0:00 hey guys in today's video i'm going to
0:02 be sharing with you 10 tips to heal
0:04 eczema eczema is an umbrella term that
0:06 describes
0:07 several uh skin conditions where you
0:10 have dry patches
0:11 redness and itch but most commonly the
0:14 term eczema
0:15 refers to a skin condition called atopic
0:18 dermatitis this is a chronic
0:20 inflammatory skin condition that is
0:23 both genetic and due to
0:27 environmental triggers that can bring
0:30 out the disease and aggravate it so in
0:32 today's video i'm going to be sharing
0:33 with you
0:34 the best tips for managing this skin
0:37 condition
0:38 today's video is in partnership with
0:40 avino so thank you avino for sponsoring
0:42 today's video
0:43 tip number one is probably one of the
0:45 most infuriating things to hear if you
0:47 have eczema but
0:49 bear with me and that is stop scratching
0:53 avoid scratching and rubbing the skin
0:55 with your fingernails
0:56 this is really hard to do because eczema
0:59 is such an
1:00 itchy skin condition and the urge to
1:02 scratch
1:03 is unbearable so when people tell you
1:05 don't scratch it's like the most
1:06 infuriating thing to hear
1:08 however when you actually scratch the
1:11 skin
1:12 you bring about more inflammation into
1:15 the skin
1:16 and that actually leads to worsening
1:19 eczema it's called the itch
1:20 scratch cycle my tip to deal with this
1:23 is that when you feel the sensation of
1:25 itch
1:26 coming on rather than scratch or
1:29 you know take something like like a
1:32 hairbrush to your skin that's
1:33 that's the worst thing you can do apply
1:36 a moisturizer
1:37 the reason this is so helpful is that it
1:39 will help
1:40 soothe the skin it will help in skin
1:43 barrier restoration
1:45 and kind of quieting down those itching
1:47 signals and
1:48 provide you some relief now a
1:50 moisturizer i have been recommending to
1:52 my patients with eczema
1:53 for years is the aveeno eczema
1:56 therapy itch relief balm this product
2:00 is perfect for anyone with eczema
2:04 because it is free of common irritating
2:07 ingredients so the last thing you want
2:09 to put on your skin when you have that
2:10 itch
2:11 and the skin barrier is impaired and
2:13 your eczema is flaring the last thing
2:15 you want to put on the skin is a bunch
2:16 of irritating ingredients like fragrance
2:18 or dyes
2:19 this is free of that but importantly it
2:21 is formulated
2:22 with colloidal oatmeal colloidal oatmeal
2:25 protects the skin and helps it heal
2:27 it contains compounds like
2:29 avinanthromides which can scavenge free
2:31 radicals
2:32 that drive inflammation into the skin
2:34 and further exacerbate eczema
2:36 colloidal oatmeal also is rich in beta
2:39 glucan
2:40 and what's nice about that is that beta
2:42 glucan can help in
2:44 adding hydration to the skin it forms a
2:47 hydrocolloid
2:48 improving moisture retention and
2:51 colloidal oatmeal has
2:52 a large fraction of lipid in it so that
2:55 lipid is really what the skin of people
2:57 with eczema
2:58 need on their skin beyond the
3:01 colloidal oatmeal this also has oat oil
3:04 which is rich in many of those same
3:06 compounds but will help in smoothing
3:08 down skin cell edges
3:10 and it also has ceramides in it
3:12 ceramides help
3:14 in restoring the skin barrier and for
3:16 people with eczema they're often
3:18 deficient in ceramides and have trouble
3:20 with ceramide synthesis
3:22 and so applying a moisturizer that
3:24 contains ceramides can help with that
3:26 so this is a really good product to just
3:29 apply to the skin when you feel that
3:30 sensation of itch and it will
3:32 as the name implies provide relief
3:35 to disrupt that itch scratch cycle
3:39 number two tip is to
3:43 build your wardrobe around loose fitting
3:45 clothing
3:46 you don't want to wear things that are
3:48 tight or made of rough
3:49 fabrics people with eczema have skin
3:52 that is really
3:53 sensitive to fabrics
3:57 wool in particular is your worst enemy
4:01 in terms of your eczema for whatever
4:02 reason the fibers and wall just really
4:05 aggravate the skin of people with eczema
4:08 but clothing that's really tight and
4:10 doesn't breathe
4:11 well also can exacerbate flares of
4:14 eczema so build your wardrobe around
