Here are the first results using Shirudo Antioxidant Body Lotion as a effective polymorphous light eruption treatment (PMLE treatment). You can find the lotion at shirudo.com.

Here is the story. A little over five months ago, I enlisted the help of a cosmetic-specialized chemist to develop this lotion. The first 7 kg of the pilot batch was produced right on time for my first summer vacation – a 10-day trip to Cape Cod. Without treatment, my polymorphous light eruption (PMLE) would normally start on day 3, appearing mostly on my arms, legs and feet. But not this time…

Shirudo Antioxidant Body Lotion saved me (and my vacation) from another PMLE outbreak. From all the preventive treatments I’ve tried so far, it is the only solution that has reduced 90% of my symptoms and allowed me to fully enjoy my vacation for the first time I was 12 years old. I spent 7 days on the beaches of Cape Cod, typically 5 to 6 hours of direct sun exposure everyday. I stayed on the beach without an umbrella as long as I felt comfortable, meaning I didn’t hide from the sun at all to avoid PMLE. I took in all the sun I wanted! The only minor rash that appeared was under my arms and on the back of my thighs where lotion may have been removed by my towel. Note to self: be more careful on those areas next time.

Of course I kept using a good sunscreen but not as strong as the one I have used before. An SPF 25 from Ombrelle was quite enough and I didn’t get any sunburn. I even got a nice tan! One of the most surprising things I realized while testing the lotion is that my skin is not as sensitive as I thought. Since I was a teen, I used a very high SPF (even going as high as SFP 100!) thinking that my skin was burning easily when actually it was my PMLE either causing this burning sensation, or making my skin more prone to sunburn.

I am quite relieved to have finally found something to prevent my PMLE and am very proud to say I did it all by myself !!! My PMLE is very manageable now and I will be able to fully enjoy the sun and beach activities without any discomfort. Applying the lotion every 2 hours is mandatory, but since it is the recommendation for sunscreen also, I just quickly apply the antioxidant lotion before the sunscreen and am good for another 2 hours. I also apply the lotion after my morning shower and before going to bed just to make sure the reaction is not triggered at all.

My health is a priority and I developed this lotion with the best natural ingredients. No more corticosteroid, no more antihistaminic, and no more tanning sessions before my vacations. Freedom is the most awesome part of a PMLE-free vacation… Be free to stay outside, to play in the water, to wear a bikini all day not having to cover from head to toe, enjoying summer and feeling comfortable in my own skin… a sensation I haven’t felt since summer 1990. I really hopes that others can benefit from this lotion and can’t wait to hear what you all think! Please try it and send me all comments, good and bad, so we can improve the product and make it the best solution for all people suffering from PMLE.

If you are looking for a preventive PMLE treatment, give Shirudo Antioxidant Body Lotion a try at shirudo.com

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30 Comments

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  1. Hi all

    Hoping this thread us still active as it’s been so useful! Have only recently started suffering with PMLE and am getting married in mauritius in April so really want to find a way to manage this!

    I am going to buy the Shirudo cream but am wondering the best thing to do in terms of sunscreen? Does anyone have any tips on the best sunscreen to use with this as a combo?

    I also plan to take the recommended vitamins beforehand as well as antihistamines and hope this tackles it enough!

    Thanks for any tups, much appreciated!!!!

    1. Hi,

      I am going on holiday in June and always get a rash in the sun because of my sun allergy. Just wondering if you found that this worked? Also did you take anything else like with the cream like tablets or sun cream to protect your skin from getting burnt. I am really stuck and need help!

      Thanks, Steph

  2. Just found this site and ordered my lotion. I paid extra to have 2 day FedEx because my husband and I leave for the Dominican on Sunday. I went to the tanning bed for 8 minutes last night and today I am so itchy and blotchy on my forearms. I’ve had some sune exposure already this year and it hasn’t been this bad, but I need to get a little base tan before heading to the Carribbean. Now I’m just praying that my lotion gets here in time and the current bumps go away before we leave-mine don’t usually last more than a coupld of days. I guess I won’t be going basck to the tanning bed.

  3. I have had PMLE for as long as I can remember. I am going away to Florida in a few weeks and dreading every min. I am going to give this a try. I have had no luck with anything….

