In 2019, I started to experience extreme skin irritation. As the symptoms worsened, the irritation started to feel inescapable and deeper than just the debilitating itchy fits and physical marks on my skin. After many doctors visits and trying to figure out what was going on and determine solutions, I later figured out I was experiencing leprosy and then was later diagnosed with eczema. This era of mine was the worst experience and it was truly traumatizing as it must have been for countless others experiencing extreme skin disease. My health and confidence was at its worst in my life. The eczema and leprosy caused an extreme amount of pain, swelling, and debilitating itchiness. So, I created my own holistic plan of attack and began making my own products as I knew if I was going to survive this I was going to have to take my health into my own hands. Being able to heal through alternative and holistic products caused my skin to heal faster and further than what my doctors had seen before. For example, two of my favorite acupuncturists, Dr. Crystal Cliff and Dr. Kim remarked how quickly my skin was healing and asked what I was doing. What were the keys to my success? I took a holistic approach not only addressing the physical issues with creating Pollynation solutions such as the Holy Grail, Gut Support Tea, and Enzymatic Soap, but I also eliminated toxins & potential sources of allergies while addressing the emotional and spiritual aspects of my disease. And I strategically evaluated western medicine such as steroid gels to see if it helped, but it did not move the needle much and I needed something that would not thin my skin, and would not create topical steroid withdrawal (TSW), nor negatively impact my skin microbiome and skin barrier system creating an even worse vicious long term cycle with my skin disease becoming worse and worse. I knew that my skin was telling me, “Hey, pay attention, I need your help because shit not right.” My job was to figure out what shit was not right. I decided to embrace my sensitivity as a superpower, not a weakness. Now, my skin condition has greatly improved, allowing me and Pollynation to now empower and uplift others along their unique skin healing journeys. My desire is for all Pollinators to bloom into wellness as quickly and with as less trauma as possible—the end goal is for you to Feel & Look Your Best.

Bye, Bye Eczema! Bye, Bye Harsh Dyes!

There are a lot of things I wished I had known prior to this experience that can positively help others. Years ago in my twenties is when I realized I could not use chemical dyes to dye my hair the hard way and therefore experienced hair loss. Fastforward a decade and my body was now telling me the chemicals used now to dye clothing and textiles black were not my friend and they had to go ASAP. So, I threw out over 90% of my wardrobe because y’all BLACK was not my best friend. I also had to adapt this strategy with other stuff you just don’t think about things like bonnets, workout clothes, panties sheets, scarfs, etc. Now, some pieces that caused no irritation or if they were lined, I kept, but it was very few pieces. I had to pay super attention to my body, how it reacted to everything. I already had to be careful prior to this with my laundry detergent, skin care, and hair care, but now I had to be even more hyper focused to the point I even eliminated foundation because it inhibited my skin from breathing, which is its natural process to release toxins. The ingredients of even the cleanest make-up on the market irritated my skin, more swelling, more puss more flareups and icthyness, etc. I even found that a little coffee here and there like before incited flare-ups, so it too had to go, even the occasional soda. Since my body was so inflamed & irritated, it said hell no to even the occasional indulgence.

While steroid creams like hydrocortisone cream may have worked for others in the past, I was not a fan and when I tried, it didn’t help much and solely relying on western medicine wasn’t healing the toxins and inflammation long term. Now please note that prescriptions can be helpful and if they are for you, do what works for you. But for me, I look at the pros and cons and try to eliminate or at least minimize the cons.

So, my approach is to incorporate as much natural therapies as possible and also address the root cause as much as possible so that I have better long term success. Sometimes, it can go a long way to improve your condition if you add natural remedies and extra care alongside your prescriptions.

Some natural methods, ingredients, and products that I recommend and used on myself to improve my skin health are: the Holy Grail Skin Oil, herbal hydrotherapy, the Gut Support Tea, the Enzymatic Soap, the Black Soap, magnesium flakes, acupuncture, reiki, dry brushing, baking soda, wearing loosely fitted fabrics, maintaining an anti-inflammatory diet, quantum frequency therapy, and eliminating black fabrics/textiles. Remember to try not to apply heavy butters or creams too much in the beginning stages of your eczema recovery because sometimes that is blocking the heat and toxins within your skin. It is better to integrate detoxification into your routine before applying as much product. Check out the following images below as it shows all the natural organic products I made and used to heal, things I cut out from my system, and natural methods and techniques that I relied on during my healing process.