How to Relieve Discomfort Caused by Eczema
Take daily warm baths or showers., Moisturize your skin every day., Wear cotton or soft fabrics., Avoid sweaty activities., Invest in a humidifier., Wear your fingernails as short as you can., Take daily vitamins and supplements.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Take daily warm baths or showers.
When you have eczema, a good skincare routine includes having a daily warm (not hot) shower or bath.
While in the bath or shower, use a mild soap or a non-soap alternative to cleanse your skin.
Apply a good moisturizer all over your entire body immediately after your bath or shower, while your skin is still damp.Keep the length of your showers and baths to 10 – 15 minutes at the most.Avoid using a washcloth, sponge, loofah, or other exfoliating items when you wash your skin as this may irritate it.
Apply any medicated lotions before your overall moisturizer within three minutes of getting out of the water.
It may be helpful to conduct your daily shower or bath at night, instead of in the morning, so your skin has a better chance of absorbing moisture from the water and moisturizer. -
Step 2: Moisturize your skin every day.
If you have eczema, your skin is having trouble retaining moisture.
To help reduce the symptoms of eczema, you need to help your skin increase and retain its moisture content.
In addition to moisturizing immediately after a bath or shower, moisturize your skin several times throughout the day.Moisturize your hands every time your wash them.
Know the three basic types of moisturizers — ointments, creams and lotions — and which ones work best for you.
Use a combination of moisturizers throughout the day as part of your regular skin care routine.Some ointments, like petroleum jelly, do not contain any moisturizing ingredients, but simply act as a barrier, not allowing moisture out of the skin.
Some creams may contain ingredients that may irritate your skin.
Read the ingredient list carefully before selecting one.
Eucerin is a cream often recommended for those with eczema.
Lotions may be too mild to work for people with eczema as they are primarily water-based, and the water content evaporates very quickly. , Fabrics with open weaves, including loose fitting cotton fabrics, are the most comfortable on irritated skin.
Avoid fabrics made from wool and polyester as well as fabrics that are said to be wrinkle-resistant or flame-retardant, as they have added chemicals that may irritate your skin.Make sure to wash all your new clothes before wearing them the first time.
Use an unscented, mild liquid laundry detergent to wash all your clothing, towels and sheets.
And never use fabric softener or dryer sheets.
You may also want to set up a double rinse cycle on your washing machine to ensure all detergent residue is removed. , Sweating irritates your skin, and when your skin becomes more irritated, it becomes itchy.
Unfortunately it’s a nasty and unending cycle for those who suffer from eczema.
As such, reducing the number of activities you do that cause you to sweat can help reduce skin irritation.
This also includes staying inside when it’s really hot outside., Regardless of where you live, you might want to consider investing in a humidifier for drier seasons and conditions.
Keeping the air in your home moist will also help keep your skin moist.Some furnaces can have humidifiers installed directly onto them, which allows the moist air to circulate around the entire house.
You can also purchase plug-in humidifiers that can be used in individual rooms and can be easily turned on and off.
You might want to consider one of these humidifiers for your bedroom. , Scratching at your irritated skin feels good initially, but it only ends up making eczema worse.
And the more your scratch, the more likely you are to get an infection if you break the skin.
One way to help prevent yourself from scratching is to wear your fingernails as short as you can and keep them trimmed.You can also consider wearing gloves and socks at night to help prevent scratching while you’re asleep. , There are several vitamins and supplements that have been found to reduce the symptoms of eczema.Fish Oil has been known to reduce inflammation.
The dosage to take will depend on several factors, so should be discussed with your doctor first.
But if you decide to take a high dose of fish oil, select a product without much (or any) vitamin A, as vitamin A can be toxic in high amounts.
Probiotics are known to help boost the immune system and control allergies.
The type taken should be Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus in quantities of 3 – 5 billion live organisms a day.
Evening Primrose Oil can reduce itching, but should not be taken by anyone who is also taking blood thinners or who has a history of seizures.
Borage Oil contains the essential fatty aside GLA which can be an anti-inflammatory.
Oil with 500 – 900 mg of GLA should be taken daily, in divided doses.
Vitamin C can work like a antihistamine if you take about 1000 mg up to two to four times a day.
Note that vitamin C is known to react with certain medications.
Bromelain is an enzyme derived from pineapples and can work as an anti-inflammatory.
Suggested doses are 100 – 250 mg up to two to four times a day.
Flavonoids are the antioxidants found in foods like dark coloured berries.
They’re known to have anti-inflammatory effects, and can also help reduce allergic reactions. -
Step 3: Wear cotton or soft fabrics.
