I remember licking the crooks of my elbows as a kid at school. Not just out of childhood curiosity, but because it soothed the cracks in my skin. My mum would always make sure I’d ‘creamed up myself!’ (an affectionate Jamaicanism that I no longer use – now I moisturise), but by playtime the hot, dry and itchy feeling would come back and I would be sat, like a cat, sneaking moments to soothe my parched skin. The skin, which was raised, looked awfully rashy, with the flare-ups spreading from just my elbow creases to the backs of my knees and behind my ears too.
Despite being a nurse and doing all she could (Oilatum and E45 were never missing from our bathroom cabinets), my mum would feel at a loss about how to help me but mercifully, as I hit puberty, my eczema all but disappeared. Then you fast forward a decade or so, I discovered makeup and it came rearing back. If I use the wrong new lip product or eyeshadow, I’ll get flare-ups on my eyelids or my lips. Winter? Who knows what’ll itchy fabric will set it off on my chest and neck (my neczema, as I call it). Luckily, I have my eczema flare-up routine sorted (see below) and suffer very infrequently now. But if you are prone to bouts of eczema or are unsure whether what you are experiencing is eczema, we spoke to dermatologist Dr Sharon Belmo for advice on the skin condition, especially on Black skin…
What does eczema look like on Black skin?
One of the most frustrating things as a Black woman with eczema is how it can be characterised in marketing and even medical journals. White skin is the default tone used to show skin conditions, and eczema looks completely different as melanin increases and you move up the Fitzpatrick scale. ‘Inflammation caused by eczema may present as red in lighter-toned Black skin, but in darker-skinned people the inflammation may present as brown, greyish, dark brown or even black,’ says Dr Belmo. ‘There are also types of eczema that are more common in Black skin, such as follicular eczema (small itchy spots) or discoid eczema (eczema in circular patches).’
And it’s not just the active eczema you have to think about; the way your skin looks post-eczema is also something to consider. ‘After the active eczema has settled, Black skin is also often left with darker patches on the skin, known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.’ And we all know that treating hyperpigmentation is another journey in itself.
Caring for eczema-prone Black skin
For serious cases of persistent eczema, Dr Belmo advises speaking to your GP, who will be able to give you a dermatology referral. ‘If your condition is worsening or persistent, over-the-counter treatments are not working, there is new onset and severe flare-ups, your sleep is disturbed, you have concerns of allergy, large areas of skin are affected, if you have symptoms of feeling unwell/fever too or extensive hyperpigmentation,’ these all indicate you need to seek medical attention.
If you aren’t worried about the above, then at-home care and over-the-counter treatments should help calm your skin. ‘Avoid soaps, fragrances, scrubs or harsh loofahs,’ says Dr Belmo, as ‘these can dry out, strip or irritate the skin, making eczema worse’. Instead, cleanse your skin daily with lukewarm water. (‘Water that is too hot can dry out the skin.’) And she is not suggesting just using water to wash: ‘Never wash with water alone as this too will dry out the skin,’ she says. Instead, she advises we use soap-free cleansers that won’t worsen your flare-up.
Sadly, for peeps like me who love smelling great and will use every and anything on my hair, beauty products like makeup, fragrance, hair products, braids, wigs, gels or adhesives can all trigger the type of eczema that I have: contact dermatitis. ‘This is a type of eczema that is due to allergies to ingredients in products (yes even synthetic hair), such as dyes, preservatives, glues and fragrances.’ Given that testing new products is a huge part of my job, I make a note of the newness I’m trying and will always aim to test new lip and eye products on my wrist first. But it can be a minefield.
When a flare-up does occur, Dr Belmo particularly recommends cutting out ‘fragrances, harsh soaps, exfoliating acids, scrubs and essential oils’ and then focusing on healing ingredients. Good ingredients to look out for include ‘humectants, which are ingredients that pull water into the skin (especially in Black skin as levels have been found to be lower in Black skin and are needed to keep skin hydrated) like glycerin and hyaluronic acid’, as well as ceramides.'
Best products for eczema -prone Black skin
La Roche-Posay Lipikar Syndet AP Body Wash 400ml
Bioderma Atoderm Shower Oil 200ml
Aveeno Dermexa Daily Emollient Body Wash 300ml
Eucerin Aquaphor Soothing Skin Balm for Dry Cracked Skin
Nimble Laundry Detergent Sheets - 4 Washes - Spring Blossom Scent
La Roche-Posay LIPIKAR AP+Max Triple-Action Balm
Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old. She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.
