Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Teacher Praises Miracle Cream For 'Saving' Her From Skin Condition That Made Even Blinking Painful

Teacher Praises Miracle Cream For 'Saving' Her From Skin Condition That Made Even Blinking Painful
Lynne in April 2017 (PA Real Life/Collect)

A retired teacher whose self-esteem was shattered by an agonizing skin condition that made even blinking painful has praised a $14 cream for restoring her confidence.

Lynne Donnelly was enjoying a New Year holiday in Wales with her husband Mick in January 2016, when she woke one morning to find the skin around her eyes was red and sore.


When the mystery skin condition went away on its own she thought she had suffered a reaction to something, but it returned, coating her entire face in red patches and itchy welts throughout the year.

Lynne and her husband Mick (PA Real Life/Collect)

The condition, which is now thought by doctors to be a form of the skin complaint dermatitis, left Lynne in so much pain that even blinking would hurt, until she discovered an inexpensive cream through an online support group that she hails as a "miracle cure."

"I try to be a strong person, but when this condition developed all over my face, which I couldn't hide, it was really tough. At my worst, I didn't go out and didn't see people," she said.

"I did try to be sociable but, most days, I was in so much pain that even blinking hurt because my eyelids were so cracked."

Lynne in April 2016 (PA Real Life/Collect)

When Lynne woke one morning during her New Year holiday in 2016 with bright red and extremely dry eyes, she thought she had simply “had a reaction" to something and had no idea of the horror that lay ahead.

"I hadn't used any different cosmetics, or used any of the products from the hotel I was staying at, so I had no idea what had caused it," she said.

Within a few days, the redness subsided and her skin returned to normal, only for it to flare up again the following month and disappear again without the need for treatment.

Lynne in April 2017 (PA Real Life/Collect)

In April, she was hit by a reaction so severe that her face swelled up, as if she had an allergy.

"I wondered if it was a food allergy, but I couldn't think of anything different that I'd eaten," she said. "I ended up going to the emergency clinic, it was that bad."

Prescribing antihistamines and steroids, doctors advised her to document any further flare ups with photographs, so she had something to show her doctor.

Lynne in September 2020 (PA Real Life/Collect)

"I did just that and was sent for some allergy tests, but they all came back clear. Nobody could find the cause for my flare ups. To this day, I still don't know what my triggers are," Lynne said.

Over the next year, Lynne became caught in a vicious cycle of flare-ups, for which she would take steroids and antihistamines. They would calm her skin until the next episode.

"I thought maybe that was the solution and that's what life would be – just constantly taking these antihistamines and steroids whenever my skin got bad," she said. “It did seem to calm things a little, at least."

But in April 2017, Lynne had her most extreme reaction to date – on which the steroids had little effect.

"It was almost as if they made things worse. I had them in topical form, but even applying the cream to my skin hurt," she said.

"My doctor advised me to stop and was really supportive, but also said that he wasn't sure where to go next. It felt really quite desperate, having this condition that I didn't know how to make better."

Lynne in April 2017 (PA Real Life/Collect)

"In a bid to find out what my triggers were, I cut out things like alcohol, certain foods and cosmetics. I actually stopped wearing makeup all together – it was too painful to apply," she said.

"Whatever I tried, nothing made a difference. My anxiety levels were high, yet I had no answers."

Taking matters into her own hands, Lynne went online and started scouring social media to find people like her.

Lynne in December 2015, just before her first flare up (PA Real Life/Collect)

On Facebook, she discovered a support group for dermatitis sufferers.

And, reading their stories, she realized just how closely their symptoms echoed her own.

"I mentioned the condition to my doctor and he agreed that it was very likely I had a form of dermatitis," she said. “It can cause the skin to become itchy, blistered, and dry – which was exactly what was happening to me."

Lynne in April 2017 (PA Real Life/Collect)

"The pain is almost a tightening sensation across my whole face and then my skin cracks. I'd get these cold sore-like marks around my mouth, which made eating hard, as well as these raised welts that were so itchy they made sleep very difficult," Lynne continued.

Through her online support group, Lynne discovered scores of people extolling the virtues of zinc oxide power and calendula cream, both of which they claimed helped clear their skin.