4:16 loose-fitting clothing
4:18 that is breathable lightweight and cool
4:20 on the skin and feels comfortable
4:23 as you're building this new wardrobe my
4:25 number three tip is to make sure
4:27 you wash your clothing when you buy it
4:29 before wearing it
4:30 a lot of clothing is treated with
4:33 different types of formaldehyde
4:34 chemicals
4:35 many fabrics have different dyes in them
4:38 especially blue dyes that can be
4:40 particularly
4:41 irritating to the skin of people with
4:43 eczema and if you wash your clothing
4:45 before wearing it when it's new
4:47 it will help kind of dilute out some of
4:50 those compounds and
4:51 it will make your clothing less
4:54 irritating
4:55 eczema disdains extremes of temperature
4:59 or humidity
5:00 really really dry cold climates are a
5:03 setup for
5:04 dry skin and flaring the eczema pulling
5:07 water out of your skin
5:08 however really hot humid climates
5:12 can also aggravate your eczema by
5:14 increasing
5:15 vasodilation at the surface of the skin
5:17 to cool the body
5:19 you then perspire and you sweat more
5:21 sweat is an irritant
5:23 and it dissolves some of the natural
5:25 lipid barrier so you really just want to
5:27 avoid extremes of temperature
5:29 so regulate the room that you spend the
5:32 majority of your time in and of course
5:34 your bedroom
5:35 to really dial in the optimal humidity
5:38 and
5:38 temperature sleeping with a cool mist
5:41 humidifier in the bedroom is one way to
5:43 improve the
5:44 ambient humidity if you live in a dry
5:46 climate bathing is actually a really
5:48 important part of controlling the eczema
5:50 but it also can and
5:52 often does aggravate the eczema so you
5:54 have to approach it strategically
5:56 the reason bathing is so important for
5:58 people with eczema is that
6:00 things from our environment like dust
6:03 mold pollens pet dander
6:06 they actually can get on your skin and
6:08 if you leave them on there and don't
6:10 rinse them off remove them it can
6:12 aggravate the eczema likewise sweat left
6:14 on the skin like after a workout
6:17 it can trigger itch and start to degrade
6:19 the skin barrier and lead to a bad flare
6:22 up eczema so you actually need to
6:24 clean the skin but unfortunately
6:27 with bathing you start to strip away
6:30 some of the lipids that help keep your
6:32 skin barrier intact and prevent those
6:33 flares of eczema
6:35 keep the shower really short no more
6:37 than 10 minutes
6:39 and use lukewarm water again eczema
6:41 detests
6:42 extremes of temperature you don't want
6:44 ice cold water and you don't want
6:46 scalding hot water so keep it lukewarm
6:49 and you may not even need to use
6:52 soap but if you do use soap make sure
6:55 you use
6:56 a gentle non-soap body wash or cleanser
7:01 because harsh soaps you know they're
7:04 just going to eat away
7:05 at that lipid barrier even further and
7:07 aggravate your skin
7:09 so i do recommend bathing daily in the
7:11 evening time before
7:12 bed however there are some other
7:14 situations in your life
7:16 where you may want to step in the shower
7:19 during the day if you work out during
7:22 the day and get really sweaty
7:23 or if you go swim in a pool and you're
7:26 exposed to chlorine
7:28 or bromine in the water you're going to
7:30 want to
7:31 at least rinse your skin after
7:34 afterwards
7:35 because sweat and chlorine left on the
7:38 skin
7:39 it is it's going to trigger a flare so
7:42 just rinse it off
7:43 and you may want to employ a gentle
7:45 cleanser if you've been swimming in a
7:47 swimming pool
7:48 to ensure that you adequately remove it
7:50 so that is a time where
7:51 you might want to step in the shower
7:53 again but generally speaking
7:55 once a day for bathing is more than
7:58 enough
7:59 tip number seven though is any time you
8:01 bathe
8:02 or rinse your skin maybe with just water
8:05 wash your hands wash your face any time
8:08 you you embark on cleansing after you
8:12 rinse your skin
8:12 of the cleanser or just rinse it with
8:14 water make sure
8:15 you apply a moisturizer immediately to
8:19 the skin
8:19 while it's still damp this is what's
8:22 kind of referred to as the soak and
8:24 smear technique
8:25 by using a moisturizer at that time you
