Winter Eczema Basics: How to Prevent and Treat Winter Eczema
More than any other time of year, eczema can become worse during the Winter months, especially in children. The reason is thought to be a combination of factors including:
- the cold dry windy days which can rob skin of moisture
- low humidity from heaters and fireplaces that we use to warm our homes
- wearing irritating fabrics such as wool more often, which don’t allow your skin to breathe.
All of these factors combined can cause skin irritations that lead to the eczema symptoms of itching, redness and even cracks and bleeding.
What can you do to help prevent or treat Winter eczema?
#1 – As with all times of the year, you need to ensure that you avoid any detergents, soaps, bubble baths or other chemical based irritants around the home. Use a mild pH balance soap for both washing yourself and your home and make sure you always moisturize your skin after showering. Or if you can avoid it altogether then skip the soap and just use water.
#2 – Often you’ll need a stronger moisturizer in Winter than you did in other months. If you are used to using a lotion then in winter switch to a cream that is recommended for eczema prone skin such as Aquaphor.
#3 – Try using a steam vaporizer or humidifier in your home to increase the moisture content in the air. Also don’t make your house too hot, keep it at a comfortable level (as a bonus this should save on heating costs!)
#4 – Wash and bathe in warm water only. Hot water can dry out skin faster and strip it of its natural oils which are needed to protect the skin from drying out.
#5 – While you will still need warm clothing, try and avoid any fabrics that might irritate or scratch the skin such as wool and other heavy fabrics. Cotton is still by far the best choice as it allows the skin to breathe and if you wash it without detergents is a great option for eczema sufferers.
#6 – If you can manage it, try wearing as few clothes as possible. Eczema needs air to heal and so the less you cover it up the faster it can clear up. Of course make sure the blinds are closed when you do this 
If all else fails then consider visiting a dermatologist that specialises in treating eczema for extra help.