Desperate to find a remedy, she bought herself some zinc powder and a pot of Lyonsleaf Calendula Cream, a 100% natural emollient designed to soothe skin conditions like acne, rosacea and certain forms of dermatitis.

Lynne in August 2019 (PA Real Life/Collect)

"It did get worse before it got better, but within about four weeks, I definitely noticed a difference to my skin," said Lynne. "Within three to four months, I finally looked like me again."

Now, Lynne no longer uses zinc powder but continues to apply Lyonsleaf Calendula Cream throughout the day.

And she believes that the $14 “miracle" ointment has given her back her sparkle.

"I feel so much better now," she said. "All it took was for me to see a slight improvement in my skin, and then I was spurred on to keep going.

"Now, I go out and do all the things I want to do without worrying that people are going to stare at me. I'm not in pain anymore and haven't had a flare up since I started using the cream."

Lynne recently (PA Real Life/Collect)

By sharing her story, Lynne wants to both thank Lyonsleaf and encourage others struggling with skin problems not to give up.

"It can be difficult to believe in other people's support when you're so low in confidence, but I'm so glad I did," she said.

"To anyone else out there I'd say keep going – you will find a solution."

Lynne and her husband Mick (PA Real Life/Collect)

"Stick to natural products that are free of chemical nasties, and work out a routine that is right for you," she concluded.

"But the main thing is don't give up hope."

More from News

Bob Costas
Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images

Legendary Broadcaster Bob Costas Rips Mainstream Media For Caving To Trump In Powerful Speech

While accepting the Fred Dressler Leadership Award from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications on Monday, legendary broadcaster Bob Costas took aim at the mainstream media, saying news outlets are guilty of "bothsidesing" President Donald Trump despite the very real threat he poses to the country's democratic order.

Specifically calling out coverage of Trump by ABC, CBS, and CNN, Costas noted that both "the free press" and "democracy" are "under attack."

Keep ReadingShow less
Katy Perry performing for “The Lifetimes Tour” in Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Don Arnold/WireImage/Getty Images

Katy Perry shocked by fan

Katy Perry had an uncomfortable moment when an enthusiastic fan rushed the stage mid-song last Monday in Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.

The Lifetimes Tour, Perry’s fifth, began in April in Mexico City and will end in December at Etihad Park in Dubai. The concert is set in a video game world where Perry brings the audience onto the level of her greatest hits, including “Dark Horse,” “I Kissed a Girl,” and “Roar.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom; Emperor Palpatine; Donald Trump
Kimberly White/Getty Images for World; Disney/Lucasfilm; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Newsom Just Trolled Trump Hard With Video Of Emperor Palpatine's Voice Reciting Truth Social Post

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has responded to MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's multiple Truth Social posts promoting his decision to take military action in Los Angeles to suppress protests against the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.

Governor Newsom neither requested nor consented to Trump's use of the California National Guard for his attacks on L.A. protesters, nor to his deployment of United States Marines to the area.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @elise_carlin's TikTok video
@elise_carlin/TikTok

Woman Weirded Out After Uber Driver Starts Playing AI Songs With Her Name Inserted

Whether we like it or not, AI is living among us and surely won't be departing anytime soon. That said, its uses and ubiquity can still be surprising at times.

TikToker Elise Carlin hopped into an Uber on the way to the airport, and the driver played music, which is pretty par for the course. But she soon realized this wasn't just any music! No, this was AI-generated, and each song was personalized with her name inserted into it.

Keep ReadingShow less
Aquilino Gonell
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images

Capitol Officer Who Witnessed Jan. 6 Insurrection Goes Viral With Tweet About LA Protests

Staff Sergeant Aquilino Gonell, who lived through the January 6 insurrection and later testified before Congress, criticized President Donald Trump's demand to "bring in the troops" amid ongoing protests in Los Angeles against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's immigration raids.

Gonell testified after the attack that he and his fellow officers "were punched, pushed, kicked, shoved, sprayed with chemical irritants and even blinded with eye-damaging lasers by a violent mob who apparently saw us law enforcement officers, dedicated to ironically protecting them as U.S. citizens, as an impediment in their attempted insurrection."

Keep ReadingShow less