So, I have always struggled with eczema since I have been a child. Dry, itchy, tight, scaly, and irritated skin is just an example of what I have to deal with. The thing with eczema is there is no cure for it but, you can control it. Lately, I have been experiencing a severe outbreak that has effected my neck area, my chest area, my arms, the backs of my leg, my thigh, and my stomach. Almost all of my body.
My last severe outbreak was back in 2005, my junior year of college. I went to the dermatologist and I really liked his method of dealing with eczema. He did not put me on any type of medication but, he told me how to deal with it. Here's what he suggested:
1. Throw out any soap or lotion I was using because soap strips the skin of its natural oils and most lotions have water that dries the skin. He suggested I switch to a cream based body wash and moisturizing creams. He suggested brands such as Aveeno. He also suggested that I apply the cream while the skin is still damp to lock in the moisture.
2. He then suggested I take my baths at night while keeping a humidifier on. This would produce steam in the air and keep my skin moist throughout the night.
I must admit that this did wonders for my skin. It had never looked so wonderful and blemish free. So, what happened?
I became lazy and stopped doing everything he suggested. For example:
1. For some reason, I started using Ivory soap. Ivory and most bar soaps are too harsh for my skin.
2. I started switching up my lotions. Most lotions irritate the mess out of my skin.
3. I lost my humidifier so, there was no moist air.
4. I started back taking my showers in the morning and therefore, exposing it to the drying air. When I took them at night and immediately went to bed with the humidifier running my skin remained soft and supple.
So, my plans are to first make another appointment with the dermatologist. Following his suggestions, I hope to pick up my old skin regimen. Also, I plan on applying EVOO to my skin and then putting on my cream based moisturizer because it is a penetrating oil and stays on the skin longer. And since I have no idea where my mother packed my humidifier, I plan on purchasing another one.
The thing is I got comfortable and let go of my skin regimen and look what happened. But, you live and you learn.
Good luck with your new skin regime! Have you tried shea butter? I bought some for my baby niece and younger cousin who both suffer from eczema and it's helped quite a bit :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! And yes, I tried shea butter before but, it irritated my skin and caused it to itch more so, I stopped using it.
ReplyDeleteThank You Miss CeeCee. I must apply these new tips Good luck with your healing process. I too suffer from this but it is temporal. To God Be the glory!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Emme!
ReplyDeleteDear Ms Cee C,
ReplyDeleteI've suffered from eczema since I was young as well, but for the past year or so I've been doing really well. I'm glad you mentioned throwing away the drying soaps and the issue of when you take your shower because I found those things to hold true for me as well. In addition, I usually only use oils on my skin to hold in moisture after a shower - it can be argan, castor, sweet almond or jojoba oil. Also I only exfoliate with organic materials because I found that Body Shop and similar brands really irritated my skin. I will have to look into a humidifier, especially with winter coming. That time of year was always the most problematic for me. Let me know if you ended up getting a new one! :)
Anonymous, thank you for the input. I will definitely check out those oils for my skin. They sound great. And I am with you on the BBWs and Victoria's Secrets brands. My skin gets the WORST irritation from those. And I will definitely let you know how my search for a humidifier comes along. If I can't find one in the store I may order one...
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