10 Tips To Heal Eczema Flare-Ups

While I have never suffered from eczema, I know people who do, and it’s not a pleasant experience. They spend nights with unbearably itchy, cracked, and inflamed skin. It can be very painful to touch, and the skin often feels rough and crusty. Eczema flare-ups can be triggered by almost anything, making it challenging to pinpoint the exact cause.

Keeping the skin moisturized when dealing with eczema is important, even if it means setting up an alarm as a reminder, please do so. Aveeno creams are fantastic for those suffering from eczema. In this post, you’ll learn my top 10 tips for healing eczema (atopic dermatitis). But first, let’s understand what eczema is, what causes it, and the best tips for healing it.

What Is Eczema?

Eczema is a general term recognized as “itch that rashes”—meaning a rash that results from scratching or rubbing. The hallmark of eczema is dry, itchy, irritated, and inflamed skin that is prone to infections. Eczema is a complex condition with varying clinical features, and it can be known by several names, including contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, irritant dermatitis, and allergic dermatitis.

The most common type of eczema is atopic eczema, affecting 10% to 20% of the world’s population. It is a relapsing, chronic, and very itchy rash that often appears during childhood and can persist into adulthood, although the condition tends to improve with age. Atopic eczema is also associated with other clinical syndromes, such as allergic asthma.

Almost anything can trigger eczema, making it a difficult and uncomfortable skin disorder to manage. When you have it, you’ll recognize it by the rough, cracked, blistered, crusted, reddened, patchy, and dry skin, accompanied by unbearable itching. Eczema can affect any part of the body but is most commonly seen around the face, neck, bends of the elbows, and hollows of the knees.

To qualify as someone with eczema, the person must have an itchy skin condition alongside three or more of the following:

• Skin symptoms around the bends of the elbows, behind the knees, neck, or in front of the wrists
• Personal or immediate family history of hay fever, asthma, or atopic eczema
• A tendency towards dry skin in general
• Onset of eczema before the age of 2
• Visible eczema in flexural areas or on the cheeks or forehead in children under 4

Your dermatologist will evaluate these criteria to determine whether you have eczema or not.

What Causes Eczema?

The exact cause of eczema is unknown, but most cases result from a combination of genetics and environmental factors. People with eczema tend to have an over-reactive immune system that becomes inflamed easily.

1. Genetics

Research shows that a common mutation in a gene responsible for creating filaggrin, a protein essential for a healthy skin barrier, is often present in people with eczema. This mutation results in a “leaky” skin barrier, which allows for increased water loss and decreased skin protection. The increase in water loss leads to the early onset of eczema.

When eczema becomes infected, staphylococci colonize the skin due to the reduced numbers of beta-defensin. Beta-defensin is responsible for fighting bacteria, viruses, and fungi, so when it is lacking, the skin becomes more susceptible to infections.

2. Environment

People who live in areas with extreme weather conditions can be at risk of eczema flare-ups. For example, those in extremely cold or damp regions, or hot and swampy areas, might have a higher risk of developing eczema.

Contact allergies can also lead to eczema flare-ups. Skincare products or certain food allergies might cause a delayed, itchy reaction.

Many factors can trigger and cause eczema. When it starts, what can you do about it? That’s the reason for this post. I will give you 10 tips to heal eczema flare-ups.

10 Tips To Heal Eczema Flare-Ups.

1. Avoid Scratching Your Skin

I know this is easy to write but not easy to do. Telling someone with eczema not to scratch is like telling someone who is angry to calm down. It is hard, and I know it, but it’s for the best, I promise.

Eczema is incredibly itchy, and the urge to scratch is unbearable. So when I tell you not to scratch, it might be the most annoying thing to hear. However, scratching your skin brings about more inflammation and worsens eczema. You can manage the itch by immediately applying a moisturizer.

Applying a moisturizer instead of scratching will help soothe and restore your skin barrier. It will also help reduce your urge to itch. Aveeno has an excellent moisturizer for this, called the Aveeno eczema therapy itch relief balm. This moisturizer is perfect for anyone with eczema because it is free of common irritating ingredients and formulated with colloidal oatmeal and ceramides. Colloidal oatmeal contains compounds that help prevent itching. Learn more about the benefits of colloidal oatmeal in skincare here.

