βThe more comfortable I feel, the more confident I feel.β
That quote was pulled from my recent feature in Boots Health & Beauty magazineβand it honestly sums up so much of my journey with eczema.
The past few weeks have been a strange, emotional mix. On one hand, Iβve been dealing with a lot behind the scenes. Personally, life has felt heavy. On the other hand, Iβve had these beautiful moments of visibility and advocacy go out into the worldβlike my Boots feature, and The Daily Mail. I feel like Iβm living in the in-betweenβbetween celebration and burnout, between self-compassion and self-doubt. Itβs a lot to hold. But itβs also exactly why I keep showing up.
Eczema doesnβt clock off. It doesnβt take a break when life gets overwhelming. And if youβve ever lived with a chronic skin condition, youβll know just how much it can impact your confidence, your routine, your moodβeven your identity. I spent years trying to hide or βfixβ my skin. But Iβve come to realise that visibility is powerful. When you see someone with eczema in a beauty campaign, in a health feature, in your feedβit tells you youβre not alone.
Small moments, big impact
In my Boots Health & Beauty summer feature, I talk about the connection between comfort and confidence. That might sound small, but for someone with eczema, itβs huge. Finding clothes that donβt irritate. Skincare that doesnβt sting. Being able to step outside without feeling hyper-aware of every flake or flare. These arenβt superficial thingsβtheyβre lifelines.
And in my Daily Mail piece, I share some of the practical things that have helped me manage my eczema day-to-day: like switching up my home environment, using air purifiers, and learning to say no when my skinβand my bodyβneeds rest.
What ties both features together is the message that you donβt have to be perfect to be visible. Your skin doesnβt have to be clear for your voice to matter. And youβre allowed to care about how you feel in your own skinβnot just how it looks.
Awareness isnβt just for othersβitβs for us too
Being part of these features has reminded me that awareness isnβt just about educating others. Itβs about reminding ourselves that our experiences are valid. That itβs okay to be proud of how far weβve come, even if weβre still figuring things out.
So if youβre living in the messy middleβbetween flares and healing, between visibility and vulnerabilityβI see you. And Iβm right there with you.
Thanks for reading,
Katie x
