Eczema is a term used in medicine to describe a common skin condition in today's world. In the vast majority of cases, it is a type of dermatitis or epidermal inflammation. The outermost layer of our skin is called epidermis, and when common symptoms such as a change in diet, stress, smoking & environment, it can cause inflammation on the skin leaving red blotchy patches. It is a truly unmerciful skin problem that leads to dryness of different parts of the body, even if they are not directly inflamed (redness). There are many different symptoms of this condition, and some of the most common ones include:

• Redness
• Hives
• Itchy Skin
• Dry skin
• Cracking
• Blisters

Also, it is not unusual for eczema sufferers to have long term side effects of continuous scratching which include: mild skin discoloration & removal melanoma on the skin.

Eczema is not contagious & if the person is not scratching his/or her skin, it is purely cosmetic. The skin discolorations are side effects of a patient's body trying to heal after a skin breakout.

What is a skin breakout? It is when a person has an uncontrollable urge to itch mainly from an increase in inflammation in the body.

What causes inflammation? Inflammation of the skin is different for everybody, as stated before, the most common triggers are:

•  Allergies (foods,animals,environment)
•  Stress (very common)
•  Alcohol
•  Smoking
•  Poor diet
•  Not drinking enough water
•  Sleep (Sleep reduces inflammation throughout the body)
•  Body overheating

It’s good to point out that psoriasis is often confused with eczema. Although they have some similarities, they are different skin conditions. You can determine the difference between the two as eczema is usually found in the joints, or the flexor points in this area to be more precise. Which are generally the "hot" spots on our body, this is where you are more likely to sweat which will cause irritation on the skin. Psoriasis also has a dry layer of skin above the redness which can sometimes be hard to tell the difference, you can read our guide on psoriasis here. 

TREATMENT?

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Our suggestion:

We also recommend to use the C+ Cream in conjunction with the Graham Body & Bath Oil as these two products work by coating the skin with the Oil to hydrate and barrier whilst the cream works to fight inflammation with the powerful herbs (Calendula, Gotu Kola and Propolis) and control bacteria (Manuka Honey). You can read more here. 

Unfortunately, there is no universal cure for this skin disease. However, it is worth mentioning that there are many different kinds of topical treatments specially designed for skin problems. These treatments are focused on limiting the breakout, lowering the intensity of inflammation while easing discomfort and itching.

In many cases, doctors are prescribing corticosteroid pharmaceutical drugs for eczema. The science behind corticosteroid medications is simple – they can reduce itching by reducing the inflammation in the body or on the skin which in result lowers the intensity of redness and soothes the dry patches. While these creams will work, these creams have huge side effects from long term use. 

In most cases, people can expect:

• Increased skin sensitivity
• Thinner skin (very easily bruised)
• High blood pressure
• Suppressed hormone production
• Weight gain
• Pimples
• Cushing syndrome (moon face)

This is the reason why many doctors will try to limit a patient's use of this drug.

There are cases where antibiotics can be quite helpful too. There are situations when your skin becomes very inflamed and develops cracks and wounds in different parts of the skin. The skin becomes a breeding ground for bacteria which can make the skin appear worse. Frequent scratching will continue to open the skin's protective layer and leave it vulnerable to bacteria.

We strongly recommend the natural approach for dealing with Eczema, with a cream or gel with all natural ingredients you eliminate all of the side effects associated with chemical based products. A natural cream works by using powerful herbal ingredients such as the ones in our C+ Eczema Cream, to extract the heat and inflammation on the skin.

In the last decade, the use of immuno suppressants as a treatment for allergies linked to skin problems is becoming more popular. Medical professionals utilise these drugs when patients suffering don’t notice any improvement with conventional therapies. As the name suggests, immuno suppressant injections are taken to make the immune system stronger. A strong immune system may improve your skin by strengthening your immune system to not react with common allergies. However, this is a very atypical treatment which requires regular medical checkups and professional monitoring.

One of the most important aspects of maintaining and keeping eczema under control is a proper moisturising routine on a daily basis to avoid the problems with dry skin. The best time to moisturise is directly after a shower or bath; this is when the skin's pores are raw and open. If patients have dry skin, they can expect even more problems. So, maintaining a moisturised skin barrier is one of the best things that you can do.  

TYPES OF ECZEMA  

Believe it or not, there are different types of eczema! To start with, there is atopic eczema. It represents an allergic disorder which is usually triggered hereditary (passed down in the family). This is typical for people whose other family members may have other health issues like asthma and hay fever. In most cases, it comes in the form of a rash that leads to intense itching, especially in the areas on the bend of the knees, elbows, neck, chest & inner thighs.

Another common type is called xerotic eczema, which is mainly known as winters itch. This type is found in individuals with extreme cases of skin dryness. During the winter period, patients suffering from xerotic can experience even more problems, with it usually affecting the core area, legs, and arms of patients.

Contact dermatitis is yet another kind of type of skin problem which is very common these days. It can be classified as irritant and allergic. About 75% of people affected by contact dermatitis have the irritant type of this condition. It usually occurs when a person touches or uses some ingredient that their body is allergic too. Patient's should stop touching or using the source that triggers this type of eczema in the first place. Many types of chemical based soaps, detergents or washing cleansers will trigger contact dermatitis on the skin.

Seborrhoeic dermatitis is another common type of eczema & is commonly found in babies too which is known as cradle cap. This particular kind of eczema is often associated with dandruff, peeling or flaking of the scalp. Mothers should be careful is when the baby or infant experiences severe cradle cap.   

CONTROLLING

The good news is that there are many different things that people can do to control the irritations & minimise the effects of this skin condition. Try and stay away from harsh detergents, soaps, powders, and chemicals. There are natural hypoallergenic detergents and moisturising soaps on our website that specifically made for people with sensitive skin! It is also a good idea to avoid perfumes and powders of any kind. These products are not good for the skin and will most likely make the situation even worse. 

Feel free to contact us if you have questions!