Can you make changes to your bedroom to help with your eczema?
The answer is yes! So let’s take a look at how!
To start off, let’s look at your bed linen.
Look at whether you are using a natural bed linen, or a man-made synthetic material such as polyester, or a polyester mix. Man-made materials which can also be added to natural materials, can cause you to get hot when you’re sleeping and then make you itch.
There are several natural materials that you can choose from, so it’s just a case of preference. My preferred natural material is Bamboo.
As Bamboo is hypoallergenic, it can be cooling in the summer and keep you warm whilst you’re asleep in the winter. It doesn’t suck moisture away from your skin which is good for your eczema, as this bed linen can help prevent your skin from becoming overly dry.
Another natural fabric, derived from wood pulp is Tencel. I’ll be honest and let you know that I haven’t yet tried it, but I have read many reviews that leads me to believe that it may be as good as bamboo for those who find most materials irritating to their skin, as it is super soft. The benefits of using Tencel bed linen for eczema sufferers are that the material which is made up of two different natural fibres is breathable. It absorbs moisture without overly drying the skin and helps the skin to stay cool and dry.
Another natural fabric you have definitely heard of is cotton. The positive thing about cotton is that it is natural and therefore shouldn’t cause you to itch with irritation, unless the colour/dye is the issue. However, cotton can pull moisture away from your skin, leaving it overly dry, so you should aim to use as tight a weave as possible. I have found that organic cotton has the tightest weave, although it might sound bougie and posh, but it will be better against your skin. The tighter the weave, the better the cotton fabric.
A natural pillowcase that I love to use is silk. It is nice and cool against the face, and its slippery texture prevents moisture from being drawn away from the skin. It is way too expensive and bougie for me to purchase an entire bed linen set. Often silk bed linen sets may require dry cleaning instead of machine washing, which means chemicals used during the process, coming into contact with your skin. For now, I have been able to purchase machine washable silk pillowcases, which I am happy with. Again, I opt for a natural colour and keep away from dyed materials, after an unfortunate encounter with a dyed red silk pillowcase that left me with a rash all over my face.
A non-natural fabric that I only use for pillowcases and no other bed linen is satin. The name satin pertains to the weave of the fabric and is often made up of both natural and synthetic materials. It will definitely create too much heat as a bed sheet or duvet cover, but the material is a vegan friendly alternative to silk, to put your face against when asleep. I switch between satin pillowcases, bamboo pillowcases, and silk pillow cases.
Before I move on, I should point out that although wool is a natural material, this can cause discomfort and itching to the skin, so it is best to keep away from this natural fabric.
When it comes to comfort that doesn’t involve the bed itself, another thing to consider is the warmth of your room. I know it’s not quite possible for all people to sleep with their windows open if you live in the city, due to noise, and pollution, but if you live in the countryside then do open your bedroom window. Even in the winter time, have a little bit of the window open but through the summer open it as wide as you can, as long as it is safe and as long as you’re not bringing in unwanted pollution or pollen into the air.
Now, with that being said, if you aren’t able to have a window open or it is still too hot in the bedroom then use a fan. Keeping your bedroom cool is a must as heat can irritate your skin as you become too warm. In my son’s bedroom, he has two. One fan on a low setting, oscillating left to right, through the night and the other used mainly in the summer, directed only toward his body.
Another area of concern that shouldn’t be overlooked is the moisture level of your bedroom. If the air is too dry this too, can affect your skin. In the UK, central heating causes the air in all rooms throughout your home to dry out. A simple fix for this is a humidifier. We have a mini humidifier in each of our bedrooms which we use when the central heating is on in the winter months. The small ones don’t make much, if any noise, and they’re inexpensive. I paid between £20 – £30 for each of ours. Just add water and watch the vapor be released into the air.
If you don’t want to go down the route of a humidifier, you can put a bowl of water underneath your radiator when the central heating is on and although you can’t see it taking place, the water will slowly evaporate into the air.
With these different ways of making improvements to your bedroom, don’t forget that for most of us, eczema is a symptom of what is going on inside the body, so it is important to look at the foods you are eating. If you want ideas of where to start, head over to our YouTube channel for access to free videos advising you how to help yourself.
If you’re lucky enough to live in a country where you have easy access to clean drinking water, thank your lucky stars.
However, there are some downsides to drinking and using tap water on your skin that you need to know about.
So, here we go.
