Soap-free showering and skincare
A Comprehensive Review of the Treatment of Atopic Eczema
Ji Hyun Lee, Sag Wook Son,corresponding author and Sang Hyun Chocorresponding author – 2016 may.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4773205/
Commonly, individuals with AE have more sensitive skin than the general population. The first recommendation is to avoid known irritants, such as soaps or detergents, chemicals, wool or nylon clothing, abnormal temperature/humidity, or sudden temperature changes. Perfumed fabric softeners can also cause irritation.
Gentle cleansing and moisturizing for patients with atopic dermatitis and sensitive skin
Wai Kwong Cheong, Specialist Skin Clinic, Singapore. drcheong@specialistskin.com.sg, 2009 Oct.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19209949/
Studies have reported clinical improvement with the use of soap-free cleansers in combination with topical treatments. While topical corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents are mainstays of treatment for atopic dermatitis, therapeutic moisturizers are important adjuncts. Moisturizers improve skin hydration, reduce susceptibility to irritation, restore the integrity of the stratum corneum, and enhance the efficacy of topical corticosteroids.
Washing with water alone versus soap in maintaining remission of eczema
Yusuke Inuzuka et al. Pediatr Int. – 2020 Jun.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32131146/
For children with controlled atopic dermatitis, washing with water alone was not inferior to washing with soap for maintaining remission of eczema during the fall-winter period in Japan.
https://www.rch.org.au/clinicalguide/guideline_index/eczema/
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/eczema
PDF – Treating your Eczema – Children
PDF – Treating your Eczema – Adults
Exclude dairy and / or eggs in diet
Specific IgE to common food allergens in children with atopic dermatitis
Mozhgan Moghtaderi, Shirin Farjadian, Sara Kashef, Soheila Alyasin, Maryam Afrasiabi, Marzieh Orooj
Allergy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran – 2012
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22426165/
Our results showed that cow’s milk, hen’s egg and tree nuts were the most common food allergens in Iranian children with atopic dermatitis. Sensitization to foods was much higher in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. Determining specific IgE in children with atopic dermatitis can be helpful in managing these patients.
Randomised controlled trial of advice on an egg exclusion diet in young children with atopic eczema and sensitivity to eggs
Rosemary Lever, Carolyn MacDonald, Pauline Waugh, Tom Aitchison – 2007
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1399-3038.1998.tb00294.x
The mean reduction in surface area affected by eczema was significantly greater (p = 0.02) in the group receiving dietary advice (from 19.6% to 10.9% area affected) than in the control group (from 21.9% to 18.9%). A significant improvement also occurred in severity score (p=0.04): from 33.9 to 24.0 units for the diet group compared with a decrease from 36.7 to 33.5 in the control group. The study suggests that advice on the dietary exclusion of eggs is useful as part of the overall management of young children with atopic eczema and sensitivity to eggs.
The Impact of Dairy Elimination on Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis
Aleksandra Nikolovski and Stefan Rallis
Dr. Rallis Wellness Group, Ontario, Canada
The patient demonstrated dramatic improvement in her AD once dairy was eliminated. After multiple forms of intervention including topical creams, steroids, and environmental modifications were deemed ineffective in resolving her case, the elimination of dairy was introduced. This intervention was easy to implement and was deemed both safe and well tolerated, with no adverse events noted. This case further exemplifies the gross underutilization of dietary interventions in the primary care management of most dermatological conditions
How eliminating certain foods can help ease eczema symptoms for some people
Dairy, in general, is a common food across all ages, both of which likely contribute to patients and caregivers associating it with flares of atopic dermatitis. A study in 2002 found children who drank cow’s milk increased their risk of developing additional food allergies and persistent atopic dermatitis.
Salt baths, epsom salt, dead sea salt
Bathing in a magnesium-rich Dead Sea salt solution improves skin barrier function, enhances skin hydration, and reduces inflammation in atopic dry skin
Ehrhardt Proksch et al. Int J Dermatol. 2005 Feb.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15689218/
Skin roughness and redness of the skin as a marker for inflammation were significantly reduced after bathing in the salt solution. This demonstrates that bathing in the salt solution was well tolerated, improved skin barrier function, enhanced stratum corneum hydration, and reduced skin roughness and inflammation. We suggest that the favorable effects of bathing in the Dead Sea salt solution are most likely related to the high magnesium content.