This year, Eczema Awareness Week ran from 13 to 19 May, with dermatologists reiterating that Australia has one of the highest incidences of eczema in the world. This often-debilitating skin condition affects between 10 to 15 per cent of the Australian population, with up to one in four children developing eczema before the age of two. A complex disease, eczema affects the skin, causing itching, dry and cracked skin, hives, blotches and redness. Skin affected by eczema is also more vulnerable to bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and viruses such as the cold sore virus.
Naturopath at Flannerys Organic & Wholefood Market Caroline Robertson says, “eczema can develop for a number of reasons, including climate, lifestyle, hygiene and genetics and can become easily infected, causing pain, inflammation and lack of sleep. It isn’t contagious and, frustratingly, there is no single factor which causes an eczema flareup. It can be kept well-managed, but it is often stressful and costly to get under control.”
Robertson recommends watching your diet by reducing or avoiding sugar and yeast and keep a diary to easily track when flareups occur when eczema occurs. She also recommends supplements like skin strengthening vitamin B, hemp oil or fish oil, avoiding irritants such as harsh soaps, foaming agents, fragrances and preservatives in skincare or washing detergents, and turning the heat down in the shower, as it strips natural oils from the skin and further irritates it. When having a flare, keep skin moist by applying fragrance-free products straight after bathing that include calming ingredients such as shea butter, calendula, lavender, oatmeal and liquorice, and finally look at your gut health. Often any issues occurring in the gut can reflect itself in our skin, so following on from the above, you can also look to increase your gut friendly foods such as nourishing bone broth and probiotics.
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