My Eczema Journey

Hi there! I’m Jessie, a blogger with eczema. This website is dedicated to passing along what I have learned about eczema, particularly how it ties in with your skin’s microbiome. I love reading different studies and articles about eczema, and I hope to convert some of that information to plain English, so I can pass it on to you!

When I was doing my research, I found out that eczema sufferers usually have high concentrations of staphylococcus aureus bacteria on their skin (source). These bacteria release a substance that causes your skin barrier to break down (source), which causes rashes, blisters, and weeping skin. This, in turn, makes your skin a moister and more pleasant place for the staph bacteria to live.

You can’t keep your skin sterile and free from bacteria. But you CAN encourage a culture of friendly, beneficial bacteria to grow. This can crowd out the harmful staphylococcus aureus bacteria that may be causing your skin problems (source). This was really great to find out, because cultivating a healthy microbiome on your skin is a lot more natural-sounding than using topical steroids. Or, worse, being tormented with itch forever without any relief in sight!

The bacterial explanation is not definitively proven to be the cause of eczema. But it does shed some light on why bleach baths seem to help some eczema sufferers. The bleach bath kills off the staph aureus bacteria, therefore bringing some temporary relief. However, the bleach also kills the beneficial bacteria that you need on your skin. Without this beneficial bacteria on your skin, there is nothing to fight off the staph bacteria once your bleach bath is over. And so the cycle begins again… The staph bacteria begins to grow and re-colonize your skin, and your rashes and blisters are back in no time.

If you would like to read more about changing your skin’s microbiome as an eczema treatment, I recommend this post: My Favorite Eczema Products.

And if you’d like more info about my eczema (including before and after pictures) then be sure to check out this post here: About Me and My Eczema Journey.

Take a look at some of my other eczema-focused articles below while you’re here. I hope they are a valuable resource that helps you find skincare tips and an eczema routine that works well for you.