The most common triggers for Eczema are dry skin, irritants, allergens, stress, hormonal changes, the weather and temperature. When the skin lacks moisture, its natural barrier is compromised, and the skin is more vulnerable to triggers, which vary in severity person-to-person. Some may be more susceptible to flare-ups from soaps and detergents, others to hormonal fluctuations; it is all dependent on your genetic makeup and frequency of exposure to triggering elements.

Depending on your personal triggers, you may find it beneficial to:

• Opt for soft, fragrance-free soaps and detergents – this extends beyond bath and shower products, also consider avoiding laundry products with dyes or perfumes. 
• Wear loose, natural fabrics – Synthetic fabrics and wool can cause friction and irritation that lead to eczema flare-ups. This is especially helpful when exercising to manage sweat production and minimise the chances of irritation.
• Use eco-friendly cleaners – These contain comparatively less harsh chemicals, which can quickly cause irritation for those with eczema.
• Avoid environmental allergens – Including pollen, pet dander, dust mites, and mould spores. Checking pollen count, especially in the spring and summer months, can help inform your day-to-day decisions.
• Undergo allergy testing – For some, especially infants and young children, foods like dairy, eggs, peanuts, soy, and wheat can trigger eczema. It is important to know whether you could be allergic to foods that are secretly causing flare-ups.
• Moisturize regularly – Using thick, fragrance-free creams and ointments twice a day can help to lock in moisture and prevent your skin from drying.
• Keep your nails trimmed and resist scratching – This is much easier said than done, but applying a cold compress to itchy areas and resisting the urge to scratch can minimise long-term skin damage.
• Consult a Doctor – If self-care measures are not lessening the regularity of eczema flare-ups, you may require medicated creams, prescribed by a doctor, to manage your symptoms.

In eczema skincare, you should look for topical creams and ointments containing ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, petrolatum, vitamin B3, and Zinc Oxide. Each of these ingredients helps to retain moisture, reduce itchiness, and hold skin cells together, providing a natural barrier that is often lost to triggers and leads to eczema flare-ups.

Conversely, you should avoid fragrances and perfumes, harsh cleansers, alcohols, urea, lanolin, retinoids, and preservatives, including MI and MCI. These ingredients can be very irritating to those with eczema and can severely dry the skin, causing painful stinging sensations and inflammation.

When identifying which ingredients are personally triggering, patch test your products on a small area of skin before using them in larger quantities. This will allow time for your body to absorb the ingredients and react, and alert you to their unsuitability for your skin.

Eczema can appear at any age, from infancy to adulthood. Most cases are identified in babies and young children, and often appear on the face, scalp, elbows, and knees. For some who develop eczema in childhood, it can lie dormant during adolescence but reappear during adulthood. For those who develop eczema for the first time in adulthood, it is referred to as “adult-onset atopic dermatitis” and can be mistakenly diagnosed as another condition.

Eczema can appear later in life due to a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental triggers. A family history of eczema, asthma, and hay fever can increase the chances of a person who does not develop eczema in childhood, to do so in adulthood. Furthermore, physical and emotional stress, as well as exposure to new irritants and hormonal changes, can trigger flare-ups at any stage of life.