Hello and welcome to the Skinsitiv club!
I am Rebecca McKnight, founder of Skinsitiv.
My story
I know what it is like to live with sensitised skin after developing Rosacea some years ago.
I had always had relatively easy skin to look after. Then at the end of several years of drug treatment for breast cancer during my 30’s, the skin on my face suddenly decided it had had enough. My cheeks were constantly red, itchy and looked spotty. Worse if I took a flight, went anywhere cold…or hot, or drank wine, or put ANYTHING on it at all. I was reacting to make-up, to cleansers, even my trusty essential oil blends (my usual go to remedies for the odd pimple). Undiagnosed for several years, the stinging, red, bumpy and then dry and flaky skin became worse over time. Absolutely nothing seemed to help, while the usual cures for spots actually made the condition intensely worse.
It’s not something you expect to happen. Surely bad skin gets left behind in your teenage years?
Prescription medication from the GP finally calmed my skin, and was a major relief. However, I do not want to be permanently exposing my body to drugs which create a toxic build-up.
…and so the search began for solutions. Simple natural skincare solutions without any more drugs and without any of the hormone disrupters sometimes found in chemical products (especially having already had a hormone related cancer).
At the same time, several of my family and friends have been facing cancer treatment which has left residual side-effects including intensely dry or red raw skin, incredible itching, scarring, hair loss and a multitude of other distressing conditions. With my love of botanical formulating, I have been making bespoke balms and creams to help with these conditions. The results of some of these have been truly miraculous!
I am hugely relieved that I have not had to resort to medication since December 2016 to date, and have been using only my own hand-made botanical cleansing balm and facial oil to care for my skin.
Whats next?
So now I want to share what I have learnt to help others start to recover and love the skin they are in.
I am keen to connect with people who would find comfort and benefit from this, particularly those with post chemotherapy side effects. I want to be able to help others after my own and family experiences.
Qualifications
I am a Botanical skincare formulator and practising Aromatherapist, having taken professional exams with Distinction grades in both.
Further study includes advanced training in Aromatherapy for cancer care and Aromatherapy for skin conditions.
I am continually researching and updating my knowledge of natural ingredients through workshops, study, courses and specialist forums and will share my learnings as I go. You can never ever stop learning!
Background
A professional Product Developer in the Beauty industry for many years, I have become very accustomed to reading all the ins and outs of ingredients labels, and researching active ingredients for beneficial effect.