"I hated having eczema but now I’ve made a career out of it" – Netdoctor

It is estimated that around 60% of people in the UK currently suffer or have suffered from a skin problem at some point in their lives and, for many of these people, the cause is likely to be eczema. Affecting the upper layer of the skin, eczema causes itching, inflammation and blistering which, for many, can become life-limiting.

One woman who knows this all too well is Emily Honeywell, chronic eczema sufferer and founder of Harvey & Mills luxury sports wear. We caught up with Emily to hear about how she left a job in the city to start a business that helped heal her skin.

Emily Honeywell

Emily Honeywell

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Having suffered from eczema since she was born, Emily tried everything to manage her inevitable flare ups.

"Since I can remember, I had eczema all over my face and legs my mum even made a tiny pair of silk gloves to stop me from itching when I was a baby. As a teenager, I was very self-conscious and didn't show my legs for years. I'd only ever wear skirts with thick opaque tights, which irritated the hell out of me.

"Like most dry skin sufferers I know, I tried everything under the sun. Olive oil baths, all sorts of emollients, a cocktail of steroid creams but nothing worked for long. I soon realised that the main irritant was any situation where there was moisture sitting on my skin, and tight clothing meant that it was unable to breathe. The skinny jeans phase was terrible for me!"

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Starting work in an office environment where she was able to wear what she wanted, Emily relished the freedom to wear loose clothing that did not aggravate her skin. However, going to the gym was a different story.

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"Exercise is like an antidepressant to me, and I was frustrated that whether I was in the middle of hot yoga or a street dance class, working out would trigger my eczema cycle. Even if I showered immediately after, the moisture sitting on my skin under stretch fabric for even an hour was enough to trigger a flare up that lasted for days."

"I loved the growing trend of replacing jeans with active wear, suitable for both badminton and brunch. So one Saturday last summer (2016), I spent the morning searching for leggings online. The active wear sets I already had were so thick and plasticy, but even after scouring the internet I couldn't find anything that was more breathable.

"I also found the sportswear world saturated with either brash bright prints or uninteresting dark colours that weren't my style at all.

It was that same morning that I decided to quit my job, and create active wear that is both high fashion and high performance, responsibly sourced, and most of all suitable for sensitive skin."

Having pooled her life savings to establish a budget, Emily set to work buying and personally testing all sorts of sports wear over the course of a few months.

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"I hated having eczema but now I've made a career out of it" - Netdoctor