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Writer's pictureDeLaina

Dreaded Sun Allergy

Updated: Aug 7, 2021

Get to know the owner part 1

Hello, my name is DeLaina; I'm the oldest of two; actually, I'm 10 years older than my little brother. I'm a classic Latch Key kid. My mother's a nurse, so I was taught the art of survival, cleanliness, and self-care early. I've had "problem skin" due to environmental allergies or the sun from as young as I can remember. The diagnosis was ALWAYS eczema, and the solution was to use this cream, and you'll be fine. Period. In the summer months, my caramel latte brown skin would blister and rash and turn dark chocolate due to the sun, or swimming, or playing in the grass, whatever suited the doctor at the time. Adults would stare, and children would tease me. My 1st lesson in self-care was taught by my mother, who would assist me in caring for my skin by teaching me how to use the creams and then rubbing Palmer's Cocoa Butter stick on my skin to heal the dark marks. I remember as a child disliking my skin and thought I was ugly.

(Photo of Giraffe and me at the Masai Mara National Reserve, East Africa Kenya, 3/2017)


Fast forward to 2017; I was on a mission trip in Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, to be exact, for 17 days. Kenya is one of the countries in Africa that sits on the equator. Before arriving in Kenya, we

where advised the group to wear light, loose clothing, hats, sunscreen, drink plenty of water, and find shade when possible. I prepared well and was ready for this new adventure. Needless to say, I almost had a full-blown heat stroke. Water had to be poured over my head, and I was advised to place my feet in buckets of cold water for 15 minutes. My skin turned beet red, followed by blisters and a rash. UGH!!! I can't go anywhere. That year I was diagnosed with a serve SUN allergy, and the blistery rash is called Polymorphic Light Eruptions(P.L.E). In the summer months, the sun controls my daily life. I have to prepare for the days ahead if I want to avoid P.L.E. The cocoa butter from days old healed the discoloration of my skin, so instead of steroids, I use neem oil to control the itch and Shea butter to balance out possible discoloration. My lifelong "problem skin" is one of the reasons we started this business to provide a healthier alternative to optimal skin health. Do you have a sun allergy? If so, what tips and tricks do you use to combat the dreaded P.L.E.? leave a comment below.


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