14 DAY TRIAL // Even if eczema skin disorder has been considered an allergic reaction for a long period of time, new research shows that it is brought about by a defective skin barrier which occurs in some people and makes them prone to having the skin damaged by environmental irritants. The new report published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology pointed out the fact that eczema is not caused by allergic antibodies which trigger an allergic reaction of one's immune system, as previously thought.
Eczema appeared as a cause of an allergic immune reaction only in one third of the eczema patients investigated in the current study. On the other hand, most of them - two thirds - were found to have a defect in the protective surface layer of the skin, that is in the epidermis. This is why new treatment methods for eczema are going to be based on preserving the integrity of an individual's epidermis, not on ways of 'fixing' one's immune system response.
Consequently, steroid creams and ointments largely used until now for curing eczema are going to be replaced with shielding lotions. Moreover, steroid creams and ointments have been shown by recent studies to damage the skin and not protect it against eczema key-factors. On the other hand, shielding lotions will restore the normal moisture level and the health of skin's protective layer and make epidermis more fit to fight eczema.
Dr. Lisa Benest, a board certified Dermatologist in Burbank, California explained: "Shielding lotions can significantly restore the skin's natural barrier and thus make it less susceptible to environmental irritants and eczema flares."
On the overall, thin skin is the most prone to be defective in protecting an individual against external and chemical factors which damage epidermis and trigger eczema conditions. The skin condition primarily appears due to loss of moisture, exposure to extreme weather temperatures - too high or too low -, dry wind or chemical factors such as detergents, soap etc. which make the epidermis dry. This is why a good shielding lotion is the most recommended treatment when it comes to preventing or reversing symptoms of eczema.
Dr. Peter Helton, Cosmetic Dermatologist and Medical Director of the Helton Skin and Laser Institute in Newport Beach, California stated: "In order for the skin to heal and return to its healthy condition you have to seal in the moisture and oils that are below the outer layer of skin and protect it from the irritants in the environment."