Rains cool off the earth. But does the same happen to your irritated dry skin in the monsoons?
Apparently, the rainy season can be itchy and annoying for you if you are dealing with dry and sensitive skin type. The wet and humid atmosphere can also give rise to fungal infections in the affected area. And this can be pretty exasperating.
But don’t let your heart sink already! When you know the causes and preventive measures, it gets easier to manage the skin conditions like eczema which are generally hyped by the changes in the temperature and humidity.
We are here all along your journey to combat this condition to the best and make rains joyful for you all the more! C’mon, let’s begin!
6 Effective tips to manage eczema in monsoon/rainy season
1. Moisturise as increased humidity increases loss of skin moisture
During monsoons, the most important thing to understand while dealing with eczema is that the skin barrier is already compromised. This means it will encourage the transepidermal water loss causing the skin to dry up quickly leading to irritation and inflammation.
This situation can be wisely and carefully averted with a regular and consistent use of moisturiser. Use a moisturizer that has hydrating and healing ingredients that can help you counter the dryness and repair the broken skin barrier.
2. Bathing with hot water in the rainy season can worsen eczema symptoms
We understand that taking hot showers apparently gives relief to the irritated skin. Consequently, you feel the need to take showers for the longer durations.
But the truth is, bathing for a long time with piping hot water actually dries out the natural oils and moisture from the skin. Also, the soaps and cleansers used while bathing can rip off the moisture from the skin.
3. Avoid harsh ingredients and fragrances
If you love to use fragranced soaps and scents, despite dealing with eczema, then my friend you need to keep a check on it.
Eczema prone skin is already indicating that you have broken skin barrier. And when fragrances come in contact with atopic skin they tend to create uneasy reactions.
This further encourages irritation and itching. So, it is wise to avoid the fragrance based products instead of worsening the skin conditions.
4. Wear breathable clothing to avoid sweat irritation in humid weather
The first point of contact with the skin is with clothes.
Imagine wearing tight and synthetic fibers in the hot and humid temperature with the atopic skin. I think you got your answer!
Nothing, but it will not let sweat evaporate and as a result the itching, pain and irritation will be triggered to the extreme.
This is why dermatologists advise opting comfortable, loose and cotton clothing to let the skin breathe.
5. Never miss your sunscreen even on cloudy days
Even during monsoons, the UVA and UVB rays can affect your eczema prone skin. These harmful rays from the sun can pass through the clouds and can cause skin rashes and sunburns. This can be really bad for atopic skin.
Therefore, you must wear sunscreens with at least SPF 50 every time you step out. And to suit the sensitive skin, go for the ones that do not clog your pores; “non-comedogenic”.
Important tip - Look out for mineral sunscreens that do not penetrate the skin but stays on the surface of the skin and performs its job well.
6. As a preventive measure, wear gloves while doing house chores
Generally speaking, protecting your skin whenever you can is the best preventive measure to sideline the possible outbreak of hand eczema irritations on the skin.
So, if you’re indulging in regular household chores like washing clothes, utensils or even dusting your house, why not wear gloves!
Using gloves can shield your skin from the harsh chemicals like SLS or dust and germs. This can really help you if you happen to have eczema on your hands.
How stress can trigger eczema during changing season and how to avoid a flare-up?
We understand how tricky it gets to manage eczema at every little step. Even in the changing season.
And we totally get that such skin conditions along with hyper itching and skin irritation can instigate stress. And believe us, stress is the last thing you should have in your mind or else it can go otherwise.
Stressing about eczema skin is like gaslighting it even more.
In a nutshell, it is quintessential that you stay calm and positive as much as possible at least for the sake of your skin. We know it’s difficult, but trying is worth it!
Quick tips to manage stress
There is no one way set in stone to manage stress. Everyone has their own stress busters. Important thing is that those ways should not backfire on you. They should make you feel light, positive and happy at the end of the day.
The basic techniques to manage stress can be concluded with meditation and breathing exercises to calm the mind. Such activities produce happy chemicals in your brain that do not cause any problem to the skin.
Final takeaway
Managing eczema prone skin during monsoon season can be a bit of a task. However, with right guidance and information, you can learn to prevent atopic dermatitis from becoming extremely worse.
Using mild and unfragranced soaps and moisturisers for your body and keeping yourself happy are the basic pointers to deal with any kind of skin condition for that matter.
Have patience! We will get through this together!
