Protopic and Elidel

Ideally, we would find the cause or trigger of the eczema, simply avoid it and thus not need any medications at all. That is the dream! It is, however, extremely rare in my experience, especially for the patients that make it to the Chicago Integrative Eczema Center....

Water and Bathing

A compromised (“leaky”) skin barrier is one of the main features of atopic dermatitis, and this means that lots of water can leak out of the skin, leaving it dry and irritated. It makes sense then, that the ancient practices of spa therapy and bath therapy...

pH Values of Selected Moisturizers

Healthy human skin has an acidc pH of about 4 to 6, the so-called “acid mantle”. An increase in pH (more basic or alkaline) can disrupt the activity of enzymes involved in barrier function and anti-microbial protection, resulting in bacterial overgrowth...

Dilute Apple Cider Vinegar

Instructions: This will make for a bath that is dilute and should not sting In a full bathtub (~ 40 gallons): Add 1/2 to 1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar into the water, mix well Soak in the bath for about 10 minutes Rinse thoroughly with fresh water at the end of the...

Clothing and Eczema

An early observation about eczema was that wool clothing was often very irritating and would cause itch in patients with atopic dermatitis. It raises an interesting question: could other materials actually be helpful in treating eczema? Cotton clothing is commonly...