To Plump Up My Aging Crepey Skin I Use A Fractionated Hyaluronic Acid Serum In The Morning
My eczema-prone skin loves hyaluronic acid. Barrier challenged skin benefits from all the help it can get holding water. Hyaluronic acid binds up to 1000 times its weight in water. Fractionated hyaluronic acid allows water to stratify in all the top layers of the skin and also seals it on the skin surface. My Instantly Luminous Serumis formulated with this fractionated hyaluronic acid plus glycerin and sodium PCA .
Very Dry Itchy Flaky Skin
The warmth of the sun, a gentle breeze, a caring touch being comfortable in our own skin is a wonderful feeling!
But those who suffer from very dry skin or atopic dermatitis cannot take this feeling for granted, as recurring phases of itchy, flaky skin often stand in the way of enjoyment. Delicate childrens skin can be particularly quick to lose its natural balance, bringing adventure and exploration to an abrupt halt. As parents, we often wish there was more we could do to help.
In these moments, we look for all-round, holistic solutions. We need new ideas and perspectives that can provide a noticeably better quality of life.
Finding The Right Ointments/occlusives In A Sea Of Selections
There are many products designed to maintain skin moisture and it can be overwhelming to choose. Every now and then, I cruise through the pharmacy aisles, just to see the options for patients. The truly hypoallergenic products are not always organized together.
To help make the process a little less daunting, I recommend a few products that can help.
My favorite thing to talk about is actually vegetable shortening because most people dont think about using it to help their skin and its really inexpensive. If you think about what all these barrier compensation creams or ointments do, its to help seal the water into your skin once its already wet from the bath or the shower. Vegetable shortening does the same thing. If you have a lot of food allergies, however, make sure youre not allergic to the vegetable ingredients that the oil is derived from, because we cant speak to how well its purified.
Dermatologists also recommend petroleum jelly a lot because it is generally well tolerated, even for patients who are truly sensitive and for whom many products sting. Of course, petroleum jelly can be tricky in that its heavy, sticky, and can get onto furniture and clothing. So while smearing petroleum jelly all over the body can be particularly messy, I encourage applying it on what I call your hot spots, places on the body where the fire tends to recur, because those patches of skin are going to be the most sensitive to chemical irritants and other ingredients.
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Before And After I Cured My Eczema Naturally
The after picture is representative of my skin after all of the following occurred: healing my gut with fermented vegetables, changing my eating habits & water drinking habits, implementing this new skincare routine, and exercising regularly. Part Four, the last part of this eczema blog series will cover my exercise habits and routines.
- Before: suffering with 10+ years of eczema, especially on my face.
- After: Absolutely no eczema, minimal scarring, and no more scaly eyelids.
- Before: This was about 2 weeks into steroid cream withdrawal.
- After: about 2 months after quitting steroid cream. No more of that awful eyelid, cheek and forehead eczema!
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How Is It Processed
Just because ingredients are derived naturally, it doesnt mean theyre processed naturally.
Ingredients can be processed physically or chemically.
- Processed physically means the molecular composition or structure stays the same.
- Processed chemically means the molecular composition or structure changes.
Examples of naturally derived but physically processed ingredients include raw, unrefined oils and butters. These are processed through means like cold-pressing or filtration.
An example of a naturally derived but chemically processed ingredient would be castor wax. Its a vegetable wax derived from the castor bean produced by adding hydrogen to pure castor oil, a process called hydrogenation.
Eczema Treatment: 13 Ways To Find Relief
While there is no cure for eczema, there are a variety of non-invasive eczema treatment options that can provide relief during a flare-up and some that may prevent its onset. These can include corticosteroids, but the following home eczema treatment options may be best.
1. Light Therapy/Phototherapy
According to the National Eczema Association, phototherapy helps to calm inflammation, reduces itching, increases vitamin D production and helps fight bacteria on the skin. Adding 1015 minutes a day of sun exposure, particularly during an eczema flare, can provide relief and potentially speed healing.
2. Vitamin D
In addition to increasing sun exposure, supplementing withvitamin D rich foods like cod liver oil, sardines, salmon, eggs and raw milk may help prevent eczema in children and adolescents. Ideally, during a flare you will get 2,000-5,000 IU daily if your sun exposure is low, consider boosting your intake with a high-quality supplement. Preliminary research shows that low vitamin D levels during pregnancy and during childhood may increase the risk for developing eczema.
3. Moisturize
Because dry skin is both a cause and symptom, it is imperative to moisturize affected areas at least twice a day. Coconut oil is the perfect moisturizer for eczema sufferers. This eczema treatment is antibacterial and anti-fungal, with antimicrobial properties that provide soothing relief, and may speed healing.
4. Treat the Mind and Body
5. Dead Sea Salt Baths
6. Cool, Wet Compresses
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What Is Natural Skin Care
The term natural skin care can mean different things. The natural label isnt regulated across the industry. This means each company can choose what natural means for themselves.