8:28 really put the brakes on what's called
8:30 trans epidermal water loss
8:32 that can further aggravate the skin and
8:34 trigger a flare
8:35 not only that but you moisturizers have
8:38 humectants
8:39 humectants hold on to water and keep it
8:41 in the skin
8:42 improving moisture retention and again
8:46 coming back to the aveeno eczema therapy
8:49 itch relief balm this is a fantastic
8:52 product
8:53 to slather on for the soak and smear
8:55 technique as soon as you get out of the
8:57 tub or the shower
8:59 or done rinsing your skin as you can see
9:02 the consistency is quite
9:04 thick underlying its name is a balm as
9:07 opposed to a cream or a lotion which are
9:09 a little more lightweight
9:11 um so this is really going to put the
9:14 seal
9:15 right there on your skin think of it
9:17 almost as like second
9:18 skin it's going to trap that water in
9:21 there and it's going to reduce trans
9:23 epidermal water loss
9:24 and it's going to it's going to guide
9:27 your skin
9:28 to begin to repair the lipid barrier
9:32 which is really what people with eczema
9:34 need you need a cheerleader that's going
9:37 to help your skin
9:38 and that comes in the form of a
9:41 moisturizer
9:42 really what i mean is an occlusive balm
9:44 or ointment
9:45 so slathering this onto the skin once
9:47 you step out of the shower or the bath
9:50 or after you've rinsed your skin maybe
9:52 after a workout
9:53 it's key for keeping your skin happy in
9:56 addition to the colloidal oatmeal in
9:58 this product you also have glycerin
10:00 another wonderful humectant for helping
10:02 hold that hydration in the skin which is
10:04 so key
10:04 for addressing the lipid barrier and
10:06 moisture retention
10:08 in in eczema and reducing the burden of
10:11 those inflammatory mediators
10:13 that drive itch in people with eczema so
10:16 putting this on after you get out of the
10:19 shower or bathing
10:20 is key using the aveeno eczema therapy
10:23 itch relief balm
10:24 will provide long lasting sustained
10:26 relief from edge so for example you
10:29 bathe in the evening time
10:30 you apply this it's going to help you
10:32 overnight sleep without flares of
10:35 itch all right my next tip is to be
10:38 cognizant
10:39 of how stress affects your eczema
10:43 i mean it stress in our life
10:46 feeds directly into our skin our brain
10:49 releases those stress hormones
10:51 that signal to our immune system and
10:54 that
10:54 ends up driving inflammation into the
10:56 skin nothing can kick off a flare
10:59 faster of eczema than being under stress
11:02 if you are a parent or a caregiver of a
11:04 child with eczema be
11:06 really aware of how stress can impact
11:08 their skin
11:10 your stress they can pick up on so in
11:12 the evening time for example when you're
11:14 putting them to bed
11:15 try and maintain a calm demeanor speak
11:17 in a soothing voice
11:19 and that can help guide them to a more
11:22 relaxing transition
11:23 to sleep and to bedtime it really can
11:26 help a lot
11:28 stress really does affect children
11:30 speaking of stress and sleep that's
11:32 another part of stress management is
11:34 making sure that you get
11:35 good quality sleep i mean aim for eight
11:39 hours
11:40 that is when your skin is going to be
11:42 able to heal
11:44 and if you are sleep deprived that
11:47 triggers stress responses in your body
11:49 that further exacerbate itch you then
11:52 want to scratch
11:53 um and then the skin further you know
11:56 becomes inflamed and aggravated with
11:58 eczema i mean it is a vicious cycle
12:01 so much so that as a matter of fact
12:03 children with eczema
12:04 are often misdiagnosed as having
12:07 learning disabilities or attention
12:09 problems
12:10 because they become sleep deprived
12:13 and so actually treating their eczema
12:16 and getting their eczema better
12:18 results in better sleep and overall
12:20 improved performance in school so it's
12:23 you know it's really directly related to
12:25 how
12:26 how eczema impacts sleep cycle because
12:29 if you're
12:30 itchy at night you're going to want to
12:32 scratch that and you're really just not
12:34 ever falling asleep properly
12:36 number nine is be aware of the role of
12:39 allergens