To prevent the buildup of dangerous bacteria in our tap water, which could cause illness, disease and even death, water companies must add certain chemicals to tap water, to prevent all these things from happening. This is a good thing, but for those with skin conditions your tap water could also be a trigger for your reoccurring eczema and other skin conditions.
There are of course chemicals that don’t have to be added to tap water which can further exasperate your skin issues, such as fluoride, but that is a whole other blog on its own.
Whether you are drinking your tap water or washing with it, all these different chemicals added to our supplied water can affect your skin. Also, as tap water travels to our homes through miles of pipes, other chemicals both naturally occurring and through accidental contamination, can also be picked up along the way. If you find that you are reacting to tap water, it is definitely worth considering how you can make changes that will help your skin.
The way your skin reacts to water, can also be affected by whether you live in a soft or hard water area. The University of Sheffield conducted research, which showed that hard water had a worse affect for those with eczema, than those living in a soft water area.
Here’s what you need to know:
Whether you live in a soft or a hard water area of the country, there are certain precautions you can take before using your shower;
Moisturising with an emollient, preferably a natural emollient before water touches your skin is a big help. A natural butter or an oil on your skin before you have a bath or a shower can be anything from your kitchen: shea butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter, avocado oil, olive oil, etc. These oils or butter helps protect your skin by creating a barrier between the skin and the water.
Once you are in the bath or shower make sure you only use warm water as hot water can strip the skin of its natural oils and also dry out the skin. Spend no longer than 20 minutes in the bath.
Consider buying a shower head called an ionic shower head. The head of the shower has little mineral and negative iron balls, which help to filtrate and strip out some of the chlorine and impurities from your water. It is particularly beneficial to those with sensitive skin and skin conditions, especially, if you live in a hard water area.
If your preference is to have a bath, you can add salt to the bath, as this really helps soothe the skin. In my household, we switch between using fine Pink Himalayan Salt, Dead Sea Salt, Epsom Salts and Sodium Bicarbonate/Bicarbonate of Soda. These easy to find salts help to soothe your eczema and skin. You then have the choice to use them all together or separately. Either way, using a cup of each of these in your bath will benefit your skin, instead of using over the counter bath foam which can irritate and dry out the skin because of the chemical ingredients and the chemical fragrance.
If you’re happy to sit in a bath with cloudy water, then also consider adding Bentonite Clay. This is a fantastic detox, that draws impurities from the skin. It can also be used as a face mask when a little water is added.
To dry your skin, pat yourself dry, then moisturise straight away to lock the moisture in…remember not to rub the skin too aggressively. I would suggest that if you’re having a bath or shower more than a couple of hours before bedtime, make sure that before you get into bed, you moisturise again. You are definitely worth the time you spend on yourself,
Another option for those living in the hard water areas of the South of England, is to have a water softener fitted to the main supply of your water system at home. The softener works by stripping out the calcium and the sodium from the water as these irritate, inflame, and cause the skin to become too dry.
Now as a last tip, one thing we do in our household specifically for my son and myself, because we can sometimes get dry itchy skin, or just as another way to treat the skin with care, as a preventative measure, is we create our own colloidal oats. Colloidal oats is used by those with eczema or sensitive skin because it helps to calm inflammation, create a protective barrier between the skin and skin irritants, soothe the skin and alleviate itching. It is also used by anyone who simply wants a natural way to look after their skin. Again, I use ingredients from our kitchen. Specifically, gluten free organic oats that we eat for breakfast. You can use a food processor, or if you have a clean coffee grinder, you can put some of the oats into the coffee grinder to make it into a fine powder, or just leave it as it is. You can either mix it directly into the warm water as the water is running in the bath, or I prefer to stuff some of the fine oat’s powder into the foot of tights, stockings or a muslin bag. With the opening knotted I hang the stuffed stocking foot/muslin bag on the tap or leave it in the bath where the water is running and let the water hit the filled bag of oats (or stocking foot). It’s really soothing for your eczema, and it works a treat.
If you’re using colloidal oats, adding the different salts and/or bicarbonate of soda to your bath, then moisturising yourself with natural butters and/or oil, this should work fantastically well to soothe and protect your skin from the outside. So then all you now need to do is take care of yourself from the inside.
I hope you’ve found this useful. If you know of other natural tips that you want to share, please do let me know.
