For many people who have dry skin, putting on moisturizer is enough for relief. But for 31.6 million people in the United States and 10 to 15 percent of people in Canada who live with eczema, achieving that relief requires additional effort.
October is Eczema Awareness Month, so we thought there’s no better time to recommend our favourite clean skincare products that will give your skin the respect it deserves while helping you look and feel your best. For a little context, though, let’s take a closer look at what we’re managing — eczema.
What is Eczema?
Eczema is a non-contagious inflammatory skin condition that causes dryness, rashes, scaly patches, itchiness, blisters, and skin infections. Atopic dermatitis is the most common type. It can range from mild to severe.
People of all ages can develop eczema, and while researchers are probing what causes it, they know it develops from an interaction between genes and environmental triggers.
How Do I Know If I Have Eczema?
You’re more likely to develop eczema if you have allergies or asthma.
In teens and adults, eczema typically appears around the eyes, on the neck, inner elbows, hands, knees, ankles, and feet. The first signs are redness and itchiness. Other symptoms include:
- Rashes
- Swelling
- Leathery, scaly patches of skin
- Dry, bumpy, and/or crusting skin
Ultimately, the best way to tell if you have eczema is to see your doctor.
How to Deal With Eczema
Eczema is a chronic condition, but the good news is, it’s manageable.
Treatment involves a combination of medications, and steps to protect your skin. Your doctor will help you determine the best treatment for you. It will likely involve:
- Avoiding triggers that cause flare-ups
- Bathing and moisturizing
- Medications to reduce inflammation
Other steps you can take are:
- Using cold compresses
- Washing new clothes before you wear them
- Avoiding detergents with dyes and fragrances
- Using white vinegar and baking soda as a household cleaning product
- Choosing jewelry and household items free of nickel
- Wearing clothes with plastic or plastic-coated fasteners
Ingredients That Can Worsen Eczema
You can probably tell from our list above that some household items can irritate eczema. Skincare products can also include ingredients that can spark a flareup, such as these:
- Lanolin
- Fragrances
- Essential oils
- Ethanol/alcohol
- Propylene glycol
- Cocamidopropyl betaine (a foaming agent)
- Urea and retinoids (found in anti-aging creams)
- Paraphenylenediamine, and other active ingredients in hair and nail care products
Clean Products That Help Treat Eczema
No need to skip skincare products entirely! Check out our recommendations, which are made with skin-friendly clean ingredients:
Fitglow Beauty Redness Rescue Cream
The green mineral tint in the Redness Rescue Cream neutralizes redness, while an organic plant blend works to calm, repair, and strengthen your skin. Wakame seaweed extract helps improve firmness and elasticity, and block environmental stressors.
Erin’s Faces Soothing Aloe Cleanser
Organic aloe vera is the key calming ingredient in the Soothing Aloe Cleanser. It also includes prickly pear, which provides vitamin E for cell protection, gluconolactone, to encourage skin cell turnover, and sodium PCA for hydration. The result is clean skin that won’t feel dry and tight.
Rocky Mountain Soap Co Hydrating Toner
Spritz your face with the all-natural Hydrating Toner for dry and mature skin. Feel the antioxidants and skin-repairing ingredients get to work. Aloe aims to tone and soften, and frankincense strives to replenish your skin’s moisture barrier.
Earth Harbor AHOY LOVE Nourishing Cream Cleanser
Moisturize, brighten, and restore balance to your skin with the non-foaming AHOY LOVE Nourishing Cream Cleanser. It’s made to soften your skin with seaweed vitamins, antioxidant green tea, and hibiscus extract, while aloe leaf juice hydrates.
Tropic Calm Balm
Pamper dry hands by massaging them with the protective Calm Balm. It’s made with tamanu oil, to repair dry or damaged areas, and cupuaçu butter and chamomile oil, to moisturize your skin.
100% Pure Green Tea EGCG Concentrate Cream
Nourishing yerba mate water, açai butter, and light green tea oil form the foundation for Green Tea EGCG Concentrate Cream to soften and fortify your skin. Green tea is rich in the antioxidant EGCG, which targets environmental stressors and free radicals.
Mad Hippie Face Cream
For a quickly absorbed cream that hydrates, calms, and rejuvenates your skin, pick up the Face Cream. It’s full of peptides and antioxidants, including açaí and niacinamide, as well as aloe vera, to nourish your skin and form a thin protective layer.
Living With Eczema
With doctor-prescribed treatments and lifestyle changes, you can manage eczema like a pro. That includes choosing skincare products made with natural ingredients that are safe to use on your skin, like the ones we’ve described in this article.
Tracking ingredients or allergens you want to avoid when browsing products just got easier, too, with a new premium feature on The Think Dirty app! Download the app from the App Store or Google Play and see how much time you save shopping for clean beauty and skincare products.
Disclosure: We are a professional review and product rating website and mobile app that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review and rate. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own interpretations of a trusted source.
Everything You Need to Know About Eczema and Caring For Your Skin was originally published in Think Dirty on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.