An eczema irritant is anything that can trigger off itching. There can be many different substances that irritate your eczema or that trigger a flare up. When there is a flare up, you find that you are unable to stop yourself from scratching. Your skin becomes red and inflamed and may also bleed with all that scratching.

You may be affected by a different irritant from another eczema sufferer. You may also have a number of eczema triggers while another sufferer may be bothered by only one or two.

According to conventional medical knowledge, there is no eczema cure. One way to keep your eczema under control is to manage your triggers. Thus, it is important to avoid as many known irritants as possible as any one irritant can possible cause a flare up.

Commonly known irritants include dust mites, soaps, harsh detergents, cleansers, chemicals, fragrances, alcohol in skin care products, smoke, chlorine and mineral oil. Stay clear of the products that contain these irritants and away from the places that have the chemicals in the air. The type of clothing that you wear may also be an irritant. For instance, wool can bother your skin.

If the irritant is found at your workplace, you will need to wear protective gear. In extreme cases, you may need to change your job if your skin is continually irritated by your work environment. Consider wearing a pair of thin cotton glove inside your vinyl or rubber gloves to minimize contact with water and cleansers and to also better absorption of your sweat into the cotton gloves.

Too much water is not a good thing for eczema prone skin. Hence you should not take a bath that is longer than necessary. Soaking for too long dries out your skin. Instead, you should take quick showers. Also use water that is warm or lukewarm and not scalding hot.

Temperature and humidity changes can also trigger off eczema. In the summer months and warmer weathers, you can consider staying more indoors and keeping yourself cool. During winter, the air is drier and you may find your skin flaking. You can consider having a humidifier to keep an adequate level of humidity in your immediate environment.

Lastly, food can also be a major eczema trigger. Wheat products or foods that contain preservatives may set up a reaction. You may want to keep a food diary to maintain a log of what you eat.

It may sound troublesome having to be more careful of the things you use and your lifestyle and eating habits. However, if your skin has heightened sensitivity to these irritants, the extra care that you put yourself through may be worth it. Keeping your eczema under control can help save you a lot of heartache later on!