I was diagnosed with severe eczema two weeks after I was born. For most of my life, it felt like something I had to endure rather than understand. I had flare-ups every few days, saw dermatologists regularly and used strong immunosuppressive medicines. Some treatments helped for a time. None explained why it kept returning.
My last flare was in summer 2023. There was no single cure. What changed was that I started tracking the condition closely enough to find several smaller problems that were adding up.
Treatment was only part of the answer
Eczema is a condition in which the skin barrier does not work as well as it should. The skin loses moisture more easily and is more vulnerable to irritation and inflammation. Genetics, immune activity, products, allergens, infection, heat, stress and other factors can all play a part. The NHS overview of atopic eczema is a useful place to start if the condition is new to you.
The medicines I used were treating real inflammation. They were not pointless. The problem was that I was still meeting triggers in everyday life, so treatment was being asked to control an environment that had not changed.
That distinction became important. I stopped asking only, “What can I put on this flare?” and started asking, “What happened before it?”
I treated tracking like an experiment
I recorded my symptoms every day for two months. I noted where the eczema appeared, how severe it was, what I had eaten, which products I had used and anything else that had changed. Sleep, stress, heat and activity mattered too. The goal was not to create a perfect diary. It was to have enough detail to compare a bad day with a good one.
I then changed one thing at a time where possible. If several products and foods disappear at once, improvement tells you very little. A slower process made the patterns easier to trust and reduced the risk of blaming the wrong thing.
A diary cannot prove cause and effect. It can, however, give you a clear question to test with a dermatologist, GP or allergy specialist. The National Eczema Society also recommends recording symptoms and suspected exposures when investigating allergy and eczema.
The triggers were hiding in ordinary things
An allergy test when I was younger had identified eggs, milk and nuts. Nuts remain a clear allergy, but I now eat eggs and milk without a problem. Strawberries, other berries and apples were different. The reaction was less obvious, so I had not connected them with my skin. Repeated entries in the diary showed the same pattern often enough for me to take it seriously. None of these food observations was medically assessed.
This does not mean that people with eczema should remove strawberries or start a broad elimination diet. Food reactions are personal, and cutting out foods without support can create other problems. If a food repeatedly appears before a flare, document it and discuss it with a qualified clinician. Do not deliberately retest a food that may have caused a serious allergic reaction.
The other surprise was Oilatum shampoo, a product I had used for most of my life. The UK formulation I was using contained fragrance. Fragrance is a common source of irritation and contact allergy in people with sensitive skin. “Unscented” does not always mean fragrance-free, so I learnt to read the ingredient list rather than trust the front of the bottle. The American Academy of Dermatology’s skin-care guidance also recommends fragrance-free products for eczema-prone skin.
The routine that worked for me
I replaced the Oilatum shampoo with E45 shampoo. I used CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser instead of harsher cleansers and added Adex Gel, which contains 4% nicotinamide, to my moisturising routine. Nicotinamide can support the skin barrier and has anti-inflammatory properties. It was one part of the routine.
I also became more consistent. I cleansed gently, moisturised regularly and stopped adding new products without a reason. Boring routines are easier to assess. When the number of variables falls, it becomes clearer what the skin is responding to.
I also used the Amare Skin handheld red-light device. Clinical phototherapy for eczema usually uses controlled ultraviolet light under medical supervision. Red-light photobiomodulation is different, and the evidence for eczema is still limited. A recent review of phototherapy in atopic dermatitis and an earlier systematic review of LED treatment explain the distinction.
Red light was one part of my routine. I changed several variables, so I cannot attribute the result to the device alone.
I have never taken commission or sponsorship from any of the products named here. I have included them because they were part of the routine I used.
What changed
Removing the triggers I could identify, simplifying the products I used and supporting my skin barrier changed the baseline. Instead of using stronger treatment against repeated irritation, I reduced some of the irritation itself.
The improvement was gradual. That matters because eczema can vary naturally, and an isolated good week can be misleading. Over time, the pattern held. I was able to suppress the disease and my last flare was in summer 2023.
“Overcoming” describes the state of my own skin. Eczema has many causes, and the same routine will not work for everybody.
What somebody else can take from this
- Keep a simple daily record. Track severity, location, products, food and meaningful changes in sleep, stress, heat or activity.
- Look for repeated patterns, not one-off coincidences.
- Change one variable at a time where it is safe to do so.
- Review the full ingredient list of products that touch your skin and scalp. “Unscented” and “fragrance-free” are not the same claim.
- Use the record to have a better conversation with a dermatologist or GP. Ask whether patch testing or allergy assessment is appropriate.
- Do not stop prescribed medicine or remove major food groups without clinical advice.
The main lesson was not that I had found a miracle product. It was that good treatment and careful observation should work together. Once I could see the pattern, I could make a few specific changes instead of trying everything at once.