  4. I just ordered a bottle of this! I hope it works. I have a trip to Puerto Rico at the end of May and I’m hoping to be able to lay out on the beach without any worries of breaking out. I only get PMLE breakouts on my face! Sometimes my chest and back, but it’s mainly my face. I’ve had this since I was around 18 and am now 33. I’ve always loved being in the sun and I’m not even fair skinned. I’m Mexican with an olive complexion. I also order some heliocare pills and beta-carotene pills. I hope this combination works because I really don’t want to take steroids.

    1. Hi,

      I am going on holiday in June and always get a rash in the sun because of my sun allergy. Just wondering if you found that this worked? Also did you take anything else like with the cream like tablets or sun cream to protect your skin from getting burnt. I am really stuck and need help!

      Thanks, Steph

  5. I have suffered from PMLE ever since my first rash when I was 12 years old while on vacation in Mexico. Ever since then, after about the 3rd day on vacation I get the nasty, itchy/stingy bumps on my chest, arms, and occasionally hands, feet and thighs. Not fun, not pretty, and basically turns me into a hermit hiding from the sun while on vacation. I have seen more than one dermatologist and tried everything from prescription cortisol creams to vitamins to tanning and nothing worked. That is until I ordered Shirudo lotion last summer before a 9 day vacation to Hawaii. I am 31 years old and it was the first time I have been able to fully enjoy a vacation, 100% hive free. It was literally a miracle. I followed the directions and applied it before sunscreen (SPF 15 or 30) and did so throughout the day as necessary. I would endure being pasty white to avoid the hives (SPF 70 didn’t help one bit) but the best part was I was able to get a GORGEOUS tan!!!!! I love that it does not have sunscreen in it so you can control your SPF coverage and change it as you like. I wish I could re-do years worth of miserable vacations but I am just grateful to have it going forward. This is a game changer for me!!

  6. Hello! I just got back from a very hot and very sunny week in Aruba! I tried this product for the first time and I have to say it ABSOLUTELY works! I’ve been suffering from PMLE for 16 years now and it’s been getting worse and worse. I went to the Turks and Caicos Islands in June and a cruise in Sept to the Caribbean as well and both times, I used my SPF 50 with zinc and it didn’t seem to be working. I had itchy bumps on my shins, tops of feet, upper arms, eyelids, and tops of hands within a matter of days. This time I used the lotion about 15 mins before applying Sun Bum Pro 50 and I got NO ITCHY bumps for the very first time. My skin was very soft as well. I am thrilled that I could actually enjoy my vacation for the first time in a long time! Please don’t stop making this product!

  7. YES!! Thank you so much for this blog about Shirudo. I am buying it asap. I have been suffering from PLME for 8 years and was only diagnosed with it a year and a half ago. Since then, I haven’t found anything to help. As a matter of fact, I keep telling myself I’m allergic to sunblocks and not the sun… since every time I have a reaction, I’ve had sunblock on. When I’m not wearing sunblock, I just burn badly.

    I went to Jamaica in April because I was a bridesmaid in a wedding… I tried Avene sunscreen and took a hefty antihistamine before I even left. I broke out the 3rd day, had to get an antihistamine shot and prescription which cost A TON, and I didn’t get better until the day after our flight home. UGH! I am certainly going to attempt this.

    Thanks again!!

  8. Hi

    I have only recently began to suffer from PMLE and so I started by changing my suncream in case it was in fact a skin allergy, I therefore decided to buy a super sensitive suncream where you only apply it once a day. It turned out it was not suncream causing my reaction and in fact is PMLE.

    My question is will putting on this product effect the once a day suncream? I will be putting on the suncream first thing before sun exposure. If I apply the Shirudo after the cream and then every two hours will it effect the sun cream?

    If you could give me any guidance it would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you so much.

    Holly

    1. Hi Holly,
      are you referring to the once a day sunscreen called P20? A customer from UK asked me almost the same question last week and it was the first time I heard about this product. It is not available in Canada.

