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Tips, products, and hacks for soothing that itch you can't scratch.
"You have to break the itch-scratch cycle, because when you scratch then you can make the eczema worse so it's even more itchy then you scratch more," Davis says.
Instead, try pressing down on the itchy area or applying a cold ice pack (make sure it's wrapped in a soft towel or cotton though).
Cotton gloves are gentle on the skin, Davis says, and if you wear them to sleep they can help dull the effect of scratching if you tend to do it in your sleep. If you slather your hands with lotion or emollient before you put the gloves on, they'll stay moisturized all night, too — killing two birds with one stone!
"Put a bottle of fragrance-free lotion in the refrigerator. When you get a scratch attack, put a dollop of cool lotion on the spot to help soothe the itch."
"I've had dermatologist-diagnosed severe eczema all over my body my entire life. I'm 22. Never take hot showers or baths. Lukewarm water is best and try only to stay in for 5 minutes (sounds crazy, but it's possible)."
If keeping your water warm or lukewarm makes you take shorter showers, even better. "Excessive exposure to water can irritate your skin," Davis says.
"Put your lotion or prescription ointment on when you are still wet/damp from the shower! That'll help retain the moisture and works wonders!"
When it comes to food, everyone is different and there isn't one "diet" for eczema. However, histamine-rich foods may be a problem for people with eczema because they can trigger an immune response. "Histamines are released in the body when you have an allergic reaction — so if you have eczema, foods rich in histamines may make you feel more itchy," Davis says. These foods include tomatoes, chocolate, alcohol, shellfish, fermented and pickled foods, aged cheeses, smoked meats, etc. But this doesn't necessarily mean you're allergic — you'd still need an allergy test to confirm any food allergies.
That being said, the link between eczema and food is still complicated and not well-understood. "If you're already allergic to a food and you ingest it, then yes this could make eczema worse because it puts your body under medical stress, which is a known trigger — but allergic reactions can also cause a skin reaction that isn't eczema," Davis says. The issue is similar with gluten. "If you're truly gluten intolerant, this can cause an itchy rash called dermatitis herpetiformis, but it's actually a completely separate skin disease, not eczema," Davis says. In any case, you'd need tests to confirm what's causing your rash.
"Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Keep a tube of whatever works in your school or work bag! Do it in the morning! Do it in the night! Come up with a schedule! Bring your own products if you have to and don't use new skin products."
Put your moisturizer into travel-size tubes to bring on longer trips where you are staying in hotels or new places and it's a bit more difficult to keep up your routine.
"Vanicream. They make a huge range of products (including a bar soap, face cleanser, lite lotion, etc). This stuff is a miracle, and it's available nearly everywhere (Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, etc)."
"My hands flare up so badly, especially when the weather is dry, so latex gloves are my best friend. I use them any time I do chores to keep my hands away from water and soaps. If I know I'm going to have them on for a while, I'll coat my hands with petroleum jelly before I put them on for extra soothing and protection."
Just make sure you aren't allergic to latex.
"Laundry detergents often contain a lot of chemicals, dyes, and fragrances that can be irritating," Davis says, so definitely stick to fragrance-free and dye-free products.
Here are more tips for making your laundry routine eczema-proof.
"We'll tell many patients to keep their nails short if they have a problem with scratching or tend to do it in their sleep," Davis says.
"Keeping your nails short helps a ton, or even acrylic or gel nails will lessen the impact on skin. Loved getting fake nails in high school because if I scratched my skin, my nails would just glide over and not dig into my skin. Sounds weird, but it was a bit of relief."
"I have it on my face and the best thing that worked was to stop washing my face. I didn't give up on hygiene but started using micellar water to wash my face instead. I do use black head face wash on my nose, but that's the only area. It really works well."
Click here for a list of eczema-friendly cleansers for your face and body.
If you're allergic to any chemicals and fragrances, don't forget to check that your shampoo, conditioner, and other leave-in hair products don't contain it either.
Some people have seborrheic dermatitis, a type of eczema that affects the scalp and causes itchiness and flaking skin. They might need special hair products, like Exederm, to treat the problem.
"If you develop any kind of sensitivity or rash from your cosmetics, you should go into your dermatologist for a patch test to find out which chemical is causing the reaction," Davis says. That way, you don't have to keep guessing which product is giving you a rash or toss out all your makeup — once you know exactly what you're allergic to, it will make buying makeup so much easier and cost-efficient.
"I use Albolene's moisturizing cleanser as a makeup remover (which is amazing), and I've found it really helps to keep moisture in. When applying, a little goes a long way, and I love the way it melts into my skin and that I can wipe as much or as little as I want, depending on my needs that day. This can be bought online or at Walgreens or Rite Aid."
"And always remove all your makeup before you go to bed — the less contact with products, the better," Davis says.
"I've been suffering from eczema my entire life and finally, at 35 years old, I've found that First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Cream (and really, their entire line) has been the only non-prescription product that has worked. It is soothing, moisturizing (but not greasy), and the jar lasts a long time."
"It literally got rid of my eczema OVERNIGHT! I know that everything reacts differently on people so I would recommend getting a small tube off of Amazon before splurging for the $30 one."
This product doesn't have a seal from the National Eczema Association yet, but it was recommended by many contributors.
"I do hand wraps. If my eczema is really flared up, I soak my hands in clean, warm water. I put a very heavy cream or ointment and sometimes my prescription steroid cream. After which I wrap a layer of wet wrappings (clean and cotton) and then a final layer of dry cloth. That’s before bed. It’s really helped my skin heal when it’s falling apart. My eczema wrappings were part of the recommendations from my doctor."
"You can also try dipping the cotton wrap in a diluted white vinegar solution, which really helps for some people with eczema," Davis says.
"A lot of oatmeal baths at 10–11 pm when I couldn’t sleep from itching. Aveno makes the best one in my opinion."
"In the winter my hands will go all reptilian and ooze so I recommend long oatmeal baths (just grind up regular oats in coffee grinder) and add to bath. Soak until water is cold."
"When I get bad flares, I take a bleach bath. The bleach kills that staph that lives on the skin. Studies have found eczema sufferers carry more staph than normal. You only need about 1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on your tub size. Makes a huge difference."
"For some patients with eczema, if you add a small amount of bleach to bath it helps change pH of the water to kill the bacteria that grow on the skin, which can cause a secondary infection where the skin is broken and open from eczema. Usually bleach baths one to two times a week will help keep flora levels down to reasonable levels — but this should only be done under the guidance of a healthcare provider," Davis says.
Yes, stressing out can make your eczema worse because it can trigger the nervous system and cause the release of cortisol which in turn can cause inflammation, Davis says.
"I try to manage my stress by exercising, yoga, meditation, stuff like that."
"My eczema is usually triggered by stress, and I have an anxiety disorder so I have to manage that to manage my eczema, too."
"I know everyone says that but damn it is true. Considering eczema is related to dry itchy skin, keeping hydrated from the inside out is the best favor you can do yourself."
Bring a big reusable water bottle around with you if it helps remind you to drink water all day.
According to the National Eczema Association, over 30 million Americans have some form of eczema.