Whether you have wet or dry eczema, the environment you live in makes a huge difference to how you skin behaves. Having an allergy-free home can make or break your skin regime. You need to pay attention to the following to become more comfortable in your own home:
1. Room temperature
2. Swap Carpets for Vinyl, Wooden or Laminate flooring
3. Green cleaning products
4. Get Leather or leather-look sofas
5. Wear Cotton, Bamboo, Linen or Silk clothing instead of Wool
6. Skin friendly cosmetics
7. No pets
8. No soap – way too drying
As the main culprit to being allergic at home is the spread of dust mites and their faeces, we must do all we can to keep our homes free of these little critters.
They are normally found in large amounts in our bedding and pillows. Changing mattresses every 10 years makes a difference. Vacuuming at least once a month and putting on mattress and pillowcase covers can prevent dust mites feeding on our dead skin flakes as we sleep.
This is the main reason why we scratch and itch in our beds at night. Mostly because we are too hot. Swapping the duvet for a cotton throw will cut the itching by half. Also cotton sheets are cooler and kinder to skin than polyester sheets.
Room Temperature
A room temperature of around 18 Degrees is best and is warm enough to be comfortable without resulting in a scratch-fest.
Personally, I keep my central heating off during summer and only turn it on in autumn and winter 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours before bed, just to warm up the house. I don’t let the central heating run for hours on end otherwise I feel really stuffy and start to itch.
Carpets
Replace carpets with vinyl, wooden or laminate flooring as they do not harbour dust mites like carpets do.
Pets
Pets, especially long-haired varieties, can harbour dander and dustmites due to their hair-shedding. If you have eczema, consider giving your pet away to a neighbour so that you can still see your pet, but will have the advantage of not having pet hairs shed all over the couch or bed.
Green Cleaning Products
I am all for Amway Cleaning products as they are organic and skin-friendly. They have SA8 detetergent or washing powder for clothes and also LOC for general purpose cleaning.
Cosmetics 
Cosmetics should not really be used except for special occasions as they can really be a cause of allergic reactions. As for creams and lotions – I really do only recommend olive oil, shea butter or coconut oil. You may have to do a patch test to see how coconut oil or shea butter suits your skin. I chose those two moisturisers as they are fantastic for cracked skin.
A mixture of olive oil and shea butter makes a very good skin balm for moisturising the skin all day. Very good for flaky eczema. If you only have a little eczema here and there, and it is mild, Lush Cosmetics are recommended. They are natural and animal-free products.
Soap-Free Please!
You may be wondering how to get your body clean of the rigours of the day. All you need do is get half a cup of oatmeal and half a cup of dead sea salts. Then mix it in half a bucket of lukewarm water. Massage your skin with this and rinse off gently.
While your skin is still damp, apply your moisturiser. Then wear either silk, satin or loose cotton clothing. Tight clothing will wick away moisture from your skin and result in you itching again. Wash your hairy parts with such things as Liquid Black Soap (Akamuti.com) or Forever Living Shampoo and also their Jojoba Conditioner. Perfect for scalp eczema.
My other posts about juicing and liver flushing and bowel cleansing tell you how to keep internally free of allergens. The good thing is that if you follow a good routine of bowel cleansing at the change of every season, you will see a lessening of your allergic reactions. Liver flushing is the icing on the cake and also parasite cleansing is something you should also consider.
No Woollen Clothing – Use Silk, Cotton, Linen, Bamboo
The fibres in woollen clothing are very irritating to people with eczema and so it is best to use silk (very cooling) or cotton, linen and bamboo. Bamboo is very very soft to children’s skin especially babies. You can buy bamboo baby-gros at Baby Care shops in your city or online.
Polyester and nylon clothing cause the body to heat up and this could lead to a scratch fest. So be warned before you buy that neat little blouse.
It is also best to layer your clothes rather than put on a very thick layer. This way, if you start to feel hot, you can just take off a layer at a time until you are at a cooler temperature.
