Bleach Baths and Wet Wraps for Eczema
Bleach Baths:
Your doctor may recommend dilute bleach baths. These baths help to decrease the number of bacteria on the skin that can cause infections or worsen eczema.
Directions:
Use regular or “unconcentrated” household bleach (5.25% sodium hypochlorite). This bleach bath recipe has the same level of chlorine in your average swimming pool
- STEP 1: Fill the bathtub with lukewarm water
- STEP 2: Add ¼ to ½ cup of bleach to a full standard-size bathtub of water (approx. 40 gallons). Add ¼ cup for a half bathtub of water (approx. 20 gallons). For infants, add 2 tablespoons to a baby bathtub (approx. 4 gallons). Mix in to water.
- STEP 3: Get in and soak for 5-10 minutes
- STEP 4: Rinse off completely with warm tap water
- STEP 5: Proceed with daily skin care routine
Things to Remember:
- DO NOT use excessively hot or cold water
- DO NOT add any other products or ingredients to the bath
- DO NOT soak for longer than 15 minutes
- DO NOT submerge your head or face under the water
Wet Wrap Therapy:
Wet wraps help soothe and hydrate the skin, reduce itching and redness, loosen crusted areas, prevent skin injury due to scratching, and reduce the amount of medications required to control eczema.
Directions:
- STEP 1: Soak in a tub of lukewarm water for 10 minutes
- STEP 2: Pat skin dry with towel STEP 3: While damp, apply topical steroid as prescribed to affected areas and apply moisturizer to rest of the body
- STEP 4: Dampen cotton garments (shirt/pants/pajamas) in lukewarm water and put them on
- STEP 5: Put on dry clothing or wrap up in a blanket to stay warm. Leave on for 1-3 hours, or overnight as tolerated.
For more information, please visit the National Eczema Association website at www.nationaleczema.org
