Here we go again – as soon as the weather dries up and the heat in the house goes on, someone starts getting itchy skin. LAst night, my younger daughter couldn’t sleep because her legs were itching so much. I lotioned her up and today I’ll pull out he humidifier. Here are some other things you can do to help with eczema and winter skin:

• Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate
• Use an effective moisturizer a few times every day. I find some really good ones to be California Baby Lotions, Cetaphil and Lubriderm
• You need to create a barrier to keep the moisture from leaving the body. I was recently reading about skin care where I saw that two of the safest and most effective products are petroleum jelly (vaseline) and mineral oil/baby oil. I found it interesting that Crisco shortening was on the list, too.
• Apply your moisturizer within 3 minutes of getting out of the bath or shower. That way you will seal in the moisture. If you wait too long, the moisture all evaporates leaving the skin too dry and irritated.
• Moisturize your hands after every time you wash them.
• Use dye free, fragrance free and low PH cleaning products.
• Use warm, not hot, water when bathing, and bath for at least 5-10 minutes to let the water rehydrate you.
• Baking soda and/or oatmeal can be added to bath water to decrease and relieve itching. Remember to soak in the bath for at least 10 minutes to get all benefits.
• Use the moisturizing form which suits you best. there are creams and ointments which are stronger and heavier than lotions, providing more moisture and barrier protection. Some people prefer ointments (which can be greasy) at night and lotions during the day. Creams are good to use at either time.
• You don’t need to rub your moisturizer in all the way. In fact, it’s best to leave a film on your skin and let it soak in on its own.
• Stay away from fragrances and dyes in your moisturizers just like in your cleansers. Mild and bland is best.
• Stay away from soap based products and stick to gentle cleansers. Soaps can be too harsh and drying on skin.
• Some areas may need more gentle products than others (I love olive oil for removing my eye make up – it’s very gentle and gets that moisture barrier going).

The key is to moisturize! Try different products until you find what works best for you and stick to a regimen. Remember, moisturize while your skin is still wet and continue to moisturize throughout the day, especially in the winter with the dry, cold air.