Moisturisers that damage your skin barrier

How would you feel if the advice you were given for managing your child’s eczema was actually prolonging their flare up. No mother wants their child suffering with eczema but if you are following the wrong advice that may be exactly what you are doing.

One of the reasons eczema sufferers can continually flare up is because they are being given outdated advice. The recommendation given by the medical and pharmaceutical profession is to keep the skin continually moisturised and avoid drying and irritating ingredients.

So what is wrong with this?

Well it assumes any moisturiser will do the job, when in fact using the wrong one will make your eczema worse.

Creams that contain mineral oil and paraffin have been shown clinically to damage the skin barrier and increase moisture loss from the skin over a 7 week period of continual use[1]. The researchers suggest that the effect of the hydrocarbon cream may be due to the lipids in the cream interfering with the intercellular lipids in the skin and affecting their barrier function.

The skin of an eczema sufferer has tiny cracks in it which predispose them to eczema. People with eczema have a much thinner skin barrier than normal skin and this can be seen under a microscope even if they do not have obvious eczema lesions. Considering the fact that 66% of eczema is from an impaired skin barrier, using a product that is promoting a weaker skin barrier and more moisture loss is the worst thing you could do.

The problem is the majority of moisturisers and bath oils sold for the treatment of eczema are made from mineral oil and paraffin. The reason being because they are a cheap oil replacement cuts the cost for manufacturing the product and increases the manufacturer’s profit! Using these products is perpetuating the vicious cycle of eczema.

The solution is to purchase products that contain vegetable oils. Particularly oils high in gamma linolenic acid. Gamma linolenic acid has been shown to suppress inflammation. Good examples include Hemp Seed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil and Borage Seed Oil. These are the richest sources of gamma linolenic acid known.

References.

1. Source: Archives of Dermatological Research DOI 10.1007/s00403-008-0906-6 Long-term treatment with moisturizers affects the mRNA levels of genes involved in keratinocyte differentiation and desquamation Izabela Buraczewska, Berit Berne, Magnus Lindberg, Marie Lodén, Hans Törma