A woman whose skin burnt like acid and made every shower feel like torture says her life has been transformed thanks to a £12.50 cream she picked up on a whim at her local chemist.
Caitlin Plimmer, from Northamptonshire, has battled a string of stubborn conditions, including eczema, psoriasis and perioral dermatitis for as long as she can remember.
It left the 24-year-old red, scaly and constantly itching.
At its worst, her eyelids would crack and flake until they burned, while the back of her neck was so raw and scaly that it bled during the night.
The psoriasis patches she was recommended were so visible that she refused to wear her hair up in public, terrified someone might ask what was wrong.
A single comment would send her confidence crashing.
“My psoriasis on my neck impacted every part of my life, especially my confidence,” Caitlin told Need To Know.
“I could never wear my hair up in a ponytail because people standing behind me would often ask what happened to my neck.
“When I have a flare-up, it feels like my eyelids are burning.
“I can’t wear makeup because my skin is so dry around my eyes, it just burns or flakes.
“It’s really impacted my confidence.
“If I had to guess, I’ve spent well into the thousands [on treatments].
“When you tell people that you suffer from a skin condition, everyone recommends something different; it’s a minefield of different product recommendations.
“I’ve tried so many – from mainstream treatments like colloidal oatmeal cream, barrier creams, cicaplast, to less mainstream like colloidal silver spray.”
Caitlin, who began suffering from the skin conditions around six years ago, says they have since ruled her life – from what she wore to how she slept.
Washing her hair stung so badly it felt like acid on open wounds, and she often woke up to find blood on her pillow.
She avoided the hairdresser for years because most stylists were too nervous to touch the sore skin.
Things reached a breaking point last winter, when both her eczema and psoriasis flared up at once.
She said: “The worst day I had was only last year.
“I was getting ready to go to a work event.
“It was just starting to get really cold for the winter, which often triggered my eczema anyway.
I woke up and instantly knew my eczema had flared up because I could feel that my eyelids were stinging.
“My skin was so dry, nothing I tried seemed thick enough to put on it, and everything made it burn even more.
“When it came to doing my makeup, I couldn’t wear any concealer or foundation around my eyes, they were so dry.
“I went to the event feeling so self-conscious, which is a shame because it was something I was super excited about in the weeks leading up to it.”
Having just been prescribed antibiotics for a new bout of perioral dermatitis – an angry rash around her mouth – Caitlin wanted to try something gentler before resorting to the medication.
That’s when she spotted a small display of MooGoo Skin Care products at her local chemist.
Drawn in by the simple ingredient list and clear packaging, she decided to try the brand’s £12.50 Soothing MSM Cream.
Within days, the itching eased, and eventually the cracks on her neck began to heal, and the redness around her eyes faded.
After years of trial and error, the affordable cream became a game-changer.
Now Caitlin says she finally feels comfortable in her own skin.
After years of keeping her hair down to cover her neck, she’s proud to let it down for the right reasons.
She added: “My skin has never been as good as it is now.
“I was too stunned to speak.
“After everything I’ve tried over the years, I finally have my skin and confidence back.”
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