The EPIMAX® Summer Holiday Edit!
It’s officially summer holiday season and we’re so excited to share our top tips for enjoying your time away with a dry skin condition.
But first, packing…
It’s crucial to take your skincare essentials away with you! Our 100g EPIMAX® tubes are conveniently travel sized for both hand and checked luggage. If you are travelling for a longer period, why not take a 500g EPIMAX® tottle or tub with you in your luggage!
Additionally, don’t forget:
- Lightweight, breathable clothes in fabrics such as cotton and bamboo. They can help reduce irritation and offer some skin protection from the sun.1,2
- A wide-brimmed hat to help provide coverage for your face, neck, and shoulders.
Remember to also pack for the journey! Keep an emollient to hand while travelling to hydrate your skin on the go, air travel can be especially drying to your skin, due to the low humidity and recycled air within the cabin.
Staying away from home
Whether you are travelling to a bucket-list destination, or staying closer to home, being in a new space may bring different challenges to your skin. Try the following tips to help prevent a flare-up away from home:
- Be mindful of potential new skin irritations, such as fabrics, sand, water and changes in temperature.1 We suggest damp dusting when you arrive at your stay, to help reduce additional skin irritants from your living space.3
- Avoid using complimentary toiletries provided by your accommodation, as they may contain ingredients that could irritate your skin: instead use your regular body wash or an emollient body wash alternative, such as EPIMAX® ExCetra Cream.
- If you are sensitive to different washing powders/detergents, taking your own bedding when you go away can help make you feel more comfortable.
- If you can, adjust your room temperature to provide a cool space away from the sun.
Spending time in the sun
Did you know, some people with eczema find that their skin improves with gentle exposure to sunlight, while others experience a worsening of their condition?2
Despite this, it’s so important that everybody protects their skin from the sun, whether at home or away.
- Apply sunscreen every 2 hours during the day.
If you’re using an emollient, apply it 30 minutes before applying sunscreen. Emollients should not be used in the sun without sunscreen as they can accelerate burning.2
- Plan activities in the morning or evening, when the temperature is cooler and try to find shade throughout the day, but especially between 11am-3pm, when the temperature is at its hottest.2
- Remember to re-apply sunscreen after swimming and sweating. 2
Going swimming
The chemicals and chlorine in swimming pool water can dry out the skin and could be a trigger for eczema flare-ups.4 To keep your skin comfortable both in and out of the water try to:
- Apply an emollient before swimming to act as a barrier between your skin and the water.4
- Shower thoroughly as soon as possible after swimming. If the pool showers use chlorinated water, a better option may be to wash once you are back at your accommodation.4
- Generously apply an emollient after your shower to rehydrate your skin.4
As with any emollient, always read the label and avoid contact with eyes.
Wellbeing Tips Tailored to Suit Your Skin!
Wellbeing is the state of being comfortable, healthy, and happy. Your state of wellbeing can be disrupted, or balanced, by many factors. Often, we are encouraged to introduce new behaviours and practices into our lives, without the consideration of their impact on skin health!
To mark ‘World Wellbeing Week’, we’ll be taking some common suggestions for improving your wellbeing and tailoring them to be more skin-friendly.
Exercise without aggravating your skin
Exercise is one of the best ways to look after our physical health and mental wellbeing, providing benefits such as increased self-confidence and lower stress and anxiety levels.1 However, for people with dry skin conditions, enjoying exercise is sometimes more of a challenge due to skin irritation, flare-ups and discomfort. So, what can you do to help keep your skin happy during and after workouts?
One of the biggest causes of skin irritation from exercise is sweating. Sweat mostly consists of water and salt, so when it evaporates, it can dry out your skin and cause irritation.2 To help avoid excess sweating, try to find a cool environment to work-out in, whether that be in a well-ventilated indoor space or outside during the morning or evening (when the temperature is lower): this will help prevent skin becoming too hot and irritated. 2
For additional relief from skin irritation, make sure to steer clear of tight-fitting gym gear, and instead wear looser cotton fabrics as they are more breathable.3 Make sure to wash your clothing after any exercise to clean away any irritants and bacteria before its next wear.
When choosing your exercise routine, make sure to consider your skin’s needs. During flare-ups, it’s best to avoid intense activities to prevent worsening skin symptoms.4 Listen to your body and choose exercises you feel won’t aggravate your condition.
Tips for spending time in the great outdoors!
Both hot and cold weather bring unique challenges for your skin but spending time outdoors and within nature can be brilliant for your mental and physical wellbeing!
