While the vitiligo on my elbows and face has changed little in years, the vitiligo on my hands has spread a bit over the past 2 years. There are new spots that have form and connected to old spots.

I’m lucky that my skin is fairly pale so people may not necessarily notice my vitiligo – or at least they are polite and don’t mention it 🙂

So…

What is Vitiligo?

Vitiligo occurs when melanocyte skin cells are killed off and create hypopigmentation or white patches on the skin. It’s frequently considered to be an auto-immune disorder, which could make sense for me given my thyroid issues. No one else in my family has vitiligo. I first developed it on my elbows about 8 or so years ago. My acupuncturist would also consider it a stress response. I’m not the most relaxed person ever, so stress is certainly a plausible cause in my case.

My dermatologist says I could try topical steroid treatments, but that it may not work. I’m also hesitant to try any steroid treatment have a horrible weeks-long bloood sugar/insulin reaction to a small dose of a corticosteroid a few years ago (thankfully I’ve been told the cream shouldn’t affect me the same way). But certainly I should continue using sunscreen. Truth is while I’m religious about wearing quality sunscreen, I have neglected to wear it on my hands.

Vitiligo on my hands and Supergoop! SPF hand cream. The blue tint to my nails is because of the organic wild frozen blueberries I was snacking on.

I’ve lately started wearing Supergoop! Forever Young Hand Cream with Sea Buckthorn SPF 40. Even the box reminds me that “uva penetrates clouds and glass.” 30 minutes commute + non-tinted windshield + sunny SoCal = not great for vitiligo on hands. Hopefully this hand cream with SPF will help! (You can read my latest favorite natural sunscreen for melasma and vitiligo here)

The Good:

• No parabens, sulfates or phthalates
• Moisturizing but not to cream
• Supposedly non-comedogenic, non-irritating and allergy-free
• Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Skin Deep Cosmetics Database Rating: 3

The Not So Good:

• Smells a bit like sunscreen
• Hidden in that 3 rating are still some endocrine disrupters like octinoxate and homosalate 🙁

The smaller size fits perfectly in most purses and is a good size for thorough product test – I’ll provide an update on my final feelings when the bottle runs out!