Puffer coats are taboo as you will feel like a furnace. Trench coats are lighter and non-irritating to your neck and wrists.
As for socks, wear cotton-rich from places like Marks and Spencers.
If your eczema is chronic, invest in Tubifast bandages over your limbs, to keep the moisture in and your hands off. If you have wet eczema – do a dry wrap. If you have dry eczema, wet wrap then put on the dry Tubifast bandages, then a cotton T-shirt. Change this every day to keep your skin clean.
Get Leather Sofas – or Leather-look sofas
Choose this kind over fabric sofas which tend to harbour the dreaded dustmites and are harder to clean. With a leather or leather-look sofa, you can simply wipe clean with a damp cloth, then use a dry cloth to finish off.
So there you have it – think clean, soft surfaces to walk, sit on and and feel, then you will feel much cleaner and calmer.
Also try to keep your environment tidy as a tidy environment leads to a tidy uncluttered mind. Go on -! you won’t know til you try it!
Hi! I’m in the states… could you also list what the Fahrenheit equivalent is to 18C? I know it’s best to sleep in a cooler environment and usually try to keep my thermostat at about 68F at night. I would also add to this list, plants. Plants are an excellent way to keep the air clean and fresh, as they absorb toxins from the air. Just be mindful not to get toxic varieties if you have pets!
Hi Molly,
18C is equal to 64.4 Fahrenheit.
Being allergic to pets, I can’t even have cats which I love, but then again most people with eczema cannot tolerate pets at home. I do have an aloe vera plant in my kitchen though.
I also keep the windows open when indoors for most of the time.
Stella:
You make a great case for having an eczema-free home for your family. I don’t think people realize how easy it is for allergens to invade our homes. As you point out, there are a number of effective home-care treatments for eczema that are easy to implement and respond quickly. And one thing I found out the hard way is it’s easier to control eczema than to cure it, that’s why it’s important to maintain a schedule of cleaning for your home
I have also found that liquid detergents are less irritating to the skin than powders or tablets. And keeping my skin from irritation is crucial to controlling my eczema. I also find using a clean, cool, damp cloth against my skin will ease any itching. My son also found out, it’s better to shower with lukewarm water rather than hot water; and for no more than 10 minutes. If you bathe rather than shower, a number of people have had success adding apple cider vinegar to the water. Not sure how it will make you smell, but you won’t be concerned with breaking out with eczema. However, if I do get some inflammation and itching, I’ll use a mild solution of bleach and water for relief.
Frequent housecleaning lowers the amount of time required to keep allergens at bay. Dust mites are tiny bugs that live in dust, so once a month, I make sure to scrub down the tops of doors, windowsills, crown molding, ceiling fans, under furniture and behind toilets. The thought of those mites crawling on me is motivation enough to clean extra. However, as you point out, it’s our mattresses and sheets we need to be diligent about. It’s recommended you wash you sheets and pillowcases at least twice a week; and make sure to vacuum the mattress including the underneath corners twice a week. Lastly, you mention 18 degrees, and it was very confusing to me until I realized you were talking about Celsius not Fahrenheit.
The best thing I like about your review Stella is it confirmed that the remedies we have implemented are some of the ones you are recommending.
Yes Terry,
Environment is very important to people with eczema. That’s why I recommended it. I’ve used everything from French Argiletz clay to heal scars, Aalgo seaweed baths to stop the itch and Moor Mud Herbal bouquet for internal cleansing.
However, to really get rid of the allergies, I always recommend doing herbal colon or bowel cleansing. Gentle and effective. Followed by liver flushing…
When you do these two, your allergies are cut down by almost 80%. I still keep my apartment clean though and have tile flooring and cotton throws on my bed.
I also wear cotton, linen or silk clothing rather than fleece or wool material.
So far so good. I’m glad you found my site an interesting read.
