Eczema Sufferers

[Selene]

One thing I have found helpful in holding off flare ups is using the skin cream Xerand. It's made by La Roche Posay, and it costs $12 for a 75 ml / 2.55 fl oz tube. My dermatologist recommended it to me. It works by restoring the skin's protective lipid barrier, which makes it especially good for frequently washed hands, and extreme weather conditions. It really helps keep my skin from becoming dry and irritated.

Here is a bit more information on Xerand from the official site: http://www.laroche-posay.us/productdetail.html?pid=27
[I don't think this qualifies as a prohibited e-commerce link, because the page I linked to is not from an online store; it is just an informational page. Sorry if I am mistaken.]

It can be purchased from several places online, such as skin-etc and dermstore.

[syrene78]

Yes, I know this cream. It is actually very good. I remember buying and using it very often when I was living in France. I used it for my very dry hands as I couln't stand any other braands which burnt my skin because of the fragrance or the composition.
But I didn't know that you could use it for the excema too!
I think that CVS now carries some La Roche Posay products. They are very good as very rich in Thermal water from the Alps.
Same as the brand Avene that I love too!
Try it, even for very dry hands!

[MarniMac]

This is kind of an avant garde suggestion...but I've been living with excema my whole life and I could honestly write a book on everything I have tried...after dermatoligist treatments of all kinds, my excema just comes right back...a year ago, I got fake (acrylic) nails, and it really helps control my excema, I guess because I scratch in my sleep, and the nails are really dull, so it helps to break the "itch, scratch" cycle.
I also reccomend a good, hearty moisturizer (dream cream is the bomb, but I only use it on my face...it is GREAT for making fine lines and wrinkles dissappear also).
Another suggestion is to apply your moisturizers while your skin is still damp from your shower. I really like Curel Ultra Healing body lotion...it works really well for me. I actually do a cocktail of the Curel, Sarna lotion and cortisone cream. You have to be careful with longterm cortisone cream use, because Dr.'s say that it can cause skin atrophy, meaning that your skin will no longer work properly.
I think that Vitamin E and tons of water also help...as does working out, but make sure you rinse off in the shower afterward bcs sometimes your own sweat can cause an excema flareup.
One last thing...Clinique makes a face cream "Incredibly soothing cream for upset skin"...its fantastic.

[Katja]

I've had excema all my life, but the horrible patches (notably behind my knees and on my arms) went away completely after I was 12. It was weird. The doctor always prescribed the Triamcinolone, and it soothed it a lot. I haven't had to use it since.

Funny you post this though. I moved to St. Louis about 3 years ago, and this past summer I had this uncontrollable itching all over my body. I assumed it was due to new developed allergies. EVERYDAY I was itching. I started taking 1 Benedryl every night to ease my itching. I don't itch anymore due to the medication, BUT I don't like having to take Benedryl everynight. I always wondered WHY I was itching and what the cause was. I'm going to discuss this w/ my doctor next month, but my latent excema might be back to haunt me in a different way. Thanks for bringing that idea to mind.

[syrene78]

Did you ever think that you could be allergic to Iode?
The Iode is found in the sea.
That has nothing to do with excema but some people are allergic.
Whether it is when you it to much shellfish or go on a very salty beach, then the day after you feel very itchy all over your body or on a particular spot. Then you have a rash and it itches like hell...
I know, I have had this allergy since I was born...
You need to take Zyrtec, that's what is most efficient to me at least.
And speak to your GP about it and get tested.
If you ever take a scanner, you must absolutely tell them that you are allergic to Iode as it is what they inject in your blood (in huge quantities) as a maker and it can be very harmful to you then.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katja

I've had excema all my life, but the horrible patches (notably behind my knees and on my arms) went away completely after I was 12. It was weird. The doctor always prescribed the Triamcinolone, and it soothed it a lot. I haven't had to use it since.

Funny you post this though. I moved to St. Louis about 3 years ago, and this past summer I had this uncontrollable itching all over my body. I assumed it was due to new developed allergies. EVERYDAY I was itching. I started taking 1 Benedryl every night to ease my itching. I don't itch anymore due to the medication, BUT I don't like having to take Benedryl everynight. I always wondered WHY I was itching and what the cause was. I'm going to discuss this w/ my doctor next month, but my latent excema might be back to haunt me in a different way. Thanks for bringing that idea to mind.

