Tips for Managing Eczema

Although eczema is not curable there are a number of things that can be done to manage the disease.

• Moisturize the skin through drinking lots of water. Most of the moisture in your skin comes from what you drink and eat.
• You may bathe or shower as frequently as you desire, providing you avoid having the water too hot, dry gently with a patting rather than rubbing motion and apply plenty of moisturizer after bathing to lock in the moisture.
• Moisturize the skin by applying unscented skin moisturizers three to four times daily.
• Choose unscented, mild, pH balanced, emollient rich wash products.
• When possible choose cotton rather than wool or synthetic fabrics for clothes and bedding.
• Make healthy stress prevention lifestyle choices.
• Try to discover what triggers your flare ups and avoid these triggers when possible.
• Before using new skin care products test them on part of the body that is not prone to eczema.
• Keep your skin cool as heat can aggravate the itch. Choose multiple layers of clothing for warmth during the day so you can avoid overheating by removing layers. Keep rooms cool and use light bedding.
• Rinse laundry well and avoid scented laundry detergents and fabric softeners.
• Avoid scratching. Keep children's nails short. During flare-ups infants and young children may require cotton mittens (particularly at night).
• Keep some moisturizer in the refrigerator, since a cool moisturizer is sometimes more effective in soothing itchy skin.