The Bio Brainer

One of my favorite pastimes as a kid was taking a bath. Weird right? Well for me, it had a much more significant role in my life. Because of my severe eczema, I was often left with this burning and hot sensation on my legs so to soothe it, I took several baths. Over the years, I’ve found what works and what doesn’t as well as some of my personal favorites!!! So without further ado…here’s my top 5 favorite baths for eczema!! 

Top 5 Baths for Eczema (in no particular order)

#1. A classic, but the good ole’ bleach bath. Probably the most recommended bath I would personally say, as all of my doctors have recommended this to me throughout the years. For good reason too, this bath is so simple, but it works like a charm. Although it is safe for you to do it at home, with the exception of not overdoing the bleach content, I would recommend speaking with your doctor beforehand before doing this. This bath requires 1 full tub of water and half a cup of bleach. TIP – do not step in the bath until the water and bleach are all mixed together!! Bleach is a fairly strong chemical, so the 1 tub of water heavily dilutes the mixture. I wouldn’t recommend doing this bath fairly often as it will dry out your skin that’s most likely already pretty dry. Make sure to rinse off the bath water and apply lotion after!! 

*I also recommend not sitting in the bath for too long – 10-15 minutes is the prime time!!*

#2. This doesn’t get that much love, but essential oil baths. I’ll be honest with you guys, I probably would still take this type of bath even if I didn’t have eczema. Having essential oil aromas floating around while you’re bathing is one of the most relaxing things in the world. My go to is tea tree oil and the results have really impressed me so far. There are other essential oils I do want to dabble with in the future, but just a few I’ve heard that might also work include frankincense oil, peppermint oil, and eucalyptus oil. *Just a disclaimer – I would test the essential oil on a small patch of skin first before you do the essential oil bath incase your skin gets irritated by it*

#3. Oatmeal baths are one of those types of baths that probably surprise people with the way it sounds, but it actually is one of the best baths I enjoyed. Although the water may look “interesting” to say the least, it has one of the best results. Using colloidal oatmeal, fill your tub with lukewarm water and put 1 cup of colloidal oatmeal in the water, mixing it with your hands. Keep in mind that the amounts will vary depending on tub size. This bath might make you feel sticky so just rinse off your body with lukewarm water. The main reason why I love this bath is that it really soothes your skin and the itchiness tends to subside as well. 

#4. Epsom salt baths are something that I have tried recently and I am loving the results. I use Dr. Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt as with eczema, it’s best to avoid anything with extra additives although the lavender one is great for the skin as well. After trying this bath for a few times, I noticed that my skin had less flare ups and my skin felt great. Although there isn’t much research on how much Epsom Salts help eczema, this is one of the remedies I swear by if your skin is super inflamed and itchy, and you want to relieve it. I also moisturize after just like taking any other bath to avoid my skin from drying out.  

#5. Last but not least, baking soda baths. This is the bath that when I heard about it, I was like “Really???” but once again I learned to never judge a book by its cover because DANG this thing works. Especially during flare ups, I found that baking soda baths does a great job at keeping the skin clean and getting rid of any bacteria in the wound/rash/or patch. In addition, this bath is super cheap and does a fairly good job at relieving your skin when all you want to do is just claw at it. The baking soda bath will dry your skin out, so I always rinse off the water and put lotion on right after I get out

Please leave any other bath suggestions down below and let me know what you guys think!