12:40 in your environment and their
12:41 contribution to flares of eczema so the
12:43 most common
12:44 environmental triggers are dust mites
12:47 mold pollen and
12:50 pet dander dust mites uh
12:53 you know they can live on your they live
12:55 on your skin cells that flake off and
12:57 get in like your bedding and stuff
12:59 so to reduce the burden of dust mites
13:02 make sure that you vacuum
13:03 your bedroom furniture like the
13:06 headboard
13:07 you are frequently laundering your
13:09 bedding and
13:11 yet another reason to bathe before going
13:13 to bed is that
13:14 if you bathe before going to bed you
13:16 kind of exfoliate some of the dead skin
13:18 cells off while you're in the shower
13:20 or bath as opposed to getting in the in
13:23 the bed
13:23 and rolling around and exfoliating them
13:26 where then
13:27 dust mites can snack on them so
13:30 yeah that's another way to reduce the
13:32 burden of dust mites if you have
13:34 pets make sure you groom them regularly
13:36 to reduce the dander
13:39 and also with pets i know it's hard but
13:43 don't let them sleep with you in the bed
13:45 because
13:46 again you're going to be right there
13:47 trying to sleep at night and have that
13:49 dander
13:50 which can can aggravate the ex mom make
13:53 you want to scratch
13:54 keep you up at night be really really
13:57 really critical of skin care products
14:00 and keep your skin care routine to a
14:03 minimum
14:04 fewer things that come in contact with
14:05 your skin the better
14:07 for people with eczema you need a gentle
14:09 non-soap cleanser
14:10 a moisturizer and a sunscreen sunscreens
14:14 that are mineral sunscreens are often
14:17 easier to tolerate for people with
14:18 eczema they're less likely to sting or
14:20 burn
14:21 those three things are it and
14:24 honestly keeping it restricted to those
14:26 three things
14:28 can really help because a lot of
14:30 products that have
14:31 ingredients in them that cumulatively
14:33 can end up being quite irritating on
14:35 your skin so the more products that
14:36 you're using
14:37 the more exposure to those potential
14:39 irritants that can aggravate your skin
14:42 now speaking of products if you wear
14:44 makeup so
14:45 important that you take it off
14:47 completely at the end of the day
14:49 because the longer your skin is in
14:50 contact with the ingredients and makeup
14:53 the more likely it is to aggravate your
14:55 eczema especially i see this a fair
14:57 amount in my patients with excellent
14:59 eye makeup eyeshadows can really lead to
15:02 a flare of the eczema around the eyelids
15:05 um and you know rubbing the eyes
15:07 itching i mean it can get quite bad
15:09 remember the skin around your eyelids is
15:11 very thin
15:12 so making sure that you remove the
15:13 makeup in total at the end of the day if
15:15 you wear makeup
15:16 is really important so those are my 10
15:20 tips for managing your eczema
15:23 it is a very frustrating condition to
15:25 cope with
15:26 it can get better and go away and burn
15:28 out but remember it's a lifelong thing
15:30 that kind of stays with you
15:32 and can rear its head up at different
15:34 times in your life i've had it
15:36 my entire life and you know for the most
15:39 part
15:40 as an adult it's more or less under
15:43 remission
15:44 but if i get stressed out if i
15:47 wear certain fabrics i can feel it
15:50 coming
15:51 and because i've been living with this
15:52 my whole life and because i'm a
15:53 dermatologist
15:54 i know how to manage it better than i
15:57 did when i was a child but if you
15:58 are a young person out there or a parent
16:01 of a child with eczema
16:03 believe me it it is a journey to
16:07 managing and the good news is
16:10 with these tips you can really be
16:12 empowered to take control of the skin
16:14 condition yourself
16:15 and learn to cope with flares as they
16:17 come i hope these tips were helpful to
16:20 you guys and thank you aveeno so much
16:21 for sponsoring today's video
16:23 if you guys liked it give it a thumbs up
16:25 share it with your friends and as always
16:27 don't forget
16:28 sunscreen and subscribe i'll talk to you
16:30 guys tomorrow
16:34 bye
16:36 [Music]
16:53 you
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