I don’t know if it’s all the mental preparation of everyone telling me how fucking cold it is here, but we landed last night from Miami and it really didn’t feel so bad even with my toes exposed in my sandals waiting for the Uber! So apparently, I’m ready for this arctic tundra, but what I’m not ready for is the pesky eczema this weather comes with. If you’ve been with me on this journey, it’s been a while since I’ve written about it because it hasn’t been horrible, but I experience eczema patches on my forearms, hands and lower legs generally in the winter. I’m starting to blame it not only on the cold, but also the environmental pollution because I’m at a loss for why it all disappears when I’m in a warmer destination where I can actually see the stars at night.

I’ve tried incessantly detoxing it out of my body over the years because many radical health gurus I was following had me believing I was some sort of health leper with these fucking itchy sores all over my body. When I was in my 20s and cleansing/detoxing a little too much, I started to believe it was ringworm because how could toxicity be coming out of my pores when I’m eating like a rabbit and giving myself colonics everyday (I don’t recommend this isolating lifestyle!). I landed myself at urgent care trying to remedy it with essential oils and apple cider vinegar, essentially burning a hole in my forearm. And while I do strongly believe in the merits of natural healing ointments and holistic diet philosophies like that of Dr. John Pagano’s as written in his revolutionary book, Healing Psoriasis where he addresses leaky gut’s role in psoriasis/eczema, I also believe there are many elements responsible for skin disorders that are out of one’s control. Not everything is a fucking autoimmune disease. I am speaking purely from intuition and observation.

On reflecting over the last 20 years I’ve witnessed friends and clients experience eczema, psoriasis and other skin issues not only when their diet may have worsened, but when they’ve experienced major life events, trauma and exposure to a more toxic environment than usual. I remember a friend of mine having to go on Acutane almost immediately after moving to NYC from FL because she literally went from clear skin to pizza face overnight. Was it something in the water? At that point, who the fuck cares when it’s debilitating your quality of life. I believe meds have their place in our toxic society when used responsibly (meaning not forever).

In my opinion is using prescription medication while working on your mental stressors serves as a crucial crutch because battling eczema/psoriasis won’t be helpful while you’re trying to do the work with your mental load. In fact, it will only become a vicious cycle of anxiety, depression and itchiness. I have a non-steroidal cream prescribed by the dermatologist last year that I use sparingly when I feel the urge to scratch my skin raw and I highly recommend if you are experiencing this unique torture. It is called Opzelura. What people need to realize is that mental health/well-being is not going to be achieved overnight. The bottom line is your genetic constitution can determine how toxins manifest in your body and your mental wellbeing/attitude can be the trigger especially if your diet is on point. Namaste.