SKIN SOOTHERS

Iget so many emails from grateful people who find that once they stop using commercial laundry powders and swap to my natural ones, their skin and that of their children cleared up. Here are some natural tips if you suffer from eczema:

• Bathe in lukewarm – not too hot or too cold – water.

• Use natural, cold-pressed oils after washing. Apricot oil is particularly good as it has an anti-inflammatory effect.

• Have an oatmeal bath. Tip in a cup of oatmeal and soak in it, or better still, put it in a cloth handkerchief, tie at the top and sponge yourself all over with it while in the bath.

• Cotton clothing is a must – avoid all synthetics or wool.

• Fake nails – avoid acrylics as studies have found the chemicals can cause dermatitis.

• Use cold milk as a dressing – put milk into a glass with ice cubes, let sit, then put on to a gauze pad or thin piece of cotton and apply for 2-3 minutes. Continue the process for 10 minutes.

• Apply good old-fashioned calamine lotion.

• Take a look at your diet – traditionally eggs, orange juice and milk have been implicated in causing eczema, but it would pay to have a test just to make sure you don’t have any allergies.

• Avoid quick changes in air temperature. Try to dress in layers of cotton and avoid going from a cold room into a hot shower, for instance.

• Use white toilet paper with no patterns or added fragrance – dyes and chemicals can irritate your skin.

• Emollients containing urea can relieve itching because it is a sloughing agent.

• When doing the laundry, only use fragrance-free washing powders.