Skin Itching - How To Reduce It?

Skin irritants are everywhere. Even in your house, there is practically no place where there are no skin irritants. Laundry detergents, air fresheners and floor polishes are just a few factors that cause skin itching. The reason why this happens is because products like air fresheners and floor polishes take away essential oils and water from the skin which leads to dryness and irritation. This type of dry, itchy skin can also progress to skin conditions like eczema.

Here are some ways you can stop your skin from becoming dry and itchy:

1. Wear gloves
The ideal thing to do would be to wear soft, thin cotton gloves and only wear rubber gloves on top of that. Do not touch a bucket or sponge without it. Even if you cannot wear soft, thin cotton gloves underneath, at least wear the rubber gloves as this protects your hands from irritants. 

2. Petroleum jelly
Petroleum jelly has been proven to reduce the chances of dry, itchy skin because it contains only one ingredient. This one-ingredient formula is especially great when it is applied to sensitive skin. The reason why one ingredient is better than a moisturizer with many chemicals is because a one ingredient formula is gentler and therefore creates a protective barrier against irritants.

3. Oatmeal baths
For this kind of treatment, grind oatmeal in a blender and then sprinkle it in your bath water. Oatmeal has an anti-inflammatory substance known as avenanthramides which decreases itching and redness of the skin.

4. Cleanliness 
This is perhaps the most important tip which can be given. If you do not regularly clean your floors or wash your bed sheets in hot water than you are at a high risk of getting mites and these are one of the most common irritants of your skin.

5. Rinse after swimming
Chlorine is one of the principal causes of itchiness in your skin. It is absolutely essential that once you have finished swimming you rinse your body with water and a little soap. Even more importantly, use a moisturizer with glycerin in it, as this will keep the moisture trapped inside. Glycerin is particularly good at holding on to moisture.