The lowdown on eczema.
What’s persistent, expensive, and constantly annoying? Take a guess. We’ll wait.
No, it’s not those scam callers who try to make you buy iTunes gift cards. It’s eczema.
This pesky skin condition has a mind of its own, affects millions of people, and can be really hard to manage. Lucky for you, we've put together a guide of all the itchy details you need to know.
What the heck is eczema?
A skin condition that causes itchy skin, scaly red patches, dry-ness, rashes, and MORE. Lots of symptoms we know and (not-so) love.
It's caused by a wide range of things — usually a cocktail of genetic factors, paired with environmental triggers. A list longer than your chore chart growing up.
Types of eczema.
Yep, there are at least seven different types. Wish we were kidding.
Atopic dermatitis. The most common form.
Contact dermatitis. From potent triggers like touching hand soap.
Dyshidrotic eczema. Usually on the hands, filled with blisters and itching.
Neurodermatitis. Also known as discoid eczema.
Nummular eczema. Causes coin-sized, round patches of eczema.
Seborrheic dermatitis. Affects the scalp, face, neck, beard.
Stasis dermatitis. Appears on the legs, looking like varicose veins.
Eczema triggers.
How long is a piece of string? Ha. There are so many pesky things out there that might aggravate your eczema, that we couldn't pinpoint them all. A few include:
Our skin is dramatic and hates changes to the climate. Super dry weather, cold winters and sweaty humidity can all cause the itch.
It's said that gut health is a key player in keeping your eczema at bay. There's still so much we don't know about this topic, and it's being constantly researched.
We always recommend working with a naturopath or an integrated GP (a doctor who also looks at holistic practices) to support your system internally. A game-changer.
So many people in our community have said that allergy testing has been KEY. It helps to give you the knowledge of what dietary and/or environmental triggers might be aggravating your skin.
The majority of our community tells us their flare-ups come on when they are under the pump, or not feeling their best mentally. Stress is so hard to manage, but we always recommend working with a professional and doing things that help promote mindfulness: breathwork, yoga, meditation.
This is a list in itself lol. It’s time to strip back your routine and remove nasty ingredients that irritate the skin, tenfold. Things like fragrances, parabens, sulfates, and products with five billion ingredients in them.
Places where these nasties could be hiding?
Makeup: Opt for fragrance-free, and sensitive skin friendly. We love Clinique.
Skincare: Strip back your routine to simple and nourishing. We created Yours Only with a low ingredient load, and a mix of nourishing ingredients that help soothe the pickiest of skin (you’re welcome).
Washing powder: Swap to a sensitive-friendly option. Ash uses Cold Power.
Cleaning products: Go look at the ingredients in your dishwashing liquid. Did you scream when you read them too? Look into low-tox options to help keep your system happy.
If we listed all eczema triggers, you’d be reading so long that you’d yawn, so we’ll stop there.
Our community’s stories.
Please know that you are never alone in your eczema journey. We receive so many stories from warriors out there, who are right in the thick of it too.
If you wanna connect with our community even more, join our Facebook group Friends With Dramatic Skin for all the tips, advice, and fun perks.
Ashlee
This gal has had eczema ever since she was a kid. She got bullied in high school for her dramatic skin, and relied on steroid creams to clear up her flares.
Years later, after coming home from a lush overseas trip, Ashlee's skin had a tantrum and ended up going through an awful condition called Topical Steroid Withdrawal. One year later, she’s still fighting her way to heal.
Chrissy
On one sunny day, Chrissy was minding her own business and went to get her eyebrows done. She’d always dealt with dermatitis on her body, but it was pretty manageable. Until, the brow dye flared up her face, big time.
It took two years for her skin to be happy again — once she swapped to our soothing moisturiser, COAT.
Zoe
Having eczema since she was a baby, Zoe sorta just dealt with it, coz she’s also managing chronic health conditions. In the same vein as a lot of us, her skin just decided to flare up like crazy a few years ago — in places it had never itched before.
She also started applying COAT twice a day, and her skin instantly said thank you.
