While eczema treatment may include prescription drugs, home skin care and lifestyle alterations help to reduce and control symptoms as well. Home remedies can address eczema triggers and maintain proper skin hygiene, keeping the skin as calm and clean as possible.
Ignoring sensitive skin issues won't make eczema go away. Cosmetic products should be limited and chosen with care, because many ingredients cause, rather than prevent, skin flare-ups. Patients can best control contact and atopic eczemas through allergen avoidance and diligent, ongoing care.
Gentle Skin Care
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), dry, sensitive skin should be cleansed briefly and gently. Patients should cleanse and bathe with warm water, rather than hot or cold, and use minimal amounts of mild soap.
Skin should never be scrubbed, but lathered gently using fingertips or a soft cloth. Patients should pat dry with a towel and apply skin care products by pressing gently, never rubbing. Keeping fingernails trimmed and smooth will reduce the risk of breaking the skin and inviting infection.
Hypoallergenic Cosmetic Products
All skin care products should be free of fragrances and dyes, the ingredients most likely to incur allergic reactions. The University of Maryland (UM) Medical Center notes that alcohol is especially drying and inappropriate for eczema treatment.
Patients with atopic eczema should choose nondeodorant cleansers, avoiding irritating glycerin and lanolin. Eczema treatment should include applications of moisturizing lotion, cream or ointment several times a day, to mitigate or avoid dry, sensitive skin conditions. The AAD reports that daily cleansing and moisturizing reduces bacteria levels and forms an effective moisture barrier on the skin surface.
Avoidance Techniques
Lifestyle choices to reduce skin flare-ups should include not smoking, maintaining indoor air humidity, and avoiding food allergens. Wheat, eggs, soy, milk and fish create sensitive skin problems for many eczema patients, as the Mayo Clinic relates.
A room humidifier helps to hydrate skin, especially when air conditioners or heaters are in use. Any known substance sensitivities, such as to particular laundry detergents or pet dander, should be avoided, as prevention is much easier than eczema treatment.
Medicinal Remedies
Patients should promptly address itchy skin symptoms with home remedies, because scratching can break the skin, raising the risk for infection. Infection threatens eczema patients, whose compromised immune systems cannot neutralize harmful bacteria.
The UM Medical Center recommends topical hydrocortisone creams and over-the-counter antihistamine drugs, such as loratadine and cetirizine. If patients continue to scratch unconsciously, such as while sleeping, soft, cotton gloves can help prevent infection.
