Summer begins, and all you want to do is go to the beach. But summer can be very challenging for people living with eczema, also called atopic dermatitis. Sunlight triggers flare-ups of atopic dermatitis, and even some sunscreens can aggravate the condition. Read on to learn five different methods to help you manage eczema in the summer and hopefully prevent flare-ups.
Eczema Severity Changes With the Seasons
You might find it surprising to see this article about preventing flare-ups of atopic dermatitis in summer, as the condition is usually worse in the winter when the air is dry. But next to the winter months, summer can also be a challenging time for people with atopic dermatitis.
Summer and Living With Eczema
First, increased humidity may lead to sweating, aggravating atopic dermatitis. Secondly, swimming and wet clothes can further worsen the condition. Moreover, several irritating ingredients are sometimes in your sunscreen.
Here are five tips to improve chronic eczema in summer:
1. Stay cool and dry
Minimize sweating by staying cool and avoid excessive heat. One of the essential strategies for summer is drinking cool water. If possible, try to opt for loose-fitting clothes and linen shirts. Another helpful tip is to change out of your wet clothing as soon as you leave the pool or the sea.
2. Stick to your skin routine
Especially in the summer, it is necessary to stick to your skin routine. For example, taking a bath or shower daily helps clean the skin of sweat, sand, and bacteria that accumulate there during a day at the sea and may help you improve your symptoms. Moisturize your skin as much as possible to decrease the dryness of the skin in summer.
3. Keep the air as clean as possible
An air purifier might be a good investment for you. An air purifier may help you clean your home of pollen, dust, or allergens from the air, which might worsen your condition and your skin’s reaction.
4. Choose the right sunscreen.
This is an essential step for you because you apply sunscreen directly to your skin. Choosing a physical or mineral sunscreen, not a chemical one, is a good option for people living with eczema. Some chemicals in sunscreen may irritate your already affected skin.
5. Stick to your healthy lifestyle in summer
In the summer, there’s a lot of ice cream to eat and cocktails to drink; it’s crucial for people living with eczema to stick to a healthy diet. An unhealthy diet full of sugar may worsen skin symptoms. Try to eat many vegetables, leafy greens, and fruits and avoid too much sugar, alcohol, and smoking.
Resource Links:
- “ Atopic dermatitis: the relationship to temperature and seasonality in the United States” via International Journal of Dermatology
- “Eczema” via StatPearls
- “Hygiene practices: Are they protective factors for eczema symptoms?” via Immunity, Inflammation and Disease
- “Impact of sun exposure on adult patients affected by atopic dermatitis” via Edzioni Minerva Medica
- “Seasonal variation and monthly patterns of skin symptoms in Korean children with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome” via Allergy and Asthma Proceedings
