The Birth of West Five Story

West Five Story Natural Skincare was started out of a desire to help my family find relief from unique skincare conditions.

My boys both had eczema, and with the cold weather in Manitoba, they still experience flare-ups on occasion. To treat the eczema, we made several visits to our family doctor, who prescribed steroid creams, which did assist, but we were warned not to use the cream on their faces, which unfortunately had eczema. So, after being warned to use the cream sparingly and never on their faces, we realized we wanted to try something different that was actually safe.

We tried a variety of treatments from craft markets and over-the-counter creams from the drugstore, but nothing worked. My oldest son would scream every time we tried to apply lotion to him since he was raw from his eczema, which covered his entire body. It was heartbreaking and tough to deal with.

Danek with his eczema flare-ups. He was covered head to toe from age 6 months.

Finally, we tried a hazelwood necklace, and while it didn't provide immediate relief, we saw effects within a month. He was no longer scratching in his sleep, and his skin appeared to be dry rather than irritated. The redness was decreasing. We were able to apply lotions without him screaming. Finally, we had achieved success. Within four months, the eczema was mostly gone; he still had scars on his back, but aside from cold, dry winter days, he was essentially cured.

He wore hazelwood necklaces for about ten years. If you've never heard of hazelwood, it's a type of hardwood bead that is commonly used in bracelets or necklaces and worn close to the skin to suck out excess acidity and restore your body's pH balance. Results may vary; however, they worked for our family.

Danek is now 17 years old and eczema free.

With the results my son had gotten from using all natural products, we decided to go natural where we could for whatever else was ailing us. From there, we used trial and error and a lot of research to create the line of products we carry. Each of our products is a product that we use on a daily basis within our home, and each was created to tackle specific issues we were or are still dealing with.

We never sell anything we haven't personally tested, and we occasionally modify things when we discover improvements. All of our products are handmade using essential oils, and the majority of them are vegan; the handful that do contain animal products include beeswax and/or honey.

For those who are interested in the name West Five Story and where it came from, the answer is pretty easy. Our last name is West, and my oldest daughter is highly interested in theatre and movies; in fact, she is studying at the University of Winnipeg with the goal of becoming a movie producer. West Side Story is one of the few Broadway musicals I am familiar with and have watched, so it just made sense, especially when West Five Story was born; there were only the five of us. We've grown since then, adding another family to our own, and while we considered a name change, none had the same ring to them as West Five Story.

#westfivestory #naturalskincare