Helping Heal Eczema

Itch. Burn. Itch. Redness. Flaking. Ugh. Sound familiar? Eczema is a common skin condition that causes the skin to become incredibly inflamed and irritated. It can affect any part of the body but most often affects bends like behind the knees. It's annoying. And guess what -- it's incurable. Thanks, genes, for passing down a pain in the ass.

I've got some on my inner elbow, behind my ears, sometimes around my mouth, and a stress-induced patch right under my eye that proves for some really fun skincare dilemmas during final exam week. Having battled eczema since I was young I've tried every product out there without much success. Extreme moisture body butters only provide temporary (as in... maybe a few hours?) of relief, and regular Cortizone 10 does absolutely nothing. However, I have found three products that have truly helped keep my eczema calm and at bay. If you have dry, itchy skin and are looking for some cures why don't you try some of these out?

Coconut Oil. This stuff works miracles. You can use it for cooking, but mine is dedicated solely to moisturizing my body. It melts at a really low temperature so will turn to liquid in your hands and sinks into the skin providing really great moisture. I use this all over and it's helped reduce KP (keratosis pelaris, AKA permanent goosebumps) as well as eczema and leaves my skin supple and smelling lovely. Not to mention it's also great for makeup removal and works double duty moisturizing the face as well. I like to put this on overnight so it has time to absorb (it does come on a little slick to begin with but does absorb well over time).

Eucerin Aquaphor Healing Ointment. I only recently discovered this product after reading about it on some blog (I can't remember who!), but whoever was talking about it swore by its effects. It's a thick ointment instead of a lotion type so it sticks better to the skin. It's kind of like a protective film that combats flaking skin. I like to use this if I'm wearing sleeves that will rub against my elbow to prevent further irritation.

Hydrocortizone 1% (Walgreens Brand). This was a doctor-recommended product, but it's basically a steroid cream that helps protect and heal dry, irritated skin. Because it's so strong it's only recommended that you use it for 5-7 days consecutively before giving it a break because it can thin the skin and make veins and things more noticeable. This I save for those really bad inflammations because it's the ultimate healing product. I rely on the Hydrocortizone especially when I have awful eczema on my face because it's the only thing that has really helped (not even the coconut oil/Aquaphor can save me from my facial eczema). I've tried different drugstore brands but the Walgreens brand in this ugly packaging is the most effective by far!