Eczema Around Eyes? Top Home Treatment Tips 2023
If there’s one place you REALLY don’t want eczema - it’s around the eyes.
Back of the legs, the ankle, maybe the wrist, these are places we can begrudgingly tolerate.
NEWSFLASH - you had no right to go after the eyes, dermatitis.
But when did this frustrating, stressful, emotional skin disease ever take the time to listen to anyone like us? Oh yeh, never!
So we got you - in this article you’ll find:
1) Symptoms and causes of eczema around eyes
2) Top tips for a simple home treatment plan
Symptoms and causes of eczema around eyes
First point to note - there are a number of conditions and types of eczema that can affect the eye and eye area.
More often than not those affected will already suffer from eczema on some other part of the body or from a related condition (hay fever or asthma for instance).
Eczema around eyes can occur in either one or both eyes simultaneously and is for some people a chronic condition, whilst for others it flares up intermittently.
The symptoms can include:
- A red, scaly rash on your eyelids
- Swelling and itching around your eyes
- Irritated skin
- Pain and burning in and around your eyes
However for each individual condition, there are specific symptoms that also follow along.
Ahem, as follows:
Seborrheic eye eczema
Getting us off to a great start - this little beauty.
Seborrheic eye eczema is a form of skin inflammation of unknown cause (like we haven’t heard that one before).
The tell tell signs include:
- Yellowish, oily patches of skin on the eyelids
- Redness
- Dandruff in the eyebrows (this is a biggy!)
- Inflammation around, under and in the corner of the eyes
NOTE - this type of eczema doesn’t usually include itching (for like the first time ever) and often runs in the family.
Some major causes include:
- Weather conditions - specifically cold, harsh environments
- Naturally oily skin
Contact dermatitis
We’ve touched on this one before and unfortunately it rears its ugly head again when it comes to eye eczema.
Contact dermatitis is a red, irritating rash caused by an allergic reaction to something that your skin has been in contact with.
When it comes to the eye area, allergic reactions from nail polish are a BIG (and sometimes forgotten) culprit. You paint, you admire, you rub your eyes and BAM! A mini flare-up ensues.
Other examples can be reactions to laundry detergents, soaps, nickel (present in jewellery - time to forget that eyebrow hoop?) certain fabrics, contact lens solution, eye drops, dust mites, facial cleanser and perfume.
Essentially - pretty much every damn thing you can imagine.
And don’t forget, just because you weren’t allergic to something yesterday doesn’t mean you can’t be allergic to it today - the body is great like that.
So it’s really important to leave no stone unturned when it comes to contact dermatitis.
TOP TIP - keep a daily journal!
Spend time writing down everything you put on your face over the course of a day and try to eliminate things one by one to help you pin down public enemy no. 1.
Some other notable contributors when it comes to dry, itchy eye stuff:
Atopic keratoconjunctivitis
Rare but a very severe type of allergic eye disease.
Constant itching, blurred vision and dry eyes are common, as is associated corneal swelling and scarring.
Eyelid eczema and infection often accompany this disease so medical attention is a must if you think you fall into this category.
Blepharitis
This is often mistaken for eye eczema so is worth a quick mention.
Blepharitis is inflammation of the eyelids.
It occurs when tiny oil glands near the base of the eyelashes become clogged, causing irritation and redness.
Several diseases and conditions can cause this and it will usually stick around for between 2-4 weeks.
Top tips for a simple home treatment plan
For the skin around your eyes:
1) Moisturise regularly! With our very own calming spray.
Plant-based and super effective at relieving the symptoms of itchy or dry skin, our unique formula is enriched with a blend of 3 traditional Chinese Herbs used for 1000’s of years in Asian medicine to relieve the symptoms of eczema.
And the best thing? It’s steroid free! So you don’t have to worry about thinning out the delicate skin around your eyes.
2) Try your best not to itch or rub the affected area.
We know - it’s so easy to say, so difficult to do.
Don’t rely on will power alone - try our calming spray for a helping hand and make sure your fingernails are always kept short.
3) Stop using anything you think might be causing an allergic reaction.
Pay attention to your daily journal and do your best to cut out soaps, eye makeup and any perfumed products - these are often the biggest culprits.
For the eye itself:
1) Put cold compresses on your eyes.
This can give you welcome relief during a flare up and can help to calm the skin.
2) Wear protective eyewear if you work around chemicals.
Self explanatory but if your work environment contains harsh chemicals, maybe think of investing in some super trendy specs to protect your eyes.
Final word
What did we miss? (Hey we’re not perfect). Jump over to our Twitter page and let us know!
With care,
The yan-yee team
Sources:
- Hay fever. (2020). Link
- Asthma. (2021). Link
- Seborrheic dermatitis. (2021). Link
- Contact dermatitis. (2019). Link
- Atopic Keratoconjunctivitis. (2020). Link
- Blepharitis. (2020). Link
- Eczema around eyes factsheet. (2018). Link
