Tag: Body Butter, Eczema

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Combat the Dreaded Winter Rash Dry Skin

Combat the Dreaded Winter Rash Dry Skin - Naturally Mignon CBD

Why do I itch so much in the winter?

Winter is in full effect for many parts of the US and so is the dreaded winter rash or winter itch.

This time of year many of us get that dry, itchy, red, and scaly skin that ordinary skin lotions can’t treat.

Winter brings cold, dry air with almost no humidity. When you couple that with the fact we live in heated homes creates the perfect storm for dry skin and winter rash.

“Think of it as dry air sucking the moisture out of the skin,” said Susan Taylor, MD, Associate Professor of Dermatology at Penn Medicine.

“It’s that loss of moisture from upper layers of the skin that causes it to dry out.”

Another key contributor to dry skin is the shower or bath. Hot water strips off the skin’s natural oils and waxes.

Frequent hand washing and anti-bacterial gels also contribute to dry skin. Detergent hand soaps and chemicals do their job and kill germs. The downside is those chemical are harsh and will also dry out your hands.

Are you a swimmer? The chemicals in swimming pools also strip out the skin’s oils.

How CBD affects your skin

Many cannabis topicals on the market, like Naturally Mignon’s CBD Butter, contain cannabidiol (CBD).

CBD is easily absorbed through the skin and its effectiveness in treating dry skin conditions is gaining interest in the medical community.

Cedars-Sinai dermatologist and skin cancer surgeon Dr. Nima Gharavi says using a CBD skin care product may help with treating severely dry skin.

“However, more studies are needed to see if CBD or other chemical agents found in the cannabis plant directly improve skin quality and have other health benefits,” Dr. Gharavi says.

“I’d like to see more data on how CBD, in the form of a topical agent, could have promising or comparable anti-inflammatory effects as a steroid.”

How to treat winter itch

Ordinary skin lotions are not very effective for severely dry skin conditions such as winter itch. You need something with a little more firepower.

Products that contain oils and waxes work best. This includes many ointments and body butters like Naturally Mignon’s CBD Body Butter and Full Spectrum CBD Salve ointment.

Skin products that contain oils and waxes require a little more time to absorb into the skin as compared to a lotion. The feel is more oily, but this provides moisture barrier that lasts far longer than lotion.

A good technique to use is to pat yourself dry with a towel after a shower or bath. With your skin still moist, apply an intensive moisturizer. This will help the moisturizer trap water in the skin.

Look for these ingredients in winter itch relief products:

  • Lanolin
  • Beeswax
  • Olive oil, safflower, coconut oil
  • Mineral oil
  • Hyaluronic acid
  • Glycerin
  • Dimethocone
  • Petroleum jelly

Other tips

  • Limit showers or baths to 5 minutes
  • Use lukewarm water
  • Use a low detergent soap that contains natural oils
  • Pat your skin dry with a towel after shower
  • Apply moisturizer 2 times a day
  • Use a bedroom humidifier at night
  • Try a cannabis topical with CBD
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What is Hand Eczema?

Let’s face it: Human hands take a beating.

In the course of a lifetime hands get scrubbed with detergent soaps and soaked and splashed with countless chemicals and cleaning agents.

Those who work with their hands in the trades, like construction workers, often live with the pain of eczema. Those who work outdoors see a lot of eczema on top of hands.

It most often affects people who work in cleaning, catering, hairdressing, healthcare and mechanical jobs where they may come into contact with chemicals and other irritants.

This is what is known is commonly known as dishpan hands. But its real name is simply hand eczema, which is a form of dermatitis.

According to the National Eczema Association genetics and contact allergens play a small role in triggering this extreme dry skin condition

How do I know if I have hand eczema?

All forms of eczema cause itching and redness of the skin.

Symptoms of hand eczema:

  • Redness
  • Itching
  • Pain
  • Dryness, to the point of peeling and flaking
  • Cracks
  • Blisters

There is another type of hand eczema referred to as pompholyx eczema, dyshidrotic eczema or dyshidrotic hand dermatitis which causes small, itchy blisters to appear on the palms of the hands.

The appearance of blisters makes this different then the more common hand eczema described here.

Dyshidrotic eczema needs to be treated by a doctor.

Hand eczema treatment

One thing to remember when treating hand eczema: Don’t use moisturizer!

The water in lotions and moisturizers is likely to worsen your hand eczema.

Common moisturizers contain more water than oil, and when the water evaporates it can dry out the skin again.

The best moisturizer for hand eczema is an oily body butter or cream with no water added.

An ointment like petroleum jelly can be effective, but repeatedly absorbing a petroleum based product through your skin is not considered safe.

I recommend Naturally Mignon Winter Itch Eczema Butter. It can be used on dry spots all over the body (except face) including dry hands. It is all natural and contains no artificial colors, scent or parabens.

The butter is made from pure safflower oil and palm oil with no water added. Yes, it’s a bit greasier than an off-the-shelf mositurizing lotion, but over time it is very effective in restoring your hand’s moisture barrier.

It’s best to apply to your hands immediately after you shower or bathe and every time you wash your hands.

Those who see eczema on top of hands because of sun exposure can benefit from wearing light protective gloves to block the sun’s rays.

It can take a few months for a hand eczema flare-up to clear up. While treating your condition, it’s best to keep your hands away from strong detergents and chemicals.