How To Avoid An Eczema Flare This Spring Allergy Season

|Reception Support

Spring has officially sprung here in Australia, but this does not mean that your eczema has to as well!

Most of us  embrace spring as the days become longer and our weather gets warmer, plants grow and flowers bloom. However, if you’re an eczema sufferer, springtime can be less enchanting. Spring brings an increase of allergens in the air, (think grass, flower and pollens), warmer temperatures can worsen already irritated, dry skin, and increase sweating can further inflame eczema.

Here are 4 simple steps to help your skin stay calm this spring.

1. Choose the right fabrics

Warmer weather can exacerbate eczema, so choosing breathable. comfortable fabrics is so important. Wool, linen and synthetic fibres such as nylon and polyester are a definite no no! Choose 100% soft cotton or organic bamboo instead. You can find out more information on suitable fabrics for eczema here.

2. Build up your immune system with protective vitamins, minerals and nutrients

Recent studies by the Institute Pasteur, demonstrated that microbiota (gut flora) may have a role in preventing allergies. Gut flora is the microbe in our intestines, and has many functions, including immune defence. The study showed that reduced number of microbiota, can decrease the effectiveness of the immune system and trigger allergies. For these reasons, it is important to support your immune system and gut flora with a healthy eczema friendly diet and include immune protective vitamins and minerals.

The Eczema Detox and the Food Intolerance Diagnosis (FID) program in the Eczema Detox book provides heaps of information to support your immune system and help repair your skin, and keep it in the best possible condition it can be! Your confidence will soar, and you will be able to swap your jeans for shorts – cotton of course!

 The FID program runs for 4-6-week period and aims to identify food sensitivities. If you have a less severe case of eczema, or simply cannot be so strict over this time frame, the detox program may be more appropriate for you. Both options are found in this book here. 

Skin Friend AM can be taken to support healing of the gut wall lining and may reduce the risk of hayfever from spring pollen. It also includes:

  • Vitamin C, potent antioxidant that supports the immune system 
  • Zinc which supports the immune system
  • Glycine which plays a key role in reducing inflammation and supporting natural liver detoxification processes, and more


3. Use the right itch-busting creams 

If the springtime flowers have got you itching like crazy, there are a few things you can do to calm down the maddening itch

  • Avoid ‘the’ itch with a calming lukewarm bath then follow with Wonder Zinc or Eczema Friend for soothing and calming itchy skin (see below this blog for the details)
  • Instead of itchy like a mad man, use Eczema Friend on irritated dry skin. Gently rubbing the skin will satisfy the itch without breaking and damaging the skin. Our 24 Hour Rescue Balm is also incredibly soothing and hydrating so you'll be helping your skin while relieving ‘the’ itch  
  • Listen to our calming and nourishing Spotify playlist 'Vagus Nerve Wellness' which is designed to calm down an overstimulated nervous system. This can help soothe your mind and halt ‘the’ itch. If you do not have a Spotify account, you will need to search the app store (on your smart phone) and download the Spotify app. Search "Vagus Nerve" when on the Spotify app and find the playlist by Skin Friend. Alternatively, if you are on your computer you can sign up to Spotify online here if you haven't already got an account. It's free 😊
  • An obvious yet effective way to help with a springtime itch is via distraction. If I’m feeling particularly itchy and un-comfortable, I like to lie down and indulge in my favourite Netflix show, phone my mum to chat and giggle (or a little bit of a gossip) or sometimes I blast music and dance as I believe it can release’ the’ itchy monster inside you. 

    4. Keep hydrated 

     

    Keeping your skin hydrated is an important step for any season, but as we move into the warmer months it should become a priority.  

    Drinking water is essential to help the liver flush out toxins and supply the whole body (including your skin) with the moisture it needs. Try to have 8 glasses a day. 

    Don't forget to also hydrate your skin topically with a natural, no-nasties moisturiser like our 24-hour rescue balm. 

    By Nutritionist Bonnie (image shown above)

     

     

     

     

    The Eczema Toolkit

    the holistic way to stop the itch

    The Eczema Detox is Karen Fischer's latest best-selling eczema manual designed to help you find relief. Through her work she found some patients needed a special program to identify personal triggers, so the FID Program was created. The Eczema Clear Skin Toolkit combines gut health and nutrition with soothing, barrier repairing skincare and supplements to calm the itch and support skin repair, the immune system and more. If you’ve tried everything and nothing has worked, this is the skin calming toolkit you've been praying for.

    learn more

    Skin Friend AM

    skin/gut/hair/nails supplement

    Skin Friend AM contains 14 active vitamins and minerals to support skin, hair, nails and gut health, with actives like zinc, glycine and vitamins C, B6, B12 and folate to support immune system health. It assists the repair of the gut wall lining, relieves red skin rashes and can reduce symptoms of acne and mild eczema and dermatitis, when dietary intake is inadequate. Suitable for adults, teens and children from age one.

    learn more

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    Frequently asked questions

    Does food allergy trigger eczema?

    Food allergy and eczema are closely linked, and allergies can absolutely make eczema worse, but they're often not what starts it in the first place. In fact, research suggests the reverse may be more accurate: eczema itself may come first and increase the risk of developing food allergies, rather than the other way around (Tsakok et al. 2016). One study found that babies with eczema were up to six times more likely to become
    sensitised to foods compared to those without eczema. In children with established eczema, up to 66% showed food sensitisation, with confirmed food allergy in up to 81% of cases (Tsakok et al. 2016).

    If you or your child has a diagnosed food allergy, those foods should be avoided for now. For additional guidance, the Food Intolerance Diagnosis (FID) Program in The Eczema Detox book can help identify food intolerances that do not show up in allergy tests (see next FAQ).
    Do food allergy tests help eczema?

    Skin prick tests and other food allergy tests including blood tests and patch tests can be unreliable on their own, so an oral food
    challenge (supervised by an allergy specialist if you are prone to anaphylaxis), is the most accurate way to confirm whether you or your child is reacting to a particular food. For additional guidance, the FID Program in The Eczema Detox book can help you to identify your personal triggers.
    About the author

    Nutritionist Bonnie Taylor holds a Bachelor of Health Science degree and helps people with eczema identify their individual triggers through the FID Program. Taylor has worked alongside nutritionist Karen Fischer for many years and offers nutrition consultations by appointment via eczemadiet.com.