Woman, 26, whose eczema was so severe she suffered panic attacks, needed therapy and was signed off work praises £8 natural cream for finally 'calming' her skin

• Jennifer Austin, 26, from Norfolk, has suffered from eczema since the age of 13  
• Had panic attacks worrying about what her skin would look like day-to-day
• Attended therapy sessions for her anxiety directly linked to her skin condition 
• Signed off work for three weeks and prescribed sleeping pills to stop her itching
• Discovered natural skincare brand MooGoo Skin Milk Udder Cream on Instagram
• Said the Australian £8 cream, available in the UK, helps finally 'calm' her skin

A woman who suffered from eczema so severe it led to panic attacks and having therapy for anxiety has praised an £8 natural cream for finally 'calming' her skin.

Jennifer Austin, 26, from Norfolk, has suffered from the condition since the age of 13 and no product or medication she tried was able to ease her peeling, inflamed and red-raw skin.

The skin condition became so overwhelming that Jennifer began attending therapy sessions for her anxiety linked to her eczema, and often suffered panic attacks from worrying about what her eczema would look like when she woke up in the morning. 

She was even signed off work and prescribed sleeping pills to stop her itching at night - before she discovered MooGoo Skin Milk Udder Cream on Instagram. 

The £8 Australian product, available in the UK, which behavioural researcher Jennifer uses twice a day to help soothe her body, is a natural formulation cream that was originally formulated for cows' udders.  

Jennifer tried dozens of over the counter treatments, prescription creams and diet changes, but her eczema was so severe that it covered her entire face and body.

She said: 'My whole body is impacted by eczema – the backs of my knees, my elbows, creases, face, hands and back which leaves my skin dry, flaky and with a red rash.'

She has suffered from skin infections due to her eczema and has received phototherapy - which is the administration of doses of bright light - and referrals to dermatologists – but nothing has worked long term.

'When I got referred to NHS dermatology again in 2020, they weren't seeing anyone due to COVID-19 and told me the waiting list was about 22 months,' Jennifer added.

The condition has had a devastating impact on Jennifer's life, including her mental health, fitness and ability to go to work.

She explained: 'My partner and I have been together for seven years and we bought our first house which we moved into just before lockdown. We were due to get married in July but had to postpone our wedding, which has all been a huge stress.

WHAT IS ECZEMA?

Eczema is a condition that causes the skin to become itchy, red, dry and cracked.

Atopic eczema is more common in children, often developing before their first birthday. However, it may also develop for the first time in adults.

Eczema causes the skin to become itchy, dry, cracked, sore and red. Some people only have small patches of dry skin, but others may experience widespread red, inflamed skin all over the body. 

From NHS UK 

'Stress and anxiety can be a huge trigger for me, causing my eczema to flare up. 

'It is a vicious cycle,' she explained. 'I become stressed or anxious which triggers my eczema, my eczema then flares up which causes me further anxiety.'

'I used to wake up in the morning and have a panic attack because I didn't know what my skin would look like. It was horrible. I have been going to therapy for that now, to help with my feelings of anxiety.'

Jennifer continued: 'My itching has been so bad I have been prescribed sleeping pills to help because I really struggle at night otherwise. I literally cannot sleep because I am itching so much.'

'I was signed off work for three weeks to catch up on sleep because the itching at night got so bad. It was hard to explain to my employers, but luckily they have been really understanding.'

She added: 'I couldn't face getting dressed and going to work as my self confidence and self image was at the worse it has ever been. 

My skin was red raw and flakes of my skin were literally falling off.'

'I used to love working out and running, but sweating makes my skin worse so I stopped. I had to quit training for my second half marathon during phototherapy. Now I stick to walks and yoga.'

Not only was Jennifer's work life disrupted due to her eczema, she also said intimacy with her partner has suffered as a result as well as her self-confidence.

However, Jennifer said her skin is finally manageable after discovering MooGoo Skin Milk Udder Cream on Instagram, explaining: 'It feels really nice when you put it on, it doesn't feel greasy.'

She added that her boyfriend has been supportive throughout her challenges with her skin, saying: 'My partner is wonderful and is so helpful with my skin condition. He really tries to help me, even helping apply my cream for me on hard to reach areas such as my back.'

MooGoo is an Australian skincare brand that specialises in natural products for skin and scalp problems. 

Skin Milk Udder Cream, which is available nationwide from pharmacies, Holland & Barrett and Whole Foods Market, is one of its most popular products and was initially designed to help keep the skin on cows' udders in prime condition for milking.  

Although Jennifer's eczema has cleared up significantly, she said there are still occasions when she breaks out in bouts of eczema and occasionally has to use steroid cream.

'I find with MooGoo it is long lasting, moisturising and calms my skin right down,' she admitted. 'I put it on twice, morning and night. 

'I like using it as my night cream because it's not greasy so won't damage or stain the bedding like some creams can.'

'I am still trying to get to the bottom of what is causing my eczema and have patch tests in a couple of weeks which means my skin needs to be as clear as possible. I have been using MooGoo for a few weeks now, so fingers crossed.' 

People who suffer from skin conditions such as eczema have seen their conditions worsen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and MooGoo have noticed a significant increase in sales as a result. 

MooGoo CEO Melody Livingstone said: 'Since March our online sales across the board in Australia and the UK, are up more than 80 percent.

'We have had a lot of people come to us looking for relief for skin problems, mostly caused by continuous washing of hands or using harsh anti-bacterial hand sanitisers.

'There is also a lot of anxiety surrounding the pandemic, which seems to have increased eczema, psoriasis and other skin flare ups.' 

The British Skin Foundation also recently found that one in four children are suffering from eczema as a result of increased hand washing, with experts encouraging the use of an unfragranced moisturiser to help soothe skin.

Dr Paula Beattie, BSF spokesperson and dermatologist at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow said: 'Keeping hands clean is a key part in the fight against Covid-19. 

'Although it's concerning to hear of children suffering with skin problems due to frequent hand washing, thankfully this can be alleviated with the regular use of an unfragranced moisturiser. 

'Encourage your child to get into the routine of moisturising after every hand wash.'