Living with Psoriasis and looking for relief

“Because I lived in a farming village, far away from the city, my psoriasis probably affected me a lot more than it should have.” Karen Lee, now twenty-two years old, has been dealing with psoriasis ever since she was a child. Because her family lived a rural community - one where traditional curers were trusted over urban doctors - her rashes and scaly patches were seen as an infectious disease, not a chronic condition. Karen reflects, “On some days I remember being recommended to stay at home for school; it was similar to a quarantine situation.” Despite finally realizing she had psoriasis and not a contagious disease in middle school, she still felt isolated from her classmates. During weeks where her symptoms were mild, she felt bold, assertive, and successful. However, during weeks where her rashes flared up in a matter of days, all her confidence dissolved, and when she needed them the most, many of her friends refused to come close.

            Whenever times were tough, Karen found the most comfort with her aunt. Like her, her aunt also suffered from psoriasis. And in fact, it was because of this genetic similarity that doctors were able to accurately diagnose Karen’s condition. Aunt Lee faced many challenges as a youth as well, but it was her use of natural cures that stabilized her condition. She often recommended Karen to try different treatments, such as warm water baths, olive oil, and turmeric. Poverty prevented the acquisition of advanced treatments, so the two had to be as resourceful as possible. Karen recalls, “One of my fondest memories was haggling with a local street vendor for ginger and making a soup. Today I know ginger has anti-inflammatory effects, but at the time, I thought it was magical how all the solutions to my problems were rooted in nature.”

            Today, Karen stills find the most potential in staying natural. Of course, now with the Internet, she can actually research what she needs before randomly applying juices and creams to her face. The Kamedis product Karen is most avid about is the PSO Body Cream. She remarks, “I’m really intrigued with the indigo botanical extract. My father’s side of the family works with textiles, so I’ve dyed different fabrics before as a child. I think it’s really cool how a plant I’ve used in my childhood is returning to my life again as a medicine.”

 After using the product

 Two words can describe Karen’s reaction to the PSO Body Cream this past month – excitement and relief. At first the cream did not seem to be effective, but in her case, it took one and a half weeks before the soothing properties really set in. She was most charmed with the indigo extract ingredient of the cream because her father actually works in the textiles industry, and natural dyes is something her family encounters every day. Karen notes, “The cream is effective but its ingredients are what make me love it so much.” Below, she has offered her opinions on each aspect of the product:

First Impression: “The cream looks, smells, and feels great. Where I live it’s very hot and humid, so the thickness of the body cream took some getting used to. I only applied light amounts because I did not want to sweat all of it off or prevent my skin from breathing.”

First Week of Use: “At first, my psoriasis didn’t respond to the cream at all. I regularly applied it but the scaly rashes didn’t really change. It was more of a temporary relief thing - maybe I stopped itching but it would come back several hours later. However, I continued to apply the cream. Sometimes products take time to settle in, my aunt told me, so I just used the cream daily.”

First Month of Use: “By the second week, the soothing properties started kicking in. Perhaps, my skin had to adjust to the cream, I’m not sure, but soon enough, my rashes would be soothed for more than several hours. I also got used to the cream’s thickness at this point, so I applied it more frequently along with my other natural treatments. The number of rashes I got throughout the month decreased by a little, but what really changed was the severity of these rashes. My skin definitely felt healthier and more moisturized, and I know the ingredients definitely have something to do with that. I’m just honestly happy, is all I can say.”

The Future: “To be honest, I was skeptical at first. I’ve never heard of Kamedis before. I didn’t really trust their ‘natural’ label. I’m pleasantly surprised. I read about the products online with my family, and they’re in love with the products too, I can safely say. I will be using this PSO Body Cream until the last drop. After that, unless I can make my own, I’ll be a repeat purchaser.”