Some people find that their eczema improves with exposure to sunlight, while others experience a worsening of their condition.5 Despite this, when preparing to spend time in the sun, everyone should remember to wear SPF! If you’re using an emollient, apply it 30 minutes before applying sunscreen.6 Finding shade outdoors will help you keep cool and help avoid damaging your skin.
When spending time outdoors in the cooler months, you also need to protect your skin. Protect sensitive areas like the face and hands by applying emollients regularly and avoiding lip-licking, which worsens dryness.6 Additionally, chose cold weather clothing items made of natural fabrics such as cotton and bamboo to prevent skin irritation.6 For tips on managing your skin in cold weather, read our ‘Dry skin in Winter’ blog post.
The workplace and wellbeing
Since many adults spend a large proportion of their time in work, it’s no surprise that the workplace can have a big impact on your health and wellbeing.7 Working environments expose people to certain skin triggers, such as stress, temperature and fragrances.8
Feeling itchy at work can be really distracting and uncomfortable: to help tackle this, try reapplying emollients throughout the day and if there is flexibility, opt to sit in a cooler part of the workplace (away from radiators and direct sunlight).8 If the itch is uncontrollable, take a break and try to distract yourself.8,9
If you can and feel comfortable enough to, it may good idea to disclose your skin condition to your employer. This means that you can begin to discuss adjustments to help you feel more comfortable at work.
Achieving a good night’s sleep
It is often said that getting good quality sleep is crucial for maintaining wellbeing, however, this is not always easy to achieve. The discomfort and itchiness associated with dry skin conditions can lead to disrupted sleep, significantly affecting quality of rest.
During the night, your skin loses more moisture than it does during the day, leading to increased dryness and itchiness.10 Additionally, the ‘itch sensation’ may feel more intense as there are less distractions while you are trying to sleep than during the day.11
To help break the Itch-scratch cycle during the night, why not try practicing mindfulness, meditation or breathing exercises to help redirect your focus and attention.11
For tips on how to create a healthy sleep space, read our blog: ‘Skin-Friendly Tips for Better Rest’.
Ichthyosis Support Hub
What is Ichthyosis?
Ichthyosis is a group of rare genetic skin conditions that cause dry, scaly skin.1 Most forms are inherited genetically, with symptoms appearing at birth, or shortly after.1,2 There are at least 20 different types of ichthyosis, each with different levels of severity and prevelance.1
The main symptoms of ichthyosis are very dry, scaly, flaky, thick and rough skin.1 While ichthyosis can’t be cured, treatments can help reduce the scaling and improve comfort for people living with the condition.1, 2
Some of the types of ichthyosis are:
Ichthyosis Vulgaris
Ichthyosis Vulgaris is the most common form of inherited ichthyosis (affecting 1 in every 250 births), it’s usually mild and can get better as you get older.1,3 Ichthyosis Vulgaris can also appear or occur later in life due to factors such as other medical conditions.1,2 It is characterised by fine, white to grey scales on the abdomen, arms and legs, whereas the face, elbows, armpits and knee creases usually remain unaffected.3
X-linked Ichthyosis
X-linked Ichthyosis predominantly affects males, and occurs in roughly 1 in 6,000 births.1,3 Some newborns may present with scaly skin, followed by the development of fine scales on the torso and limbs during infancy.3 The condition can vary in severity and tends to improve in warmer weather and as the person grows older.3
Autosomal Recessive Congenital Ichthyoses
There are three main types of ichthyoses in this group: Congenital Ichthyosiform Erythroderma, Lamellar Ichthyosis and Harlequin Ichthyosis.3 These conditions tend to have more severe symptoms and are rarer.1,3
For more information, please see the British Skin Foundation website.
Epidermolytic Ichthyosis
Epidermolytic Ichthyosis is a rare inherited ichthyosis. At birth, the baby’s skin is very fragile and may blister easily, sometimes needing intensive care.4 Over time, the skin becomes thickened, red or dark, especially in creases, and infections are common.4
Syndromic Ichthyoses
Syndromic ichthyoses are very rare inherited conditions that cause scaly skin along with symptoms in other parts of the body.5 Unlike non-syndromic types, which only affect the skin, syndromic ichthyoses involve multiple organ systems.5
Misconceptions about Ichthyosis
Sadly, people living with ichthyosis often face societal misconceptions about their condition, which can damage their self-confidence and opportunities. It’s crucial to raise awareness about the condition to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for everyone.
See some of the common misconceptions busted below:
Navigating Menopause Skin Changes with Confidence
Menopause and Eczema: Impacts and Insights
Skin-Friendly Tips for Better Rest
Be Christmas Ready with EPIMAX®
Back to School with EPIMAX®
My EPIMAX® Evening Routine
Dry skin in Winter
EPI1010451P11_JUL2025