Have you tried Child’s Farm moisturiser?

Yes! Have it terribly up my left flank. I think winter is bad for it.

I had this last year for maybe 9 months over most of my body. Turned out I was allergic to the dust leftover in my bedroom after building work.

One thing my dermatologist told me was that I was undertreating. I also got protopic ointment which I used on my face - it's non-steroidal so I feel more comfortable using it most places. Having said that, my eczema is virtually non-existent now.

Another vote for Childs Farm.

Amazing stuff.

I have any number of hand creams but not this stuff you r  ecommend, will try. 

I have betnavovate   but not working.

Mine is generally stress related and on my feet and drives me demented.  Have had the odd funny look from a colleague taking my shoes off to scratch.

Sails this is what I am really worried about, I dread it spreading to my feet.

my hands Re in a right mess, I have been using betnovate for two months straight now and on/off past two years.it wakes me in the night. Last week a finger became infected, very very painful.

Oh absolutely what Meh said, get dust out of your house. I don't have eczema but my skin reacts to dust levels, I have just bought a new hoover, I have done the house from top to bottom, and my life is transformed.

The canesten hydrcortisone over the counter is what i used to use years ago, doesnt touch the sides now. Betnovate used to kill it dead but that too now not working.

the canesten has some anti fungal ingredient in it as well.

basically you have to moisturise constantly and i how have about 15 handcreams scattered around the house/ in my bag etc so i use all the time. Current brands are CeraVe ( v good), My Trusty, Hopes and e45 (least favourite).

i think I got the infection from washing hands with emollient cleanser in place of soap, not making that mistake again. Emollient cleanser does not clean your hands properly, i dont really know what its for, its not as if anyone washes their hands if they dont need to.

I dont know if it will help but there is a MAN'S brand of hand cream (I think it's called something with Norway or fisherman in the title).  It is for MEN who sail the ocean waves and pull in the nets and go a-viking.  Might be worth a shot if they sell it in your local shop.

(ftaod I am capitalising sarcastically.)

The Norweigian fishermans stuff is like vaseline, main problem that it is v greasy attrracting filth meaning more hand washing which you’re meant to avoid as soap is very drying. Emollient cleansers are soap-free cleaner creams, E45 make one.

i do think it is a first world problem - or at least I hope it is, I cant bear to think of people trying to manage this condition without access to topical steroids.

I have put child's farm on my flank this morning and it feels good

I have suffered over the years terribly on the soles of my feet (only when I lived in London - I blame rented accomodation and carpet) and then years later on my hands after I had my boy.  I was eventually tested for allergies.  I have private healthcare so it was all v quick.  Went on a Monday, had lots of patches applied to my back, on the Wed I went back and had them removed and on the Friday they looked at the reactions.  Turns out I am allergic to virtually everything, nuts, grass, dogs, cats (I have a dog and 2 cats), tanned leather etc etc etc.  All this meant was that the more I am exposed to these allergens, the higher the likelihood of a flare up.    I had tried most creams (some of which were brought up on my allergy tests such as E45 and I think betnovate (or other such steroid I had used).  Now if I have a flare up and it doesn't go I go to the local private hospital and have a jab in my bum.  It's amazing.  It cleared up a really bad flare up within days and what is more relevant, I had no flare ups for a year.  Now those flare ups are even less of an ocurance but when they do I go for the jab.  Ask for that, it's amazing.  So all in all I would go for allergy tests, if the creams prescribed are not working ask for the steroid jab and keep hands moisturised using Aveeno, Childs Farm etc.  Good luck.  It can feel very debilitating. x

mistee what is this jab, please? 

I am seeing the dermatologist privately tomorrow so can ask him!

I had allergy tests two years ago for rhinitis, it was at nhs allergy clinic, I came out negative for everything (but still have to use a steroid nasal spray)

You calling me a cow, Tb??

Also, I found I really had to try a lot of creams before I found one that my skin liked, it hated epaderm the least.

Often when my skin began to flare a little it got the whiff of an infection and went nuts. Fucidin antibiotic cream is amazing. I also have fucibet which is a mixture of fucidin and betmethasone which knocks things on the head.

On the non soap cleansers, my dermatologist recommended dermol 500 for the shower and said eczema or no eczema it's amazing. Made a huge difference for me. For hand washing I tend to go for alcohol gel and have a big pump bottle of purell advanced.

Alcohol gels are a real no no for me.  I don't know the name of the jab but its a steroid jab and is truly wonderful.

Mini M and Mrs M have bad eczema and we have all kinds of creams in the house. Seems to be steroidal stuff that works best rather than over the counter creams

Alcohol gel would be a no no for me too, far too dehydrating.

many thanks for the input Meh, I am actually counting the minutes until my appt later!

Well it was  quite interesting.

he said hand eczema quite complex, could be old childhood eczema returned or an allergy. The allergy tests quite spenny ( and my private ins wont pay out for eczema) so prob queue up in nhs. In meantime he thinks i have developped alergy to betnovate which sounds convinving given my pattern and he has prescribed somethimg else via my gp which she wont process until friday ( because orivate scrip, heh) so in Meantime i’ll have to stick it out.

also said dont ever use wash gels, use soap instead and gloves for shampoo. There is also a lathering cleanser on scrip i will get. And this v odd idea of soaking hands in solution of water, oliatum and BLEACH!!! Because evzema means germs. And infections acrually quite dangerous, he said antibiotics if infection again.

im posting all this for others who might find it helpful.

out of interest, does hard water exacerbate the issue?  I am lucky enough not to have a problem with eczema but am living in a flat with exceptionally hard water and rinsing soap and shampoo out is tricky - especially compared to the glorious soft water straight from the lakes of my youth. 

We have a water softener and i did wonder whether that was the culprit but forgot to ask. I could getbthem to add it on the allergy testing if i get to that.