-
Step 4: Avoid sweaty activities.
-
Step 5: Invest in a humidifier.
-
Step 6: Wear your fingernails as short as you can.
-
Step 7: Take daily vitamins and supplements.
Detailed Guide
When you have eczema, a good skincare routine includes having a daily warm (not hot) shower or bath.
While in the bath or shower, use a mild soap or a non-soap alternative to cleanse your skin.
Apply a good moisturizer all over your entire body immediately after your bath or shower, while your skin is still damp.Keep the length of your showers and baths to 10 – 15 minutes at the most.Avoid using a washcloth, sponge, loofah, or other exfoliating items when you wash your skin as this may irritate it.
Apply any medicated lotions before your overall moisturizer within three minutes of getting out of the water.
It may be helpful to conduct your daily shower or bath at night, instead of in the morning, so your skin has a better chance of absorbing moisture from the water and moisturizer.
If you have eczema, your skin is having trouble retaining moisture.
To help reduce the symptoms of eczema, you need to help your skin increase and retain its moisture content.
In addition to moisturizing immediately after a bath or shower, moisturize your skin several times throughout the day.Moisturize your hands every time your wash them.
Know the three basic types of moisturizers — ointments, creams and lotions — and which ones work best for you.
Use a combination of moisturizers throughout the day as part of your regular skin care routine.Some ointments, like petroleum jelly, do not contain any moisturizing ingredients, but simply act as a barrier, not allowing moisture out of the skin.
Some creams may contain ingredients that may irritate your skin.
Read the ingredient list carefully before selecting one.
Eucerin is a cream often recommended for those with eczema.
Lotions may be too mild to work for people with eczema as they are primarily water-based, and the water content evaporates very quickly. , Fabrics with open weaves, including loose fitting cotton fabrics, are the most comfortable on irritated skin.
Avoid fabrics made from wool and polyester as well as fabrics that are said to be wrinkle-resistant or flame-retardant, as they have added chemicals that may irritate your skin.Make sure to wash all your new clothes before wearing them the first time.
Use an unscented, mild liquid laundry detergent to wash all your clothing, towels and sheets.
And never use fabric softener or dryer sheets.
You may also want to set up a double rinse cycle on your washing machine to ensure all detergent residue is removed. , Sweating irritates your skin, and when your skin becomes more irritated, it becomes itchy.
Unfortunately it’s a nasty and unending cycle for those who suffer from eczema.
As such, reducing the number of activities you do that cause you to sweat can help reduce skin irritation.
This also includes staying inside when it’s really hot outside., Regardless of where you live, you might want to consider investing in a humidifier for drier seasons and conditions.
Keeping the air in your home moist will also help keep your skin moist.Some furnaces can have humidifiers installed directly onto them, which allows the moist air to circulate around the entire house.
You can also purchase plug-in humidifiers that can be used in individual rooms and can be easily turned on and off.
You might want to consider one of these humidifiers for your bedroom. , Scratching at your irritated skin feels good initially, but it only ends up making eczema worse.
And the more your scratch, the more likely you are to get an infection if you break the skin.
One way to help prevent yourself from scratching is to wear your fingernails as short as you can and keep them trimmed.You can also consider wearing gloves and socks at night to help prevent scratching while you’re asleep. , There are several vitamins and supplements that have been found to reduce the symptoms of eczema.Fish Oil has been known to reduce inflammation.
The dosage to take will depend on several factors, so should be discussed with your doctor first.
But if you decide to take a high dose of fish oil, select a product without much (or any) vitamin A, as vitamin A can be toxic in high amounts.
Probiotics are known to help boost the immune system and control allergies.
The type taken should be Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus in quantities of 3 – 5 billion live organisms a day.
Evening Primrose Oil can reduce itching, but should not be taken by anyone who is also taking blood thinners or who has a history of seizures.
Borage Oil contains the essential fatty aside GLA which can be an anti-inflammatory.
Oil with 500 – 900 mg of GLA should be taken daily, in divided doses.
Vitamin C can work like a antihistamine if you take about 1000 mg up to two to four times a day.
Note that vitamin C is known to react with certain medications.
Bromelain is an enzyme derived from pineapples and can work as an anti-inflammatory.
Suggested doses are 100 – 250 mg up to two to four times a day.
Flavonoids are the antioxidants found in foods like dark coloured berries.
They’re known to have anti-inflammatory effects, and can also help reduce allergic reactions.
About the Author
Danielle Stewart
Brings years of experience writing about pet care and related subjects.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: