In Previous National Eczema Weeks we urged everyone to Take action on eczema’. Many people aren’t managing their eczema as well as they could and we all need a nudge sometimes to make some improvements! Eczema is a highly personal condition and people respond differently to triggers and treatments. Sometimes you need to try a few things before finding a self-management regimen that works best for you. Here are our seven top tips:

1. Keep your home cool to ease itching around 18C is ideal.

2. Go fragrance-free. Anything with a strong scent, from soap to air freshener, may be irritating to your skin.

3. Mind the gap! Leave at least 10 minutes or ideally longer between applying an emollient and a topical steroid. This stops the steroid spreading to areas of skin unaffected by eczema or being diluted. It doesn’t matter which is applied first.

4. Pinch itchy skin rather than scratching it, to avoid damaging the skin’s barrier.

5. Use your emollients at least twice a day to prevent dryness, and at other times whenever your skin feels dry and itchy.

6. Go back to basics on skincare. Check with a healthcare professional for advice to make sure you’re applying your creams properly and managing your eczema triggers as best you can.

7. Don’t cut foods out of your diet without medical advice unless you or your child have been diagnosed with a food allergy. If you cut foods without support, you/they may miss out on important nutrients.

For more advice on managing your eczema call the National Eczema Society Helpline on 0800 089 1122 (8am-8pm, Monday-to-Friday) or email your questions to helpline@eczema.org.