Scleroderma: Hard Word, Harder Disease

With June being Scleroderma Awareness Month, we, as a skincare cosmetics company, wanted to join the conversation. Our founder, LeiLani Kopp, a paramedical makeup expert, has worked with individuals who have lived with scleroderma for years now to empower them to feel comfortable in their skin. 

For the 2.5 million individuals worldwide living with scleroderma, it can often be something that impacts every element of their life. Beauty blogger Chanel describes it as “having thick concrete slowly poured into your skin, your blood vessels, your organs; horrifically crushing and solidifying you until movement becomes impossible.” As a result of the overproduction of collagen, Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that affects the internal organs with severe consequences. On the outside, there are intense changes in a person’s skin. So intense that things we take for granted – like holding a makeup brush, removing the lid on lotion, or even blending products – can become impossible. Those with scleroderma often see a change in skin colour as well as either de-pigmentation and losing their colour, or hyper-pigmentation, leaving them looking overly tan. This disease can be dark and overwhelming to deal with and individuals that live with scleroderma can often suffer from low self-esteem and confidence because of it. 

At Sweet LeiLani, we have always believed that makeup can be incredibly powerful in its use. While it may seem superficial to some, those with scleroderma use makeup as a way to help camouflage their skin condition. Our products are formulated with ingredients that are pure, potent and health-promoting aimed to calm, soothe, feed, and protect the skin. Through our skincare products such as our Hawaiian Foaming Cleanser and Island Moisture Cream, we aim to relieve these conditions and help to manage the discomfort of skin symptoms. Our Skin Care Cover Foundation is amazing at reducing inflammation and is gentle and natural to allow your skin to breathe. Through her years of experience, LeiLani has been able to create a balance between skincare and makeup, creating therapeutic products that make you feel good on the inside. 

Beauty can bring so much confidence and power back to individuals living with scleroderma. For the rest of the month, we will be posting on our social media more information, product tips and makeup application tricks for those living with scleroderma. Make sure to follow us on Instagram to stay up to date on LeiLani’s expert advice and reach out with any questions you might have. If you’re looking for the perfect product for you, send us an email and we will work with you to understand your skin and find the products that would work best for you. 

You are not alone. And this is not the end of your story.