What are the habits to avoid when you have eczema?

For eczema patients, there are daily reflexes to be adopted: take showers instead of baths, choose suitable cosmetics, hydrate your skin thoroughly, etc. And there are habits to avoid completely!

Habits to avoid in case of eczema flare-up

For eczema flare-ups:

• Say "no" to fragrances and antiseptics

Avoid applying products other than topical corticosteroids or medical devices in the form of soothing repair creams on eczema plaques: do not use antiseptics or fragrances...

Natural and organic products are very popular at the moment and there are many people who try to treat their eczema with essential oils or plant oils. Beware of sensitization or even allergy risk. Don't forget that skin with eczema is inflammatory and highly fragile. If you still want to try alternative treatments, you must first verify the absence of allergy by applying to the elbow fold and waiting for 48h. You must also speak to your doctor or pharmacist about it.

• Comply with the indications on where to apply emollients

Avoid applying emollients directly to plaques, since it risks stinging the skin: it is better to apply emollients on areas with no plaques

• Do not touch the plaques

Avoid examining or touching plaques every 5 minutes: after applying the treatment, try to move on to something else. There's no use reapplying the topical corticosteroid several times a day. This will not be more effective than one daily application (or even two depending on prescriptions). On the contrary, this can lead to an increased risk of undesirable effects

• Do not feel guilty

Try not to blame yourself and don't consider the appearance eczema plaques as a failure: continue your efforts no matter what

• Stop scratching

Avoid scratching the plaques; this only makes the lesions worst. To best deal with a flare-up, you must absolutely avoid giving in to the urge to scratch; you will end up trapped in a vicious circle.