Allergies, Anaphylaxis, Eczema, Topical Steroid Withdrawal & Asthma

Advocate for allergies and eczema

As an allergy and eczema patient expert I regularly speak to businesses and pharmaceutical companies and at allergy, eczema and food safety events to help them bridge the gap between the medication or product and the customer. It can also really help companies understand the challenges their customers face. I also speaks at events and join panel sessions at events like The Allergy Show and Food Matters Live.

Ruth
I don’t always look quite like this, especially since TSW (don’t want to catfish anyone)

I’ve been on TV on ITV news and Countryfile talking about ‘Eating out with allergies’ and ‘Living with hay fever’. I am also regularly interviewed on BBC radio, both national and local stations and Radio 5 Live about living with allergies.

I blog regularly about all sorts of subjects, including living with allergies, eczema and topical steroid withdrawal. I want to make life easier, help others feel less alone and help to normalise these life limiting conditions by helping to raise awareness and share the real challenges faced by people as the real struggle is often invisible.

If you would like to speak, please email ruth at whatallergy dot com. (email hidden in vain attempt to avoid bots and spam)

TV appearances

Brands I work with:

  • Epaderm – Promoting Topical Steroid Withdrawal with a product that I used a lot at the beginning of my TSW journey. One of the better paraffin based emollients on the market with no SLS or preservatives.
  • Lyonsleaf – One of my favourite independent British skincare brands. These guys have been following my TSW journey and I’d been using their products after discovering them at the Allergy Show many years ago. Their products are gentle and kind enough for my skin even when it’s been really sore and inflamed. Read my story on natural skincare and surviving TSW on their blog the Herbal Burble!
  • Balmonds – My other favourite natural skincare brand. They’re really supportive to the TSW community and my favourite products are the Rosehip oil, Tea Tree balm and Lavender Balm – as well as the old favourite – Skin Salvation emollient. One of the hardest things to cope with during TSW is the lack of sleep, for months on end. I shared some of the my most successful sleep tips with Balmonds in this blog – How to get through TSW – Ruth Holroyd’s sleep tips!
  • Creative Nature – As a self confessed Gnawbles addict, I work with Julianne and the team to help raise awareness for her amazing Top14 free cake mixes, chocolate snacks, pancake mixes and snack bar range.
  • Clover Skin Care – I help Clover with their social media posts, writing post content and blogs.
  • TalkHealth – I love working with this amazing charity and support them with research, blog posts and forum and support group content.
  • The Real Skin Club
  • Dyson
  • Merakoi – Working as a patient expert.

Campaigns and projects

Speaking engagements

It’s a real privilege to get the chance to share my story and help raise awareness of allergies, anaphylaxis and eczema and Topical Steroid Withdrawal. Here are just a few of the events I’ve spoken at:

  • Food Safety and Sustainability Impacts Conference, Salford University, 24th November 2022
  • Food Allergen Conference, Lancaster University – 27th September 2022
  • How to save your life by writing a self help book, Chiltern Writers, August 2022
  • Lancaster Food Allergy Conference – March 2022
  • HORT Talk Podcast – Natasha’s Law Episode
  • Natasha’s Law Seminar 2021
  • The Caterer Allergen Summit – May 2020
  • The Allergy Show
  • Foods Matters Live
  • Houses of Parliament for Allergy UK
  • Anaphylaxis Campaign
  • EEACI
  • BSACI

Awards and achievements

Allergy Today Podcast

Series one, recorded in 2020 includes 15 episodes. Listen to The Allergy Today Podcast on Pod Bean here.

What Allergy on Twitter

Further Reading

Mental Health

Eating Out

Asthma