For as long as I can remember, I have dealt with skin-sensitivity issues. Whether it be acne, dry skin, oily skin, or all three combined, I consistently struggle with skincare. I have tried endless products and at-home remedies in hope of finding something that works for me, but I often don’t have long-term luck.
As many pre-teens and teens conquer the hormonal journey with acne, I’m here to add a different skin condition to the conversation: eczema. Numerous people in my life have also dealt with it, but often not as severely as I have. With that being said, I want to share my experience to both provide knowledge about the condition, as well as connect with others who have had a similar experience.
what is eczema?
If you’re unfamiliar with it, the National Eczema Association defines it as, “an inflammatory skin condition that causes itchiness, dry skin, rashes, scaly patches, blisters and skin infections.” Other names for it that you may have heard are dermatitis or atopic dermatitis. It’s not contagious, but the irritated patches may spread for an individual if there is severe irritation to the already affected area. The causes are generally unknown, but genetics and environmental conditions are two of the most probable explanations.
Eczema can develop at any age, but it’s often seen in babies and toddlers. Many will grow out of it, but it’s possible that they won’t, like me, or they may be more susceptible to developing it at a later point in life.
Any area of the skin can be affected, but the most common areas seem to be the inner arms, elbows, behind the knees, and all over the hands. This can make daily tasks extremely tough, such as hand washing, wearing jewelry, and showering. Hot water tends to irritate the skin even more, so lukewarm and cold showers are encouraged, but I can’t lie, it’s hard giving up hot showers!
The weather also has a huge impact on eczema. Dry winters and indoor heat will only enhance dry skin, while humid summers lead to more sweating and itchiness. So for some people, it may be a seasonal issue, but for others, it is a year-round experience.
Regardless of the severity, it truly is a frustrating and extremely bothersome cycle.
My early experience with it
I have had eczema for just about my entire life. According to my parents, I’ve had it before I even turned a year old. This ounce of information doesn’t really mean much to me considering I don’t remember it, but also because I was at an age where I didn’t think twice about my appearance.
Once I reached middle school, however, I began to care a lot more. This is the era where I began to form many core memories with it.
By this point in my life, I had attended many dermatologist visits and tried endless over-the-counter remedies to hopefully clear up my eczema entirely. Many of the products I tried simply didn’t help at all. But if they did, they would only work for a few months before the itchy, dry patches would show up again.
It truly was a tiring and expensive process.
As a sixth grader, girls my age were beginning to experiment with makeup. This is something I simply couldn’t participate in due to how sensitive my skin was. My face and eyelids were covered in dry patches, so quite literally any product would’ve been irritating. This was disappointing at the time, but looking back, it wasn’t the end of the world. We were so young!
In terms of beauty products, quite literally every product I used was tailored toward sensitive skin. Searching for hypoallergenic shampoos, soaps, face washes (and basically anything else you can think of) was very tedious. Even worse is when they didn’t even work!
Despite the numerous frustrations that came with navigating eczema remedies, I knew I had to keep my head up. It was something that I couldn’t get rid of easily so I learned to adapt!
my eczema at its worst
When I was a senior in high school, the year was 2021, so COVID-19 was at its peak and I was attending school through a hybrid model. I was essentially spending two days at school and the rest of the week at home. In my house, we use both electric heat and a woodstove during the winter, which I’m very fortunate for, but the air does get very dry, which was not ideal for my eczema.
By spending the majority of the nine-month school year indoors, my skin had dried out so severely that my eczema had practically spread from head to toe.
My daily moisturizers were no longer effective, meaning I needed a more effective treatment. Booking a dermatologist visit would’ve taken months due to the high demand for appointments and COVID-19 protocols in place. I remember the day my eyelids were so red and swollen that I could barely open my eyes. The store product that saved me is called Flare Control Eczema Cream by the company exederm. It’s essentially a hydrocortisone cream that both relieves the itchy skin and clears up the red patches.
I still use it to this day and I cannot recommend this product enough.
Once I graduated from high school and entered the summer, I was able to spend much more time outside, which definitely helped ease my eczema going into college!
Where i’m at now
Since moving to college, I have experienced an extreme environmental change. I was no longer living in a super dry space, so my eczema, fortunately, cleared up significantly. I still use most of my eczema-related products, but nowhere near as extensively as I needed to a couple of years ago.
In terms of some of the skincare products I currently use, Aveeno’s Eczema Therapy Daily Moisturizing Cream is my main moisturizer, and I really love it! The colloidal oatmeal recipe relieves my skin from both itchiness and dryness.
For face wash, I use Cera Ve’s Hydrating Facial Cleanser, which is actually accepted by the National Eczema Association! It’s recommended for individuals with normal to dry skin, so eczema definitely falls into that category. I find it to be a very gentle face wash and I love using it every day.
And of course, my beloved Flare Control Eczema Cream by exederm has yet to fail me. I only need to use this occasionally now, but when I do, it’s very effective.
In addition, I finally started wearing makeup for the first time in my life! This has been a super exciting addition to my daily routine. I’m so fortunate to be able to experiment with new products without having to worry too much about the end result.
conclusion
Dealing with eczema can definitely be tough. Whether it be mild, severe, seasonal, chronic, or some combination of the four, it’s not fun. If you have experienced eczema yourself, you are not alone! And, if this is your first time digging into the topic, I hope I was able to teach you a little more about it!