I must thank you for these suggestions. I will personally take action concerning buying sofas that are leather-look sofas. I happened to see some really nice a few days ago and I was hesitating to buy them , But now that I read your recommendation (and your site is completely unrelated to sofas), I think it will be a good purchase.
Hi Ann,
I will have a look round the nearest shopping centre and find out sofas that are suitable to buy. Actually, if you want to buy those leather look sofas, all you need to do is put a cotton throw over them and they should be fine to sit and lie on.
It’s the direct contact with the sofa that you want to avoid, you see….
Greetings! I find your article very important because I never considered checking the environment I live in and I’ve learned that it is an important factor to consider. Having a lot of skin problems I wish to ask if it is safe to have flowers in my home? I have planted flowers and I kept others inside my living room, is it healthy for my skin.
Anyway thanks for sharing this informative article with us, I will be sharing it further too.
Flowers should be fine as long as you do not suffer from asthma or lung problems. It is normally the scent people are allergic to. But as a rule, flowers and such plants give more oxygen to the air in your home. So that is fine for you.
Hello Stella,
Very good information on Eczema here. I have gone through this article and found that with my experience, having eczema most of my life you are right on target.
I would say that most of my issues are increased when subjected to powdery dirt or dust, which in my profession is regular. Heat also triggers it. I am a welder, if I do not cover my skin and am exposed to the UV rays from the welding arc it flares up the very next day.
I will practice some of these suggestions to see if they can help what I have found out through trial and error. wish I had found this site sooner!
I have to say though, you lost me at no pets! I would not know how to live without my pups!
Thanks for the info, it will be most helpful!
Chad
Hi Chad,
I love pets as well and have tried on two occasions to keep cats, but the eczema flares up every time. So it’s a no-no for me.
If you can find an alternative job that doesn’t make your skin flare up, you will be a much happier person and way calmer as a result. I really feel for you at present!
Keep reading the other posts on my site and at least move from chronic eczema to very mild eczema by changing your diet and doing colon cleansing. That will be a game-changer for you.
Meanwhile, take care!
Salut!
N-am citit de mult un asa articol.Dar am ramas placut surprins de cat de mult folos are.
Eu fac dus inainte de culcare si folosesc otet putin pentru spalat pe cap:asta ma linisteste si ajuta la un somn bun.
Articolele de Aloe vera sunt foarte bune,hainele de bumbac ajuta de asemenea,nu folosesc covoare ci mici presuri.
Multumesc mult!
Cu respect
Vasile,
I have left your comment up as it could help other people who speak your language. Unfortunately, I couldn’t understand what you wrote here, but the word Salut I did understand.
Thanks for the compliment!
It is in Roumanien!
Oh I see…I discovered that by checking what your name means in Google….
Thanks for confirming that.
I really enjoyed reading your post. Eczema is something I deal with personally and it helps to know what types of things in my living space might be contributing to the severity. I will have to make sure that I stay away from wool clothing. Luckily we have hardwoods that help the overall cause. My dog has short hair so that eliminates that contributing factor. It is good to know you are out here helping people understand more about this condition. Your site has helped me a lot.
Hi Caleb,
I’m glad that you enjoyed reading this post. After having flare ups for years myself, I realised I don’t want anyone to suffer like I did, hence the creation of this site.
Glad to be of service to you.
Hello Stella. My youngest son was struggling with asthma, allergies and eczema all his life. The first symptoms appeared at the age of 3 months, with wet eczema all over his body. We got rid of all of the carpets and now we have laminated floor and ceramics for easy cleaning. The doctor recommended using wheat bran mixed into his bathing water, and it was good for his skin. Vacuuming the mattress and changing bedsheets more often is a good way to keep allergens away. My son grew up in the meantime. The symptoms are much milder now, but we still working on maintaining an allergy free home.
Regrads,
Debora
I’m glad to hear that you have managed to clear up most of your son’s eczema. An allergy free home is a most. Make sure to also cut out sugary food from his diet. That will calm any inflammation he has and be a major game changer for him and your family.