Update: Mia Freedman has finally found a product that helps to soothe the eczema on her eyelids.

Mia Freedman’s eyelids. Source: Supplied.

UPDATE:

After weeks of searching, Mia Freedman has found a product that helps soothe the eczema she experiences every winter. And lucky for us, she’s shared her discovery on Instagram. Drum roll please…

“I’ve tried so many things for the eczema on my eyes and cheeks and the bridge of my nose,” Mia writes.

“It’s still not gone but the one product (apart from .5% cortisone cream I used when it was really bad) that didn’t cause any reaction was this one from Go-To Skincare – the serum.”

The product in question is the Face Hero facial oil, which is also beloved by Chrissie Swan. Mia received a bottle from Go-To's founder Zoe Foster Blake after she posted the "red ouchy shot" of her eyelids (above) on Instagram a few weeks ago.

"I was reluctant to try it because I've never liked oils on my face. I find them too heavy. But it has literally been the only product I've tried that hasn't stung. And it makes my skin feel soothed and not dry and flakey. I recommend it," she writes.

We previously wrote:

The Glow's founder and content director, Mia Freedman, came to us recently with a perplexing – yet very common – skin problem.

“Every winter I get a tiny patch of eczema on my eyelid right under my eyebrow. I usually use a very mild cortisone cream - 0.5 per cent - that’s available over the counter - but this year it’s not working and it’s spread to my other eye and underneath my eye as well.”

Related: “My eczema was so bad I had to change my bed sheets every day.”

Is she using any new makeup or beauty products? No.

“I’m not using any strong products near my eyes - in fact I’m trying to keep products away from those inflamed areas altogether,” reports Mia.

“My skin is going through this cycle of being red and inflamed and then dry and flakey,” says Mia. She thinks that stress is also making her skin worse. (Post continues after gallery.)

Dr Michael Rich, from enRich Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery Centre says there are a few reasons women might be experiencing this common skin condition.

1. The reason dry, red patches of skin are popping up on your face.

“Skin can get dry and flaky for many reasons,” advises Dr Rich. He says that, as a general rule, there tends to be an overlap between eczema and dermatitis.

“Eczema would basically refer to someone who’s born with a genetic tendency for the skin to become inflamed. Dermatitis is when something upsets the skin and causes inflammation.”

This means that if you have an underlying tendency for eczema, and your skin gets just a tiny bit irritated, then a flare-up can occur.

Related: What do pimples on certain areas of your body mean?

2. Winter can be hell for your skin.

The cold and dry nature of winter may irritate our skin.

“What I suspect with Mia is that what happens in winter, just like your lips when you go skiing, is that the skin tends to get dry. And then the skin gets beyond the point of dryness, and becomes inflamed and you get eczema or dermatitis."

3. You may say you’re not scratching your skin, but you are probably doing it in secret.

Your eczema might not be itchy, but chances are you're probably touching it, and potentially scratching it without realising. If you feel your hand raise to your skin - STOP! Don't. Do. It.

Related: When plucking your eyebrows becomes obsessive.  

It will only make your skin condition worse.

How to treat it

1. Avoid things which make it worse.

“Avoid things that make skin drier, like soaps and too-dry environments,” advises Dr Rich. He also warned against using products which irritate the skin, such as ones containing fragrances.

For severe cases of eczema, Dr Rich recommends his patients put a humidifier in their bedrooms as they sleep, so that the skin doesn’t dry out too much.

Related: 6 things that are damaging your hair colour without you even realising.

Failing that, Dr Rich gave some perfect advice: “Go on a holiday to the Caribbean.”

2. Moisturise.

“Grease and oil the skin to try and get it healthier,” suggests Dr Rich. His preferred moisturisers which are non-allergenic, non-irritant and with low fragrance, such as QV Intensive, Dermeeze and Dermaveen. “All these products are well-formulated,” says Dr Rich.

Soshan's Skin Recover Balm ($57) is also a good all-rounder to keep on hand for quick hydration.

Facial oils are great for moisturising the skin. (Post continues after gallery.)

3. Don’t scratch it.

Easier said than done, right? But Dr Rich had an excellent tip on how to deal with an itch that you just can’t scratch.

“By telling someone not to scratch, you’re telling them to deny the itch, which is impossible,” empathises Dr Rich. Instead, try treating the itch directly.

Related: “I tried a free beauty sample and it made my face blow up.”

“Rather than deny the itch, acknowledge it and do something about it. You can put on creams (A Glow team member swears by MooGoo's Eczema and Psoriasis cream with marshmallow and elderberry $18.95), moisturisers, a cold rag, a cold water spray, so that at the very time you could be making it worse, you could be doing something positive,” says Dr Rich.

Doing something positive? That’s definitely advice that we can take on board. Well, I’m off to the shops to get a ticket to the Caribbean. Anything in the name of healthy skin.

Related: Move over, salt spray. Sugar spray will give you perfect beach hair without the grit.

Do you have any tips on treating eczema or dermatitis? Have you been to the Caribbean? Talk to us in the comments!