Confessions of a Zealous Zebra-

Skin and Hair Care

One of the biggest obstacles for me when i was learning to live with my Ehlers Danlos Syndrome diagnosis was working out what i was now allergic to in terms of skin and hair care. Many of the staple products i had relied on for years were suddenly leaving me with awful flaky scalp, itchy rashes, or dry skin, so I realised it was time to go back to the drawing board and change the products i was using. Please bear in mind every single person is different when it comes to work for them, but these are recommendations and it might give you a place to start.

Hair Care

Maui Shampoo and Conditioner

When it comes to shampoo i tried a TON of different brands before i found Maui. It’s honestly a little pricier than other shampoos, but i can also say its honestly the BEST range of hair care products I’ve ever used. All their products are totally Vegan and they smell absolutely freaking INCREDIBLE. My hairdresser even asked which product i was using, as she noticed not only the fact that my scalp which was cracking and bleeding the month before was entirely healed, but also that my hair itself had become much thicker and healthier. On top of all that, this shampoo contains pure aloe vera juice as one of it’s main ingredients, which also 100% cured me of my dry skin on my face, ears, and hairline. If i could shout about this stuff from the top of some place very high i totally would, but as i don’t wanna seem totally insane i thought i’d introduce you to the range on my blog instead. Check out their range of Shampoos and Conditioners by clicking on the photos below.

Skin Care

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome comes with a host of skin problems. The main ones i suffer from are rashes, extreme dryness, seriously horrendous itching, and acne. With the chronic pain I live with daily, even reducing minor discomfort like from blemishes and dry skin can add up to give me a better quality of daily life, so i am strict with myself about sticking to my skincare regimen. I’ve always had spotty skin too, so with the extra problems on top of that i am extremely careful about what skincare products i use. I hope that you’ll check out my recommendations below and find something to help make your skin baby soft and blemish free skin again x

Stretch Marks (Because what’s a zebra without its stripes?)

For stretch marks there is only one product i use and it’s a pretty popular one so i’m sure you’ve heard about it already. Bio Oil. This stuff smells great and really does reduce the appearance of stretch marks, I’ve been using it for just over a year and the results have been super noticeable!

Cleansing

It’s taken me a long time to find cleansing products that don’t either dry out my skin too badly to the point of it bleeding, or cause me to itch. Cetaphil as a brand is a lifesaver, and i also use their cream on rashes. Their face cleansing wipes smell great and leave my skin feeling moisturised and clean without being too heavy on chemicals or scent. You can grab them on amazon from the link below.

Moisturiser

I was always afraid to use moisturiser during my teens because so often it would make me break out so badly. However, now i try to keep up with moisturising as my skin gets so dry and flaky due to the medication i’m on. (Fluoxetine is the main culprit) I primarily use only one product, which i keep in both my bathroom and in my handbag. This product which i carry everywhere is me is Vaseline’s intensive healing mousturiser. It smells amazing and works fast. I was introduced to this product by my best friend, and stylist, Leeah, when she came to visit last September from Ohio and haven’t gone back since.

You can get the bathroom bottle and the travel size by clicking on the links below.

Bath Soaks and Shower Cream

These are perhaps the first remedies i turn to in order to ease aching muscles and sore joints. Epsom salts are a huge help for me, as a quick soak before bed often helps me sleep better. When it comes to shower cream, i also try to use something that will ease my aches and pains as well as acting as a skin purifying agent and relaxation tool. For this, i am currently using Nivea’s clay fresh body wash, which smells amazing (I use the Lavender and Agave scented) and leaves me skin feeling super soft and clean.

Thanks for checking out my skin and hair care recommendations!

So there you have it! I don’t use tons of products, but the ones i do use have been tried and tested many times over and I am completely in love with them so i hope you’ll consider trying them out too. You’ll also notice that i buy most of these products from amazon, this is because i can re-order them automatically every 4 or 8 weeks so i don’t have to leave the house if i’m having a bad flare. It just gives me a little bit less anxiety knowing this small detail is taken care of, so maybe this is something you should consider too.

Thanks for reading,

Zealous Zebra

One of the biggest obstacles for me when i was learning to live with my Ehlers Danlos Syndrome diagnosis was working out what i was now allergic to in terms of skin and hair care. Many of the staple products i had relied on for years were suddenly leaving me with awful flaky scalp, itchy rashes, or dry skin, so I realised it was time to go back to the drawing board and change the products i was using. Please bear in mind every single person is different when it comes to work for them, but these are recommendations and it might give you a place to start.

