10 ways to Dealing with Eczema

As I have mentioned in some of my previous posts I mentioned I have been dealing with the oh so wonderful Eczema. Although, I wish this post was titled How to cure your eczema, ITS NOT.  However, I am going to give you 10 tips for living with eczema. 

1. Moisturization
2. Figure out how often your skin needs to be moisturized. 
3. Spot your triggers
4. Avoid triggers
5. Bath Time
6. Learn the seasons
7. Hydrate
8. Exercise
9. Make Sacrifices  
10. Speak to your dermatologist. 

1. Moisturization
   1. When dealing with dry skin conditions you need to figure out what moisturizers work for you and which don’t. There are three different moisturizers to look out for
      1. Gels 
      2. Lotions
      3. Creams
      4. Ointments 

2. How Often
   1. Once you find the right moisturizer for you, you also need to think about how often you moisturize and when throughout the day. If you prefer using a light moisturizer over a thick ointment maybe you have to moisturize three times a day instead of twice. Put on moisturizer right after you get out of the shower 

3. I’m Triggered 
   1. One of the best things you can do is figure out what sets your skin off. What makes you itchy? What ticks your skin off. Unfortunately, people with sensitive skin can’t use just any soap or laundry detergent. Personally, I can only use Tide or Gain laundry detergent and I had to find that out the hard way. I picked up the laundry detergent brand All and after a few days of wildly scratching my skin at night I finally figured out my sheets triggered eczema flare-ups. I went and brought my tried and true Tide and I was fine. 
      1. Common Triggers
         1. Soaps, Fabric Softener
         2. Clothing types: Wool, Cashmere, Polyester 
         3. Diet: Dairy, Gluten

4. Avoiding those triggers
   1. It is one thing to know what ticks your skin off and another to successfully avoid them. It is all about making conscious choices. Be a smart buyer. For example, I know the brand “All” does not work for me, but I need to figure out why. Once I pinpoint what makes “All” different from Tide then I can steer clear of other problematic detergents without having to try a bunch out.  You are going to have to watch your diet. You may want to cut dairy out for a period of time to see if your skin gets better. Make sure makeup artists know you have dry or sensitive skin. Pay attention to what your hairstylist puts on your scalp. 

6. Changing Seasons
   1.  If you find a routine that works best for you in the summer, that does not mean you are all set for the rest of the year. The winter may hit you like a ton of bricks. In the winter you are likely to experience colder temperatures, dry air, 
   2. Get a Humidifier

7. Stay Hydrated
   1. Water is your friend. It is easier to keep your body moisturized if you are not dehydrated.

8. Sweat it Out 
   1. Exercise actually can harm your skin or harm it out a lot. Sweat can be a trigger. Clean gym habits. (Yoga mats, don’t sit on your bed or furniture with your gym clothes, shower as soon as possible, wash those clothes. 

8. Sacrifice some pretty
   1. One thing I had to learn is that I had to sacrifice some things I like that are cute and popular but make dealing with eczema more difficult. For example, Bath & Body Works soaps or lotions. They smell amazing but do nothing for my eczema. I had to learn that when my eczema is flaring up, I have to cut my nails. I love having long nails. But I had to learn the hard way that I scratch my skin in my sleep and the only way to prevent myself from doing the maximum amount of damage is to cut my nails short and very round. 

10. Seek Help
    1. At the end of the day, if you can’ t manage your eczema on your own, seek help from a dermatologist. I have been to many dermatologists and doctors so I am sure I have eczema but You may find out that you don’t have eczema, but you are dealing with something else with similar symptoms. For example, psoriasis or a fungal skin infection. Although the symptoms are similar, there are different ways to tackle these issues.