Dry, itchy, red, seemingly impossible to get rid of..Eczema. It seems that almost every person I talk to has had it somewhere on their body at some point in their life. And unfortunately, science hasn’t come up with a direct cause for why so many people have chronic dry patches of skin.
I’ve had eczema since I can remember. First on my fingers and knuckles, then palms, and now inside my elbows. It’s not only annoying to have itchy skin, but it can also be painful. I’ve tried lots of creams prescribed by my doctors, but my eczema always seems to come back with vengeance. So you can imagine by now, I have figured out what actually helps fight eczema and what doesn’t. Here they are, my top five tips for fighting eczema naturally.
A High Quality Moisturizer
The best way to help dry skin is to moisturize. Seems easy right? Not always. I’ve tried SO MANY lotions and some of them actually made my eczema worse! Most of the lotions in stores have artificial fragrances and chemicals that can serve to further irritate your skin. The key is to use a gentle, high quality moisturizer. My favorite is Primally Pure’s Body Butter. I literally have a jar of it everywhere: my bathroom, my living room, my car and my purse. Having it stored in various places reminds me to constantly apply it, which is crucial to keeping your skin from drying out.
Gentle Soaps and Cleaners
The chemicals and fragrances in soap and cleaners are even worse than the ones in lotions. Think about how often you come in contact with them: washing your hands before cooking, washing your hands after using the bathroom, wiping down the counter after dinner, cleaning the bathroom, washing the dishes, washing the clothes and on and on. I’ve found that using gentle, all natural hand soaps and cleaning products makes a major impact on how inflamed the eczema on my hands are. If swapping out all of your cleaning supplies is too much, changing out your hand soaps is super easy and affordable for anyone to do. I like using Primally Pure’s Baby Bar because it’s SUPER gentle and it smells wonderful.
Wearing Gloves
Say you swapped out your hand soap and you still finding your eczema to be raging. Another easy way to protect your skin is to wear gloves when cleaning and washing the dishes. Not only does this protect your skin from soaking up all of those chemicals that are known to be drying, it also keeps them from being scalded by the hot water used to wash the dishes. Even if you don’t have eczema on your hands, gloves are still important to wear because what your skin comes in contact with, it absorbs. Meaning, the chemicals your hands touch can cause eczema elsewhere on your body.
Eat an Anti-inflammatory Diet
Changing your diet is always easier said than done, but we all know, “you are what you eat.” If you eat inflammatory foods, guess what, your body is going to be inflamed. What this means is limiting dairy, gluten, sugar, and processed foods. And eating lots of vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats. I can always tell a different in my skin when I become lazy in this area. On the other hand, you could have an allergy or food intolerance causing your eczema. You can read HERE how I found out that certain foods like avocados and bananas were causing my eczema to flare up and why I follow a “latex free” diet.
Keep Stress Levels Low
What’s even harder than adjusting your diet? Controlling your stress levels! I get it, we’re all too busy for our own good, but trust me, your body will fight back. Stress alone causes immense inflammation in our bodies, and what does inflammation cause: eczema. Don’t go quitting your job in order to heal your skin, but do take steps to maintain your mental health. Try going for a short walk in the sunshine, meditation, breathing exercises, anything that helps you find peace. My favorite way to relax after a stressful week is lighting a bunch of candles, drawing myself a bath with Primally Pure Flower Bath, and reading a few chapters of a favorite book.
If you’re interested in trying out any of the Primally Pure products I’ve mentioned, the code: “Devoted10” gives you a 10% discount!
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