Adult onset eczema

babyshoes

I was yesterday diagnosed with eczema, having never previously experienced anything more than occasional dry skin. Has anyone else suddenly gotten it as an adult? It is seen as mostly a childhood affliction, isn't it?

In my case, it causes patches on my face and neck mostly, with occasional ones on collar bone and chest area. My hands seem to be very dry too, and hand cream doesn't do much for them. The doc has prescribed a mild steriod cream and suggested I use a cheap, otc moisturiser. I haven't had a chance to get to the pharmacy yet to fill the script, but will probably go tomorrow.

I have nivea at home and slapped some of that on last night, but this morning the patches seemed redder and even a little swollen. This morning I tried E45 'anti itch' cream that was leftover from something else. It stung a bit at first, but the redness and itching cooled a little after a while.

I was wondering what other people use? I was thinking of getting aqueous cream because it is cheap and I don't think it has lots of chemicals in it...

Savvy_Sue

Eczema can strike at any age, and moisturising is essential, alongside the steroids initially. However, what works for one person may not work for you, and it is a matter of trial and error. You may find that there are particular ingredients you have to avoid: E45 has lanolin in, for example, which used to bring up red patches on my sons. However their 'wash' is the only thing DH can use, and he has very longstanding eczema.

Aqueous cream may not have many chemicals in it, but they are chemicals, and it's recently been accepted that it's not necessarily a good thing to use, certainly not as a handcream.

She also highlighted that aqueous cream, previously a first line treatment for eczema, has been proved to be not only ineffective but actually damaging to the skin.

That's from a search on the National Eczema Society home page, your new best friend!

babyshoes

Thanks Sue!

So, not Aqueous then. That's me stumped!

I don't want to randomly buy moisturisers if there are things that are known to be bad, so has anyone got any suggestions for what I should try first? What works for you? Ideally something cheap!

Savvy_Sue

babyshoes wrote: »

Thanks Sue!

So, not Aqueous then. That's me stumped!

I don't want to randomly buy moisturisers if there are things that are known to be bad, so has anyone got any suggestions for what I should try first? What works for you? Ideally something cheap!

Ask your pharmacist if they have any samples.

I haven't offered DH any Lush Dream Cream, but if you can get to a Lush store I believe they will give samples, and that is one which is often recommended.

babyshoes

Ooh, now there's an idea. There is a Lush in town, hadn't thought of going there. Might just have to pop in tomorrow!

Asking for samples is a great idea - I don't mind buying something a little pricey if I know it will work but I don't want to be buying loads of things just to try them!

Rebob

Oilatum and aqueous cream have both been given to me over the years but its hit and miss what works at times.

Savvy_Sue

babyshoes wrote: »

Asking for samples is a great idea - I don't mind buying something a little pricey if I know it will work but I don't want to be buying loads of things just to try them!

More to the point, you don't want to be buying anything pricey to find out that not only does it not work, it makes your skin worse!

Hermia

I can use pretty much any body lotion as long as it is for very dry skin and isn't too scented. I like Vaseline and Dove the best. I think the trick is putting it on a lot so your skin is constantly getting some moisture. I get eczema on my hands a lot and I put on hand cream ALL THE TIME. I have handcream in my bag, by my bed, by every sink in my house, in my desk at work, in my locker at work and by the sink in the loos at work! People always buy me handcream for Christmas!

Have you thought about your laundry detergents? I cannot use bio detergents or powder detergents as they seriously upset my skin.

Savvy_Sue

Hermia wrote: »

Have you thought about your laundry detergents? I cannot use bio detergents or powder detergents as they seriously upset my skin.

We can't use scented fabric conditioner or DH's socks eat his ankles! :eek:

LittleMissAspie

Lush Dream Cream is supposed to be good (I don't have excema personally) and it's light enough for the face.

To offset the cost you can also make your own moisturiser pretty easily:
http://www.wabisabibaby.com/blog/2008/how-to-make-an-all-natural-lotion-with-only-3-ingredients/

You can experiment with different oils or butters, and use floral waters or oat infusion in place of the plain water.

Rowan9

My adult son still gets flare up of eczema. he finds that some things work well for a while (eg a big tub of some cream he got from dr - Dermabase or something?) and then won't work for a while. E45 anti-itch makes him very easy indeed! Good quality natural shea butter works well and I used to buy tubs for him from a fairtrade seller from Ghana who sells from a shop/ unti from Reading. Can't remember the name, sorry.
Good luck in finding something that works well for you. Remember to drink plenty of water and maybe some evening primrose oil tablets might help.
W