Picture yourself as an intrepid explorer navigating the untamed world of skincare, armed with tubes and jars, in your quest to conquer eczema. Each product holds the promise of rescue, offering a glimmer of hope in your challenging journey. Yet, amidst the abundance of options, frustration sets in, leaving you uncertain about the path to lasting relief.
It is crucial to consult with a dermatologist to confirm symptoms of eczema and determine the specific type of eczema. This information will greatly aid in using the right products for eczema body care for effective management. The cause of eczema has been researched and linked to a deficiency in filaggrin.
Choosing the right moisturizer or cream helps manage eczema by ensuring the skin receives adequate hydration and protection. However, in the journey with eczema, a profound understanding arises: addressing eczema requires more than just superficial solutions. It involves adopting a holistic skincare regimen that nurtures the skin and reinforces its defenses against eczema’s ongoing difficulties.
An eczema body care routine that encourages exploration of various self-care practices, including gentle exfoliation, soothing baths, and nourishing oils, is crucial in promoting skin healing.
So, let us embark on this journey together, armed with knowledge and determination, as we explore the 5 tips for a comprehensive eczema body care routine necessary to safeguard the well-being of our skin and reclaim our comfort and confidence.
1) Regular exercises as part of an eczema body care routine.
From aerobics to yoga, regular exercise offers numerous benefits for your skin, particularly in managing eczema. These include boosting collagen production, improving oxygen flow and elasticity, promoting cell growth, and reducing stress levels.
However, it is important to ensure you work out in a cool environment to prevent excessive sweating and irritation, which can exacerbate eczema symptoms.
Exercise boosts collagen production, a crucial protein that helps maintain skin hydration for those with eczema. Collagen aids in wound healing and is necessary for addressing skin damage caused by repeated scratching.
Eczema often leads to a loss of elasticity, particularly in affected areas prone to thickening and hardening due to repeated scratching. Regular exercise improves oxygen flow to the skin, enhancing overall elasticity.
Stress is known to trigger eczema in some individuals, making stress reduction through exercise particularly beneficial. Engaging in physical activity increases the production of these endorphins, further aiding in stress reduction and potentially alleviating eczema symptoms.
Additionally, exercise promotes cell growth by facilitating apoptosis, a process that removes damaged cells without causing inflammation, thus ensuring optimal body function.
By incorporating regular physical activity into your routine, you can support your skin health and overall well-being.
2) Body exfoliation as part of an eczema body care routine.
Exfoliation involves removing dead skin cells and dirt buildup from the skin’s surface. Exfoliation helps to reveal fresh, healthy skin underneath, promoting a smoother and brighter complexion. It also aids in unclogging pores, preventing breakouts, and enhancing the effectiveness of skincare products by enabling deeper penetration into the skin.
For people with eczema, mechanical exfoliation, which involves scrubbing the skin with an abrasive material, is best. However, it’s essential to exfoliate gently and not too frequently to avoid damaging the skin barrier.
The options below are ways by which to exfoliate;
- Using body scrub
Some natural body scrub exfoliants may contain abrasive particles such as coffee (from ground coffee beans), salt (sea salt or Himalayan salt), or sugar (granulated brown sugar).
The abrasive ingredients are gently massaged into the skin to effectively remove old skin cells and dirt. This process stimulates skin cell turnover for smoother, brighter skin and can help restore the skin’s natural moisture.
You may scrub your body after a warm shower or bath using shower gel, soap, or body wash. This ensures that your skin is clean and prepared for exfoliation. The warm water ensures that your skin is damp and soft. It opens the pores, so the body scrub can be as effective as possible in removing unwanted skin cells.
DIY sugar body scrub recipe ingredients
As someone who experiences eczema personally, I’ve discovered that the following blend is quite effective:
- Coconut oil or any of the other oils listed under bath oils. This is for antibacterial, moisturizing qualities and scent.
- Granulated brown sugar can diminish eczema scars, smooth, and brighten the skin.
- Turmeric powder has brightening, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-itch qualities.
- Coffee grounds have anti-oxidant qualities and exfoliate and brighten the skin
- Honey has ant-inflammatory and soothing qualities
- Lemon juice can smooth, brighten, and act as anti-aging agent
- Shower gel for consistency and ease washing off the scrub after
When choosing a body scrub for eczema, it’s essential to seek out ingredients known for their soothing, exfoliating, anti-inflammatory, brightening, and antioxidant properties.
Some recommendations of body scrubs, in no particular order, include;
Key Ingredients; calendula flower extract, ginseng extract, brown sugar, and evening primrose oil.
Key Ingredients; Shea Butter, Coconut oil
Key Ingredients; Shea Butter, Vitamin E, Lime, Coffee, Brown Sugar, and Coconut extracts
Key Ingredients; Vitamin E, Shea Butter
Key ingredients; Aloe Vera, Sea Moss, Shea Butter, Coco Butter, Mango Butter, Beeswax, Sucrose, and Coconut Oil
Key Ingredients; Manuka Honey, Aloe, Shea Butter
Key Ingredients; Oatmeal & Calendula Oil
- Using exfoliating body Towel.
An exfoliating towel, also known as a scrub towel, is a specialized cloth designed to remove dead skin cells and impurities from the skin through gentle friction. Made from materials like viscose rayon, sisal hemp, nylon, or polyester, these towels feature a textured surface for mild exfoliation when rubbed against the skin.
Instructions
- Begin by ensuring that your body is wet after spending a few minutes under a warm or lukewarm shower or bath.
- While exfoliating with the Italy towel, soap is not necessary; however, with other towels, it may be required.
- Use the towel when it’s wet for optimal exfoliation and effectiveness.
- Exfoliate using circular, up-and-down, or side-to-side motions, applying enough pressure but avoiding excessive force.
