After an eczema diagnosis, shopping for all-natural, organic, and fragrance-free products may be more important to you. All-natural products are typically made of minimally processed ingredients. They shouldn't contain artificial ingredients or preservatives. However, there are no official standards, so your skin product may contain one natural element like lavender and multiple additives and other potentially harmful preservatives.
As for your eczema, there's no one best treatment, but natural treatments have shown to be the most helpful, helping babies, children, and adults with eczema. So if your product is entirely natural or fragrance-free, your body will be able to tell.
Ways to understand product labels easier include:
- Use the National Library of Medicine's Household Products Database to look up products and ingredients to check for toxicity.
- Look for products that are marketed as "non-toxic," "biodegradable," and "petroleum-free."
- Choose products that list all their ingredients.
- Use caution with products that fit into general categories like "inactive ingredients" or "fragrance."
Avoiding fragrances is a big part of managing your eczema. There are over 3,163 ingredients that go by "fragrance," so it can be hard to pinpoint what's causing your flare-ups. Eliminating harsh cleaners and going for a soap that avoids certain ingredients can ease your eczema-prone hands.
Fragrance-free and unscented products may still have fragrances in them or fragrance chemicals that can irritate your skin. Just because your product doesn't have a "scent" doesn't mean it has no chemical irritants.
You may have no other choice than to start looking for clean, earth-friendly ingredients because the products you use have a significant impact on your eczema. Certain products also have a massive effect on the environment. Finding less harmful components for your skin also means less toxic chemicals in waterways and the soil. The products we choose every day have a more profound impact than just on our skin.
If you know firsthand the impact wrongly labeled products have on eczema patients, you'll be more diligent looking to avoid these next time.
That's why there are many upsides to getting earth-friendly products. You can help your skin feel better and to be less wasteful in the environment.
