Will An Air Purifier Help Eczema Symptoms?

Disclaimer: The content below is written to share our experience and should not be regarded as medical advice. Please consult your Doctor should you have any questions.

Eczema is a horrible skin condition many of us battle with, people with eczema often experience dry, red and itchy skin, which can be a result of allergies such as mold, pollen and dust mites. 

As airborne pollutants and bad particles can be a trigger for an eczema outbreak, an air purifier can help with eczema flare-ups as it reduces the amount of these allergens in the air that make contact with our skin.

Treating eczema at home can be done effectively with an air purifier, but so as you can understand the link between air quality and eczema and other benefits a purifier can have for your skin, we have composed a short guide below about tackling dry itchy skin with a purifier. 

Is It Possible For The Air To Trigger Eczema?

Allergic eczema can be caused by bad indoor air quality, for example, dust, mold and VOCs in the air can all trigger patients with eczema. 

VOCs stand for volatile organic compounds, these chemicals are found often in the air, and someone who is exposed to them often is 2.5 times more likely to develop eczema. 

Airborne dust and eczema are also linked, dust in the air can cause allergies in people who are more likely to go on to develop an eczema symptom, this is because airborne dust is a direct skin irritant as well as toxic when breathed in. 

The air can also be a problem for the eczema community if it has mold spores, mold in the air can make chronic skin disease outbreaks more likely.

Can An Air Purifier Help Eczema? 

Air purifiers can help ease symptoms of eczema if it is caused by allergen particles in the air, as HEPA air filter elements in a purifier trap the triggering particles in the air. 

They do this by sucking the air in through the pre-filter, then the bigger particles such as mold spores or some dander will get stuck, for smaller dust particles, they will zig-zag around in the purifier till they get caught. 

As most eczema sensitive skin is caused by dust mites in the air, this will reduce the impact of eczema in your skin and maybe even eliminate it in some patients with eczema. 

If you have a form of eczema which is not triggered by particles in the air but instead certain materials or food, then you might not see any difference with an air purifier, but they can still improve the quality of the air you breathe and are a great option to try for people with asthma too. 

Common Ways To Help Eczema

Even though an air purifier can help control eczema flare-ups from a dust mite allergy or pollen in the air, likely, you will still have a battle with eczema out the house, so we have listed some proven ways below that can help make your eczema feel better and keep it under control. 

• Take a warm bath - A warm bath with oatmeal in the bath water can help calm down troubles with eczema flare-ups as the oatmeal has anti-itch properties.
• Don't scratch - Scratching will make the eczema battle worse and lead to the scarring of dry skin eventually and more serious skin inflammation.
• Moisturise often - People with experience of eczema will know dry skin is a big factor in eczema, moisturising twice a day can help to prevent the cracking of the skin. 
• Use a humidifier - A humidifier can stop dry air inside of your home which can be a trigger for eczema as it adds moisture to the air, we will talk about this more later on.
• Treat stress - Stress will make eczema worse and improving your emotional health can make a difference when undertaking eczema treatment.

Other Advantages Of Using An Air Purifier For Your Skin

Not only is an air purifier beneficial for helping atopic eczema in people, but their purifiers are great for the skin in general and have a huge number of benefits such as reduced acne and slower ageing, we will get into some further details about the benefits of an air purifier for your atopic eczema below.

• It can heal acne - An indoor HEPA filter can prevent airborne bacteria from going on your skin and causing spots as it reduces the number of toxic particles in the air. 
• They slow down ageing - Pollution, dust and cigarette smoke can cause damage to your skin over time and encourage ageing, VOCs, in general, will cause the skin to droop early on, an air purifier can help you slow this down.
• Reduces rashes on the skin - Poor quality air is proven to irritate your skin and can cause conditions like dry skin or atopic eczema as we mentioned above.
• Improves overall skin tone - Some hydrocarbons in the air are linked to skin pigmentation and can mess with your skin tone, having an air purifier can stop this oxidation happening to your skin inside.

Humidifier VS Air Purifier For Eczema - Which Is Better? 

Many people suggest humidifiers for eczema are better than air purifiers as they add moisture to the air which can help the battle with dry skin. 

They are also proven to be great for eczema during the winter months as they can keep skin smooth and supple which is likely to stop it from cracking.

Although humidifiers are great and should be used for atopic eczema to stop the skin from drying out and encouraging infection, an air purifier can also be very useful as it stops the triggers in the first place that can cause allergies in the air. 

Overall, we suggest using a humidifier in combination with an air purifier can help eczema and calm down airborne triggers that can be making the skin condition worse.

Frequently Asked Questions About Air Purifiers & Eczema 

Do air purifiers help with allergies in the air in general? 

Yes, air purifiers are great for removing allergens from the air and can help with many different types of allergies, from hayfever to asthma.

Can house dust cause eczema? 

Yes, house dust mites can cause not only breathing issues but also has a connection between eczema skin problems.

What environmental allergens cause eczema? 

Certain grass pollens, pet dander, dust mites and even mold can cause eczema issues and skin inflammation.

Is there a correlation between asthma and eczema? 

Both asthma and eczema are linked, as it is said if you are likely to have one form of inflammation, then you might be more likely to end up getting the other issue.

Can dairy products trigger eczema? 

Dairy can be a form of food that can cause food allergies in people who can then go on to develop atopic eczema as a reaction.

Does mold growth cause eczema?

Exposure to mold is not expected to directly cause eczema but it can cause flare-ups if you have atopic eczema.

Last Words 

Overall, any form of eczema can be made worse or triggered by bad airborne particles in the air, from pet dander to house dust mite particles, an air purifier can help remove this factor in eczema flare-ups and calm down atopic eczema. 

We recommend using an air purifier in combination with a humidifier to stop skin dry cracks forming with eczema too and keep the air moist.