What is ear eczema?
Ears can be affected by several conditions: eczema (aka aural eczematoid dermatitis), psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis or what’s called otitis externa, a painful inflammation of the ear canal, which can end up infected and very sore indeed.
Whatever the cause of your itchy ears, it’s certain that bumpy, inflamed skin in and around the ears can be horribly frustrating for sufferers: a irritating itch with no way to scratch and in a really tricky spot to apply emollients!
What can you do about it?
- Moisturise externally: use a intensive moisturising balm like Skin Salvation around the outside of the ear, especially in the fold behind the ear. Keep surrounding areas clean with a soap-free cleanser.
- Look for triggers and avoid them! Soap, shampoo, conditioner, earrings, hair dye can all trigger aural dermatitis, but so can cold weather or intense heat.
- Boost your immune system generally: build up your gut health; look at your stress levels; adjust your diet so you’re getting all the nutrients (especially essential fatty acids) that you need to build resilience.
- Antibacterial, antifungal or steroid drops: if the rash becomes serious enough that you need to go to the doctor, then you might be prescribed ear drops to beat the infection and calm the inflammation. (While steroid drops can be useful in nipping a flare-up in the bud before infection takes hold, please be aware that steroids are not a long-term solution for eczema and can be damaging to your skin.)
Try this simple 5 step home remedy - it’s best done with someone helping you!
- Lie on your side with a towel under your head, bad ear upwards
- Warm a spoonful of Balmonds Scalp Oil to body temperature
- Drip a few drops of the oil into the ear (if you haven’t got a dropper to hand then you can use a matchstick to gently drip a few drops into the ear from above)
- Gently massage the areas in front and behind your ear with a bit more warm oil
- Stay lying on your side for ten minutes; a warm towel over the sore ear can be nice
NB: do not poke into the ear with a cotton bud or anything else!
Recommended products:
Scalp Oil
Balmonds Scalp Oil is formulated with effective, naturally antimicrobial oils as well as the skin-nourishing nutrients that eczema-prone skin needs in an emollient.
