Will Eczema Patients Ever Find Good Skincare Products?

After reading the well-informed article "What Are Common Allergens in Cosmetic Products?" it caused me to think, "What can we actually use?" Is no makeup our only fate with eczema and never enhancing our beauty or experiencing the thrills of product exploration? Many times in my life, that was the case. Simply put, our skin thrives on "less is more." Until you know better, you cannot do better. Learning the details of triggers in products or even food labels led me to discover more about the good and purist products that we can use with limited or no negative outcomes.

Similar to my way of reasoning when sharing my "eczema diet" recommendations, I realize there is never a one size fits all product go-to or solution. I can give hope that there will be products out there that can become your personal skincare or cosmetic go-to, and I can share my process in finding out what was right for me.

Learn what is bad

We do not know what we do not know. An ongoing saying at one of my first jobs was, "Stay in the know," which goes along with the saying, "If you stay ready, you don't have to get ready." The more that we are ahead of the curve and constantly educate ourselves and learn what is bad for us, the easier it will be to eliminate the majority of the problems instantly. The majority of the products in common stores, especially in the U.S.A., are likely to obtain toxic ingredients that will either cause eczema reactions or are simply hidden behind labels that are equally no good for us. The more you know to look out for them, the quicker you will cancel out the bad.

Find products without bad ingredients

When you cancel out the bad, it is very easy to think, "Well, what's possibly left that is good?" Honestly, I went through this rollercoaster countless times. I never drastically canceled out all products at once with nothing to use. One by one, I would substitute the bad with the good. It is truly a process, but when focusing on one portion of your life at a time (face care, body care, hair care, cosmetics, detergents, etc.), you will get there. My greatest recommendation is to take your time. If you are making many changes at one time, you won't see how your skin and body are reacting to each individual change. It can be overwhelming to switch your usual product buying habits completely, so do the research. Watch what others are using and research every ingredient, even the "clean" products suggested by others. Simply stay in the know even with what's new. If all else fails, make your own products.

Learn what's good

Once you know what's good, the script begins to shift. Instead of focusing on the negatives and what cannot be used, begin to see the positives of your self-care journey. You realize all of the good ingredients and products that are meant to work for you and that it is very possible to have quality skincare products without the extra junk! Whether you buy as organic or clean as possible and only use one ingredient oils or butter, or find honorable companies that have a unique story of why they care about the best skincare or environment, it truly becomes an enlightening experience for the betterment of all.

Protect your skin barrier

As your skin barrier strengthens or your body adjusts to processing foreign ingredients, you will be able to experiment with products as long as you stick to identifying the bad products or ingredients. Even if our skin heals to the point of being able to use any product, why would you want to go backward and have something in your routine that can be harmful when there are simply better, more worthwhile options? The skin world is yours! Let's never forget that bettering our skin health directly affects our entire health identity and prevention of disease.