Water softener could stop eczema

Getting a home water softener could protect children against the misery of eczema, according to new research.

The condition can be caused by having a bath or shower if you live in an area with hard water.

This damages the skin barrier and increases its sensitivity to soap or washing powder, say scientists.

Lead author Dr Simon Danby, of the University of Sheffield, said: “By damaging the skin barrier, washing with hard water may contribute to the development of eczema – a chronic skin condition characterised by an intensely itchy red rash. Patients with eczema are much more sensitive to the effects of hard water than people with healthy skin.”

He said this was because they have a genetic predisposition to a skin barrier defect brought about by genetic mutations.