Collagen Sleep Mask
After three years on dialysis three times a week, I had my kidney transplant on 10th April this year. A big thank you to the donor and her family. A ‘Thank You’ card and letter should be with you soon.
Since getting my life back I have been concentrating on my skin care routine as kidney failure, a condition in which one or both of your kidneys no longer work on their own has a big impact on normal body function. My kidney failure resulted from an undiagnosed autoimmune disease, vasculitis , which was triggered by a antibiotic allergic reaction which resulted in both my kidneys being destroyed. Without kidney function your body has to adapt to fluid and toxin retention corrected by three times a week sessions of dialysis. Dialysis is an artificial process to cleanse the body of toxins and remove excess fluid, it has a real impact on the body, including the skin. I lost a lot of elasticity in my skin throughout treatment; my skin was dry and crinkly and I was a bit saggy in places. I noticed the deterioration of my skin due to the illness, weight lose and dialysis sessions within 6-months of losing my kidney function.
Since receiving the transplant I started to investigate skincare products. After a little researching I found Alya Skin Pink Marine Collagen Sleep Mask. Now there’s a lot of good Press about marine collagen, specifically if you ingest it (I have to be a little careful of what I consume because I have a new part onboard and so have to be very careful to protect my new best friend in these early days). I was a little hesitant to purchase to begin with as facial mask and pillows don’t mix. From experience of oiling the face-up before bedtime then finding the cat had shared my pillow during the night left mind images of a fluffy face morning. Not a pleasant sensation I can tell you. However, the blurb with the product said it was non-stick pillow proof, so I thought let’s buy it, and give it try.
The package arrived within the week of ordering and when opening up the pink pot I got an instant whiff of strawberries. The substance has the look and smell of a strawberry blancmange but with a different consistency. On to the skin test: The product applies easily and dries onto the skin (face and neck), so no fear of a messy pillow or a furry face. In the morning after washing off, before applying my normal skincare routine I could clearly see my face felt hydrated and refreshed. I’m in the beauty industry so I can be critical of brand product claims as there’s a lot of them out there, but I must say I am impressed with this product. You won’t wake up line free, but you do notice your skin is plumper, hydrated and glowing. I use the product as part of me bedtime routine three times a week with my daytime weekly Neal’s Yard facial mask as part of my skincare improvement routine. With the litres of water I drink daily I have definitely noticed my facial skin looks so much better. More work to do though, definitely the rest of my body next!
Here’s the link https://www.alyaskin.co.uk/products/pink-marine-collagen-sleep-mask if you’d like to give it a try.
I’m also trying other products and in the process of using Nourish London’s Anti-Ageing Peptide Serum. I’ll see how that goes. I might try some Trinny London, as she’s regularly in my face on social media with her peptide product.
If anyone else has recommendations for skincare products for people with medical issues, please get in touch. There’s a lot of us out there that need big help and I’m willing to test it for the team.