Ointments Versus Emollients in Epidermolytic Ichthyosis
“Ointments not only cause overheating and more frequent skin infections, but they also make the scale and skin discolouration worse.”
As part of our “EI Skincare Showcase Series” I want to highlight that not all moisturising products are the same, alongside a common misconception about ichthyosis.
Ichthyosis often gets treated like it’s just super-dry skin. While it’s true that ichthyotic skin IS dry, it’s important to remember that what you see on the surface is in fact DEAD SKIN that cannot shed by itself.
In order to treat the dry skin problem, we need to remove as much of the dead skin as possible, and this is where BAKING SODA baths can be so helpful.
One of my GREATEST frustrations is that people with ichthyosis tell me that they’ve been told to cover themselves from head to toe in ointments as their main moisturiser.
Ointments are designed to form an OCCLUSIVE BARRIER on the surface of the skin to prevent water from being able to evaporate. They are literally like wrapping yourself in plastic.
For Epidermolytic Ichthyosis especially, where heat causes trauma and blistering, using ointments beyond the first few days of life is the absolute worst thing to do for an EI baby.
Ointments not only cause overheating and more frequent skin infections, but they also make scale and skin discolouration WORSE.
The barrier that ointments provide traps the dead skin and scales on the surface of the skin, and makes it even harder for moisture to reach the dry skin underneath.
This information is acknowledged in published ichthyosis care guidelines, along with the recommendation to use emollients and humectants instead.
In the before and after images above, you can see the very latest example of just how much the condition of EI skin can improve in just TWO WEEKS when we change the skin care routine.
From using occlusive ointments to a daily routine of baking soda baths, gentle exfoliation, followed by the application of ceramide emollients mixed with vegetable glycerine (Humectant), you can easily see how remarkable the transformation can be.
Please keep reading through these pages to see some great emollients that are worth a try, just be sure to do a patch test over a few consecutive days first.
If you’d like to learn more about EI Skincare, please visit the “EI Resources” page.