Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Taking care of my eczema prone skin in the colder weather

Hi there!
I hope you guys are having a nice day!  I've been trying to rest up after quite a busy period at work.  After sleeping for 11 hours on Sunday night I'm feeling much better though!
As the weather has turned colder I've had to step up my skin care routine a notch or two.  The cold weather can exasperate my eczema if I'm not careful enough.  It's a combination of the icy-chill outside and the drying heating inside which seems to strip every last bit moisture from parts of my skin.  When I was 20 I finally discovered just how important moisturising my skin was in order to keep my eczema at bay although I'm sure this kind of routine could help anyone suffering from really dry skin.  Finding the right kind of moisturiser was also really important as the wrong kind can make the eczema worse.  I find something with natural ingredients (ideally 100%) and not heavily scented works best for me.  Sometimes this is just a case of trial and error, trying to find one that works for you and doesn't irritate/sting your skin.  I've been surprised by some 'sensitive' skin care brands that really stung my skin compared with ones that weren't advertising themselves as sensitive which have been fine.

Recently I've been getting in to a kind of three step routine.  After a bath or shower I pat myself dry with a towel and then as soon as possible (within the next 2 minutes) I apply my first layer of moisturiser.  It's usually a thinner one that absorbs well.  At the moment I'm using the Organic Shop's Organic Strawberry & Milk Body Mousse.  I apply it in a layer on the skin and then leave it to absorb whilst I apply it to the other areas.  For me the most important parts of my skin where I will get eczema if I'm not careful are the insides of my elbows, upper arms and lower back.
Once that has absorbed I'll gently rub in any excess and then follow up with a medium thickeness moisturiser such as Burt's Bees Sensitive Aloe and Buttermilk Lotion.  Once that has sunk in if I feel more is necessary I will cover the skin with a layer of something thicker like a rich body butter or a body oil. Right now I'm using Primavera Organic Sweet Almond Oil.
I only use this routine on the areas of my skin that are the driest/ most sensitive.  Every where else I will just apply one layer of moisturiser.  I've been finding this really helps as since the weather changed one layer of moisturiser just wasn't doing the trick.  Also sealing it all in with the thickest moisturiser or oil you have helps the effect of the moisturisers to last longer.
I still have to top up those areas of my skin with moisturiser during the day but I've noticed a real improvement to the skin since doing this.  It may seem crazy to people with normal skin but with sensitive skin prone to eczema prevention is better than cure and if I don't keep it under control it can very quickly escalate to a situation where a steroid cream is the only answer.  I hate having to use strong medication so I do everything I can to avoid letting my skin get to this stage.
This is just one of a few things I do to keep my eczema under control but it is a huge essential part of it.  If you suffer from eczema too I hope this may have been some use to you!

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

1 comment:

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