      It is recommended to apply Shirudo before sunscreen and massage very well for full absorption, wait 2 or 3 minutes before applying sunscreen on top and repeat both every 2 hours. You don’t have to use much. This once a day sunscreen looks like a really great product, but my only concern would be with the hyper water-resistant property of the sunscreen. I’m wondering if it might block Shirudo absorption on subsequent application. You will have to test it and see for yourself if both product mix well together. Shirudo Lotion is water based, so for sure it won’t remove your sunscreen if it’s your concern… I’m sorry I can’t help you more on this. I never had the chance to test a sunscreen like this. If you do please share your results as this sound like a fantastik product.
      Best regards,
      Eloise

      1. Hi

        Thank you so much for your quick reply.

        The product I am referring to is called Ultrasun. I am also concerned about it being super water proof and Shirudo not being able to sink in. Guess it would be trial and error. I will take your advice and apply your product first and then the Ultrasun. Then I will re apply your product every two hours and see if that works. If not I will switch to a regular suncream. However it may be too late as the rash may come up.

        However I did find that Eucerin After Sun Allergy range with AGR really helped take down the rash so I am sure your product will do the same. In fact that has jogged my mind and whenever I applied anything on top of the Ultrasun it rolled off.

        Could you recommend any good non water proof sun creams?

        Thank you again for all your help and advice.

        Holly

        1. Hi Holy,
          A lot of pmle sufferers mentioned they use La Roche Posay Anthelios with great results. I personally use Ombrelle Sport or Coppertone Sport. It is not waterproof but sweat proof and mixes well with shirudo. I’m aware it might not be the best sunscreens on the market from a sensitive skin point of view, but I tried many brands and it looks that these 2 are the best for me. My dermatologist recommend Anthelios and Avene. I also tried Avene but I find the lotion too thick and really hard to apply. Hoping this will help. Eloise

        2. Hi Holly,

          Did you try Shirudo with a once-a-day sunscreen? I would be really interested to know how you got on, I am a massive fan of P20 so it would be nice to be able to keep using it, but I would rather be rash free!

          Katie xx

          1. Hi Katie,
            I never tried P20, nothing similar is available in Canada. By reading description on P20 official website I understand the product is very water resistant. Since AGR+E is a water based product I would assume subsequent lotion applications in the day won’t be fully absorbed because of the waterproof barrier. My other idea is that perhaps using P20 on top of AGR+E could protect the lotion and keep it effective longer, but really it’s something you will have to test by yourself since we don’t have access to this type of sunscreen here. Sunscreen regulations in Canada are very strict and complex and that’s why our lotion do not contains any SFP.

            Kind regards,
            Eloise

          2. I thought I would let you know how I got on with the shirudo and various sunscreens on my holiday last week…
            I used it with the p20 spf30 for the first day and a half. I applied before applying the p20 and then every 2 hours, but didnt reapply the p20 because it is a once a day sunscreen. I did get some “pilling up” on my chest and shoulders although I had followed the advice to only apply a thin layer. Unfortunately, it seemed to interact with the p20 / ?diluted it, and as I wasn’t reapplying I got sunburnt 🙁 NO RASH THOUGH!!!
            After a day out of the sun I returned to using shirudo, applying as before, and replaced the p20 with Eucerin spf50 for three days which worked really well with the shirudo, it absorbed well, I got none of the “pilling up” I got with p20.
            I got frustrated with using an spf50 and started using Ambre Solaire wet skin spf30 (containing the famous Mexoryl XL) in hopes of getting a better tan. Mistake. I continued to use the shirudo as before, however I got some “pilling up” again on my chest and shoulders and that day the rash started to come up on my chest (mostly on strap lines), of course after that, it was there to stay, and got worse. Having said that, the rash didn’t appear anywhere else (other than a tiny dot on my arm) whereas a previous holiday in June minus shirudo or eucerin I was covered head to toe.
            In summary – the shirudo definitely prevented my rash from developing like normal, but I think it might be less effective when used with oilly sunscreens? It worked really well with the Eucerin which is a cream based sunscreen and less waterproof. I absolutely loved it, it made such a difference to be free of that rash…if only i had continued with the Eucerin as well!

          3. Hi Katie,
            I’m very sorry it took me so long to reply to you, your comment ended up in the spam folder and I just notice it! Thank you for the update on P20. It seems waterproof sunscreen or mineral one (containing zinc) do not mix very well with Shirudo AGR+E. As you mentioned it’s best to use a water based regular lotion, something like Ombrelle or Coppertone works well. Too bad P20 is not compatible, it would have been so awesome to apply both lotions only once a day! 🙂 Thanks again for sharing with us.