[MACtastic]

Oh the evils of eczema.
I had eczema on my face until just recently..two large patches on both sides of my face (right by my ears) and sometimes on my neck and arms. It was terrible. During my junior and senior years of high school, no one seemed to understand it was eczema, they all just thought I was gross. Kids can be so mean, eh? Anywho, here's what worked for me:

Body wash: Johnson and Johnson's Soothing Care Body Wash (it comes in a cream colored bottle with a green cap)
Moisturizer: Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream (on arms)
Some other weird things that worked: Vaselene (on face...I'd tie my hair back and dab some Vaselene on my eczema. This moisturized and protected the patches...I'd break out a bit sometimes if the Vaselene traveled a little, but these patches were so bad that I'd rather have a couple pimples than eczema), Diaper creme (No joke, this was recommended to me by my doc. I used it at night to protect my eczema patches (just like its usually used to protect babies from diaper rash)...I'd put it on and let it dry before I went to bed.)

Eczema is a terrible pain to deal with, I hope you ladies find some relief!

[glueme]

I was actually looking at diaper cream yesterday and wondering if I was crazy enough to try it (I'm desperate!). But now I definitely will! Thanks.

[smellyocheese]

hate hate hate eczema!!! I've been to soo many skin specialists and had dozens of hospital check ups, ran tests.... had to apply tubs of creams and take tons of pills and yet I"m still suffering. *sighs*

anyways, I wouldn't recommend steroid creams or any other medical creams for that matter to be used solely for a long time as the effect may wear off or get worse. I've gone through so many steroid creams and none actually worked for long. plus it darkened the skin and also stripped off the colour pigments on my lips. As for non steroid creams (I tried freederm), it helped tremendously at first.. then it stopped working then it gave me a rash.

So, now I'm using Alomet (steroid) on my body and Creme de La Mer on my face. I would highly recommend La Mer cream because the effect doesn't wear off plus it's gentle on the skin. I know the price can be hefty but you don't actually have to apply alot. I just pat my finger on the cream to lift up some of it, rub it between my fingers to warm it then pat on the eczema affected area. it really really helps to relieve and get rid of the rash. Using it this way, a 30ml jar can last me about 8-10 months.

Here are a few other tips for eczema sufferers:
- Use moisturising skin care products. Avoid those with drying agents and AHA. Always use a moisturiser. Don't use a toner.
- Use masks (avoid clay) and scrubs sparingly.
- Avoid bathing or showering in warm/hot water. Don't use soaps. use moisturising shower gels and stuff instead.No anti-bacterial liquids as they're drying. bathe less frequently if possible or at least use less body wash.
- monitor the food that you take so that you won't trigger the eczema
- avoid using powders because of the talc which is very drying. avoid using foundations as well unless they're cream based. for those who don't wish for such heavy coverage, go for a tinted moisturiser instead.
- monitor the cosmetic products that you use as well making sure that you avoid anything that can cause irritation. Also, always try the products on your face so that you won't waste money by buying products that you can't use (that is if you can't return it).

good luck!

[BaDaSs llTiNall]

We had a REALLLLYYYY awesome doctor that came in to speak to the class and he spoke about eczema, he said Aveeno is a good line to use.

[MAC Mel]

wow..this is a good thread! I am also suffering from ecxema. I HATE IT! I have ecxema all over my body...especially around this time of the year. Well, I get all year round but right now my excema is really flaring up. I have excema from head to toe. I've been to all the dermologist...and still, I have the worst case of excema. I've been prescribe to some creams and ointments and it seems to not work for me.

I am a nursing mother, and because of that I can't use any of the strong ointments or cream. I wish I can just wean my baby..but it's so hard. She's attached! She doesn't even know how to drink out a bottle or even suck on a pacifier.

It sucks that there is no cure for this.=/

[Korms]

I had severe Eczema from my entire childhood, then I got interested in skincare and found a routine that has rid me of the serious itching.

Every other day I make time for a bath. I don't use bubbles, just a few drops of baby oil or nothing at all. While the bath is running I exfoliate my whole body with a gentle exfoliator (here in the UK I can get a huge tub of apricot facial scrub for 99p!). I rinse of the exfoliator when I get in the bath and soak for no more that 15 minutes. I then rinse under the shower to make sure all the oil is off and pat myself dry.

My moisturiser of choice is Lush 'Dream Cream'. Seriously, this stuff works miracles. No prescribed medicine has ever done for me what this stuff does. After the cream has soaked in, I use a baby talc to avoid chaffing and irritation from clothes.

[MAChostage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Korms

I had severe Eczema from my entire childhood, then I got interested in skincare and found a routine that has rid me of the serious itching.

