Why Sweat Aggravates Eczema

If you have an active child or one who experiences night sweats, chances are you’ve noticed that sweating can dramatically aggravate eczema of even cause a flare up where there wasn’t one before. This can be extremely frustrating because exercise and play are both great ways to relieve stress and increase mood – both helpful in treating eczema – and sleep is something we simply can’t go without. It seems that sweating is one of the most common and irritating triggers for eczema, but why? 

Sweat is a natural function of the body. Moisture beads up on the skin to help drop body temperature as a reaction to being hot from play, sleeping, or weather. Sweat also helps the body detoxify by expelling toxins through the skin. Sweat is a trigger because of what it contains, not because it happens.

Within each drop of sweat you can find a variety of minerals, toxins, and lots of moisture. This means that when sweat site on the skin it’s not any different that taking a warm hard-water bath and not drying off. You can imagine how hard this is on delicate skin!

The mineral content in sweat can also break down the natural oils that build up on the skin to moisturize and protect it. As the sweat breaks down these protective oils, it then evaporates leaving the skin raw and chapped.

For these reasons and many more sweat can be a major cause of eczema flare up and aggravation – so it’s a great thing to look at as part of a daily dermatitis treatment plan.

The best ways to deal with sweat are keeping air flow in rooms, especially during sleep, by using fans, air purifiers, and humidifiers. Clothing made from bamboo and cotton can also help wick sweat away from the skin the moment it forms so that it can’t linger around and cause trouble. Finally, making sure that your child stays hydrated with clean water can help keep sweat cleaner and help ensure that the body doesn’t detox too heavily all at once.

Does your child have negative reactions to sweat?
Let us know in the comments section below any ideas you've found that helps!