Shh! Anti-agers no one but you need know about: Stress has wrecked my skin – how can I soothe it?
- An anonymous reader asked for advice on treating eczema patches on their face
- Inge Van Lotringen revealed that she has also been experiencing scaly skin
- British beauty expert suggests Squalane oil to calm inflammation
Q: Lockdown has made my eczema reappear; I have several scaly, itchy patches on my face. How can I tackle it before it gets worse?
A: I have the same problem and it’s definitely corona-stress related because eczema normally gets better in the summer. I find layering a barrier cream over a face oil is the way to go.
The latter, if it’s unscented and made up of essential fatty acid-rich plant oils and lipids, will help repair and reinforce your skin’s protective barrier, making skin more eczema-proof over time.
An anonymous reader asked British beauty expert Inge van Lotringen, for advice on treating eczema patches on her face (file image)
A barrier cream will soften skin and seal in moisture, which is important because your skin is literally weeping.
Squalane oil such as The Ordinary 100 per cent Plant-Derived Squalane, £5.99 (boots.com) is great even for oilier skins, while CBD oil (Kloris CBD Superboost Face Oil, £30, kloriscbd.com) calms inflammation. Or spot-treat patches with the Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil Rollerball, £11.50 (naturisimo.com).
Top with unscented Bioderma Cicabio Crème, £7.20 (escentual.com) or Avene Xeracalm AD, £16.50 (boots.com): these heal and seal, and have anti-itch ingredients.
Overall, keep an eye out for ingredients that calm inflammation and actively heal the skin barrier: probiotics, oat extracts and niacinamide are always a plus.
Inge Van Lotringen (pictured) advised the reader to soften skin and seal in moisture using a barrier cream
Email your questions to Ingeborg van Lotringen at [email protected].