The best way to find out if you have eczema is to consult a healthcare provider, such as a dermatologist with experience in diagnosing and treating eczema, who will prescribe the skin care products that your skin inflammation hopes for and prevent it from spreading.
Atopic dermatitis, the most common type of eczema (sometimes referred to as “atopic eczema”), results from an overactive immune system that causes the skin barrier to become dry and itchy. Eczema is not contagious. You can’t “catch it” from someone else. While the exact cause of eczema is unknown, researchers do know that people develop eczema because of an interaction between genes and environmental triggers. Many people with eczema often report comorbid symptoms of hay fever, allergic asthma and food allergies. Proper, consistent skin care is essential in the prevention and management of eczema.
What are the causes of eczema?
Many factors can contribute to eczema, including an interaction between your environment and your genes. When an irritant or an allergen from outside or inside the body “switches on” the immune system, it produces inflammation, or a flare-up, on the surface of the skin. This inflammation causes the symptoms common to most types of eczema. There is also a potential genetic component to eczema that includes a protein called “filaggrin” that helps maintain moisture in your skin; a filaggrin deficiency can lead to drier, itchier skin.
Many common household items are also potential environmental irritants and can cause allergic reactions leading to an eczema flare. Additional common triggers of eczema may include:
- extended exposure to dry air, extreme heat or cold
- some types of soap, shampoo, bubble bath, body wash, facial cleansers
- laundry detergents and fabric softeners with chemical additives
- certain fabrics like wool or polyester in clothing and sheets
- surface cleaners and disinfectants
- natural liquids like the juice from fruit, vegetables and meats
- fragrances in candles
- metals, especially nickel, in jewelry or utensils
- formaldehyde, which is found in household disinfectants, some vaccines, glues and adhesives
- isothiazolinone, an antibacterial found in personal care products like baby wipes
- cocamidopropyl betaine, which is used to thicken shampoos and lotions
- paraphenylene-diamine, which is used in leather dyes and temporary tattoos
- Emotional stress can also trigger an eczema flare-up, but it’s not exactly known why. Some people’s eczema symptoms and flare-ups get worse when they’re feeling “stressed.” Others may become stressed, just knowing they have eczema, and this can make their skin flare up.
What are the symptoms of eczema?
The most important thing to remember is that eczema and its symptoms are different for everyone. Every individual’s skin care routine will also impact the affected areas of the skin differently. Your eczema may not look the same on you as it does on another adult or on your child. Different types of eczema may even appear in different affected areas of the body at different times. Some people mistake symptoms of psoriasis for eczema, although the two conditions are different.
Eczema almost always includes itchy skin. The scientific term for itch is “pruritus.” For many people, the itch can range from mild to moderate. Sometimes the itch gets so bad that people scratch it until it bleeds. This is called the “itch-scratch cycle.”
Symptoms of eczema often include:
- Itch;
- Dry, sensitive skin;
- Inflamed, discolored skin;
- Rough, leathery or scaly skin, appearing as scaly patches;
- Oozing or crusting;
- Areas of swelling.
You might have all of these symptoms of eczema or only just a few. You might have some flare-ups or your symptoms could go away entirely. Eczema can appear red in lighter skin, whereas people of color may experience eczema as ashen skin, grey skin, darker brown or purple in color.
Is there a cure for eczema?
There is no cure for eczema, but there are treatments. Depending on your age and the severity of your eczema, these treatments might include: medical grade moisturizing creams, prescription topical medications, over-the-counter (OTC) remedies, phototherapy (also known as light therapy), immunosuppressants and injectable biologics. Many people with eczema also find success with specific natural and alternative treatments, including bleach baths, cryotherapy, medical-grade honey, meditation and acupuncture.
For most types of eczema, managing flares comes down to these basics:
- Know your triggers so that you can avoid exposure;
- Implement a daily bathing and moisturizing routine;
- Use OTC creams and prescription medication consistently and as prescribed.
Symptoms may be different from one child to the next. More often than not, eczema goes away as a child grows older, though some children will continue to experience eczema into adulthood.
Complications of atopic dermatitis (eczema) may include:
- Asthma and hay fever. Eczema sometimes precedes these conditions. More than half of young children with atopic dermatitis develop asthma and hay fever by age 13.
