Stability and Eczema: Why Consistency Is Important

Living with eczema or TSW (topical steroid withdrawal) can be extremely mentally and emotionally draining, as well as extremely unpredictable. Having more stability and consistency can provide more sense of control and alleviate a lot of the stress and burden that comes with managing eczema.

Change – whether positive or negative – tends to have a huge effect on my skin and overall health, and contributes to more flare ups. For this reason, maintaining as much stability and consistency in my life is a crucial element. While there are many ways to do this, and each person’s journey will look a bit different, I want to share a few of the things I’ve personally found to be important.

Why is having a skincare routine important?

Having a regular skincare routine is an important part of managing eczema and other skin conditions. This might include moisturizing regularly, using eczema and skin friendly cleansers and other products, as well as doing bleach, Epsom or dead sea salt, or colloidal oatmeal baths.

As with everything else, everyone is different, and it’s important to learn what your skin does best with. Personally, there are times when my skin likes more moisture. Other times, it gets more irritated by any moisture, so this is often a routine that changes throughout the seasons for me.

How have I created a stable environment?

A stable environment is a big one for me, personally. But unfortunately, not one that I am always able to control. My skin tends to flare up most during the warmer seasons – in spring and summer. There is very little I can do during that time. However, doing my best to stay cool and staying inside with air conditioning, as well as using ice when needed is an important part of maintaining a stable environment for my skin during this time. On the other hand, In the winter, during the dryer months, I have to use a humidifier in the house and moisturize more.

Another important component of this is clothing and fabrics. I find I can’t tolerate any harsh materials like wool and other synthetic fabrics as they irritate my skin more (and make me a lot more hot and sweaty!) So, I tend to go for a soft and breathable material like cotton.

How have I kept a balanced diet?

Diet is another big contributing factor. Making sure to track triggers and allergens, and staying away from foods that cause more inflammation (like sugar) is important for me. Having a balanced diet helps support my overall health – skin and otherwise.

One way to help reduce stress and create more stability around this is to do meal planning ahead. For example, coming up with meals for the entire week on Sunday evening can be really beneficial. That way, there is less chaos during the week, especially when it’s a busier week. I’m much less prone to just grabbing fast food or something else that isn’t exactly healthy for me if I have it planned out ahead of time.

How have I managed my stress?

Stress has been proven to be a well known trigger for eczema. Incorporating routines with practices that reduce stress continues to be one of the most important things on my healing journey. Some of these include: therapy, mindfulness, meditation, movement, and time out in nature. Having more stability in my life in general is part of this, as well. Unpredictability and fear of the unknown can be huge stressors for the majority of people, but especially those of us who deal with eczema and other health conditions. So, it's important to take control and have more power in the places we are able to.

How has this helped me better manage my eczema?

Everyone’s journey with eczema is different and will involve different practices. However, I do believe stability is extremely important. Consistent routines, a more stable environment, balanced diet, and stress management are all important components. When I prioritize stability in my life, I am able to manage flare ups much better when they do happen, and even reduce the amount and intensity of symptoms. While it's an ongoing journey, a stable and consistent approach makes it a lot less scary!