I’ve had eczema since birth and it’s moved all over my body – there hasn’t been an inch of my skin that hasn’t had eczema at some point! Stress, dust and pollen are really big triggers for me. I have a nickel allergy too, so I can’t wear any watches or jewelry - I even ended up getting a reaction to my platinum wedding ring! But sometimes it can come from nowhere. When I was a schoolgirl, I had it on my hands and feet…. now, it’s positioned firmly on my face. Dealing with eczema is incredibly difficult, and incredibly challenging. My skin was so red, itchy and sore that I really didn’t want to care for it; I just wanted it to go away.
My tips to soothe sensitive and extremely dry skin: Rebecca Marriage
Having dealt with eczema all her life, Rebecca Marriage writes a blog about living with her skin condition. From discussing the challenge of creating a skin-care routine that keeps her very dry skin as moisturized as possible, to opening up about the effects her skin has had on her confidence – she’s inspiring others to feel beautiful.
I’d come to a moment in my life where I was feeling comfortable in my own skin – even though my skin wasn’t feeling comfortable!
Rebecca Marriage, blogger at beczema.com
I turned the corner in my mid-thirties, when my son started to show the symptoms of eczema. I found myself applying emollients to his skin, researching dry skin treatments and explaining to him that he had to care for himself. I remember thinking, ‘Why can’t I show myself this amount of love, care and attention?’ So the writing of my blog was a real crystallization of that process. I’d come to a moment in my life where I was comfortable in my own skin – even though my skin wasn’t comfortable! – and realized that it wasn’t my fault, so I felt strongly that I needed to communicate that. Feeling anxious and helpless about your skin aggravates your condition. All skin needs care and love… eczema skin just needs a little more.
Here are my tips for caring for sensitive and extremely dry skin:
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1
Keep your skin clean.
Find a gentle, hypoallergenic face wash to remove those irritants and allergens at the beginning and end of each day
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2
Choose the right lotion for your skin.
You might have other conditions dry skin conditions or a specific skin-type. I use a hypoallergenic, dry skin lotion with glycerin, which helps the skin hold onto lots of water
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3
Once you’ve found a good moisturizer, use it!
Even if you think your skin is hydrated enough, if you have sensitive and extremely dry skin, it’s probably not enough. It’s vital to maintain your skin barrier: a damaged skin barrier is how allergens and irritants get in. Moisturized skin is always important.
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4
Stop touching your face with your hands.
A lot of people cover their face with their hands and touch it all the time – but you’re drawing attention to your discomfort, and transferring germs onto your face. Keeping your skin clean and moisturized are the two most important things
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5
Look in the mirror and smile!
A smile is your best weapon to attack your own discomfort, and to show everyone else that you’re okay. Hold your head up high and stop comparing yourself to pictures in magazines. No one looks like that. Remember you are a three dimensional living, breathing human being
Read more from Rebecca Marriage about living with sensitive and extremely dry skin at www.beczema.co.uk and facebook.com/beczema.