Theres a lot of debate in the industry on whats considered natural and whats not, says licensed esthetician and beauty blog author Dana Murray.
Often, natural ingredients can be inconsistent in makeup, so its hard to measure effectiveness and potency. natural ingredients, like essential oils, can cause irritation to the skin, she says.
According to a 2015 study, botanical products can be a rich source of:
- vitamins
According to the study, plant extracts can be a safe and cost-effective alternative to synthetics.
Over The Counter Topical Creams
Most topical creams for eczema are steroids, specifically corticosteroids, but there are also non-steroidal creams. Eczema creams help reduce itching and inflammation. Topical creams are used for temporary relief of symptoms, not a long-term treatment, and are applied directly to the skin.
One of the most common over-the-counter topical steroids is called hydrocortisone, a mild steroid, and the creams sold in stores have particularly low doses of it. Even so, hydrocortisone cream can provide mild relief from itching and inflammation and can be helpful in your daily life. A doctor might prescribe something stronger if needed.
Also Check: Is Bio Oil Good For Eczema
One Last Thing About Taming Eczema Symptoms With A Smart Skin
Remember that eczema symptoms may change as you age, as the AAD notes. Check in regularly with your dermatologist, who can help keep your eczema skin-care routine individualized, introduce you to newer treatment products, and help you sort through cleansers and moisturizers to find the best ones for you.
Additional reporting by .
Natural And Organic Options + Product Costs
For those who are worried about impurities in petroleum , or the environmental impact of using petroleum products, there are products like Un-Petroleum Multi-Purpose Jelly. California Baby products are popular, as are a few other products that bill themselves as being organic and all natural.
However, for severely atopic and allergic patients, make sure that there are no allergies or sensitivities to the plant derivatives that are in some of these natural or organic products. Also keep in mind that such patients are at increased risk of developing new plant allergies from these products. Remember, poison ivy is all natural, too. These all natural products can also be more expensive, at an approximate cost of $7 per ounce as compared to a petroleum product at about 35 cents per ounce.
More expensive creams arent necessarily better. I say, save the money for college or a vacation!
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I Give My Hands Daily Tlc To Prevent Chapping
My hands get dry and chapped fast like any person’s who is prone to eczema. That’s because we have a fragile skin barrier and hand washing is hard on skin. To prevent chapping and hand eczema, I wash my hands and apply skin cream designed to be gentle on hand skin:
- I wash with my Foaming Natural Hand Soap, which is non-drying and easy rinse. I am careful to rinse well between fingers and under rings.
- I apply my Dry Skin Hand Cream, created with water loving glycerin and barrier protecting dimethicone in a no-slippery-grip formulation. I cant live without this cream and still do dishes, wash my hands at the office over and over, or garden on the weekend.
Both of these products come in my Survival Kit for Busy Hands
What Does A Good Skincare Routine Look Like For Eczema
Eczema is characterised by skin barrier dysfunction, says Kluk, highlighting the crux of what a clever eczema skincare routine should set out to do: reinforce and take care of that skin barrier.
First things first: emollient therapy. This means cleansing twice daily with a soap substitute and frequently and liberally applying moisturiser, says Kluk, who suggests applying an emollient up to three times each day. In general, the dryer skin is, the greasier your emollient should be. Moisturising helps restore the integrity of the skin barrier, so it should be a fundamental part of an eczema sufferers skincare routine, even when flare-ups have been put to rest.
Kluks top tip is to monitor the general quality of skin. If it is dry in some places and oily in others, look to using a lighter moisturiser gel or fluid cream on the areas where skin is oilier, and a richer cream or ointment on areas where skin is drier. As for SPF you cant get away that easily its still important to use where possible, but as most eczema sufferers will know, it can be difficult to tolerate. Kluk recommends testing a few different formulas on a small area first to ensure they dont sting or further irritate skin. Look for mineral or physical sunscreens, and those labelled suitable for sensitive skin.
Below, some of the best skincare products for eczema-prone skin.
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Recommended Reading: How To Find Eczema Triggers
Take Short Lukewarm Showers
It may feel natural to want to spend lots of time in a steaming hot shower, but the answer isn’t to turn up the temperature. “For very mild cases of eczema, lifestyle modifications can sometimes be enough short lukewarm showers with unscented soap and moisturizing twice a day, particularly after the shower, when the skin is damp,” says Cindy Wassef, MD, an assistant professor at the Rutgers University Center for Dermatology. If your fingers prune up, you’re likely taking too long. Those extra minutes especially in hot water can make it harder for your skin to retain moisture, further drying it out.
