I was born with eczema. As per eczemahelp.ca, eczema is a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterized by dry skin, with patches of red and are intensely itchy. I grew up with rashes on my face, arms and legs. It was terrible growing up being the only one with flakey dry itchy skin. I remember there were times when I would stay up all night scratching my skin until it was raw. At one point, my doctor prescribed me pills to take to help me sleep and not scratch. This was when I was a child. That was how bad my eczema was. Now that I am older, I have learned ways to get rid of my eczema and keep it at bay without using any topical steroids. I used topical steroids my entire life which had a lot of terrible side effects. I wanted to find a way to cure it and at least get in under control without all the side affects of topical steroids.
After years of trying many products, I longer need topical steroids. I still get flare ups once in a while but only on my neck which is a lot better than all over my face and limbs. It has been a long journey in finding ways to help with eczema and I can finally say I am very happy with my skin.
This is my journey and I want to share with you what I did to cure my eczema
- Diet: I completely changed my diet. I use to eat everything in sight and I do mean everything. I now eat foods that are non inflammatory, alkaline and I try my best to eat as much fresh fruits and vegetables as possible. The biggest thing that has helped the most with my eczema was giving up dairy and shellfish. I also try to avoid nightshades such as tomatoes and eggplant. Nightshades are known to cause inflammation and can irritate your skin. I will do another post where I post a detailed diet of what I eat and what I avoid.
- Soap: Make sure you use soaps and detergents that are natural, free of sulphates and have the least amount of fragrance as possible. I found switching my laundry detergent to a natural has really helped my skin. Do not forget to wash your bedsides often! I also use a natural unscented Castile soap for bathing which is hydrating versus your regular bar soap that strips the moisture from your skin.
- Creams: I am trying to use products that are as natural as possible and are really moisturizing. I make sure I moisturize my skin every night before I go to sleep. I still get really itchy sometimes and I have found 2 creams that have done wonders for the itching. The first is Shikai, Borage Therapy advanced formula lotion. This is a natural lotion made for itchy dry eczema prone skin. I use this every night to help prevent flare ups. When I do a flare up and I cannot control the itching, I pull out the big guns, Gold Bond Extra strength triple action relief. This cream has done wonders for my itchiness. When I use this, it really does stop the itchiness and I am able to not scratch my skin. I know this cream is not natural at all but when I am on a scratching rampage, this is the only thing that completely cools my skin.
- Lifestyle change: I noticed that when I am stressed, emotional or my life is all over the place, my skin starts to flare up. It is like my body is telling me to slow down and take care of myself. I have found ways to make sure my life is as stress free as possible.I make sure I exercise regular, get massages when I can, read books, keep my calendar organized and I try to sleep at least 8-10 hours night.
- Skincare routine- Having regimented skincare routine really does decrease eczema flare ups. I have found taking a luke warm shower/bath ever night then applying my favourite moisturizer at night has really helped my skin. In the mornings, I stick to my holy grail products which you can see in my post here. Sticking to a routine has helped relegate my skin and flareups.
I really hope you find this post helpful. Leave a comment below to tell me about your experience with Eczema
XOXO,
-D
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