As it’s Eczema Awareness Month, it’s good to know about showering and how it can influence flare-ups. Understanding eczema and how it’s triggered by everyday habits is important. In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about eczema, why flare-ups happen, and how showering can affect your eczema.
Why Eczema Awareness Month Matters
A lot of people have to cope with Eczema, some have it frequently, whilst others will develop it at different points within their lives. Therefore, sharing information during Eczema Awareness Month is incredibly important.
It helps to educate the public about the realities of living with Eczema, whilst also helping those with the skin condition learn more about it themselves. Through education and awareness, it can help to reduce the stigma surrounding the skin condition and ultimately help to advocate for better treatments and research.
Daily routines can contribute to flare-ups, like showering, for example. This isn’t something that everyone is aware of when it comes to eczema and how it can be triggered.
What Is Eczema and Why Do Flare-Ups Happen?
Eczema is a group of inflammatory skin conditions that cause itchy, dry, and irritated skin. Eczema flare-ups are often triggered by a combination of factors.
These include any of the following:
- Irritants like soaps and detergents
- Allergens like pollen, pet dander, and some foods
- Environmental conditions like heat, sweat, and dry weather
- Stress and hormonal changes
- Skin infections
- Certain fabrics
The skin’s barrier acts as a protective barrier against these irritants and moisture loss. However, for those who have eczema, it’s weakened by a genetic defect. This leaky barrier allows for the allergens, bacteria, and other triggers to penetrate more easily.
This leads to a heightened immune response, where the vicious cycle of flare-ups continues.
Does Showering Affect Eczema?
Showering can often leave your skin feeling itchy, red, tight, or dry when you have sensitive skin. For individuals with eczema, it’s best to have showers that are short and lukewarm in temperature.
The hotter the water is, the more irritating it will be for your skin in general. Hotter temperatures also strip the skin of its essential oils and disrupt the skin’s barrier. This leads to skin irritation and flare-ups.
There are some common myths surrounding eczema that are worth dispelling. For example, you shouldn’t bathe when you have eczema. In fact, regular bathing is important to help manage eczema, so long as the water isn’t hot. Another myth is that eczema is a sign of poor hygiene, but that’s not the case.
Eczema is a medical condition that’s related to genetics and immune system function; it’s not due to hygiene.
Best Showering Practices for Managing Eczema
To help manage eczema, especially when showering, there are several best practices worth following. Follow these steps to help manage this skin condition, allowing you to enjoy showering.
1. Limit the duration
Be sure to keep the shower or bath brief. Ideally, between five and ten minutes.
2. Use gentle cleansers
Using gentle cleansers is the best way to reduce flare-ups. Avoid soaps and shower gels that strip away your skin’s natural oils. Use gentle soap-free and fragrance-free cleansers.
3. Wash hair carefully
When using shampoo, use a sensitive skin formula option as opposed to one that’s heavily perfumed.
4. Pat dry gently
Patting dry your skin rather than rubbing it will help to avoid irritating your skin’s sensitivity after a shower.
5. Moisturise immediately
Apply a thick, fragrance-free emollient or moisturizer over your body to protect your skin while it's damp. This locks in that moisture.
Can a Shower Filter Help Reduce Eczema Flare-Ups?
A shower filter can help reduce eczema flare-ups due to the filtering it does to clear out chlorine, hard water, and other chemicals. Reducing harsh chemicals can be helpful to soften the water minerals so that they’re not stripping away your skin’s natural oils or causing irritation.
With that being said, using shower filters like those from AquaBliss is a practical solution for those who have eczema or are prone to the condition.
Other Lifestyle Tips to Prevent Eczema Flare-Ups
There are other lifestyle benefits that will help prevent eczema flare-ups from being so frequent.
Here are some helpful tips worth knowing:
- Moisturise daily
- Take warm baths
- Don’t scratch
- Wear gentle fabrics
- Keep your skin cool
- Use a dehumidifier
- Identify trigger foods
- Stay hydrated
- Manage your stress levels
- Wash any new clothes
- Avoid common triggers like perfumes, etc.
These lifestyle changes can make a big difference in preventing eczema from taking control of your life.
Special Considerations for Children with Eczema
If you’ve got children who are struggling with eczema currently, then there are some special considerations to make for those little ones who need help. Look at bathing your child in lukewarm water and keep it short, to about ten minutes max.
Avoid hot water and harsh soaps, using an emollient or soap substitute instead. Gently pat the skin dry and apply a thick layer of emollient to seal in the moisture. There are plenty of child-friendly cleansers and moisturizers out there that are worth investing in.
To prevent scratching post-shower, consider cool compresses applied to the skin and making sure moisturizer is applied quickly.
Raising Awareness and Supporting the Eczema Community
It’s important that you’re mindful of eczema and whether you deal with the condition yourself or know someone who does, participation in awareness campaigns is beneficial in helping the cause.
Supporting eczema research organizations can also be helpful to ensure more noise is made about this skin condition and supported in the future, too. Sharing stories and building community support through your own social media channels is a great way to reach more people and hopefully inform those who might not know a lot about eczema in general.
Ease Flare-ups and Eczema with Shower Filters
Showering is certainly influential to eczema and flare-ups in general, so it’s good to use these tips mentioned to minimize the triggers. Adding a shower filter to your bathroom shower might be a useful investment to help minimize the flare-ups that occur when cleaning yourself.
The shower filters from AquaBliss are the perfect addition to your space, providing a more comfortable showering experience for the whole family.