- Chronic itchy, scaly skin. A skin condition called neurodermatitis (lichen simplex chronicus) starts with a patch of itchy skin. You scratch the area, which makes it even itchier. Eventually, you may scratch simply out of habit. This condition can cause the affected skin to become discolored, thick and leathery.
- Skin infections. Repeated scratching that breaks the skin can cause open sores and cracks. These increase the risk of infection from bacteria and viruses, including the herpes simplex virus.
- Irritant hand dermatitis. This especially affects people whose work requires that their hands are often wet and exposed to harsh soaps, detergents and disinfectants.
- Allergic contact dermatitis. This condition is common in people with atopic dermatitis.
- Sleep problems. The itch-scratch cycle can cause poor sleep quality.
Prevention
The following tips may help prevent bouts of dermatitis (flares) and minimize the drying effects of bathing:
- Moisturize your skin at least twice a day. Creams, ointments and lotions seal in moisture. Choose a product or products that work well for you. Using petroleum jelly on your baby's skin may help prevent development of atopic dermatitis.
- Try to identify and avoid triggers that worsen the condition. Things that can worsen the skin reaction include sweat, stress, obesity, soaps, detergents, dust and pollen. Reduce your exposure to your triggers.
Infants and children may experience flares from eating certain foods, including eggs, milk, soy and wheat. Talk with your child's doctor about identifying potential food allergies.
- Take shorter baths or showers. Limit your baths and showers to 10 to 15 minutes. And use warm, rather than hot, water.
Soak from the neck down or just the affected areas of skin for about 10 minutes. Do not submerge the head. Take a bleach bath no more than twice a week.
- Use only gentle soaps. Choose mild soaps. Deodorant soaps and antibacterial soaps can remove more natural oils and dry your skin.
- Dry yourself carefully. After bathing gently pat your skin dry with a soft towel and apply moisturizer while your skin is still damp.
Why choose moisturizing creams with glycerin?
If you buy skin care products, including lotions, creams and soaps, you probably already know about glycerin. It is a common ingredient in many beauty and skin care products, primarily because of its ability to smooth and moisturize the skin.
Pure glycerin is a colorless, odorless liquid made from animal or vegetable fats, although some cosmetic companies use synthetic glycerin.
How can glycerin benefit your skin?
Glycerin is great for the skin because it acts as a moisture-retaining substance that allows the skin to retain moisture. It can increase skin hydration, reduce dehydration and renew skin surface. Glycerin as an emollient, which means it can soften the skin. This is great if you have rough or dry spots due to eczema or psoriasis. Glycerin also has antimicrobial properties, which means it can protect against harmful microorganisms. Many scientists believe that it can also restore the skin and speed up the wound healing process.
Scientific evidence for the effects of glycerin in the treatment of eczema
Moisturizing creams have beneficial effects in the treatment of dry, scaly skin, but they may induce adverse skin reactions. In a randomized double-blind study(DOI: 10.1080/000155502753600885), 197 patients with atopic dermatitis were treated with one of the following: a new moisturizing cream with 20% glycerin, its cream base without glycerin as placebo, or a cream with 4% urea and 4% sodium chloride. The patients were asked to apply the cream at least once daily for 30 days. Adverse skin reactions and changes in skin dryness were assessed by the patient and a dermatologist. The study showed equal effects on skin dryness as judged by the patients and the dermatologist. In conclusion, a glycerin containing cream appears to be a suitable alternative to urea/sodium chloride in the treatment of atopic dry skin.
Skin care routine
If you have eczema, start with a basic and simple routine to see how your skin reacts. Once you’re comfortable, you can then add extra products such as exfoliants, masks, and spot treatments to boost your skin’s health.
And don’t forget to patch test new products, especially if you suspect you have sensitive skin. This can help you identify potential allergic reactions.
To patch test a new product:
- Apply a small amount of product on your skin in a discreet area, such as the inside of your wrist or your inner arm.
- Wait 48 hours to see if there’s a reaction.
- Check the area at 96 hours after application to see if you have a delayed reaction.
An allergic reaction may include irritation, redness, small bumps, or itchiness. If you notice these symptoms, wash the area you tested with water and a gentle cleanser. Then return the product and try another that better suits your skin type.
Sources:
https://nationaleczema.org/eczema/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/atopic-dermatitis-eczema/symptoms-causes/syc-20353273
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-long-does-eczema-last
https://www.healthline.com/health/glycerin-for-face
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12013198/
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