaggerating, but he might as well scream with a voice that loud) heCK I EVEN JUMPED WHEN FATIN TALKED TO ME BECAUSE I FORGOT SHES IN THE ROOM WITH ME. I’ll probably either suffers from a heart problem or hearing problem in my two years time here, whichever comes first. 3rd : life with sensitive skin IS ALWAYS a problem when you’re changing water. My skin suffers A LOT. With tiny red rashes and eczema, I feel like tearing my own skin apart every time I’m taking a bathe. Like do you even Niqa? Cause I can’t even Niqa sometimes. What even. Last but not least, lmao I’m broke af. If anyone feels like doing some good deeds and donating to charity pls feel free to hit me up I’m a willing receiver of your donation. Much love 💜 🍇 Although I would love to rant more, I still have presentation slides to prepare 😭 and a pending mini thesis for PI. I would like to end my blog (so formal, tsk) with a HUGE THANK YOU to my Group 12 members (I love you guys so much I’ve never met a group of people who are so crazy and fun yet genuinely cared for each other like you guys do), the seniors (especially MPPs, you guys made the orientation nights miserable yet memorable 🙆🏻 and the dedications that you guys put into making the nights fun is amazing and I appreciate them all. What an inspiring bunch 💕), my roommate (FATIN ADWIANA MY TEENY TINY HUMAN I love how you’re shorter than me and makes me feel tall JK FATIN I LOVE YOU YOU ADOWABLE LOUD HUMAN), and my classmates M17E (you guys honestly laughed wayyyyyy too much and so rowdy but hey, that’s what makes the class fun 🙆🏻🙆🏻), and the whole 17/19 batch 💜 whatta bunch 💜 With love (so much love, can’t you feel it?), Niqa 🍇 (It’s 'Nee-Ka, not 'Nee-Qo’ , okay? 🙄)

[charli-hocutt-blog]

The Power of Aloe Vera Gel Here is a list of just some of the healing powers of Aloe Vera Gel! 14 Ways to use an Aloe Plant! 1. Slice aloe leaves and scrape out the gel – apply directly to the skin to treat sunburns, minor scrapes, minor burns, speed healing of bruises, treat insect bites, reduce tissue damage from frostbite, alleviate rashes, treat athlete’s foot, treat blisters, reduce allergic skin reaction, treat and prevent acne, soothe psoriasis, prevent scarring and stretch marks, treat rosacia, shrink warts, treat eczema, lighten dark spots, and as a general moisturizer 2. For more serious burns, mix aloe gel and vitamin E oil into a little jar for a homemade burn healer 3. Slice aloe leaves lengthwise and use the inner sides as a body scrub in the shower 4. Make an exfoliating foot mask by mixing together a half cup of oatmeal, a half cup of corn meal, four tbsp. of aloe vera gel and a half cup of unscented body lotion 5. Reverse signs of aging skin and wrinkles. Hey, it worked for Cleopatra! 6. Make an exfoliating, organic sugar scrub by mixing together two tbsp. of aloe vera, 2 tbsp. of organic brown sugar and 1 tsp. of organic lemon juice 7. Mix together two cups of sea salt, one cup of aloe vera, one cup of organic coconut oil and two tbsp. of local, organic honey for an exfoliating salt scrub 8. Massaging aloe into the scalp, let it sit for 30 minutes, and rinse – it speeds hair growth! 9. Reduce dandruff by mixing aloe vera juice with coconut milk and wheat germ oil. Massage into scalp and rinse 10. Use instead of hair conditioner 11. Remove eye makeup 12. Boil leaves in a pan of water and breathe in the vapor to alleviate asthma. 13. Strengthen gums and promote strong, healthy teeth by taking orally or use like toothpaste daily (after brushing with regular toothpaste, of course!) 14. Drink to relieve gastrointestinal disorders (such as indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, heartburn, stomach ulcers, etc. Share to save on your timeline! ღ FRIEND or FOLLOW ME! I am always posting awesome stuff on my timeline! Go here - >> www.facebook.com/charli.hocutt