- After exfoliating, use soap to wash off the skin thoroughly, ensuring all exfoliated areas are cleansed.
An example is an Italy towel, a Korean exfoliating mitt, and a Korean exfoliating towel.
How often should you exfoliate the body.
Exfoliating weekly aligns with the skin’s natural renewal process, ensuring optimal skincare. However, excessive exfoliation can damage the skin’s barrier, leading to potential infections and increased sensitivity. Therefore, it’s crucial to exfoliate in moderation to maintain healthy and resilient skin.
Apply moisturizer after exfoliating your body.
Apply moisturizer after exfoliating your body.
After exfoliating, your body may feel dry and tight, necessitating moisturization. Post-scrub, your skin becomes receptive to products, making it susceptible to dirt and impurities.
Moisturizing acts as a protective barrier, hydrating your skin and guarding against impurities and dryness.
For best results, apply a gentle moisturizer like glycerin or oils such as jojoba, shea butter, or coconut to damp skin.
3) Taking an oil bath as part of an eczema body care routine.
An oil bath is a bathing technique where a person immerses themselves in warm water that has been infused with various types of oils. There is nothing more relaxing than a long soak in a warm bath, adding luxurious bath oil to the mix. Adding a few drops of bath oil instantly enhances your soak, providing a boost to both your skin and your mood.
Oil baths are believed to have several benefits for the skin, such as moisturizing, nourishing, and soothing dry or irritated skin. Oil baths also help moisturize and hydrate the skin, creating calming and relaxing aromas. As the oil combines with water, it reaches deep into the skin, resulting in rejuvenation and leaving the skin soft and supple. This leads to a more radiant complexion that retains its brightness for extended periods of time.
Eczema skin may respond best to bath oils that contain bases such as; shea butter, coconut, eucalyptus, almond, jojoba, chamomile, calendula, oats, and grapeseed, to name a few.
When selecting oils, prioritize those free from artificial fragrances, colors, and preservatives.
Some recommendations of the bath oils in no particular order include:
Key ingredients; Sunflower seed Oil, apricot oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba seed Oil, shea butter, coconut oil, olive fruit oil and coconut fruit juice
Key ingredients; Grape Seed Oil, Shea Butter, and Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil
Key ingredients; Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Vitamin C, Tocopherol, and Glycerin
Key ingredients; Ceramides 1, 3, 6-II, Squalane Oil, Triglyceride, hyaluronic acid, and Acid
Key ingredients; Shea Oil
4) Taking a salt bath as part of an eczema body care routine.
Immerse yourself in the rejuvenating experience of a salt bath, where warm water infused with salt soothes achy muscles while cleansing and detoxifying your skin. Bathing with salt is particularly beneficial for eczema, as it helps repair the skin barrier, soothes itching, and reduces the itch-scratch cycle.
Some of the best bases for bath salts suited for eczema-prone skin include dead sea salt, coarse sea salt, Himalayan salt, Epsom salt, and Mediterranean salt.
When selecting bath salts, it’s important to prioritize those that contain essential minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, and zinc, to name a few.
Some recommendations for bath salts, in no particular order, include;
- West Lab Soothing Dead Sea Bath Salt.
- SaltWorks Ancient Ocean Himalayan Pink Salt.
- Ahava Dead Sea Natural Dead Sea Bath Salts.
- Dr Teal’s Pink Himalayan Mineral soak.
5) Taking a regular bath or shower as part of an eczema body care routine.
Extreme temperatures, which can exacerbate eczema, should be avoided, such as by scalding showers or baths. Opt instead for warm, lukewarm, or room temperature water during bathing or showering.
Gently scrub your body with a medium abrasive washcloth or sponge, using shower gel or soap, and ensure thorough rinsing.
Using shower gel, soap, or body wash.
Opt for products designed for sensitive or eczema prone skin to avoid any irritants or ingredients that could worsen eczema symptoms.
Some examples of soaps and shower gels in no particular order include;
Key ingredients; Glycerin
Key ingredients; Niacinamide, Colloidal Oatmeal, Glycerin, and Shea butter
Key ingredients; Niacinamide, Oat
Key ingredients; Glycerin, niacinamide
Key ingredients; Ceramides 1,3 & 6-II; Hyaluronic Acid; Omega Oils
Key ingredients; Aloe Leaf Juice, Calendula Flower Extract, Chamomilla Flower Extract, shea Butter
Key ingredients; Lauric Acid, Glycerin
Key ingredients; Colloidal oatmeal, Calendula, Chamomilla, Glycerin, Kernel Oil
Moisturizing after a regular bath or shower.
Applying your moisturizer to dampen skin to lock in moisture is best.
Seal in moisture by applying oil after moisturizer to lock it in. Apply moisturizer first, then gently pat on the oil. It will let the water melt into your skin and not evaporate.
Apply physical sunscreen (SPF 30 0r higher) last after oil application. This step provides sun protection and helps blend the oil for a smoother appearance on your face.
Key reminder
Seek advice from your dermatologist before you try a new product. They can perform the appropriate tests and help you choose the right product.
Disclaimer
I currently have no affiliation or relationship with the producers or suppliers of the above-recommended products and, as such, do not derive any income from the recommendations made.
Sources used for the post: tips for a comprehensive body care routine.
Don’t Make This Common Moisturizer Mistake 2020, January 22, Oil and Water
https://www.thecut.com/article/the-common-moisturizer-mistake-in-your-skincare-routine.html
Choosing the Best Bath Oils for a Relaxing Soak 2023 September 14, Welzo
Learn About The Best Bath Salts and Bath Crystals, SaltWorks
What are the best soaps for eczema? 2023 January 19, MedicalNewsToday
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/soap-for-eczema
Get the Facts: Collagen National Eczema Association
