Atopic Eczema

Signs of Atopic Eczema

• Itching
• Dry skin
• Recurring eczema
• Highly sensitive skin
• Coarse, dark skin on sites of healed eczema 

Cause

A lot of factors can trigger eczema. Some of the main ones are: 

• Many hypersensitive skin reactions, especially ones related to hay fever and allergic asthma, can be blamed on genes.
• A weak skin barrier. Your skin has something called an “acid mantle”, which actually acts as a barrier, protecting itself from pollutants. When this barrier is weak, the skin becomes dry, extremely sensitive, and more prone to conditions like eczema.
• Anything outside of your body: allergens, irritants, climate, infections, nutrition, skin cleansing and care products.
• Anything inside of your body: stress, hormones and genetic diseases. They can all trigger skin inflammation.
• Inflammatory reaction regulation disorders. This means that your body doesn’t know how to handle inflammation, which results in eczema that can be frequent, severe, and long lasting.

The Do’s and Don’t’s

• Don’t scratch the itchy skin.
• Visit a dermatologist to get a qualified diagnosis and drug treatment.
• Don’t use soap or neutral skin cleansers. Wash your skin with pH 5.5 products (e.g. Sebamed Anti-Dry Wash Emulsion) instead.
• Don’t shower more than once a day or for more than 10 minutes each time.
• The water shouldn’t be too hot (95°F max) either.
• Avoid soaking in the bathtub for a long time; it makes your skin even drier. Only use soap-free, pH 5.5 bath wash.
• Apply creams or lotions to your skin multiple times per day, but not on acute eczema spots.
• Choose skincare products with a pH of 5.5. They will help protect your skin against water loss.
• Use creams and lotions that are highly moisturizing, emollient, and protective (e.g. Sebamed Anti-Dry Day Defense Cream, Sebamed Anti-Dry Night Intensive Cream and Sebamed Anti-Dry Hydrating Body Lotion).
• Identify trigger factors for eczema and do your best to avoid them. If stress plays a role, try relaxation techniques (e.g. yoga or meditation).
• Install an air humidifier to keep your skin moist while indoors.
• Test new skin care products on your forearm or another eczema-free skin area before using them on your whole body.