Eczema Daily Management Tips

Apr 30, 2021Claire Kelly

Dealing with eczema can be a daily battle that can leave you feeling disheartened and frustrated.

Eczema treatment can be a series of trial and errors until you find what works for your skin, and sometimes seeing another persons experience and process can bring some much-needed guidance and inspiration.

In today’s blog post we will outline some daily management tips for eczema to help you on your road to healing!

What is eczema?

There are a number of different types of eczema but the term is most often used to refer to atopic eczema (also called atopic dermatitis) The word atopic refers to hypersensitivity reactions to something in the environment.

Atopic eczema is a very common, non-contagious, chronic (long-term) inflammatory skin condition. If you have atopic eczema, your skin barrier function (which prevents water loss and protects against allergens and irritants) is impaired or weakened. This makes the skin dry out and become more vulnerable to infections.

Causes/triggers of eczema

The cause of eczema is varied, and usually different for every individual, but there are certain things that come into play when looking at causes:

Genetics: You may have inherited a (genetic) predisposition to have a weakened skin barrier, as well as altered inflammatory and allergy responses.

Diet: There is a strong correlation between diet and eczema, allergens such as dairy, gluten, eggs and soy can be a major culprit for your flair ups. Keep a food diary and monitor how your body reacts to certain foods. Fasting for 24-48 hours and then slowly introducing foods back into your diet is a great way to be more hyper aware of your body’s reaction to certain foods and getting medical allergy tests done might be all it takes. Do not overlook diet!

Environmental factors: Harsh chemicals, fragrances and materials in close contact with your skin can cause your skin to overreact and flare up. Minimise exposure to harsh skin contact substances and wear light easy to breath fabrics on your skin.

Stress: As many eczema suffers know, stress can only make our skin worse, thus making our stress worse, and so we end up in a viscous cycle. Finding ways to reduce stress may lessen the frequency and, hopefully, the intensity of the flare-ups.

Daily management of eczema

Emollients: Emollients are an essential part of daily care, even when skin is clear. Emollients are moisturizers that are used in two ways – applied directly to the skin as a leave-on moisturizer, and as a soap substitute instead of soap or shower gel. Emollients can be used several times a day to soothe dry, itchy skin and repair the skin’s barrier, thereby preventing entry of irritants and allergens, which can trigger eczema flares.Emollients can come in many forms, try a few, and choose one that works for you. Emollient Tips:
Don’t stop moisturising when your skin is clear.
Apply emollients in a smooth, downward motion, in the direction of the hair growth
Use soap free products for bathing and specially formulated shampoos.
Bathwater should not be too hot
After bathing or showering, gently pat skin dry. It is a great time to apply emollient all over when the skin is still ‘slightly humid’.

Soap substitutes/emollient wash products: Regular soaps, bubble baths and shower gels should be avoided as they dry out the skin by stripping away its natural oils. Instead, choose emollient wash products when bathing which leave the skin coated with a protective film afterwards.

Clothing: Avoid harsh synthetic fabrics, Seams, Wool, Fabrics that do not let the skin breathe and wear thin layers rather than one thick layer of clothing, you can also consider using soft cotton or silk sheets and thin cotton blankets

Additional Tips

Use a non bio washing powder and do not use fabric conditioner
Always keep fingernails short
Do not use chemical sprays and plug-ins around the home
Cut down on harsh cleaning products
Use heavy protective gloves when working with paint or chemicals and wear a mask