2. Wear Loose And Breathable Clothing

People with eczema should wear clothes that are comfortable and breathable. Tight or rough fabrics can exacerbate symptoms. Many find that wool, polyester, and nylon can cause overheating and irritation, leading to itchiness.

Build your wardrobe around loose, breathable, soft, and cool fabrics like cotton or silk. Ensure that you are comfortable with any fibre you choose.

3. Wash New Cloths Before Wearing

Many new clothes are treated with chemicals that can irritate your skin. Some of these chemicals are not listed on the manufacturer’s website. For example, formaldehyde is used to prevent clothes from wrinkling, and this can irritate someone with eczema.

Therefore, it is important to wash your clothing before wearing it. This helps dilute those chemicals, making your clothing less irritating.

4. Avoid Extreme Temperatures

Extreme temperatures—whether very hot or very cold—can aggravate eczema. Hot temperatures can stimulate itchy feelings and attract bacteria and unwanted irritants to your skin.

During the winter months, low humidity can pull water out of your skin, resulting in dryness that can worsen eczema.

To manage this, avoid extreme temperatures. If your room is too hot or too cold, try to regulate the temperature, especially in your bedroom. Consider using a humidifier if the humidity is low. Bathing with lukewarm water is another effective way to calm down eczema flare-ups.

5. Bath With Lukewarm Water

It is recommended to use lukewarm water at a temperature of 27°C – 30°C and to bathe for no more than 10 minutes. Avoid water that is too hot or too cold; lukewarm should be comfortable enough for a child to play in.

When bathing, you may choose not to use soap, but if you do, opt for a gentle, non-foamy cleanser. Harsh products can aggravate eczema, which you want to avoid. I recommend the Aveeno Gentle Moisturizing Bar With Oat. This soap is excellent because it is free of irritating ingredients, soap-free, and contains colloidal oatmeal to soothe your skin.

It is best to bathe in the evening before bedtime.

6. Rinse Off Swimming Pool Water Right Away

If you love to swim, be aware that swimming pool water contains chlorine and other chemicals that can cause dryness and irritate your skin. It is best to rinse your skin thoroughly after swimming and apply a moisturizer to calm any irritation.

7. Moisturize Your Skin After Cleansing

This is what the National Eczema Association calls the soak and seal method. After bathing, pat the skin lightly with a towel, leaving it slightly damp. Then, apply your moisturizer liberally within 3 minutes to prevent the skin from becoming drier. This method helps prevent transepidermal water loss and improves moisture retention.

Aveeno eczema therapy itch relief balm is a fantastic product for the soak and seal method.

8. Manage Stress

When life is hard, it can be difficult not to stress. Stress ordinarily affects your skin, and it’s even more challenging for people with eczema. When you are stressed, your brain releases cortisol, which signals your immune system to drive inflammation into the skin. Stress is the biggest trigger of eczema.

The key to coping with stress is to focus on good stress management. This means prioritizing the right tasks, being able to switch off from constant worrying, and delegating work to others. You can find more tips for stress management in my post on how stress affects your skin.

In addition, aim for good quality sleep. When you get good quality sleep, your skin can heal. If you are sleep-deprived, it can trigger stress responses. So, make sure to get good-quality sleep at night.

9. Minimize Exposure To Environmental Allergens

Common environmental allergens that can trigger eczema include irritants such as detergents, soaps, dust mites, mold, pollen, and pet dander. To reduce the burden of dust mites, make sure to vacuum your house regularly and frequently launder your clothes. If you have pets, ensure they have their own separate beds and are groomed properly.

10. Simplify Your Skincare Routine

Lastly, simplify your skincare routine. The fewer skincare ingredients that come into contact with your skin, the better. Focus on just a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer, and a sunscreen. No more, no less.

Opt for a mineral sunscreen over a chemical one, as mineral sunscreens are generally more tolerable for sensitive skin.

Conclusion

These 10 tips for managing eczema flare-ups can make a significant difference in how you handle this challenging skin condition. Eczema can be incredibly frustrating and impact your quality of life, so I hope these strategies help you gain better control and relief.

If you found this post helpful, please like, share, and leave a comment. Your feedback means a lot!

Until next time,