Electronic Water Descalers
Treatment for Eczema
What is eczema? It’s a persistent skin condition that causes redness, swelling, dryness, crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, and itching. If scratched, it can lead to bleeding. Eczema affects people of all ages. In the UK, one in five children and one in twelve adults have the condition.
There is no known cure, but proven measures can be taken to reduce the problem. Eczema has been reported to be more common in hard-water areas, and living in
hard water areas also increases the risk of the development of eczema for young children.
Hard Water Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common type of eczema affected by hard water. The hard water effects on skin and hair water are most noticeable. Continuing to wash with hard water can contribute to the development of dry scalps, damaged hair, and damaging the skin barrier. This is referred to as hard water dermatitis.
The consensus is that soft water is better for washing, as hard water contains mineral salts. Calcium and magnesium ions present in hard water limit soap lather formation. These minerals can also lead to a soap scum forming on the skin, blocking pores.
Therefore, the
National Eczema Society recommends
water descalers,
softeners and
conditioners for people with eczema. This results in sufferers using less irritating soaps and detergents. These devices can be added to homes in
hard water areas to soften the water.
If you have eczema, your skin may not produce as much fat and oils as others. These act as a “mortar” for “cementing together” outer skin cells. This means eczema skin is less able to retain water. The protective barrier is, therefore, not as good as it should be.
Gaps open between the skin cells because they are not moisturised. Moisture is then lost from the deeper layers of the skin, causing the skin barrier to become damaged. This allows bacteria or irritants to pass through. Itching and redness can worsen as the immune system attempts to fight off bacteria.
Treatment for Eczema
Softened water has a clean, silky feeling and benefits dry skin, as bathing in hard water can cause skin to dry. Regular moisturising is one of the most important self-care treatments. Keeping the affected area moistened can promote skin healing and relief of symptoms.
Therefore, using the right soap types available for your condition is important! Following these basic guidelines can help to prevent flare-ups in the long term:
- Avoid harsh detergents or drying soaps.
- Use mild liquid soaps or soaps with oil or fat base.
- Use an unscented soap.
- Trial-test new soaps on a small area until you know their results.
- Also, use a non-soap-based cleanser and moisturise.
- The use of topical calcineurin inhibitors.
To find out if you are in a hard water area, visit the following
hard water area map. If you reside in a hard water area, you can also check by looking for limescale in your kettle. If you spot limescale build-up, an
electronic water descaling solution could be beneficial for alleviating the effects of hard water!
These small devices do not affect the water quality but instead seek to eliminate the associated problems.
We recommended using
GreenPeople's Organic Baby Salve for eczema sufferers.