Before you read
this, a small disclaimer. I am a mom and I am far from perfect. I try to make
the best decisions for my family and myself. However, I know what it’s like to
have a child in pain (my son had severe head to toe eczema). I was desperate
and would do anything to relieve his suffering. So, we tried everything from
cortisone to prescription moisturizers and various therapies. Then I discovered
the world of natural products and soon realized most the skin care products were
much more soothing (no burning alcohol)
on my son’s skin (most I say because some caused allergic reactions, like
coconut and soy oil) and the laundry alternatives didn’t aggravate his skin. So,
I am now a big believer in eco friendly, natural household products.
Eczema &
Triggers
Eczema is a skin
condition that affects 10-20% of children. It is characterized by red, itchy,
weeping, crusting, and/or scaling skin. In most patients the skin barrier is
weakened and therefore is extra sensitive to anything touching the skin, but
especially topically applied and absorbed. Typical irritants include, but are
not limited to:
·
Food allergies
·
Hot or cold temperatures
·
Stress
·
Colds & viruses
·
Household irritants (dust mites, pets)
·
Clothing and fabrics (wool, etc.)
·
Skincare products w/ certain
chemicals
·
Detergents & drying soaps
·
Fragrances/perfumes
Ingredients to
Avoid
The last three
triggers above may contain very harmful ingredients that can cause eczema to
flare and create overall dry skin. Read product labels carefully and watch out
for:
Sodium
Laurel/Laureth Sulphate (SLS) – Most commonly used to create lather in
shampoo, but it’s used in many skincare products. It is a common skin irritant
and should be avoided. AKA: Sodium Diethylene Glycol Lauryl Ether Sulfate,
Alkyl Ether Sulfate, Sodium Dodecyl Polyoxyethylene Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl
Ethoxysulfate and Sodium Polyoxyethylene Lauryl Sulfate
Fragrance/Perfume – Very irritating to the skin and contains
many harmful chemicals. It’s best to stay away from anything with added
synthetic fran graces. Essential oils, however, are considered a natural
fragrance and also provide beneficial healing properties. For eczema these tend
to be the most recommended essential oils:
chamomile, geranium, rosemary, peppermint, tea tree, thyme, lavender,
patchouli, rose, and bergamot oil.
Paraben – Highly allergenic preservative. Considered a
carcinogenic.
Alcohol – Cream with any form of alcohol sends my son
into a screaming rage. Imagine pouring alcohol on an open wound. Ouch. It is
generally considered “safe” to use products containing alcohol on the skin, but
what about the pain factor?
Mineral oil & Petroleum – May clog pores & does not allow
skin to breathe properly. Atopic dermatitis (a type of eczema) is the body’s
way of releasing toxins, so locking them in the body doesn’t seem like the best
idea.
Polyethylene Glycol. Polyethylene
Glycol (PEG) –
Strips the natural moisture from your skin, not a desired quality in an eczema
care product.
Imidazolidinyl Urea ( IU) and
Diazolidinyl Urea (DU)
- Known to cause eczema and allergies, as well as many other very negative
conditions.
Why Avoidance is Important
Wait, you say. We’ve been
told that products applied to our skin cannot be absorbed into our bodies,
certainly not enough to enter the bloodstream. Well then, what about nicotine
and contraceptive patches? Its possible only small amounts of these chemicals may
be absorbed, but overtime this could cause toxic build up. Since eczema
patients have a weaker skin barrier, many products can enter through their
damaged skin layers much more effortlessly than they can in those with healthy
skin. AND irritated, inflamed eczema skin should be treated gently with calming
oils and creams, not further aggravated with drying agents and known allergens.
Take Precautions with Natural
Ingredients
Well, gosh, this sounds
contradictory. The point I want to make is that what works for one person may
not work for another. So, certain natural products may really help your friend,
but could harm your child. Take coconut oil for example, (virgin cold processed
is best) – it may be the most effective eczema skin treatment for John, but it
could cause an allergic skin reaction for Emma. ALWAYS do a small patch test on
the skin before applying a new skin care product liberally. Watch for a
reaction, usually immediate, but could occur up to a few ours later.
Eczema & Detergents
In addition to detergents
containing harmful chemicals that can cause eczema to flare, some people may
actually be allergic to detergents. Read about this mother’s
struggle to determine the cause of
her son’s eczema and her enlightening discovery.
Food allergies were a huge
trigger for our son, but detergents also bothered his skin. We tried many
detergents – fragrance free, eco-friendly, etc, but everything seemed too harsh
for him. We finally happened across soap nuts and have been happily using them
ever sense. Soap nuts are a great laundry alternative. They sound a bit
extreme, but they really do work and are extremely gentle.
The Best Soaps/Cleansers for
Eczema
The wrong soap can further
dry out eczema skin by stripping it of its natural oils, something to avoid at
all costs. Look for hydrating, moisturizing ingredients like olive, coconut,
and jojoba oils, and essential oils as mentioned above. A good tip is to look
for soap containing very few ingredients. Bar vs. liquid soap – that’s your choice.
A quick note about “tear-free” products, these have chemicals added to numb the
eyes. Natural products will not contain these chemicals and therefore could
burn the eyes, so use caution.
Product Safety Database
Still have questions? Here is
an AMAZING resource for skincare products. EWG’s
Skin Deep Cosmetics Database has a
thorough listing of common skin care ingredients and provides a detailed safety
review of each. They give a value to each ingredient – 0 being the least toxic
through 10 being the most toxic. They use the ingredient listings on products
to provide an overall toxic score for over 69,000 products! It’s really an
incredible resource. A word of caution – you will be tempted to review every
single product in your house for it’s toxic score. The site will really suck
you in. Be careful not to make yourself crazy over your findings (like I did
initially), but do try to use less toxic products when possible. If not for
yourself, do it for your family and the environment.
~ Jennifer
Bio: Jennifer is
a work-at-home mother of two. One has eczema, food allergies, and asthma. One
has mild eczema. She is the founder of The Eczema Company and blogs at It’s an
Itchy Little World.