The Skin Recovery Collection: Skincare for Eczema and Topical Steroid Withdrawal
If your skin hurts, itches, burns, stings, flakes, cracks or just feels like it has had enough, I want you to know something.
I hear you.
I know that living with eczema or Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW) is about so much more than having a skin condition.
It can affect your sleep. Your clothes. Your work. Your relationships. Going out. Seeing people. Looking in the mirror. Leaving the house.
And sometimes it affects the way you feel about yourself.
TSW can involve intense itching, burning skin, redness or changes in skin colour, swelling, oozing, flaking and peeling. Eczema UK also recognises that people living with TSW can experience tiredness, sleep disturbance and significant effects on their mood.
For some people, the physical symptoms are so relentless that everything else starts to revolve around their skin.
That's something I have heard again and again from the eczema and TSW community.
And it's why I wanted to create something that was about relief, simplicity and feeling a little more comfortable in your own skin.
How the Skin Recovery Collection started
This collection didn't start with me sitting down and deciding what products I thought people with TSW needed.
It started with Dani Harmer, the actress best known for playing Tracy Beaker.
Dani is a long-time Obvs customer and had the original idea of putting together some Obvs skincare for friends living with TSW.
From there, I started talking to more people in the eczema and TSW community.
Amy Wilson, who openly shares her experience of TSW and the mental and physical impact it has had on her.
Rebecca Ebbage, who has shared her own TSW journey and recently spoke about her experience at the Beyond The Flare event in London.
And Ruth Holroyd, author and blogger behind What Allergy, who has spent years talking openly about eczema, allergies and TSW and helping other people feel less alone.
And here's the important bit.
They're all Obvs customers.
They've actually used the products.
They've told me what they like, what they don't like and what they would want when their skin is really struggling.
So this isn't me trying to tell people with TSW what they need.
It's a collection shaped by people who are living it.
Tried.
Used.
Loved.
By people living with eczema and TSW, for people living with eczema and TSW.
Why only three products?
This was really important to me.
Less is more.
When your skin is extremely reactive, the last thing you necessarily want is a bathroom shelf full of products.
And not everyone with TSW wants to use a moisturiser.
Some people don't want to put a moisturiser on their skin at all.
They just want:
Something to help with the soreness.
Something to create a protective barrier when their skin is dry.
Something to clean their skin without it stinging.
That's it.
And I listened.
So we deliberately didn't make a collection full of lotions, serums, oils and moisturisers.
We chose three simple products that each have a job to do.
1. Intensive Skin Recovery Cream
For sore, irritated and uncomfortable skin
The Intensive Skin Recovery Cream, or ISRC as I call it, is a rich zinc-based treatment cream designed for skin that is sore, irritated and uncomfortable.
The key ingredient here is zinc oxide.
Zinc oxide is an insoluble mineral that sits on the surface of the skin rather than being absorbed into the body. It can form a physical protective layer over the skin, helping to shield vulnerable areas from external irritants.
That's particularly useful when the skin barrier isn't doing its job properly.
And with eczema and TSW, the skin barrier can be seriously compromised.
The skin barrier is basically your body's first line of defence. It helps keep water in and unwanted things out. When that barrier is damaged, moisture can escape more easily and the skin can become dry, cracked, sore and much more vulnerable to irritation.
So with ISRC, I'm not promising to cure TSW.
No cream can cure TSW.
What I can do is formulate something designed to help make difficult skin a little more comfortable.
How to use ISRC
Apply a small amount directly to sore, red or irritated areas.
Gently massage it into the skin.
Use morning and evening, or whenever you need it.
If your skin is extremely sensitive, start with a small area first.
2. Organic Balm
For dryness, cracking and extra protection
Next is the Organic Balm.
This is your barrier product.
It's rich, simple and made without petroleum or paraffin.
It contains organic shea butter and safflower oil to soften and condition dry skin, alongside vitamin E.
The idea is simple.
When skin is dry, you don't always need another complicated product.
Sometimes you need to put something over the top to help reduce moisture loss and protect the skin from the outside world.
Think dry lips.
Cracked hands.
Sore patches.
Areas that feel tight, dry or vulnerable.
The balm melts as you warm it between your fingers, making it easy to apply without dragging across delicate skin.
How to use the Organic Balm
Warm a small amount between your fingertips.
Gently press and smooth it over dry areas.
Use it as the final step after ISRC if your skin needs extra protection.
Reapply whenever you need it.
3. Organic Oat Soap
Because washing shouldn't hurt
This one was a big deal to me.
If you've ever experienced skin that stings when water touches it, you'll know that something as basic as having a shower can become something you dread.
Our Organic Oat Soap is made with organic oats and designed to gently wash the face and body without leaving the skin feeling tight, dry or stripped.
Oats contain naturally occurring compounds including beta-glucans and avenanthramides. Colloidal oatmeal is widely used in skincare for its moisturising, soothing and barrier-supporting properties.
I've kept this soap simple and fragrance-free, with no synthetic colour.
And most importantly?
It shouldn't sting.
How to use the Oat Soap
Wet your skin and the soap with lukewarm water.
Gently lather between your hands.
Use on the face or body without scrubbing.
Rinse thoroughly and pat your skin dry rather than rubbing.
If your skin is particularly sore, you don't need to wash it more than necessary.
