When you're dealing with eczema, you feel a lot like this:
Your skin is like a sidewalk, and eczema is the crack in the cement.
Dr. Adam Friedman, Director of Dermatologic Research at Montefiore Medical Center, explained it this way to Buzzfeed Life: "Individuals with eczema tend to have defects in the way their skin makes the "cement" that cross links and holds the top layer of the skin together, resulting in increased skin water loss and therefore dry skin as well as giving allergens and microbes easy entry." We spoke to Dr. Friedman and a few other dermatologists about eczema -- here's what they had to say.
1. You don't actually need to soap up every day. In fact, you probably shouldn't.
2. Soak, smear, then dry.
3. Some dermatological studies suggest that oolong tea can help you, too.
4. Keep your nails short so you don't scratch too much.
5. I could tell you to just "stop scratching," but I'm not the boss of you, and you need a distraction more than you need chastisement.
6. You are probably not drinking enough water.
7. Avoid sugars, but love food.
8. Coconut oil is your best friend.
9. Avoid fragranced products -- all of them, pretty much.
10. Take lukewarm baths and short showers -- overheating your skin can aggravate the problem.
11. Humidify your bedroom at night.
12. Colloidal oatmeal 4ever.
13. You should be moisturizing at least twice a day, and especially after bathing. It'll help with the itching.
14. Aveeno Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream is super popular among eczema suffers for a good reason.
15. Avene is amazing, too.
16. Make sure the exfoliation you do doesn't aggravate your eczema.
17. The drugstore classics are honestly the best.
