Caring for eczema-prone skin
When you have eczema, knowing how to take care of your skin is crucial.
Symptoms can be triggered unexpectedly and by many things - even the weather.
Whether your symptoms are mild or severe, it’s possible to reclaim some control over your skin and find more moments of calm. Here are our 5 top tips for caring for eczema-prone skin.
- Prevention is the best cure
- Reinforce your skin barrier
- Understand your triggers
- Avoid further irritation, e.g. fragrance
- Take time to de-stress
1. Prevention is the best cure
Once your skin flares up, there’s more chance that you’ll need to rely upon Corticosteroids or other medical treatments to help.
Using a daily moisturiser/emollient not only improves the general condition of your skin but also it’s resilience, helping to reduce uncomfortable symptoms such as itching and dryness.
Remember to moisturise problem areas at least twice daily, and keep going even when things seem like they’re getting better - this is all about preventing further discomfort.
For longer periods of calmer skin in between flare-ups, Nursem’s Ultra Caring Body Balm uses a patented active ingredient clinically proven to reduce SCORAD (a clinical scoring of eczema).
2. Reinforce your skin barrier
Your skin barrier is your first line of defence, helping to keep much-needed moisture in and nasty irritants or bacteria out. To maintain a healthy skin barrier, consider:
Active ingredients
When assessing products to help, look out for:
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Colloidal Oatmeal: A highly effective ingredient with powerful anti-inflammatory properties, it helps to soothe redness and irritation and restore a protective barrier to lock in moisture. Nursem’s Caring Skin Fix contains 3% pharmaceutical-grade Colloidal Oatmeal.
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Mondo Grass: A patented natural active ingredient clinically proven to help stimulate the production of an essential protein called Filaggrin (Filament Aggregating Protein), it helps to restore skin barrier function. Found in our Ultra Caring Body Balm it helps calm symptoms and increase time between flare ups.
- Hyaluronic Acid, Pro Vitamin B5 and Allantoin: Each contain powerful humectant (water attracting properties) and rejuvenating properties to help condition dry and irritable skin.
Moisturisation/Emollients
Moisture is a vital component to improving your skin’s condition and overall barrier function. Using rich and nourishing ingredients such as Shea butter or Cocoa butter (found in our Ultra Caring Body Balm) will deliver an intense shot of moisture back into the skin’s surface – without leaving a greasy or sticky residue like traditional petroleum-based emollients.
Top Tip! To help soothe the need to itch, consider pairing a moisturiser with a Cosi Care scratch device - put them both in the fridge to cool down and then apply together. This will help to reduce any damage to your skin during periods of itchiness.
3. Understand your triggers
Everyone’s skin is unique and responds to daily influences in different ways.
It is important to note anything that you think may be causing flare-ups or moments of sensitivity. Speak to your GP or Dermatologist to help understand what may be causing these symptoms and where necessary create a plan to minimise future exposure.
4. Avoid further irritation e.g. Fragrance
If your skin is already in a sore or sensitive state, avoid using products which could worsen the symptoms.
Products that use gentle ingredients with extensive testing data are the least likely to cause irritation. If your skin is particularly sensitive, we recommend avoiding fragranced skincare. While they might smell nice, fragrances and essential oils can trigger symptoms.
Last but not least – be aware of products you use around your home.
Many soaps for example contain harsh surfactants (cleansers including SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate)) which strip your skin of it’s naturally protective barrier. Our Caring Hand Wash is soap and SLS-free, offering an ultra gentle alternative to help protect your hands wash after wash.
5. Take time to de-stress
Stress is a very common cause (and symptom) of eczema flare-ups. We all manage stress in different ways; whether it’s getting an early night or unwinding with a book. Whatever it is, ensuring you take some time to relax and recuperate will have a positive impact on your skin.
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