So, my eczema seems to be on a yo-yo at the moment, but not enough to give me respite for more than a day or so. To be honest, I’ve never known it to be so persistent, but I think a few things are contributing to this:
1) Call me mad, but I think the weather has something to do with it. I’m not entirely sure what, exactly, but it’s my crackpot idea and I’m sticking with it!
2) Because it’s the summer holidays, my routine has gone to pot. Late nights, lack of sleep, odd hours all mean that my body isn’t quite getting the rest it needs. Cue lots of blotchy, sore skin.
3) I’ve been sent some organic skincare products to review on my main blog- my skin is slightly freaking out about the change (I’m a cold cream kind of girl, which I find actually really helps my eczema keep calm. Also, it kind of makes me feel like Bette Davis. Win/win in my book!)
4) Stress- I think this is the biggie. We’re moving house in a couple of weeks and, although I’m excited, I also really hate moving. But it’s going to be great; we’re moving into a little house (from a flat with multiple problems…) and I can see us being happy there!
5) Hormones. I can’t do anything about them until the baby (who is known as Fidget!) arrives. Will just have to grin and bear it for the next few weeks.
What triggers your eczema? Any tips?
1) I don’t think it’s a crackpot idea! My eczema always flares up in the extreme weathers – summer and winter. It tends to do better in humid summer than dry winter, though. I was in Belgium and England last week – Belgium’s heat was exhausting but my skin fared better there than in England where it was raining and a bit colder.
2) Lack of sleep has definitely contributed to my eczema and I think it’s tied closely with #4 (stress). No sleep -> stress-> itchy skin -> stress -> no sleep. It’s truly a vicious cycle. I’ve been taking some antihistamines (hydroxyzine) for a while and it helps tremendously. I can get some quality, uninterrupted sleep now (4-6 hours). Not scratching at nighttime is a huge benefit.
5) My mom also had eczema since she was born and she had three children. She said with each pregnancy, eczema flared up at its maximum closer to the due date and went away after the baby arrived.
I’ve had the condition since I was born but it’s mostly under control now. Anything can set it off though – mostly stress, eating bad food, dry weather. I wish you the best of luck and congratulations on your baby!
Clair
on August 5, 2012 at 2:26 pm ClairHi Stephanie,
Have you ever tried the Arbonne products? I’ve had customers try every products for Azema and nothing worked until they tried the Arbonne Baby care. Witch is good for kids and adults.
on August 5, 2012 at 9:46 pm Nathalie