Try meditating
Being Zen doesn’t exactly sound like an eczema fix—especially when the itching is driving you mad—but “sometimes eczema flares up due to triggers, like stress,” says Lindsey Bordone, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at Columbia University Medical Center. So getting your anxiety under control is keeping for those flaky, dry, uncomfortable patches at bay. It might sound weird, but try meditation.
Hit the gym
Speaking of stress, exercise can help you relax and have some peace of mind, too, Dr. Bordone says. Whether you log in a few miles on the treadmill or take a weekly yoga class, not only will your anxiety melt away—your eczema may, too. (Just make sure to rinse off after your sweat session—being overheated can make the skin condition worse.)
Take lukewarm shower
Don’t turn up the heat on the water temperature when you’re in the shower—that dries out the skin. “Wash your hair, face, underarms, groin, and feet,” Fenton says. “Don’t soap the other areas unless visibly dirty.”
