dermis – skin
-itis – inflammation

The skin is a complex system, densely packed with nerve endings, glands & cells which are working around the clock to protect the body. This large organ is not only important for the creation of individual identity / aesthetics, but it also acts as a protective barrier and a pathway of elimination. Your skin is always trying to function at its best, but sometimes it can’t be helped that you’ll react to something. This can present as dermatitis.

What is dermatitis?

Dermatitis is an inflammatory skin disorder and the most common condition affecting the skin, accounting for 95% of all occupational skin disorders¹. Simply put, dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin, which can appear as anything from itchy red patches, dryness, dandruff and flaking, to blisters, rashes, and even crust-like lesions.

Understanding inflammation

Inflammation is the immune system’s response to an external irritation and an attempt to heal the body. Characterised by redness, swelling, excessive heat and pain, dermatitis consequently contains within itself an array of skin conditions. Some more common antagonists which can cause inflammation: chemical irritation, hypersensitive or allergic reactions, new medication, or a change in temperature. But when dermatitis is prolonged, it’s a telltale sign there is a deeper problem.

Types of dermatitis

If dermatitis is the simple result of irritation & inflammation, surely it’s easy to treat, right? Not quite so…

Dermatitis is an umbrella term for several types of skin conditions. There is a broad range of factors making it problematic and difficult to treat. In most cases, each condition will be diagnosed as a specific type of dermatitis. However, each presentation, severity and cause need to be considered. Below are brief examples to illustrate how diverse its causes & treatment can be:

• Atopic dermatitis (better known as eczema) is associated with asthma and genetics. It presents itself as an itchy red rash that becomes cracked dry or crusted. Eczema is usually diagnosed from infancy and stays into adulthood, by which time the condition is chronic inflammation. Sufferers know that stressful periods and overexposure to allergens will only worsen the conditions, so both should be kept to a minimum.
• Seborrhoeic dermatitis is a common condition – in infants known as “cradle cap”, and in adults as “dandruff”. This is an inflammatory reaction, and although its cause is not entirely clear, it can be a reaction to a fungal overgrowth. Both the fungi Malassezia, which lives on the skin, and Candida Albicans, which resides in the gut, contribute to a higher chance of dandruff. The most effective way to reduce their presence is to starve them by removing sugar and yeast from of your diet.
• Perioral dermatitis is a facial rash that causes bumps to develop around the mouth and is predominantly seen in women. Many studies suggest that this condition is provoked by an external irritant of some kind, however, the cause is still unknown. That being said, the misuse of corticosteroids has been thoroughly researched, usually leading to perioral dermatitis reappearing even worse than it was before the use of steroid creams.
  

As you can probably guess, the cause & treatment of each condition is variable, with many different circumstances affecting the severity of these conditions. The one common link is the appearance of inflammation. If you’re trying to reduce the inflammatory response in your body, your diet can be the first place to start.

Since the skin is the largest organ and is also the most distant from any vital organ, it can take some time for it to heal. Though you don’t have to feel discouraged, because by following some fundamental steps, you can provide yourself with lifelong dermatitis-ease.

Top three tips to naturally heal your dermatitis

1. Reduce the inflammatory response in the body

This step differs for each individual. What might cause a flare-up in your body might not even raise an alarm in someone else’s. But you can follow these steps to reduce the chances of inflammation:

• Maximise intake of nutrients with anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, and wound healing properties —
  
  • Include nutrient-rich foods high in zinc, selenium, vitamin E, Vitamin D, iron, Vitamin C and omega 3 essential fatty acids into your diet. This includes Brazil nuts, fresh oysters, kidney beans, almonds, pine nuts, and organic animal liver.
  • Anti-inflammatory foods including cold water fish, ground flaxseed, walnuts, seeds, turmeric, green, yellow, and purple vegetables and fruits. Disregard any fruits & vegetables mentioned in the event that you’re allergic to them.
  • Antimicrobial (bacteria, fungus & virus) foods to increase your intake of are garlic, sauerkraut, and horseradish.

