Allergies, Anaphylaxis, Eczema, Topical Steroid Withdrawal & Asthma

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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

  • October 2020 – Food Unwrapped – The Shocking Truth about eating out with allergies – A wonderful day of filming with a great bunch of people and got to meet Kate Quilton. I ended up on the cutting room floor but you can catch a fleeting view of me!
  • May 2016 – BBC Countryfile Hayfever special
  • July 2015 – ITV news – Allergen regulations
  • October 2014 – New food labelling laws to be rolled out – BBC News – Filmed in my kitchen, talking about how the new food allergen regulations will help me to eat out safely.

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.
    • View on Daily Mail Website Woman ages 20 years after cutting out topical steroids
    • or download PDF – minus all the horrible adverts and popups! – PDF version of Daily Mail article
  • 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

  • Change AD – Mental Health with Atopic Dermatitis
  • Change AD – raising awareness of Atopic Dermatitis and with Sanofi. Check out Atopic Dermatitis LIfe Hacks and select AD Life Hacks from the menu.

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

  • Top 10 Health Blogs 2022
  • FreeFrom Hero Award 2021 – The Free From Awards
  • Top 10 Health Blog 2021
  • Top 10 Health Blogs 2020
  • Top 10 Health Blog 2019
  • Top 10 Health Blog 2018
  • Finalist in the Allergy Blog Awards 2017
  • Top 10 Health Blog 2017
  • Top 10 Health Blog 2016
  • Top 10 Health Blogs 2015
  • Best FreeFrom Blogger 2014 – People’s Choice Awards
  • Top 10 Health Blogs 2014 (Cision)
  • Top 5 Allergy Blogs 2011

Allergy Today Podcast

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

Welcome to my blog!

https://whatallergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/IMG_2853.mp4

Hello, I’m Ruth, author and blogger

Ruth

 

Hi I'm Ruth. I've grown up with eczema and multiple life-threatening allergies and collected more as I've got older.  It started with a peanut allergy and now I'm allergic to milk, wheat, soya and many more. In this blog I share tips, advice and things I've learnt living with allergies, asthma and eczema with a focus on topical steroid withdrawal. You can buy my books, which are brilliant by the way! The first is Anaphylaxis: The essential guide and the second, The Shape of Skin, healing poems for eczema and sensitive skin. The reviews speak for themselves. If you want to chat you can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn (links below). Do get in touch. And please comment on blogs, it makes a humble blogger do a little happy dance!

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Categories

Allergies Anaphylaxis Asthma Awards Coeliac Cold Sores Cooking Digestion Eating Out Eczema FreeFrom Awards Hay Fever Indoor Allergies Industry News Mental Health Natural remedies Nutrition Poetry Product Review Rant Recipes Restaurant Review Skin care Topical Steroid Withdrawal Travelling Vegan

The Shape of Skin – poetry for eczema

The Shape of Skin poetry for eczemaThe Shape of Skin

Strange, striking and sensitive poems for people with eczema, psoriasis, topical steroid withdrawal and troubled skin.

Readers comments include: "Powerful, relatable, Absolutely bloody fantastic (pun intended)..."

Buy it now on Amazon

Buy ‘The Anaphylaxis Guide’ Now

Anaphylaxis - the essential guideAnaphylaxis - The Essential Guide. An action plan for living with life threatening allergies.

"This book is such a great wealth of information and a delight to read! A must read for anyone with allergies or connected to an allergy sufferer. Congratulations!" Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, Natasha Foundation

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get help - in distress?

Pollen Free Flowers and Plants

Read my blog, "Allergen and pollen free, artificial plants for your home"Faux la fleur artificial pollen free plants

Please Review my book on Goodreads

Ruth Holroyd's books on Goodreads
The Reluctant Allergy Expert: How to kill the fear that anaphylaxis could kill you The Reluctant Allergy Expert: How to kill the fear that anaphylaxis could kill you
reviews: 3
ratings: 3 (avg rating 5.00)

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  • Food, Mood and Symptoms Diary
  • Topical Steroid Withdrawal handout for doctors
  • Anaphylaxis Action Plan
  • 50 x Food Real Challenge
  • Eat the Rainbow Food Challenge
  • More coming soon!

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Chocolate, cake mixes & more – Top14 Free

Read my product review for Gnawbles, like Maltesers and Ferrero Rocher rolled into one.

Gnawbles freefrom top 14 allergens

Use Coupon Code WHATALLERGY10 FOR 10% OFF everything you buy!

Natural skincare for Eczema / TSW

Balmonds Natural SkincareBalmonds Natural Skincare - Use code: WHATALLERGY for 20% off

Testimonials

Find out why people love this blog!

“I think your blog is fab – I send it to everyone who has skin problems and allergies.” 
Sarah

Read more testimonials here.

Archives – Find old blog posts

Mental Health

Set intentions not resolutions for 2024

Why do we think eczema is ugly?

OMG! Me in a film on eczema and mental health

Eating Out

My coffee shop allergy – reacting to milk vapour?

Coeliacs and Vegans have it easy

Milk and wheat allergen free fish and chips

Asthma

Do you need Health Insurance for Allergies & Asthma?

Did Covid cause asthma and eczema flare?

What if you couldn’t have your Ventolin inhaler?

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