My eczema journey, and Mānuka oil
My name is Thomas, and I'm a co-founder of Waipu Extracts. I wanted to share my personal experience with chronic skin issues because I believe it might resonate with you or someone you know.
Around the age of 17, I developed severe cracks on my fingertips. This wasn't just dryness; they were deep fissures that would worsen significantly any time I did outdoor work or any kind of manual labor. Even simple actions that most people take for granted, like shaking hands, could cause them to split open, which was often painful and always unpleasant. Over the years I tried what felt like countless remedies in an attempt to find some relief. I used heavy-duty hand creams, applied overnight treatments, constantly wore bandages, tried oil soaks, and experimented with every moisturiser available from major pharmaceutical companies. I also underwent various medical tests with different specialists, used prescription steroid creams as well as various traditional remedies suggested to me. After more than a decade of constant discomfort and significant financial expense with absolutely no lasting improvement, I began to accept this as a lifelong struggle that I would have to manage.
Then, unexpectedly, my father-in-law introduced me to his new business venture involving Mānuka. He approached me one day and proposed, "We're investing in a supercritical fluid extraction machine, and seeing as you're the 'scientist' in the family," a gentle ribbing about my background, "you should be in charge of overseeing the extraction process." This proposition came with considerable pressure, especially given the significant financial investment involved and my lack of direct experience with this type of equipment.
Fast forward a few months, and I had been working with Mānuka oil on a daily basis, focusing on optimising our extraction methods and understanding the properties of the oil. I had become so accustomed to the constant state of my cracked hands that I hadn't consciously noticed any changes. However, one evening, my wife pointed out that my fingerprints had returned – something I hadn't seen in years. She also mentioned that my skin didn't feel rough anymore, and the hypersensitivity I usually experienced was gone. It honestly felt like I had my baby skin back, that smooth, undamaged texture I hadn't felt in so long. I was genuinely amazed. I had been so intensely focused on making our new venture a success and learning the intricacies of Mānuka oil extraction that I hadn't paid attention to my hands, but the daily contact with the Mānuka oil had made a remarkable and profound difference.
It's now been two years since I've experienced a persistent form of eczema or psoriasis that had plagued me for so long. My hands remain smoother and healthier than they were before the cracking even started.
Based on my personal experience, I genuinely recommend our Mānuka oil to anyone dealing with similar chronic skin issues. This isn't just a business promotion for me; while I believe in our product, my primary motivation in sharing this is that I truly want people to try it and experience the results for themselves. I sincerely hope that it can offer others the same relief I found and allow them to say goodbye to their long-standing skin problems.
