Have you ever found yourself so lost in thought, mentally rummaging through whatever it is that’s been causing you stress, and then suddenly, the only reaction that seems to bring you back into solution mode is the feeling of your fingernails scratching against your skin? Well, my friends, that right there is the most picturesque description I can give you to define the relationship stress and eczema can have with one another.
While I often find that the state of my mental well-being and the intensity of a flare-up are in cahoots, the power I have always lies in the daily moisturizing rituals that keep my skin barrier happy. But as everything goes, stress can override any type of balance — even the one you have with your skin-care and body-care routines.
When things took a turn, little did I know there was another method worth testing that got straight to the source of navigating emotional unease and an active rash, and while I wish it weren’t the case, that very emotionally consuming situation had a special patch on my forearm flaming. So, as any journalist might think, there was no time like now to put the theory to the test and look to meditation to see whether it can offset my intrusive worries and thus, vanquish my eczema impulses. The experiment in question: Can meditation soothe my stress eczema at the root?
Experts Featured in This Article
Kseniya Kobets, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist based in NY.
Here’s the thing: If you’re anything like me, the thought of solely closing your eyes, sitting in silence, and trying to get yourself into the ultimate state of zen never seemed soothing. And I don’t think it’ll ever be quite the cup of tea for my ADHD brain either.
If you can relate, I’m happy to report that for this little seven-day test, sound healing and guided meditation will be my method. The goal is to take at least five minutes every day to find comfort in my surroundings and rest my mind in the hertz frequencies and the words of astrologer Chani Nicholas through the guided meditations on the Chani App and good ol’ YouTube.
First and foremost, to keep those itchy impulses in check, board-certified dermatologist Kseniya Kobets, MD, advised, “When we are stressed, we usually let our regular routines go. So please make sure to stick to your gentle skin-care routine to maintain your skin barrier function by using fragrance-free hydrating cleansers, such as LaRoche Posay, CeraVe, and Vanicream, and immediately moisturizing right after toweling off.”
So along with doing just that, I dry brushed my skin, took three deep breaths (in through the nose, deep exhale out through the mouth) to ground myself, cleansed my space with palo santo, and dedicated five to 10 minutes to doing whatever it was that felt natural (even cleaning!) while intently tuning into the guided meditation of the day.
Some days, I focused on meditating the moment I woke up, whether it was lying down or sitting up, or even listening to 432-hertz frequency while I showered. I’ve learned there is no right or wrong way to meditate; basking in the sun and humming can even be a source. The beauty of this experiment was being given a moment to take a body scan of the self at the start of each session (thank you Chani!) and pointing out the areas on my arms and legs that felt itchiest at the beginning, contemplating how their appearance, the urges I experienced, and the texture of my skin felt in that moment. Plus, through it all, each and every meditation session came with a chance to reset with some mental clarity.
Eczema, as an inflammatory condition, can be triggered by a myriad of things, including stress. And just as unpredictable as a flare-up can be when it decides to take form, is the unknowing of how a stressful situation can manifest itself through your mental health and skin barrier. So, to answer the question at hand, I’d give a resounding yes on that front: Meditating can most definitely help combat stress eczema. The moment scratching an itchy site becomes the source of soothing any of my mental angst, I’ll know it’s time to regroup, recenter, and work through those anxieties with a meditation rather than suppress it altogether.
Chelsea Avila is an editorial beauty writer based in Queens, NY, with a passion for uncovering the best of the beauty market and reporting on beauty and fashion news. Chelsea has written for Latina magazine, Allure, Clinique, Cosmetic Executive Women, Editorialist, CNN Underscored, WWD, and more.
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