Features - Zambesia Botanica by Ming Majoe

Most individuals who try our products have already been to the GP or tried a variety of other products and perhaps therapies. From your contributors, one can see a whole variety of products and methods that have been tried. Zambesia Botanica compares very favourably as nearly every user of our range has previously tried many other products.

Despite growing up in southern Africa, I first came across the Kigelia africana tree 6 years ago when my business colleague returned from a visit to Africa with a product made from this tree. He found it helpful for his psoriasis of 45 years standing and in a small trial among family and friends with a variety of skin conditions we had a 100 percent success rate. One lady from the trial had had eczema since birth and suffered continuously for over 40 years. She would get regular monthly outbreaks of eczema. Being in the health business, formerly a manager and buyer for the health department at Harrods, she had tried many products to treat her condition. For her, only one of the strongest steroid creams could keep her condition under control and it was necessary to use it regularly on her face. On commencing use with Zambesia Botanica, it took her about 3 months of combined use before she found that she could reduce her dependence on the steroid cream and a few more months until she stopped the steroid altogether. She still regularly uses the Zambesia as a night cream and also under makeup. She has been free of an attack now for nearly 18 months.

I am a pharmacist and am still engaged in retail pharmacy through which we have personal contact with our clientele including feedback from mail order customers and retail outlets that we supply. The comments we receive about Zambesia Botanica besides helping alleviate symptoms of itching are that it is pleasant to use and generally brings relief quickly. A few do have reservations about the brown colour and that it stains. Any staining is easily water washable unlike some coal tar products. Also, those affected tend to have deep fissures in the skin that seems to attract or be prone to staining. For example, as happens when you have been gardening or working on an engine and find some areas of skin very hard to clean. Zambesia Botanica Skin Cream Extra is an oil rich version which makes skin staining less likely.

We give the following general advice

1 Always patch test any new product on a small area for 24 hours.

2 Emollients should be used liberally (up to 500gm per week) and may be warmed for ease of application, or cooled (in the fridge) to help soothe irritation. It is also important to maintain applications even when the skin is in a good state to minimise the frequency of outbreaks.

3 Products containing cortisone should be phased out gradually - never abruptly, otherwise the likelihood of a "rebound" effect is quite high.

4 Try to analyse what makes you scratch. For example, one study reports most sufferers scratch whilst watching TV. As we all know, scratching initiates a cascade effect that is self-perpetuating. Therefore, change the manner in which you scratch, for example stroke the area then pinch the skin. With conscious training one can control how, when and why you scratch. Personally, I have trained myself and my 11 year old daughter to mentally resist scratching in response to contact with stinging nettles & horse fly bites which we can accidentally come into contact with in our garden during summer.

We have had very good results with Zambesia Botanica from as young as 3 month old babies.

Ming Majoe MRPharmS

(August 2001)

email: aehobbs@aol.com

www.classicengland.co.uk/health

Page Created: 4/1/03