Invisible Illness, Fibromyalgia, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Just for fun

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Invisible Illness

Confessions of a Zealous Zebra- Keeping it Comfy

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Invisible Illness

I get a lot of compliments on how creative I am despite the fact that EDS makes buying clothes that are both stylish and comfortable a bit of a challenge. So, for this week’s confession I thought I’d reveal which clothes I love, why, and where you can grab them too! Hang on to your sparkly pants Zebra’s!

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Invisible Illness

Invisible Illness, Fibromyalgia, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, My Journey

Confessions of a Zealous Zebra- A day in the life.

Invisible Illness, Fibromyalgia, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, My Journey

Online, people see my life as magical, where I never have to go to work, have an incredible boyfriend and a crazy cat called Moo. Where books seem to flow out of me in a torrent of unstoppable words. But what aren’t you seeing?

Well… I’ll tell you.

Invisible Illness, Fibromyalgia, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, My Journey

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Invisible Illness

Confessions of a Zealous Zebra- Self Worth

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Invisible Illness

I talk to a lot of chronic pain sufferers, whether that’s because I’m looking for advice, or they’re looking for advice from me. However, I always seem to end up seeing the same thing both externally and internally and it got me thinking.

Chronic pain sufferers struggle with self-worth.

Why is that?

Is it because we are worthless?

Is it because we lose our worth to these diseases?

No.

Absolutely not.

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Invisible Illness

Invisible Illness, Fibromyalgia, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, My Journey

The Invisible Man- Shining a light on the extraordinary caregivers behind the chronically ill

Invisible Illness, Fibromyalgia, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, My Journey

“100 out of 100 relationships that involve caregiving fail.”

-Dr Phil

It’s very rare these days that I see something which makes me irritated enough to write a blog post about it. But here we are. I came across this little pearl of wisdom from Dr Phil via my friend @Queenof_thebookworms who is also a fellow chronic pain sufferer on Instagram. (Side note- she’s really cool- you should definitely go follow her if health related positivity and book love is your thing.) And I was stunned.

Invisible Illness, Fibromyalgia, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, My Journey

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Invisible Illness

5 perfect dates for the partner with chronic pain.

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Invisible Illness

Back when I was first diagnosed, Mark made a real effort with me to keep the romance going, and came up with some simple, cheap, and cute date ideas that we could enjoy together without me having to worry about flaring up the next day.

Here are my top five.

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Invisible Illness

Invisible Illness, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

5 things to remember when you can’t stop dwelling on living with no cure.

Invisible Illness, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

I think the holidays makes people like me, people with chronic pain and invisible illness, take stock more than others, and a lot of the time I think we end up more disappointed than average Joe. It almost seems cruel that with this disease you are faced with so many unknowns and yet one unwavering certainty, that you have this thing for life and that it will limit you, that it will take things from you.

Invisible Illness, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Invisible Illness, Fibromyalgia, My Journey

Pain and Ambition

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Invisible Illness, Fibromyalgia, My Journey

A lot of people ask me one question in particular when it comes to living with chronic pain.

How do you do it?

Or similarly I hear-

I don’t know how you do it.

I don’t know how you live like this.

The sad reality of the fact is, that chronic pain is my life now, and I don’t get a choice. Well, I guess I could curl up in a ball and retreat into the depths of my very comfortable bed for all time and never be seen again, but that’s not much of an existence now, is it?

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Invisible Illness, Fibromyalgia, My Journey

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Author Life, Invisible Illness, Fibromyalgia

Pain and Productivity-How I write, edit, format, and publish 400,000 words a year while battling chronic pain.

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Author Life, Invisible Illness, Fibromyalgia

I’m asked quite regularly how I manage to stay so productive while fighting EDS, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, POTS, and swings in my blood sugar which affect my health, so I thought I’d give you guys an insight into how I operate. It’s taken me a good two years to perfect this routine, and more than once I’ve thought about delaying releases, so I can lie around and feel crappy in bed. Luckily for me, I haven’t so far, and I think the fact that I’m a professed workaholic without a 9-5 job really does help keep me productive.

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Author Life, Invisible Illness, Fibromyalgia

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Invisible Illness

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome- Under my Zebra-Ella

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Invisible Illness

Whenever people ask me about my chronic pain… I find my answers to be… how shall I put this… Lackluster. It’s a complicated thing, these diseases which have changed my life in just a few short years. Its complicated like a set of invisible dominoes you can’t see, and that most people doubt even exist. So, I am gonna try and explain this thing, this invisible thing, which most people doubt exists, in a way which is easy to understand.

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Invisible Illness