Every other day I make time for a bath. I don't use bubbles, just a few drops of baby oil or nothing at all. While the bath is running I exfoliate my whole body with a gentle exfoliator (here in the UK I can get a huge tub of apricot facial scrub for 99p!). I rinse of the exfoliator when I get in the bath and soak for no more that 15 minutes. I then rinse under the shower to make sure all the oil is off and pat myself dry.

The one thing for sure is that different remedies tend to work for different people. My dermatologist strongly warns me about using any kind of exfoliant on my affected area. I can't stand it when I have patches that feel rough, raised and (in my opinion) beg for exfoliation! When I mentioned this to my doctor he told me "I don't care what you use on the rest of your body, but DO NOT use any type of exfoliant on your eczema!" I hate this condition.

[glueme]

Ok, so since of late I thew out and competely stopped using my topical steroids, I've been seeking out an alternative natural way of treating and healing my skin. (I'd done some research and realized that I already had the minor effects caused by prolonged topical steroid use - easy bruising, bruises that don't heal, unresponsive skin, addiction to the steroid, fatigue, muscle soreness etc.)

My skin has recently been going through a horrible, horrible flare up (stupid undecisive weather!), so I've been desperate. I heard from a friend who suffers from psorisis about naturopathic medicine, so I decided to give it a shot. I knew of another person with eczema who swears it cleared his skin right up and now his life is a thousand times better.

The theory is that your skin is a reflection of what's going on inside your body. Normal western medicine treats eczema from the outside and from inflammation to inflammation, not really curing anything in the long run. The naturopathic way is to assess and change things going on inside your body, as the your biggest organ, you skin, is the receiver of all the toxins that are ingested into your system. The aim to to remove all irritants, toxins and allergens from your life - through you diet, what you are routinely in contact with, etc. It aims to remove as many unnatural chemicals from your daily routine, as these often are more irritating than helpful.

I just started today, but here is what my doctor started me on (very similar to most naturopathic methods):

A Change of Diet (4 weeks)

No
wheat
gluten
yeast
sugar
dairy
eggs
red meat
caffeine
alcohol

Yes
white meat
wild game
fish
fruits (limit tropical)
vegetables
brown rice
oatmeal
quinoa
green tea
herbal tea
water

It's going to be hard! But I have to be strict on this, otherwise it'll be a waste of time and money.

I also took a blood allergy test to test for what allergens I'm susceptible to (long-term allergens, not immediate response ones), so I get that test beack in two weeks and my diet will change accordingly.

Removing Chemicals

So this is removing irritants from anything that comes in contact with my skin.

All natural, chemical free shampoo, conditioner, cream, lotion, oil, laundry detergent, fabric softener, soap, etc.

My doctor also prescirbed me EFA-PLEX oil, which I am supposed to take in juice, water, smoothie whatever. Also goes along wioth the theory that it will moisturize your system from the inside out. She also gave me a homeopathic ointment (RC30?) to replace my steroid use to treat inflammation. She suggested taking out whatever I needed to use, mixing in 2-3 drops of essential lavender oil and apply.


Today my skin burned insanely, so I took a bath with a LUSH In the Nude bathmelt,a bit of a Butterball bomb, and a cheescloth bundle of oatmeal. I rubbed the bundle of oatmeal all over (feels so good! another reccommendation of my doctor) to calm my inflammed skin. The after I applied my cream - my skin burned so much as always when it's flaring - I mixed the lavender oil into the ointment and slapped it on quickly. The burning stopped instantly! I've never been so surprised...I usually have to wait 15-30 minutes before the burning subsides.

Anyway, sorry for the essay. I just really wanted to share thsi with you guys because I know how you all feel. Maybe some of you will want to try going natural. I'll keep updates on how my skin's feeling - wish me luck - and if any of you want to try to diet with me, let me know!

[xbeatofangelx]

Have any of you tried Zinc cream? Or any type of ointment with zinc? It's supposed to be for "problem skin". I purchased one from a health store, and it's tinted, and can be used under makeup. It does dry your skin out a little, but as soon as I used it, the flare ups on my elbows practically dissappeared.

Has anyone else heard anything about this?

[Korms]

After using steroid creams, has anyone else been left with yellowing of the skin? I have really noticeable yellow areas on my neck (I am fair skinned) and I recently found out that this is a common side effect of steroid creams and that it is permanent. I'm quite annoyed because my Doctor never explained that there were side effects when the cream was prescribed, I was just warned not to use it on my face (which I didn't).

The discolouration really gets me down some days because I have short hair and I feel that it's really obvious, I'm sure people think I've got some sort of viral infection

[xbeatofangelx]

I've always been yellow.. heehee.. (I'm Chinese)

Try a whitening mask?