Alison x
Feel free to check out our YouTube channel for more advice;
Spritz face with a natural & organic hydrosol water and then wipe with a clean dry flannel.
Moisturise with a natural face cream that has no added fragrance.
Apply factor 30 or 50 SPF natural/mineral/physical sunscreen…it all means the same thing. Chemical sunscreens cause medium and long term damage to the face. You’re also more likely to have a skin reaction if you have eczema or other skin conditions.
UNDERARM
Apply ‘Salt Of The Earth Natural Deodorant Stick’ and ‘SO Refreshing Natural Deodorant Gel – Spearmint’
BODY
Tigs & Moo Body Butter (Vanilla & Orange)
With a combination of Vanilla Extract & Organic Sweet Orange Essential Oil, this gorgeously scented 100% natural body butter smells so good that you’ll want to lick your own skin. It is also super moisturising, nourishing and soothing.
EVENING
FACE
If wearing makeup, apply Tigs & Moo Naked Body Butter to your dry face, then wipe clean with a warm wet flannel.
Wet your face, apply an unscented natural soap or facial wash, then wipe with a clean dry flannel.
Moisturise with a natural face cream with no added fragrance.
BODY
Tigs & Moo Body Butter – starts off as a lightly whipped butter and then quickly becomes a luxurious spreadable oil (my favourite is Vanilla & Orange)
HAIR
Once a week or once a fortnight
Apply a small amount of a light to medium consistency natural oil to hair and scalp (argan oil, rice bran oil or hemp seed oil).
Wash hair with a fragrance free natural mild shampoo (avoid the cleaning ingredients Sodium Lauryl Sulphate & Sodium Laureth Sulphate)
Condition hair with natural fragrance-free conditioner.
Use a natural leave in conditioner.
Use natural oils or creams on hair (no silicone-based products)
Wear a Satin or Silk Scarf or Bonnet to bed to stop hair drying out and to keep hair off face.
Sleep on silk or satin pillow cases to stop loss of moisture from hair and face. These also help prevent wrinkles, fine lines and premature ageing.
The more simple you keep your skincare routine, the better!
When you suffer with eczema, you need to aim to keep your skin cool and stress free from things that are rubbing against it or coming into contact with it.
So, it goes without saying, that the type of material you wear against your skin needs to be chosen with this in mind if your eczema has flared up.
THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY
The Good – Natural and Non-Irritating:
Linen – Natural, breathable soft and cool.
Silk – Naturally hypoallergenic, breathable, soft and cool against skin.
Hemp – Hypoallergenic, eco-friendly, antibacterial, naturally temperature regulating and long lasting.
Bamboo – Naturally hypoallergenic, keeps you fresh and dry because of the microscopic holes in the fibre.
Cotton – Soft and natural against skin.
The Bad – Synthetic Material:
Polyester – Hot & itchy
Spandex – Hot & itchy
Nylon – Hot & itchy
Acrylic – Hot & itchy
Rayon– Hot & itchy
Modacrylic – Hot & itchy
Satin -Natural & Synthetic, Hot & itchy
Elastane – Hot & itchy
All of these fabrics can make you hot, sweaty, and itchy as they keep the heat against your skin
The Ugly – Natural But Irritating:
Wool – Wool is natural but itchy. It can also trigger an eczema flare up.
OTHER ECZEMA TRIGGERS:
New Clothes – Chemicals
Formaldehyde & Flame Retardant: Both used in manufacturing process can irritate skin.
ALWAYS WASH YOUR NEW CLOTHES BEFORE WEARING THEM!
Itchy Little Bits
Tags/Labels: Cut them off bras and all clothes or cover over with piece of silk.
Sequins
Accessories
Laundry Detergent
Fragrance/Perfume: Can cause reactions to skin – Look for fragrance free
Dye – Look for laundry and softeners that are colour free
Fabric Conditioner – Either look for fragrance free and skin friendly or maybe don’t use it at all.
Instead Try:
Wool Dryer Balls – these balls roll around the drum banging into clothes which helps to soften them
Let Me Know How You Get On
Simple changes can make a big difference to the overall comfort of your skin, so don’t wait if your current situation isn’t working for you, and you are in discomfort.
However, as always…make one change at a time to make sure it is working for you, and you can feel or see the difference.
