Having eczema on any part of the body is bad enough, but suffering from eczema on face is even more horrifying. Unlike flare-ups that occur on the body, facial eczema cannot easily be concealed, which is often a source of undue stress and embarrassment. The severity of your condition determines how easy it will be to manage facial eczema.
Eczema on the face is no different from eczema anywhere else on the body. Common symptoms include redness, dryness, and itchiness; if the eczema is very severe, then you may experience scabbing, skin cracking, scaling, and weeping. Atopic dermatitis is the most prevalent form of face eczema, though seborrheic eczema is known to affect the face and scalp as well.
Treatment for eczema on the face
Eczema causes and treatments differ from person to person. Fortunately, there are a few universal steps anyone can do to naturally treat face eczema:
1.Try an oatmeal and honey facial. Oatmeal is a natural cleansing agent that reduces inflammation, redness, and itchiness, while honey is a natural antiseptic that eradicates bacteria. To make an oatmeal facial you will need:
3/4 cup of unflavored oatmeal
1/3 cup of warm (not hot) water
1-2 tsp. of honey
Mix the oatmeal with water and honey until it becomes a thick paste. Thinly apply the mixture onto your face, and let the mask sit for at least 20 minutes. Wash the mask off with water.
For best results, use organic oatmeal and raw honey. This mixture is gentle enough to do daily, so you can give yourself a facial everyday (if you like) without any adverse effects.
2. Cleanse your face with a mild, fragrance free non-soap cleanser. Cetaphil is a great gentle cleanser that has even earned the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance. Aquanil is another good product is gentle on the skin and dermatologist recommended.
3. Keep the skin moist. Lubricating and maintaining the skin’s moisture is the most important element in combating eczema on the face. Moisturize your skin often throughout the day, and be particularly vigilant in the winter season as cold air tends to dry out the skin even more.
Always moisturize your face after cleansing with gentle fragrance-free lotion or cream. Some individuals have found gentle moisturizers such as Aveeno, Eucerin and Aquaphor to work very well. 100% Aloe Vera gel is great all natural moisturizer that is both soothing and healing to the skin.
Treating eczema on the face with creams
The skin in your face is the most sensitive, so only certain kinds of anti-itch creams should be used. Topical steroids are the most commonly used anti-itch creams, but beware. Your face may be especially more prone to side effects such as thinning of the skin, lightening or darkening of the skin, rosacea, acne, and increased risk of infections. Using topical steroids on the face should be avoided, but if it is absolutely necessary only use the lowest potency steroid creams. The cream should be applied in the smallest amounts, and used for short periods of time. You can also request a non-steroidal cream, such as Elidel, from your doctor.
Some eczema sufferers have had success with local anesthetic creams such as Lanacane. Be that as it may, local anethetics are also known to cause undesirable side effects such as contact dermatitis. Please be aware that any cream medication that gets in eyes can cause damaging side effects such as cataracts or glaucoma.
There are safer, more natural alternatives to cortisone creams. For instance, Florasone is a homeopathic, cortisone-free cream that is very effective for treating eczema rashes and itchiness. Repcillan balm is another natural facial eczema treatment that is worth considering.
Other tips to treat eczema on face
- Avoid harsh chemicals in your cosmetics. Stay away from soaps, body washes, and hair products that contain harsh ingredients such as sulfates, cocomide DEA, parabens, and linalool.
- For gentlemen: Shaving with a blade can dry out the skin; invest in an electric razor instead.
- Adjust your diet, as needed. Eczema outbreaks on any part of the body may result from a reaction to a food allergy.
- Install a water filtration system. Harmful chemicals in the water such as chlorine and chloramides may make your eczema condition worse. A whole-house water filter would be the best investment, but a good quality under-counter and/or shower filter will suffice.
- Consult a dermatologist if over-the-counter cleansers and/or moisturizers are not helping your eczema condition.
April 23rd, 2010 at 10:22 am
The best help I have found was Volace’, it greatly helps with eczema on the face but it also reduced my facial lines, not bad. You can call Dr. Nancy Kimmel direct at (313)826-2381!
November 14th, 2010 at 6:12 am
Worked a miracle for me more than once on scaly, flaky, lumpy skin facial excema: Xma Ease lotion, formulated by a chemist to combat her own baby’s excema. Totally natural. Noticeable results every day; use as often as you want. I would let one application sink in, then apply again, and again. Then Cetaphil cream over that. Wake up in the morning with very little dryness. Can Google it and get a pharmacy in New Zealand but I go through Kumfy Kids (also in NZ). Be sure to click on lower left for USD price of $22 for 100 gram tube; shipping is $18 but I have spent $40 easily on 1 oz of other products! I was in NZ when I first used it 3 years ago for a reaction to sunscreen (Neutrogena 70 with Helioplex — too strong!). I had an oozing, crusty area that worsened every day. Noticeable results every day. Wonderful, natural solution for me. Doesn’t work as well on body excema I have as it presents differently with hive like bumps erupting after scratching — but it does sooth those areas as well.
December 7th, 2011 at 7:20 pm
i need help!! i think i have Eczema cream side affects on my face. My doctor did say dont put this cream on my face and because it worked a treat on my skin i tryed it on my face and now there area were i used to put it on alot gets very dry quick, thin skin and has darkend. When ever i take a shower and put creams on on that area it becomes very very shiney which i hate!! I really want to know is there any way i can treat this and will the method above work for me ? and also i would like to know any, ‘of the shelf’ creams i can use on my face to help it. please please please reply to this i really need this help !! thank you.
January 6th, 2012 at 10:11 pm
I recently got eczema on my face and couldn’t figure out what was triggering it. I would put all kinds of lotions on my face and it would burn like hell and make it worse. Even the medication my doctor gave me burned and made it worse. I was afraid to put anything on my face after awhile because I didnt want to aggravate it. After awhile I finely found a combination of lotions that did not burn and got my eczema under control. I put Banana Boat Moisturizing Aloe after sun lotion on my face (normal aloe burned like hell). It stung alittle bit but went away after a few minutes. Then I put Eucerin Plus Intensive repair lotion on (other Eucerin products burn my face also). This compination does wounders for my face! I did it 2 or 3 times a day till the eczema is gone and now I just continue with the eucerin. Have not had an outbreak since!!! I hope this helps someone cause I know how unbearable and embarrassing eczema on your face can be.
January 31st, 2012 at 1:23 pm
Eczema wether it is on the face or other parts is triggered by food sensitivity (allergies), stress, and climate changes.
Facial eczema is the worst because its embarrassing to be in public with it. What works best for me during a breakout is, Aquaphor healing ointment (by Eucerin) taking an allergy pill (Benadryl at night or Zertec for daytime) If its red itchy and burning and I have to go out in public I use Maybelline Instand Age Rewind foundation, This stuff really works to instantly sooth, calm and hide the reddness! Just choose a color that matches you skintone! My sister tried it too, on her facial eczema and was amazed at how fast it soothed and healed her skin!!