The best way to explain the importance of moisture and skin health, think of you skin like a brick wall. A strong brick wall is a perfect defense against foreign invaders; it keeps your home safe. If your body is your home, then a strong layer of skin keeps you safe against the foreign allergens and irritants that cause eczema.

It only takes a quick glance at any brick wall to see the main elements of its construction. Strong bricks are held together by mortar. The mortar is not as strong as the bricks, but together they form a formidable defense. When the mortar is weak and crumbles away, the wall begins to fall apart. Brick separate and fall away. Soon, there are holes in the wall.

Imagine that those bricks are your skin cells. They are there to protect you against the foreign substances that harm your body, including causing eczema. The oil that your skin naturally secretes to moisturize your skin is the mortar. It holds the skin cells together and keeps your skin fortified.

It has been found that most eczema sufferers do not naturally produce enough moisturizing oil. When this happens, the skin cells begin to separate. Skin cells start to flake off, appearing dry and becoming itchy. As eczema advances the skin cells separate into the deeper layers of your skin and oozing fluids are present. The lack of moist oil causes a breakdown in the “bricks” of your skin. If your body cannot produce enough oil, then you have to use moisturizers.

In many cases, moisturizers are your best option to treat eczema. For example, having eczema on the eyelid limits what treatments can be used because of the proximity to your eyes. Some treatments, like steroids and light, cannot be used at all. Therefore, it is important that you keep the skin very moist in that area to keep the skin strong and soft.

If you are treating eczema in children, then moisture becomes even more important. This is because a child’s skin does not have the same oil production capability as an adult and they are more easily aggravated by allergens and irritants. To keep your child safe from eczema, make sure you have enough moisturizer on hand.