  9. Hi, just got delivery of my Shirudo body lotion. I go on holiday tomorrow so it arrived just in time! Just wanted to let all the UK readers know that the customs duty on my bottle cost £15.85 – worth every penny if it works in my opinion! I will report back in two weeks time! xx

  10. I can’t express how happy I am to finally hear of something that will stop this horrible rash and finally let me enjoy summer and vacations!! I ordered my first bottle today and I can’t wait to try it!

  11. Can’t wait to try this out this summer! going to order some soon. Expensive to the UK though 🙁

    1. I would also like to know about the importing duty and taxes fee for the UK. If any one has ordered and received their parcel to the UK already please let me know how much you have been charged as I am worrying in case it is an extortionate amount. Thanks 🙂

      1. Hi Aurora, yes shipping is expensive. And duty + taxes look very much look like extortion to me, you found the word! So far duty varies. Some UK customers mentioned to me they had nothing to pay at all. Other said that customs/Royal Mail charges the VAT for the value of the order and an outrageous handling fee of 8 british pounds on top, simply for taking care of the VAT. Handling fee is the same no matter the value of good. So we are talking about something like 13 british pound total. Royal Mail also keep the package in hostage until payment so in this situation you have to go to the post office yourself.

        Theoretically in UK all imports from outside EU can be taxed (except gift, I think?)… but it seems impossible to know for sure if UK customs will tax the package or not, it looks kind of random to me. Delivery time varies greatly too, from 6 to more than 19 days. It can get stuck at UK customs for days. I always want some feedback from UK customers so I can be very transparent about it. Quite frankly I think it is too expensive. But I don’t want to remove UK from our system since some people really really want the product no matter what and I don’t want to penalize them. And you have to know it cost us more to ship to UK than anywhere else, so it’s not like we are making any more money on you 🙂 Everything extras goes to USPS and Royal Mail in the end. We don’t have the volume in UK to have any better shipping deal for now. And even with a better shipping option there is nothing we can possibly do about Taxes and Duty on imports.

        The only good thing I can possibly say is that lotion has a shelf life of 2 years if kept in good condition (dark and cool place)… So once you know it’s working for you, order enough bottles for more than a year to reduce cost per bottle.

        If you have any other experience with UK imports from Usa please let me know!

        1. Thanks for replying so quickly!! I will still be ordering this product without a doubt. I can see why people are put off by the charges but in my mind a rash free holiday abroad is worth every penny! Once I’ve ordered and received my Shirudo lotion I will write back to let you know how much I was charged! If it does work I will certainly order it in bulk in the future to save on shipping charges. I’m 18 and have suffered with pmle since I was 12. This lotion will be a life saver if it works!

  12. Just ordered my bottle. Costly as it’s coming to UK but hoping its worth it. Thanks for all the info and support. Perhaps a light at the end of a tunnel!

    1. Leanne I hope it will help you too… fingers crossed! I know it is expensive for you folks in UK. Shipping to Europe is so expensive. I would like to offer a more affordable option but we already charge less than our shipping cost. It is simply not possible to offer it for less at this moment. Hope you understand and let me know if it works.Thanks!

  13. Is this product safe for kids to use? I have a 7 year old that has PMLE and would like to try it on him to hopefully relieve his problem.

    1. Hi Melanie,
      we didn’t run any specific test on children, but the lotion is more than 99% natural and very light. Use a small quantity, avoid contact with eyes and mouth, massage to make sure lotion is fully absorbed before applying sunscreen on top. Hoping it will help! Thank you.

  14. to hear there is finally a treatment that actually works is music to my ears….but feel like crying now i’ve discovered i can’t get it in the UK….after 20+ years of suffering i thought i could finally enjoy an upcoming holiday without the dreaded rash but it’s sadly not meant to be…the word needs to be spread far and wide about this new treatment…please!!!

    1. Hi Caroline, you can order the lotion in UK. It is kind of expensive so I suggest ordering 2 bottles, but it is available at shirudo.com. Shipping to UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA for now. Hoping it will help you with PMLE too!