It doesn't always have to be so hard to find out why your skin is inflamed, dry and itchy. There are so many expensive tests that can be done to see if you have gut parasites, dysbiosis, blood tests for allergies or food intolerances and even skin biopsies. These tests can get very expensive, often there are long wait lists for certain specialists and even though you may cut out all of the foods that are on your allergy test or worse still be told they can't find anything this can become very stressful.
What things can be done before all this extensive testing is done - it may (not always) be a simple fix
#1 check what type of laundry detergent you are using - if it is a powder or fragranced - swap to a liquid that is made specific for sensitive skin
#2 How hot are your showers and how long are your showers? Both long and hot showers can dehydrate the skin and lead to red itchy skin after bathing
#3 What are you using to wash with in the bath or shower - does it contain drying agents such as sulphates, doe sit contain perfumes or fragrance (did you know that a fragrance in a bottle may contain over 100 chemicals) even some essential oils may aggravate the skin - especially the citrus or floral ones
#4 Do you sleep hot? Do you sleep under a feather doona? Often the type of bedding we use or the fabrics we sleep in can aggravate the skin. Look to light cotton blankets that are breathable, cotton or bamboo sheets that are soft and breathe.
#5 How often do you wash your bed linen? Did you know that dust mites in the bed may exacerbate skin symptoms - especially if you are allergic to them. Is you skin worse in the morning or when sleeping? It may be dust mites. How often do you change your pillow slip - this can harbour so many bacteria making especially acne and rosacea worse.
#6 Have you done a diet diary? Does your skin get worse after alcohol or high amounts of sugar? These are inflammatory foods that may add to the dehydration and itch of the skin.
#7 Is your skin worse when you are under stress? Did you know high levels of cortisol can lead to inflammation and skin symptom flare ups.
#8 Is your skin worse around the period? Are your hormones changing and it is now the skin flares are occurring? This may be at puberty due to high testosterone leading to acne flare ups or during peri-menopause when estrogen fluctuations lead to histamine changes.
There are so many reasons that the skin can be red, inflamed, itchy and dry. As much as testing can give some great insight to why these skin issues may be occurring often looking at the simple things and making some changes can really help.
In health & happiness,
Kirsty
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