Our brand's mission is to raise awareness on Topical Steroid Withdrawal Symptoms and to continue to develop products that nourish and heal the skin barrier, as opposed to thinning it, ultimately reducing the reliance on topical steroids and anti-biotics and helping to minimise the side-effects from the over-use of these products. We aim to change the way the symptoms of eczema, dermatitis and minor wounds are currently managed. Our purpose is to soothe, hydrate, heal and nourish the skin, using natural ingredients and botanicals. We want to give you healthy, glowing skin!
Topical steroids aren’t always an answer
As a mother and as a community pharmacist for 16 years, I've always tried to give my best to my four boys and my customers. When my young son developed severe eczema, naturally, I wanted to help him find a way to heal it. I tried everything - emollients, moisturisers, topical steroids, wet and dry dressings, sedating anti-histamines and natural creams. But none of it worked. Most would sting and they would all end up unused in the bathroom drawer. They were difficult years of attempting to manage broken skin, relentless itch, staph infections, and the sleepless nights was stressful for both mum and son.
And then came the side effects:
Damaged and over reactive skin that wouldn’t heal. Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW) symptoms wasn’t something I had come across until I saw it in my own son and came across the Topical Steroid Withdrawal group on Facebook.
Like many others, I had believed the only way forward was to keep using the strong steroids to suppress the eczema flare-up.
It wasn't until I came across the ITSAN website that it all made sense.
When we installed a compounding room in the pharmacy 3 years ago, I did more research and came across some amazing oils such as Manuka Oil, which is from the same plant as Manuka Honey, and used by the Maori tribes in New Zealand for centuries for their medical properties.
Propolis was another hero ingredient that offered many benefits such as being anti-septic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and supporting skin regeneration.
The results we got from my community and patients were just amazing. My son's skin started to improve to. These products were beneficial for all types of skin irritations such as eczema and dermatitis, blisters, cold sores, minor cuts and grazes, pimples, and even sunburn and minor psoriasis flare-ups.
It is from my personal experience and their positive feedback that the DermaGen by Botanical Chemist skincare brand was created.
Not just a moisturiser…
Our products target 5 different problem areas.
We get asked a lot what makes our products different from the rest. Well, it is simple... Some ointments mainly have liquid paraffin or white soft paraffin as their base. Other balms have coconut oil, or olive oil as their main ingredient. Whilst these ingredients do hydrate the skin by forming a barrier and preventing moisture loss, they don't have any healing, soothing, anti-septic or skin renewal properties.