Skincare Routine for Itchy Skin

ECZEMA

Simple changes can make your life so much less itchy.

Whether you’ve struggled with eczema yourself, or have family and friends who deal with it, you’ve probably seen how frustrating and uncomfortable it can be. Luckily, a few simple changes can make a dramatic difference, and allow your skin to begin healing itself.

What is Eczema?

The other term for eczema is “atopic dermatitis,” a broad term meaning “skin irritation just about anywhere.” Eczema affects up to 20% of children and at least 3% of adults, and is often linked to asthma, food allergies, and seasonal allergies. It can cause significant emotional and physical distress, making it harder to manage stress, which worsens the symptoms.

Depending on its cause or location, eczema can have other names: on your scalp, it’s seborrheic dermatitis; on your face, it’s perioral dermatitis; under your wedding band, it may be contact dermatitis. So many forms of eczema exist and overlap with each other that a distinct diagnosis can be difficult. Luckily, the management is similar for most of them.

For Eczema Prone Skin

Let's do this together.

You’ll need to become an expert label reader, and pay close attention to your diet and stress levels. With patience and attention to details, you can start to remove things that are making your skin mad.

critical beginning steps

Steroids
If possible, weaning off steroids is worth discussing with your doctor. It may be a very gradual plan, but if you rely on steroids to control your eczema, you may be stuck with them for good.

Sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate
SLS is a foaming agent in almost everything that bubbles, excluding soap. You will find it in your toothpaste, your shampoo, your laundry detergent, your dish washing liquid, and your body wash. There are many ways to make SLS, some of them plant-based, so don’t assume that your “green” detergent or hair care doesn’t use it. Unfortunately, SLS has been shown to be a serious skin irritant, even in its gentler forms, so it really, truly has to go.

Synthetic fragrance
Fragrance is composed of hundreds of undisclosed ingredients, many of which are allergens. Because eczema often has an allergic component, synthetic scent should be avoided entirely.

Abrasives
It may seem like you can scrub away your flaky skin, but it’s already irritated and upset, so save the scrubbing for the near future, when your skin is on the mend.

Essential Oils
If your eczema is very aggravated, with redness and itching or cracking and bleeding, you may want to avoid using leave-on products with essential oils. Until things start to heal, fewer ingredients are preferable.

Oh So or Oh So Detox Soap
These unscented bars do not contain any scent, and have a low, creamy lather suitable for irritated skin. Wash with them once daily.

Naked Body Oil and Mousse
Simple formulas with no essential oils help reestablish the normal barrier function of your skin. Apply after cleansing to sopping wet skin, massaging the oil or mousse into the water on your skin.

super important next steps

Once you’ve started to see your skin settle down a bit from having fewer chemicals thrown in its path, you can experiment with adding one or two gently scented products into the routine.

For example, after a few weeks of improvement, you could blend a few pumps of Night Body Oil in with your Naked Mousse, or some Lavender Mousse in with your Naked Body Oil. Move slowly with changes, and if you notice any irritation, go back to the unscented goodies and try again in a week or two. The aromatherapy effect of adding a bit of lavender to your routine can help with the stress management part of your eczema plan.