Good to Remember:
- Use gentle non-perfumed washing products (synthetic detergents) and not soap.
- Avoid prolonged hot baths, prefer short lukewarm baths (5-10 minutes) or showers.
There is no clear recommendation regarding the frequency of baths or showers. Every-other-day or even every day seem to be fine. - Use an emollient after bathing or showering directly after gently patting the skin dry. The skin can still be a little wet as you apply the emollient.Using an emollient regularly is the best way to reinforce your skin barrier. It can be applied either in the evening or in the morning, especially when combined with an anti-inflammatory treatment with TCS or TCI (see above).
- When combined with an anti-inflammatory treatment, emollients should be applied after the anti-inflammatory application.
- The emollient should be as allergen-free as possible. You can use either an ointment (greasier) or cream (lighter), depending on your or your child’s preference, degree of skin dryness, and the season.
- Sometimes using emollients on very inflamed skin may cause burning sensations. This should not be interpreted as an allergy to components of the emollients. Sometimes your clinician will tell you to stop emollients during acute flare-ups for a few days.