When you’re dealing with atopic dermatitis and nothing works, you do the impossible to improve the situation. You buy a miracle cream from another country, drink medicinal infusions, find some home remedy on YouTube, and follow endless advice from friends and neighbors. Sometimes they can help, but mostly they don’t give the desired effect and only cause frustration. Let me give you an example: if we want to keep a house clean next to a busy dirt road, we can clean it in many ways, all of them surely effective, but it won’t do much good if we leave our windows open, right? Well, that’s the point. Whatever you do, try not to make the following mistakes, as it would be like leaving the windows open.

You shouldn’t use scented creams or lotions. Perfumes often contain alcohol and therefore dry out the skin. To make matters worse, you could be allergic to fragrances, making the situation even worse.

You shouldn’t rub your skin to dry it. Rubbing removes the cream or oil used and also slightly abrades the epidermis, washing away the skin’s limited natural oils. You should dry gently with cotton towels.

Don’t wash with soap. Soap removes oil, and atopic skin, by definition, is dry and lacking in “fatty” lipids. It’s no use using the best moisturizer in the world if you’re just going to remove it with soap. Special gels for atopic skin don’t contain soap, which is why they don’t lather well.

Don’t dress too warmly. Sweating promotes itching and could even cause a flare-up.

Don’t believe in “miracle cures.” Don’t believe everything advertised. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin disease. If such a miracle cure existed, your doctor would know about it. Always consult a specialist.

Do not eliminate any food from your diet, except under the clear direction of an allergist.

Do not stop using cortisone creams out of fear. Sometimes, proper hydration and hygiene are not enough to control atopic dermatitis. It is best to talk to your doctor about your fears and follow their instructions to apply the treatment safely.

Do not wear long nails.
Even if you want to avoid it, scratching can occur at night unconsciously while sleeping.

Never stop taking care of yourself. Follow a daily routine with all the moisturizing or treatment products you use. If a product is too difficult or expensive to use, change it, but daily moisturizing is essential, whether or not you’re experiencing a flare-up.

And last but not least, you shouldn’t feel guilty or ashamed of your condition. This would generate anxiety and/or stress that would worsen your dermatitis. If you can’t handle it, ask for help. Don’t carry that burden alone.