Finding the right products for eczema can be like a quest for the Holy Grail: endless searching, disappointments and frustration. Here we take a look at what can help manage eczema flares.
Managing eczema is a complicated and highly individual process; from avoiding your triggers to managing your stress levels or discovering the perfect emollient, there’s no one size fits all and no magic bullets.
There are several things that can make the process easier, although what works always depends on your own particular experience of your own particular eczema.
The best emollients
Emollients are the cornerstone of conventional eczema management. They keep fragile or depleted skin soft, protected, and hydrated, and need to be applied frequently, even when your skin isn’t flaring.
The best emollient is the emollient your skin likes best. There’s no point applying a moisturiser that works for your friend, but which you hate the feel or smell of: you need to want to put it on every day!
Find an emollient that feels good and doesn’t irritate your skin; a good start is to look at the ingredients list and note what’s in the cream. Look out for potential allergens and remember different people react to different things.
Here are some ingredients, in no particular order, that some people - but not everyone - with eczema find problematic:
- lanolin
- coconut
- perfumes/parfum/fragrance
- paraffin
- shellfish derivatives
- preservatives
- sulphates
- essential oils
- gluten
- ingredients derived from dairy or soy
- alcohol
The right emollients for the job
Different emollients work for different parts of the body, and at different times. Some are great for daily maintenance, and others work well to calm flares. Some products are well tolerated on legs and arms, but not on the face. Try different creams, oils, lotions and balms to see what works for you.
Here are some Balmonds products worth trying:
- Cracked, raw or broken skin requires a high oil content, so use a thick ointment like Skin Salvation to moisturise and calm down flares.
- Eczema on the scalp can be helped with a combination of an oil and gentle shampoo: we’d suggest Balmonds Scalp Oil in tandem with Balmonds Natural Shampoo & Body Wash.
- Use a bath oil during or immediately after bathing: try Balmonds Bath & Body Oil in the water or smoothed on afterwards
- For quick, easy, all-over daily coverage on unbroken but dry skin, we’d recommend Balmonds Daily Moisturising Cream.
- For intensely itchy but unbroken skin, try Balmonds Cooling Cream.
- If your eczema is on your face or other particularly sensitive areas, use Skin Salvation and/or Balmonds Intensive Facial Oil.
- For nurturing skin damaged or hyperpigmented by eczema, apply Balmonds Rosehip Scar Oil every day for six weeks.
Nourishing emollients
As well as acting as a barrier against water loss and external irritants, some emollients contain beneficial ingredients that can actually actively improve skin health. Look for emollients that are made with plant and seed oils like hemp, borage, sea buckthorn, safflower, olive or rosehip.
Balmonds emollients are also made with herbal tinctures (chamomile, calendula, chickweed and nettle) designed to act as anti-inflammatory agents, to soothe and calm irritated or itchy skin.
Patch tests
The only surefire way of knowing if a particular emollient works for you is to try it! This means doing a patch test of a small amount of emollient before you use it everywhere. Apply some to the skin behind your ear, or the crook of your elbow, or inside your wrist, and then wait for 24-48 hours to check for any itchiness, irritation, raised areas or a difference in colour.
Balmonds offers a 60 day money-back guarantee for all first purchases from our website, which gives you plenty of time to test out a product, first doing a patch test, and then trying it out over a few weeks.
Recommended products:
Balmonds Skin Salvation
with hemp and beeswax
Balmonds Daily Moisturising Cream
with shea butter and calendula
Bath & Body Oil
with lavender, hemp and olive
