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Dermatitis and Skin Conditions Relief

The following may help alleviate and prevent future outbreaks of atopic dermatitis

• Symptomatic relief for Itchy Skin, use handfuls of baking soda in the bath.

• Psorasis, add baking soda and citric acid to get rid of scaling.

• Vinegar, is a ph balancer, use as 1:10 ratio cooling and soothing for itchy skin conditions. Also good as a hair rinse for an irritated scalp and or dandruff.

• Use pure cotton or cotton mixtures instead of wool or synthetics.

• Do not use soap. Instead add bath oils to water and use emulsifying ointment or water disperasble cream instead of soap.

• Avoid enzyme detergents and fabric softners when washing clothes as these can irritate the skin.

• Avoid acid fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and citrus fruit. They can cause a reaction on the hands and around the mouth. Salty foods can also cause a similar reaction.

• Direct use of antiseptics and solvents should be avoided.

• Environmental factors such as heat, sunlight and cold can irritate the condition. If this is the cause, protect the child from them or avoid them as much as possible.

• Moisturise the skin. Washing with water alone, rapidly results in drying, but adding oil to water will moisturise dry, atopic dermatitis prone skin effectively.

• Fingernails should be kept short to decrease the damage to scratching.

• Bandages can be used to stop scratching at night. Cotton mittens can be especially useful.

Compiled by Tina Gale healthypeople 2011