Eczema almost ruined Beth's modelling career

"I got badly bullied at school as the child and I think that was when my eczema first flared up because I felt very traumatised by the bullying and emotional stress is a common trigger for eczema."

"I suffered from it throughout my childhood. I’d scratch so much at night sometimes there would be blood on my sheets in the morning."

"Both my father and my grandmother suffered from eczema and so I am sure I inherited it."

"When I went into the modelling business I realised it was going to cause me real problems. I got a lot of work as a back and bottom model and I’d often get outbreaks on my back, which meant I’d have to cancel the shoot."

"I have also, in more recent years, started getting eczema on my face and on my eyelids, which really scares me as my face is my career. I recently did some presenting for This Morning and I had an outbreak a few days before I went on the TV, probably due to the stress."

"I also have to do quite a lot of travelling to shoots and whenever I go on a plane I’ll break out in a fresh flare up of eczema due to the dry air on the plane."

"I have actually been sent home from shoots in the past because they have refused to use me because of my eczema, which is really upsetting and quite humiliating. That was on my earlier days of modelling though, these days they use computer technology to erase the imperfections in my skin. I wish is was that simple in real life!"

"I've been on swimwear shoots before where the other models have made unpleasant comments about the state of my skin – people are very insensitive."

"I have been prescribed steroids by my GP bit I hate using them for fear they may damage my skin in the long term. I also refuse to use them on my face because the skin there is so sensitive and thin and steroid creams can cause permanent discolouration, so I won’t risk it."

"I've tried quite a few natural alternatives, and still have regular acupuncture to help manage my eczema, I think it helps. But on the whole most things I have tried do not really work, it wasn’t until I tried Defensil that I noticed any significant improvement in my skin from any natural treatment."

"The Defensil serum  slightly stung when I first put it on, but after a few more applications the stinging stopped and the improvements were noticeable within about a week. The most obvious improvement was in the itchiness of my eczema, especially on my face, it virtually disappeared within a week of using the serum twice a day."

"After two weeks use,  Defensil also started reducing the redness of my eczema patches too and generally my skin feels much less sensitive."

"I feel a real sense of excitement that I might have found something that I can use regularly on my eczema that will not damage my skin. The cream feels lovely to put on and smells quite pleasant."

"I have just moved house, which has been very stressful, and I’ve been using eth cream throughout my move, and so far I’ve only had the odd mild itch. I have been amazed that I have not had a flare up because the move has been very stressful and also I’ve been decorating the new house and banging out old dust and stuff from carpets, all things which would normally trigger my eczema. But so far it had remained under control while I use Defensil every day.

"I feel very sorry for other people with my condition because it does effect all aspects of your life, especially if you are in the public eye a lot. I was recently on a TV programme with Nick for MTV and I spent sleepless nights beforehand worrying that I would break out before filming began. My body and my face is my livelihood, it seems very cruel and ironic that nature has chosen to give me a skin condition that constantly threatens to ruin the look of both my best assets.

"I feel especially sorry for children with eczema because other kids can be very cruel about it and yet for children the options for treatment are limited because they can’t use such strong steroids as adults. Which is why a natural cream like Defensil could be a real life saver for children with eczema as its something they can use everyday that might help keep their condition under control and help limit flare ups."

"As for me it feels like the constant black cloud that used to loom over me as I never know from one week to the next when the next outbreak is coming, has finally lifted."

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Read our review of  Defensil here.