WHAT IS THE BEST LOTION TO USE FOR ECZEMA?
WHAT IS THE BEST LOTION TO USE IF YOU SUFFER FROM ANNOYING ECZEMA?
Here is the answer...TAA-DAA.... EUCERIN CALMING CREAM, hands down!!!!
Oh, I guess you saw it up there, didn't you?
Take it from me, I have done all the trials and tribulations for you already. Nothing is worse than itchy skin. It destroys your day, your week, your life! It's all you can think about. You can't relax. Sometimes, you can't even sleep! You don't want to scratch, because that just makes it worse!
I developed eczema as an adult, but come from a long line of asthma and hay fever sufferers. Allergies and sensitive skin run in my family. When I first developed eczema, I tried everything. I was desperate! I tried anti-histamines, both pill form and topical; various anti-itch creams, Caladril...I tried coconut based products. I tried other special "eczema creams." Nothing really seemed to help.
So one day I saw a product advertised on TV called Eucerin calming cream. I admit - I was a sucker for the name. CALMING CREAM. AHHHH. How LOVELY that sounded! It's just what my irritated itchy skin craved...CALMING. SOOTHING. REST AND RELAXTION.
So I trucked on down to my local Rite-Aide and picked up a tube. It was a little more expensive than your typical "bargain brand" moisturizers...but hey, I figured, if it works, it's worth all the money in the world (and trust me, it wasn't THAT expensive....actually, you can get the rip-off Rite Aide brand for just eight bucks).
As soon as I got the stuff home, I uncapped it with anticipation. Then I squeezed out a dollop, and was immediately impressed. This stuff is THICK...not watery and thin. I LIKE that in a moisturizer. Plus, it had absolutely NO scent...trust me, I am a sucker for pretty scents, but when it comes to sensitive skin, no scent is best!
To continue the saga, I rubbed it into my skin, and immediately sighed a sigh of relief. AHHHH...the stuff DID feel calming! I felt like it was working RIGHT AWAY! It was AMAZING! MIRACULOUS!
What is IN this stuff?
So I read the ingredients and found out.
OATMEAL!
Wait a minute! Oatmeal was making my skin feel like it was suddenly on vacation in Figi?
YES!
But not just ANY old oatmeal. Not the kind of oatmeal you eat in a bowl with raisons and brown sugar.
COLLODIAL oatmeal.
WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?
I did some research and found out. Collodial oatmeal is ground up oatmeal (into a powdery form) that they place in lotions for the specific reason of LOWERING YOUR SKIN'S PH LEVEL! Whoa! Yes, itchy skin actually has a HIGHER PH level than normal skin! (Who knew)? The collodial oatmeal in Eucerin actually breaks the whole annoying itch/scratch cycle! Plus,it provides 24 hour moisturization, and is safe for children!
Eucerin has a WHOLE LINE of products for your skin, which I will happily sample..trust me, these people know what works (and no, I do NOT work for the Eucerin Company)!
Plus, Eucerin has no steroids in it (a common method for controlling the annoying itch of eczema) which can ultimately harm your skin by thinning it.
Eucerin will be the one and only brand product for my skin, from now on. It's great for anyone with sensitive or problem skin........SO SEND YOUR SKIN ON VACATION! Seriously, it will thank you!
BAKING SODA IN A PINCH!
BAKING SODA ADDENDUM
As an "addendum" to my little Eucerin saga, I would like to add this bit about baking soda. I read somewhere that a cool "baking soda bath" can also relieve the annoying itch of eczema.
I was out of Eucerin (and penniless!) the other day, but did manage to find a box of Arm and Hammer in the cabinet (also good for tooth whitening when you can't afford the "real" products).
Anyway, I wet a washcloth with cool water and dabbed some baking soda on, and gently washed my forehead, which was itching. Wow! I felt instant relief! I wish I had tried this home-made solution sooner!
I want to share this with you, fellow excema sufferers, because we are all in the same itchy boat, and I know how uncomfortable it is. Try this! It doesn't have to be a whole bathtub full of baking soda...just a dab on a cool (never hot - hot water can actually release histamines...did you know that? Always cool to tepid water...don't forget...!) wash-cloth over the affected area.
Do you wash all the baking soda off? I've tried it both ways.. ..washing it off completely, and leaving a little rubbed in to my skin. Both ways are effective.
But the most effective way of all? Just hold the cool wet washcloth with the bit of baking soda right over the itchy area....you should feel relief within minutes!
MORE ADVICE?
(I can't seem to stop....AHHHHH)...I know you've heard this before, but eczema definitely does have a mental component involved....seriously, if you can keep your stress levels and anxiety down, you will feel an improvement in your skin condition.
Try relaxation techniques....watch funny movies....read funny things (try some of my other hubs)....simplify your life.....maintain good relationships....delegate extra work..give up your "perfectionism" and EXERCISE whenever possible!
You'll not only be helping your skin...you may also be lowering your blood pressure, and improving your immune system, as well. Stress takes quite a negative toll on your body!
Also, be aware of certain food "triggers" that can set you off. If you start itching madly after eating peanut butter on crackers for lunch...peanuts may be your culprite (which would stink, because hey..peanut butter is tasy good. But..oh well)! or people "triggers" - people who give you stress.
Now if that person is your spouse, you may have a real problem....but try to work it out. Don't take things so seriously! Don't hop on the defensive all the time! Positive relationships are vital for mental (and skin!)health.
SOME MORE WEIRD TIPS I'VE PICKED UP
Here are a few more unusual ideas I've picked up from fellow eczema sufferers.....you can give them a try....when you're desperate, you'll try anything, right? Here they are: Selson Blue dandruff shampoo, and athlete's foot spray!