National Eczema Week: The Best 15 Tips We've Ever Heard From Experts 

This week marks National Eczema Week, focusing on an inflammatory skin condition that affects about one in 10 individuals in the U.S., according to the National Eczema Association. That's roughly 31.6 million individuals who have to deal with it in some form or another, be it small facial flare-ups or full-body patches. And if you are an individual who does deal with it, you likely know how challenging it can be: Not only do people have a wide variety of triggers, but not everyone takes to the same treatments. The confusion can make living with the condition challenging at times. 

Listen: When you have eczema, there are a lot of topicals that are, um, off-limits. But there are several ingredients derms approve of to use—that also happen to be formulated into sensorially appealing commercial products. 

For example, "Sunflower oil is rich in linoleic acid, which is anti-inflammatory for the skin. It helps repair the skin barrier and reduces transepidermal water loss," says Cybele Fishman, M.D., a holistic dermatologist. Or "Coconut oil is a great natural moisturizer for the skin, especially for patients with eczema. However, it can lead to acne breakouts, so be careful if you're acne-prone," says Jaimie Glick, M.D., board-certified dermatologist.

The emerging research on the skin microbiome suggests that having a balanced skin flora is essential to limiting flare-ups. Two strains, in particular—Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis—are shown to be associated with the condition, although more research needs to be done. 

"Lip eczema is characterized by dry, chapped, and peeling lips and, sometimes, painful breaks of the lips," explains board-certified dermatologist Charlotte Birnbaum, M.D. In other words, the same common symptoms of eczema—red patches, cracked skin, flaking, and general dryness—also hold true for the lip area. But how do you know you've crossed the line into this skin condition? If the skin on the lips becomes significantly cracked to the point of becoming painful, and if no amount of over-the-counter ointments (such as oils, butters, and waxes) seems to help, then you might be dealing with a case of eczema. 

"The most common type of facial eczema is contact dermatitis—this is a form of eczema that comes from irritation from products, like perfumes or skin care topicals," says Dattner. "It's most often found around the eyes and eyelids."  

Those with eczema have a compromised skin barrier (the two go hand-in-hand). A compromised skin barrier is one that no longer serves as a guard between your body and the outside world An overly permeable skin barrier is what holistic board-certified dermatologist Mamina Turegano, M.D., refers to as a "leaky" skin barrier—sort of like a leaky gut—and it can act as an underlying cause of inflammatory skin conditions like, yes, eczema.

Even if you don't have chronic eczema, strengthening your barrier is a good idea: "It protects us from mechanical injury, low humidity, cold, heat, sun, wind, chemical exposure, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other pathogens," explains board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D., stating that, "a healthy barrier is critical to normal skin function."

OK, so back to that skin barrier. It needs an acidic (low) pH not only to protect against bacteria but to retain moisture too. However, scientists have found1 that people with eczema tend to have higher skin pH levels than those without. Plus, in folks who do have eczema, skin lesions usually have a higher pH than unaffected skin. Studies have shown that lowering the pH reduces the inflammatory TH2 response and speeds up barrier function recovery2, both of which are key drivers in eczema.

Theoretically, apple cider vinegar could help soothe eczema by lowering skin pH. And while scientists haven't specifically tested it out, the National Eczema Association says it has potential. An apple cider vinegar bath may be just what you need to naturally control eczema flare-ups.

Eczema does not discriminate between areas. You can get patches on your lips, scalp, elbows, hands, trunk, and, yes, even brows.   

It's a little different from regular oats, which have the ability to decrease inflammation8 in their own right. Oats contain different types of phenols that have their own antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, says board-certified dermatologist Zenovia Gabriel, M.D., FAAD.

But when you finely grind and boil oats, you can extract colloidal material; this gel-like substance has a rather high lipid content (30%, to be exact). "These are the same moisture-trapping molecules that are plentiful in prepubescent skin," says board-certified dermatologist Loretta Ciraldo, M.D., FAAD. In other words, colloidal oats aren't just regular oats—they have significant antioxidant properties that are unique to their makeup. 

And these help soothe dry, itchy, inflamed skin—and do so by helping the skin retain moisture. "Moisturizing and protecting the barrier of the skin is paramount in dry skin conditions like eczema (atopic dermatitis) and psoriasis," says Gabriel. 

Stress does a number on your skin, from inducing breakouts to contributing to fine lines and dullness. For those with a genetic predisposition to eczema, periods of stress can cause flare-ups. 

"Normally, cortisol levels oscillate in response to the circadian rhythm; however, stress can significantly disrupt the cycle," explains dermatologist Keira Barr, M.D. "During periods of increased stress, cortisol levels rise significantly, which can have a major impact on your immune system."

Often those with easily irritated skin steer clear of exfoliators, especially potent acids. Overall, a wise choice. However, if you are one who wants some gentle exfoliation (when skin is not flaring up, of course), you can safely opt for lactic acid. The alpha-hydroxy acid not only helps slough off excess dead skin cells, but it's hydrating as well.

See, lactic acid has one of the larger molecules in the group, which means it can't penetrate as deeply as others. This means all of the hard work of the acid happens on the surface of the skin, which decreases the amount of irritation and helps to protect the skin barrier. 

Hands are particularly susceptible to eczema, as they are often exposed to the elements, as well as potentially irritating soaps when washing. Since we're all likely doing that a bit more lately, it's a good idea to invest in hand cream.