My Eczema Journey: What Worked and What Didn't

I developed eczema as an adult and I spent YEARS trying to figure out the cause and a solution. For years, I suffered from dry, itchy, irritated skin and dry, scaly patches that would develop for seemingly no reason. I had worked as a researcher in corporate America for over a decade, so I decided to apply my research skills to solving my problem. I experimented on myself, trying everything I possibly could. Eventually, I figured it out. But before I tell you what worked, here's what didn't.

Please keep in mind that this is what worked and didn't work for me. Everyone is different and your skin may respond differently.

👎What Didn't Work ❌

❌Steroid Creams: Dermatologists love to prescribe steroid creams because they work...until you stop using the cream. Then the eczema patch usually comes back, sometimes worse than before. At least that's been my experience and the experience of many others. But even more problematic is the fact that steroid creams work by altering your body's hormones, which is definitely not something that you want to do long term. Moreover, the potential side effects of long-term steroid cream usage includes: skin thinning, skin dryness, prematurely-aged skin, and worsening of the skin condition that's being treated. Sources 1, 2, 3 (For these reasons, doctors recommend limited steroid cream usage.) So even though they may work temporarily, steroid creams are not a safe, long-term solution.

I saw several dermatologists and they recommended steroid creams and lotion, but they didn't help or encourage me to find the root cause of my eczema. For some reason, many doctors seem to have little interest in identifying the root cause(s) of patients' health issues. 

❌Dietary Changes: I tried every dietary change under the sun: gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, sugar-free, alcohol-free, pescetarian, vegetarian, vegan...it didn't matter. What I ate had no effect on my eczema symptoms. Didn't make my eczema worse, or better. Again, this list is just my experience. Some people report that dietary changes such as going dairy-free helped improve their skin.

❌Probiotics: I'm not exaggerating when I say that I have tried every brand of probiotics available for sale in the USA, plus a few brands available for sale only in Europe. Some of them helped my digestion (Dr. Ohira is my favorite), but none of them affected my skin in any noticeable way. 

❌Bacterial Skin Sprays: You may not have heard of these but there are several companies that sell bottles of liquid that are infused with bacteria supposedly beneficial for the skin. I gave several brands a try, but saw no benefit.

 

👍What Did Work ✅

✅Switching to Fragrance-Free Laundry Detergent: Your clothing is in contact with your skin all day and your bed sheets contact your skin all night. 

 Even though your laundry goes through a rinse cycle, not all the detergent gets rinsed out. As I've discussed in other blog posts, fragrances are some of the most common skin irritants.  Switching to fragrance-free laundry detergent immediately caused me less itching and skin irritation.

✅Managing My Stress: For most people, including me, stress by itself won't cause eczema symptoms, but stress plus other factors can trigger eczema symptoms. For example, if I shower with a drying bodywash for a couple days, there might be a 50% chance that I develop an eczema patch (patch of dry, itchy skin) somewhere on my body. But if I use that same drying bodywash and I'm stressed about work, there's about a 90% chance that I'll develop an eczema patch. Learning to reduce my stress was a major factor in getting my eczema under control. Meditation, exercise, walks in nature, comedy, journaling, prayer, and practicing gratitude are some of the things that help me manage my stress.

✅Using the Right Skincare Products. Using the right skincare products turned out the be the most important factor, which is not surprising given that eczema is a skin condition.  Dr Bronner's used to be my soap of choice because their soap is organic, but it dried out my skin terribly and eventually my skin got so dry that I had to switch. I tried Shea Moisture and Dove. Those soaps aren't organic but they are moisturizing. Problem is, brands like Dove and Shea Moisture (like most skincare brands) use synthetic moisturizers and other chemical additives, that are known or suspected hormone disruptors. Sources 1, 2,. 

I wanted smooth skin but I wasn't willing to risk my long-term health. I searched for alternatives, tried dozens, and eventually realized I'd have to make my own, which is how S.M.O.C. Skincare was born. 

So what's "the right" skincare products? Three things:

💦1. Highly moisturizing & formulated for dry skin/eczema

🌱2. Certified Organic

⚠️3. Completely free of chemical additives

💦Highly moisturizing and formulated for dry skin is obviously important because the key characteristic of eczema is DRY skin.

🌱Certified organic is important is because non-organic skincare can be contaminated with pesticides & herbicides (check out this blog post to learn more) and those toxins—in addition to being carcinogenic— are also proven hormone disruptors. Source.  And, of course, residual pesticides on your skin can trigger skin irritation and inflammation.

⚠️Free of Chemical Additives is important because chemical additives trigger skin irritation and cause skin dryness. Preservatives, detergents, fragrances, and added colors are all examples of chemical additives that can trigger skin irritation and cause skin dryness. Once I began using the soaps that I developed, my eczema symptoms went away within a month.

 

So that's what worked for me. As I said before, everyone is different, and I can't guarantee that what worked for me will work for you. But I also don't think that any harm can come from reducing your stress, or from using fragrance-free laundry detergent, or from using organic, moisturizing skincare products that are free of chemical additives. So you have nothing to lose by trying those things. Even dietary changes are a low-risk change. Whatever you decide to do, remember to be patient. Skin can't change overnight and sometimes it can take months before people see improvement in their skin. I know, it's frustrating. I lived with eczema symptoms for years so I understand your pain. Hang in there! I wish you all the best!

Kal Garcia

Founder, S.M.O.C. Skincare

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