To Fight Collagen Loss I Use Retinoids And The Aha Glycolic Acid On My Eczema
Retinoids are applied at night. This included retinol or prescription tretinoin, the two best retinoids for countering aging skin. Retinol is less irritating and I use it more often than tretinoin. I apply Retinol Intensive Night Cream and top it with either Glycolic Acid 15% Face Cream or Daily Face Creamboosted with Omega Enriched Face Oil.
Both of these products are fragrance free and hypoallergenic. Retinol is easier to tolerate because glycolic acid products need to have acid pH and over 10% concentration to work and this can make them irritating to barrier compromised complexions like those struggling with eczema. Also, Retinol Night Cream includes the high concentration green tea antioxidants so I don’t need to apply my Green Tea Antioxidant Therapy at night when I use the Retinol .
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Best Natural Remedies For Eczema
If you suffer from this itchy skin condition, try these home remedies and natural eczema treatments.
If youre one of the nearly 32 million people who suffer from eczema, you will probably do almost anything to get rid of the red, patchy, itchy skin.
While topical steroids can make it better , they can cause undesirable side effects. Plus, you cant use topical steroids long-term, so if your eczema is chronic, you may find yourself in a cycle of improved skin while youre using the medication and then back to square one once you stop.
There are some lifestyle changes that can help provide relief for eczema, including changing your diet , using dye- and fragrance-free products, and reducing stress, says Amanda Levitt, ND, a naturopathic doctor and co-owner of Whole Health Natural Family Medicine in Hamden, Connecticut.
Try this yoga pose for stress relief:
Keeping your skin well hydrated is another way to decrease eczema flare-ups and severity. You want to use a thick moisturizer that contains ceramides, a fatty wax that helps prevent moisture loss, says Levitt. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream has ceramides, great reviews, and a seal of acceptance from the National Eczema Association . For best results, pat dry after a shower and then put the moisturizer on when the skin is still a bit moist, says Levitt.
In addition, the following natural remedies may help ease your eczema symptoms.
Strengthening People And Their Skin
In order to provide a noticeably better quality of life, it is important to consider a persons situation and being as a whole just as carefully as we consider the skin.
The skin protects our inner self, allowing us to physically experience the outside world without external influences affecting us too deeply. For those with dry skin and atopic dermatitis, however, this barrier function is weakened. External influences get under the skin more easily, while a lack of lipids and proteins results in increased loss of moisture from within through the epidermis. This leaves the skin dried out, brittle and rough. Medical skin care can strengthen the skin’s protective barrier and promote its own, innate regulatory abilities, explains holistic dermatologist Dr. Sabine Neff.
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Apple Cider Vinegar Spray
This one might sound a bit weird, but it was just some more microbiome intuition. While going through withdrawal and trying to balance out/ recolonize my skin microbiome, I sprayed a diluted apple cider vinegar mixture on my body.
I made it with 1 ounce raw ACV with the mother, 3 ounces freshly brewed green tea and 5 drops of red thyme essential oil. Mostly, I liked to spray it on my armpits because eczema there was HORRIBLE. .
How Many People Have Eczema
Overall, eczema is relatively common with at least 17% of people having some sort of eczema. The most well-known type of eczema is atopic dermatitis which is typically an inherited condition where skin is dry, hypersensitive and linked to asthma, hay fever and food allergies. The combination of these conditions is called an atopic diathesis. I have this and we are the classic ‘sensitive skin’ people.
Throughout my life Ive battled with my atopic skin including:
- keratosis pilaris
- dry skin prone to dry skin eczema and severely chapped hands
- allergic reactions to citrus, fragrance, adhesive, wool and jewelry
- seborrheic dermatitis type of eczema
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An Increased Itch Factor
People with atopic dermatitis skin are fundamentally more physically sensitive to sensations and itch. Over the years, publications have shown that with atopic dermatitis, you may have increased proteins that signal for itch and increased nerve endings that help pick up the itch sensation and transmit that sensation to your brain.
The 12 Best Natural Eczema Products According To Holistic Derms
Finding natural skin care and makeup products for sensitive skin is difficult, to say the leastand when it comes to eczema, finding items that won’t irritate any flare-ups makes the hunt even harder. While specific triggers differ for every eczema patient, most can agree that products with a hefty amount of preservatives or fragrances are a no-go, opting for hydrating, soothing formulas instead.
That’s why we decided to consult four board-certified dermatologists for a curated list of the best natural skin care and makeup products for eczema-prone skin. These products are gentle, soothing, and can even help calm the angry redness. They also don’t skimp on qualitythese natural products contain rich, buttery textures that can rival any luxe formula.
See our selects below, and consider your flakes under control .
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Why Do I Have Eczema
While its often hereditary, stress as well as contact with irritating synthetic ingredients such as MI can trigger eczema. One in five children our founder Sarahs son included are diagnosed with atopic eczema. While almost half grow out of it by puberty theres still an estimated 15 million people living with eczema in the UK youre not alone!