Skincare is the steps you take to look after your skin. The products you choose to use on your skin, including the choice of skin protection from too much sun, and environmental damage; Your intake of food and nutrition, and water can all support and enhance the skin and its appearance, or can weaken it and cause damage. As the largest organ of your body, if you look after your skin, it will look after you. It is your skin that protects you from outside pathogens. And, in the same way that you take care of the other parts of yourself, your skin requires some attention to keep it functioning properly.
These steps are for anyone who is curious about what it means or what it takes to have an effective routine when it comes to taking care of your skin!
The three basic skin-care steps when using products are:
Cleansing
Moisturising
Applying sunscreen
Your morning routine should include basics steps: washing or spritzing your face with a cleanser, putting on a moisturiser, then wearing a sunscreen.
TIP: Use a moisturiser and/or sunscreen that has a minimum 30 SPF and broad-spectrum protection.
When choosing a sunscreen, you have the options of a chemical sunscreen or a physical/mineral/natural (all means the same thing).
Chemical Sunscreen: has a synthetic chemical ingredient called avobenzone, that absorbs the sun’s UV rays, converts them to an energy, then it releases them in the form of heat. The problem with this, is that its protection only lasts 30 minutes. This means other chemical ingredients must be used in the sunscreen. One of these ingredients is Octocrylene, which is a known endocrine/hormonal disruptor…not good for those who suffer with acne. This can cause skin cell damage and increase the risk of cancer. Studies show that using octocrylene in sunscreen creates more of those pesky free radicals that cause us to age prematurely, than if you used nothing at all and were exposed to the sun.
Physical Sunscreen: has natural mineral ingredients such as zinc oxide or titanium oxide which forms a barrier that blocks the sun’s rays. For those who are label savvy, you will know that as well as being natural and better received by the skin, despite the sometimes white/grey hue that takes a while to rub in, zinc oxide doesn’t breakdown in the sun, doesn’t release free radicals, doesn’t cause premature skin ageing, doesn’t cause skin cancer and as an added bonus, it is also coral friendly if you want to go for a swim in the sea.
Your bedtime routine might include additional steps if you wear makeup or a sunscreen that needs reapplying during the day. You may find that your usual cleanser doesn’t get all your makeup off or still leaves you feeling kind of greasy. In that case, you may benefit from double cleansing without over cleaning or causing the face to feel and look overly dry.
Double Cleansing is a process in which you first apply an oil-based cleanser directly to the skin (and possibly wipe clean with a warm wet flannel). You follow this by wetting the skin on the face and then applying a water-based cleanser or micellar water to remove anything that was left behind.
After cleansing, it’s time to apply any toners or serums, before ending your routine with a good moisturiser.
Just as using a sunscreen is important to protect your skin from the sun, you should use a moisturiser to help protect your skin from environmental damage whilst at the same time it will help prevent the skin becoming too dry, or too oily. Both these extremes can cause eczema, acne or premature ageing with fine lines and wrinkles.
Keeping your skincare routine simple is best. When introducing any new skincare, it is safer to only make one change at a time in case your skin has a bad reaction. This way, you know exactly what product your skin was sensitive to. Personally, I don’t use anything on my face that has any added fragrance, whether it is synthetic or natural, as i end up with eczema, or a rash of some sort.
If you are looking at ways to look after the skin that don’t include the skincare products in your routine, then the amount of water you drink to keep your body and skin hydrated and the food choices we make are of the utmost importance.
As an adult, aim for no less than one and a half litres of water a day, and depending on your body size or even what activities you are taking part in that day i.e., exercise or any activity that makes you sweat you could even push it to over three litres.
When it comes to your food and if you are taking your skin health seriously, then keeping away from ultra-processed and processed junk foods are a necessity. The more natural the food and the more anti-inflammatory the food, the more your skin will thank you for it.
I often notice that people who eat a mainly plant based, and natural wholefood diet have the best skin. My skin is far from perfect as I cheat, but when I do eat meat, I try to limit my pasture raised or organic meat and line caught fish eating to two days a week. I keep away from gluten and animal milk, and I aim to have at least organic or locally produced vegetables covering half my plate. As I have a sweet tooth, I use dates or locally produced honey as a sweetener and my guilty pleasure is salted plain crisps, roasted nuts, or chips, which I try and save for the weekend.
See…no one said you have to be perfect…you just need to try your best for your skin, so give it a go.
Alison x
For more information, check our YouTube channel to help with your skin journey! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, like, comment & share!
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