• Exclude personally known triggers —
  
  • Common allergenic foods: cows milk and other dairy products, eggs, wheat, rye, barley, peanuts, corn, shellfish, bananas, apples, oranges, tomatoes, potatoes, soy, and food containing artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.
  • Histamine-inducing foods: tofu, aged cheese, canned fish, sausage and salami, citrus fruit, chocolate, strawberries and certain alcoholic beverages such as champagne, beer and wine.
  • Avoid products containing sugar and yeast, especially in the case of chronic dandruff.
    

2. Replace harsh products for gentler products that support skin health

“The first thing I do with my clients who suffer from dermatitis, is to provide nutritional advice.”

— skin specialist and Dr. Alkaitis representative Barbara Baars

Also replacing harsher products with natural & pure products containing certified organic ingredients helps exclude a multitude of irritants. The chemical additives and preservatives are known causes for skin reactions.

Some ointments and creams can alleviate short-term dermal condition. However, harsh soaps, detergents, alcohol-based products, abrasives and overused moisturisers (especially those with a petrolatum or paraffin base and isopropyl myristate on the ingredient list) should be avoided, as they provide no long-term treatment – and some ingredients even worsen certain skin conditions.

More gentle anti-inflammatory and wound-healing ingredients such as chamomile, calendula and aloe vera can be useful instead. In cases of severe dermatitis, always consult your health care practitioner before making any changes to your treatment.

3. Avoid or manage stress to the body

Stressors to the body can become exacerbated by internal & external influences.

• Avoid anything that personally triggers your dermatitis.
• Limit steaming hot showers; instead use lukewarm water.
• Avoid certain ingredients, as mentioned above. Although some of these ingredients wouldn’t usually bother anyone, they can easily penetrate and irritate sensitive skin.
• Hypersensitivity may be associated with stress and anxiety^3,4 – knowing what personally affects you and knowing how to manage it can determine how your skin reacts.
  

DIY Home Treatments

1. Oats (like the common oat we eat for breakfast) have shown promising results in calming & soothing inflamed skin.⁵ Wrap a cup of oats into a muslin cloth and caress the skin in a circular motion. Alternatively, add 2-3 cups of oatmeal to a bath; keep in mind not to make the bath temperature too hot. (To avoid oats clogging up the drain, put the oats in a bag or sock and run the water through it.)
   
   
2. Chamomile is another one of those age-old remedies, its medicinal properties making it useful as an anti-inflammatory, mild astringent and wound healing⁶. You could simply use your chamomile tea bag as a poultice; to do this, boil water and steep the tea bag for a few minutes. You can drink the tea and store the tea bags in the fridge, then apply it to any inflamed areas after it’s cooled.
   

   Related articles: DIY Face Peel: Chamomile and Oats

3. Aloe Vera, a completely natural anti-inflammatory, is used topically to soothe red cracked skin⁷. The best way to get a good dose is to purchase an aloe vera plant or leaf from your local organic store, fillet the leaf to retrieve the gel inside, and apply it directly onto your skin. The gel can be stored for up to a week in a refrigerator. Be aware that some creams and topical aloe vera ointments may have preservatives in the ingredients.
   

The Take Home

Making efforts to manage inflammation long term is the key to reducing dermatitis and its many related conditions. Finding the root cause can be tricky… but the guidelines above offer a gentle approach to topical and internal inflammatory treatment.

What has worked before for you in treating dermatitis?

Join the conversation and let us know in the comments below!

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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in May 2015 and was updated in June 2019 for accuracy.

Resources:
1. Irritant Contact Dermatitis
2. Dermatitis, Perioral
3. Anxiety in allergy and atopic dermatitis
4. Stressors in Atopic Dermatitis
5. Diagnosis and Management of Contact Dermatitis
6. Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with a bright future (Review)
7. A comparison of the leaf gel extracts of Aloe ferox and Aloe vera in the topical treatment of atopic dermatitis in Balb/c mice

Photo Credit: Noah Buscher