We all know that the holiday season can throw off a healthy lifestyle and a daily balance, with the food, activities, and travel that differ from everyday life. People who have a chronic skin condition such as eczema have the challenge of managing symptoms and preventing flare-ups throughout the year. And unfortunately, when the holidays throw off the daily balance, a flare-up can result. Add this to the cold weather season that contributes to eczema flare-ups, and it can be a difficult season for those with this skin condition. Fortunately, you can prepare for the onslaught of cold weather and the holidays with these tips to prevent flare-ups.
Choose Healthy Foods
Holiday meals, snacks, and treats are often rich with fat, sugar, and salt, which all tend to trigger throw off daily lifestyle balance. Also, you may have a sensitivity to some foods.
We recommend talking to your doctor or healthcare practitioner about an elimination diet and/or allergy test to get a better idea of the foods that could be triggering you as well as get insight on the best food decisions. During the holidays, watch your intake of unhealthy foods and of common itch-triggering foods such as eggs, dairy, wheat, soy, citrus fruits, tomatoes, and some nuts and spices.
Reduce Stress from the Holidays
We all know how bad stress is, especially during this time. We also know the holidays can lead to stress with all of the extra demands of finding gifts, tight finances, social obligations, traveling, decorating, extra cooking, and more. Take steps to manage the pressure and stress of the season, which in turn can help make you feel better. Here are some ways to reduce holiday stress:
- Plan holiday activities in advance to spread out the extra duties over time
- Say no to some invites and simplify your to-do list to not over-commit yourself
- Schedule extra time for activities
- Focus on one thing at a time
- Make time for de-stressing activities such as deep breathing, guided meditation, talking with friends, taking a bath, or whatever works for you
- Shift your perspective to focus on the positives and accept the hardships
- Follow a healthy lifestyle with healthy foods, exercise, and rest
- Take some ‘me’ time, which can involve taking care of yourself, taking breaks, relaxing, and recharging
Care for Skin with Safe Eczema Products
Building a healthy skincare routine can protect and maintain the skin of your face, hands, and body. And while it’s hard to avoid, you’re likely to experience the dry, cracked, painful skin that accompanies cold weather from time to time. The right products can maintain healthy and hydrated. Here are some products that can help keep your skin nourished:
- Dry winter hands: Try Eczema Honey Oatmeal Hand Cream, a Dermatologist-tested hand cream that’s gentle enough for your daily skin care routine. Its ingredients are designed for hydration and soothing dry skin on the hands.
- Body care: Try Eczema Honey Oatmeal Body Lotion, a Dermatologist-tested lotion for the body that gives a light feel with full coverage moisture.
- Cold weather baths: Try Eczema Honey Bath Bombs and Bubble Bath. These bath bombs cleanse, moisturize, protect, and gently exfoliate with natural ingredients. The bubble bath cleanses without drying and without skin-irritating ingredients.
- Dry winter lips: Try Eczema Honey Nourishing Lip Balm. This Dermatologist-tested lip balm nourishes and moisturizes the lips and is great for continuous use.
Protect from Cold Weather
Cold weather conditions can worsen the effects of drying and itchy skin. You may notice this if your skin is exposed to the chilly air during friend and family activities or even as you go from place to place. You can ward off much of this exposure by covering your skin with protective clothing like gloves, scarves, coats, and so on. Choose fabric materials that are least likely to irritate your skin, such as cotton, bamboo, or silk.
Enjoy the Holidays!
Sure, the stress, eating, and cold weather of the holiday season can all throw you off balance. But that doesn’t mean you have to suffer from dry, irritated skin without enjoying the holidays. If you do experience skin irritation from time to time, you’ll now have some tricks up your sleeve to calm and moisturize your skin. We offer our best wishes for the holidays and we leave you with the advice that the less you worry about your eczema and the more you prepare for it, the better your holiday season can be. Happy Holidays!
Sources
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320855#elimination-diet
- https://www.healthline.com/health/severe-eczema/triggers-how-to-avoid#stress
- https://eczema.org/information-and-advice/triggers-for-eczema/clothing-and-eczema/#:~:text=Cotton%20(preferably%20100%25)%20tends,the%20skin%20to%20'breathe'.