[syrene78]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Korms

After using steroid creams, has anyone else been left with yellowing of the skin? I have really noticeable yellow areas on my neck (I am fair skinned) and I recently found out that this is a common side effect of steroid creams and that it is permanent. I'm quite annoyed because my Doctor never explained that there were side effects when the cream was prescribed, I was just warned not to use it on my face (which I didn't).

The discolouration really gets me down some days because I have short hair and I feel that it's really obvious, I'm sure people think I've got some sort of viral infection

That is really annoying!
I have psiorasis in my scalp and fortunately, nobody can't see anything, except when some new hait starts growing in the middle of my head, like a palm tree, straight up! LOL!
And I was diagnosed with eczema on my hands a moth ago...
I alsways thought that I just had very dry hands.
I started the steroid cream but the Doctor never said anything about my hands getting yellow! :confused:
When my hands are relly red, the cortisone cream (or any cream) burns my skin like hell and they hurt so much and get redder.
So, I had to stop using it on the really bad days, which I shouldn't...
Does anyone have this problem as well?

I started applying on my face a new calming cream for allergies that I just love: Calenda Cream by Jurlique and it was so soothing that it wasn't burning my hands.
It is actually recommended for eczema and psiorasis as well.
It is wonderful!
Please, go get a sample at Sephora or somwhere else!
It WILL help, at least, it will calm your skin.

Steph

[Korms]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xbeatofangelx

Try a whitening mask?

I did think about that but I certainly won't be considering it while my skin is still sore! As far as I'm aware any skin discolourations caused by steroid creams are non reversable.

Could be worth a try though, when my skin is better! Anyone know any good ones?

[LoR]

I have messed up skin--

eczema psoriasis and acne= FUN TIMES!

HAHAH I have used a lot of different steroid creams which usually work, but I recently bought Oil of Olay quench for extra dry skin and my body feels like silk! It has even taken away the eczema on my elbows and legs.

on my face I use aveeno...which helps with everything.

[als1626]

I'm really lucky in that I only have eczema on my left arm and hand (how does it decide where it wants to live? so very weird). I just had a flare-up today, I used some Benadryl Cream on my arm and it went away fairly quickly. I'm also taking EFA's and drinking tons of water and I think that's really helped - I've had almost no flareups this winter, compared to constant flareups most years.

Another great, soothing moisturizer is Talulah Natural's Calendula cream. It's really soothing and super moisturizing - I love it, it's kind of greasy though so it's more of a night thing. For the day, I love Kiehl's super duper hand cream (that's not its real name - the one with the airplane on the tube). It's very heavy duty, sinks in quickly, and is unscented.

Good luck everyone! Drink your water!

[syrene78]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Korms

I did think about that but I certainly won't be considering it while my skin is still sore! As far as I'm aware any skin discolourations caused by steroid creams are non reversable.

Could be worth a try though, when my skin is better! Anyone know any good ones?

I'd suggest you Decleor, it is a completely natural line.
I tried the whitening products but I am so white that i am not sure if I can get any whiter. It is good against skin stains too.

Steph

[Hawkeye]

aquaphore seems to be a good thing for me

[ShoesSunSand]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Eucerin's Calming Creme as a moisturizer yet. It does wonder for me.

Also, I went to Johns Hopkins for my eczema for years, and after experimenting with triamcinelone and various other steroid creams, my doctor finally switched me to Protopic (which is great cause it can be used on the face since it's not a steroid) and it has been the best treatment ever!

[smandell]

How did your Eczema progress? Did it just show up over night or did it take years to get worse. I ask because I've only known I had it for the past few years (since moving to the colder/dryer Northeast from Florida) and in that time it has spread from patches on one arm to both. Other than quantity, the patches themselves haven't gotten worse and they're only very noticeable after a shower, otherwise you can only feel a dry rough spot. The itchiness isn't terrible either, only when I think about it (like right now).

I'm 27, is this it for me or should I be getting ready for something much worse? :confused:

[ColourDuJour]

what a helpful thread!
i had eczema when i was a baby and it went away.
but (dun dun dun daaa) it has come back

what i do....
after a shower (for soap i use Aveeno), cover the affected areas with huge amounts of Eucerin moisterizer. it locks in moister. I then put Protopic (i dont think this is an over the counter product so you should ask your dr.) on the really rough patches of eczema. that should usually keep the redness, itchyness away. and dont forget, being a little bit oily (skin-wise) is good.

ohh and i love aquaphor!

we definantly have to start an eczema support goup