When I popped out of the womb, my skin never really stood a chance. Although I will forever be grateful that thiccness is a family trait, I’m less happy that eczema is one too and I had to learn from an early age how to manage my flare ups. After twenty or so years, I’ve generally gotten pretty good at it - though the recent cycle of furious hand washing, hand sanitising and generally COVID-19 stressing has made it flare up again.

For those of you who don’t know who eczema is, it’s basically when parts of your skin become pretty rashy. If you have it, you quickly learn that you’ll have certain ‘problem areas’ and for the most part it tends to be in folds where you’re likely to collect sweat (yum) - like your inner elbows, knees, hands and neck.

For me, I learned pretty quickly that the backs of my thighs and hands are my worst enemies when it comes to eczema.

I’m not claiming to be a grand scientist here and if you want a proper medical breakdown with exact definitions, scientifically proven treatments and professional authority on the subject - you’ll have to head somewhere like the NHS. But I know for a lot of people with eczema, it’s a lifelong journey and you develop your own coping mechanisms.

I’m hoping I can make your journey a little easier by sharing what has worked for me, and I’ve also done a guide to the best creams that have worked for me. Here’s a few tips below:

1. Learn what your eczema triggers are

It sucks, but you’ll probably have to go through a few flare ups before you can really start to identify what sets you off. For me, mine are a drastic change in weather (especially heat and humidity-wise), stress and - when I was younger - food/pet dander allergies. Weirdly enough, I’m also low-key allergic to my own sweat.

Once you know what your triggers are, you can then start to deal with them! For example, I now tackle eczema flare ups caused by dry weather by using a humidifier and if I know I’m going out into the blazing heat where I’m going to sweat a lot - I’ll wear breathable clothing and a bra made from a forgiving fabric (most likely a bralette without underwire). Allergies-wise, the best advice I can give you is to sadly steer clear of them but on the occasions you can’t - pop an antihistamine half an hour before you expect to come into contact with whatever sets you off.

The stress one is still something I’m learning to handle, though I’ve found taking time out for myself to play video games, do a long ass skincare routine and write really helps settle me. 

2. GTFO fragrances

If you’re having a flare up - for the love of god, do not use something scented. I know it is tempting to use that cute glittery cream from Boots that smells like a cupcake threw up in a bottle, but it will wreck your skin. I don’t know the science behind it, but I’ve generally found that anything heavily scented, coloured, etc. only exarcerbates my eczema. That includes body soap, hand soap, moisturisers, hand creams, facial creams and more. 

I know it’s not sexy, but if your skin is bad - please, please stick to the simple stuff for sensitive skin. Once your skin is better and really in tip top condition, then you can experiment with the cute Cowshed and Soap & Glory stuff. Even then if you have particularly sensitive skin, I’d still rule it out. 

3. Tweak your wardrobe

When my skin was so bad that I almost couldn’t walk, my doctor told me immediately to throw out all the denim in wardrobe and any tight-fitting clothing. It was the right call at the time, even if it sounds super dramatic. I’m assuming most of you won’t have it as bad, but the fact remains - there are fabrics and clothing that’s more eczema-friendly than others.

Denim and wool are probably the worst culprits for eczema-sufferers. The first is incredible coarse and will grate against your skin, plus skinny jeans (which were in fashion at the height of my flare ups) made it impossible for my skin to breathe and recover. Wool, even for regular people, is super scratchy and will irritate your skin further. If you are going to throw on a jumper, please make sure to wear a cotton long sleeved top or something else underneath it to protect your skin. There’s also nothing grosser than picking out wool fibres from an open eczema wound.

Rule of thumb: if something feels scratchy or rough - steer clear. It’s not worth it. Even if it’s cute as hell, you’ll be paying for it for the next couple of weeks.

4. Go to the doctor earlier than you think you should

I have this bad habit of waiting till the last possible minute to go to the doctor for anything eczema-related. I literally wait until my hands are cracked and bleeding before I go see somebody. The last time I pulled this dumb ass stunt, my doctor actually screamed at the sight of them and then got really upset over how much pain I must be in (she was 100% right, I was in agony). 

Sometimes Cerave and Aveeno just won’t cut it. If after three days you’re not seeing any improvements, just give in and go to the doctor. Steroid creams should absolutely be used sparingly, but sometimes they’re the only things that can help when your skin is that bad. Your doctor will be able to prescribe you a safe strength for your condition. Also, they might be able to help you identify what triggered such an intense reaction and help you figure out how to avoid it in the future.

5. Do an allergy test

Not sure what your trigger is? Do an allergy test so you can avoid it in the future, since sometimes your allergies aren’t immediately obvious. The NHS has more information on how to go get one done on their official website. 

6. Stop using hot water 

Whenever I’m in a really itchy bout of eczema, it’s so tempting to stand in a boiling hot shower. Even though it feels like you’re kind of burning your skin off, it weirdly feels amazing because it also kills off all the feeling.

The temporary relief doesn’t do you any favours though. It dries out your skin even more and causes more problems, so it’s best to stick to colder showers if you’re in the throes of a bad flare up.

7. Make applying your eczema cream a daily habit

The moment I made this part of my daily routine, I saw a huge change. I forced myself to start slathering my skin - and especially my problem areas - with cream (even if my eczema wasn’t particularly bad) right after taking a shower in the morning and right before I go to bed. I also always keep my eczema cream on my bedside table for easy access, so it’s always within arm’s reach if I need it.

Making sure your skin is hydrated and moisturised regularly is a great way to prevent flare ups - especially if yours is brought on by dryness. It’s like clockwork to me now: so after I shower I wash my face, do my facial skincare and then I’ll slather my body in as much eczema cream as I can get my hands on. 

Being proactive about your eczema is always a good idea, even if it might seem like more of a hassle. Because it’ll be even more of a hassle when your skin blows up and you’re kicking yourself that you didn’t do more to prevent it.

8. Always have moisturiser with you

My friends make fun of me for always carrying around hand cream, but my god it makes a difference. I have a rotating stock of hand creams that I carry around - some fancy and scented when my skin is really good, but mostly less sexy and deeply hydrating moisturisers that help stave off any dryness and irritation. Just throw one in your handbag, it won’t hurt.

In my experience, you can never moisturise too much, but the moment your skin is dry it opens you up to a world of hurt.

9. Love yourself and be patient.

I still find this one difficult when I hit a really bad patch. It’s so easy to be consumed by feelings of self-hatred and disgust when your skin is bad. I’ve really struggled with it, especially when my flare up hits me somewhere really visible like my hands or my neck. Sometimes it’s hard for it not to affect your confidence, plus there’s the frustration that comes with waiting for your skin to clear up.

I’m not going to lie, I’ve definitely cried about my skin in the past - especially when somebody would make a comment and if your flare up is a particularly painful one. But recently, I’ve been trying to be kinder to myself. I’ve been trying to accept that eczema will, unfortunately, always be part of my life and that all I can do is trust patiently in my body (and the creams I’m using) to repair itself.

It isn’t your fault that you have eczema and that you’ve had a flare up; it’s just a thing that happens. You’re still one bad ass beautiful motherfucker and it will pass.

As for what actual products help me when I have a flare up? Here’s a guide to the best eczema creams and creams for dryness that have worked for me.