Your simple Skin Recovery routine
You don't need ten steps.
You don't need to keep throwing new products at your skin hoping that one will magically fix everything.
Try:
STEP 1
Cleanse gently
Use the Organic Oat Soap with lukewarm water.
Don't scrub.
Pat dry.
STEP 2
Help protect sore areas
Apply ISRC to areas that are sore, red, irritated or uncomfortable.
STEP 3
Add a barrier where you need it
Warm a little Organic Balm between your fingers and apply to areas that are particularly dry or need extra protection.
And that's it.
Three products. Three jobs. Less is more.
You can use all three together or use just the one your skin needs that day.
But what about the mental impact of TSW?
This is the bit I don't want to lose.
Because when we talk about eczema and TSW, it's very easy to talk about redness, inflammation, dryness and the skin barrier.
But you're not just a skin barrier.
You're a person.
And when your skin hurts every minute of the day, when you aren't sleeping, when you don't recognise yourself in the mirror, when people stare, when you're cancelling plans because you don't want anyone to see you, or when you feel like nobody understands what you're going through...
that matters too.
Eczema UK specifically recognises that TSW can have significant mental health and psychological and social impacts, and says these needs should be addressed alongside physical symptoms.
I also know that some people living with TSW have felt unheard or dismissed when trying to get help.
Eczema UK itself says that TSW is complex, that healthcare professionals can be uncertain about it, and that there is still limited research to help with diagnosis and treatment.
So if you've spent months or years trying to explain that something isn't right with your skin, please know that you're not the only person saying this.
Your experience matters.
And I think the more people who talk about TSW openly, the harder it becomes for people living with it to feel completely alone.
Why Eczema UK?
This collection isn't just about selling skincare.
I've spent years formulating products for eczema-prone, sensitive and reactive skin.
But I'm a skincare formulator, not a doctor.
I can't diagnose TSW.
I can't tell you whether you should stop using a prescribed medication.
And I certainly can't promise that a cream will cure what you're going through.
What I can do is use what I have.
My formulation knowledge.
My business.
My customers.
My social media platforms.
And now, this incredible team of people who have their own lived experience of eczema and TSW.
I want to use all of that to raise awareness and help put money towards something that could make a much bigger difference in the long term.
Research.
Eczema UK says there is still limited research into TSW and that more research is needed to understand exactly what TSW is, how common it is, what causes it, how it can be diagnosed and how it should be treated.
Eczema UK is now funding two research projects into TSW, with the aim of improving understanding and support for people living with the condition and the healthcare professionals caring for them.
That's why I chose Eczema UK.
Because we need more than skincare.
We need better understanding.
We need better research.
We need better support.
And we need people living with TSW to be listened to.
So a portion of the profits from every Skin Recovery Collection sold will go to Eczema UK to support its work and TSW research.
You are more than your skin
If you're living with eczema or TSW, I hope this collection gives you something practical.
Maybe the soap means washing your face doesn't sting quite so much.
Maybe the ISRC gives a sore patch some protection.
Maybe the balm makes cracked, dry skin feel a little more comfortable.
Maybe having three products instead of ten makes your routine feel a bit less overwhelming.
And maybe knowing that this collection has been shaped by people who actually live with eczema and TSW makes you feel a little less alone.
That's what I wanted this to be.
Not a miracle cure.
Not another skincare brand telling you that one product will fix everything.
Just simple skincare, made with a purpose, by a formulator who has listened.
No one can cure TSW with a cream.
But I can certainly help you live with it a little easier, a little more comfortably and hopefully with a little more confidence.
And I'll keep using Obvs to talk about the things that matter.
Because if I've got a platform, I'm going to use it.
And if I can use my small business with a big heart to raise awareness, support the people living with this and help raise money for research...
then that's exactly what I'm going to do. 🤍
Meet the women behind the Skin Recovery Collection
This collection wouldn't exist without these four women.
They've shared their experiences, their knowledge and their honest feedback, and they've helped shape what went into this box.
Dani Harmer
Actress best known for playing Tracy Beaker
Instagram: @missdanijharmer
TikTok: @daniharmer
Amy Wilson
Sharing her experience of eczema and TSW and raising awareness of the physical and mental impact of living with the condition.
Instagram: @journey_of_amy
Rebecca Ebbage
Sharing her TSW Road to Recovery and speaking openly about the reality of living with severe TSW.
Instagram: @tsw_road_to_recovery
Ruth Holroyd | What Allergy
Author, blogger and patient expert talking about allergies, eczema and TSW.
Instagram: @whatallergy
Website: WhatAllergy.com
And there's more to come.
I've also got an incredible geezer joining the team to talk about his own experience with TSW, including the mental health side that doesn't get talked about nearly enough.
Stay tuned. You might recognise him. 👀
If you're struggling with TSW
Please don't use this collection as a replacement for medical care.
TSW is still an evolving area of medicine and symptoms can overlap with eczema and other conditions. Eczema UK recommends seeking medical advice if you think you may have TSW, particularly if you feel unwell. Severe symptoms such as erythroderma or hypoadrenalism can require urgent medical attention.
And if you are struggling mentally because of your skin, please tell someone.
Your skin might be the thing people can see.
But what it's doing to you on the inside matters just as much.
