Severe eczema can be a serious drag, especially when nothing seems to be providing relief. Although wet wrap therapy provides quick help for eczema sufferers, it is only a short-term solution and a serious undertaking. Dry wrapping is extremely easy to do and can be an excellent eczema wet wrap alternative for both mild to moderate eczema.
What is Dry Wrapping?
Unlike wet wrap therapy, which involves wearing damp clothing for 2+ hours, dry wrapping involves only moisturizing the skin with a natural eczema cream and covering it with a dry layer of clothing such as dry eczema wraps or mittens or gloves for an extended period of time, preferably overnight.
This eczema wet wrap alternative is more effective than just moisturizing the skin alone. Why? The dry layer protects the skin from outside contact (scratching and irritants) and helps emollients last longer.
What are Dry Eczema Wraps?
Dry wraps are either clothes or bandages used to wrap and protect eczema skin. Because eczema can be exacerbated by various clothing materials, you want to make sure you’re opting for clothing that is soft and made specifically with dermatitis in mind, like TENCEL, bamboo, or cotton.
These dry wraps by Remedywear™ are made with TENCEL plus zinc oxide and work great to soothe the skin. You can also dry wrap with items you already have at home such as pajamas, tube socks and more. Just make sure the clothing is form-fitting. Loose clothing will rub against the skin and essentially remove your emollients.
What You’ll Need to Get Started
1. Find a nice emollient natural eczema cream. You can also search by eczema symptom for the best treatment options.
2. Choose a set of clothing or bandages/dressings, such as these dry wrap garments made specifically for eczema. You can also dry wrap on individual areas such as:
- Hand Eczema: For best results use Remedywear Kids Gloves for Eczema or for Adults. Or try these cotton gloves for kids or for adults. (Read How to Treat Hand Eczema for more information.)
- Leg Eczema: To treat the whole leg, use Remedywear's Unisex Adult pants or spot treat with these eczema bandages. Lastly, you can try a pair of thin, form-fitting cotton leggings as well. Specifically for knee care, read How to Treat Eczema on Knees for more information.
- Chest/Arm Eczema: Use Remedywear's Unisex Adult shirts or spot treat with these eczema bandages. Another option is to use a thin cotton T-shirt. To treat the arm and elbows, you can also check out these Scratch Sleeves for Adults with Anti-Scratch Mitts. They're great for protecting the skin against intense scratching too.
- Foot Eczema: Use Remedywear's TENCEL socks for kids or these 100% organic cotton hypoallergenic socks.
- Groin eczema: Use a set of natural, organic cotton underwear or those made with TENCEL all found in our allergy free underwear section.
Remedywear™ was awarded the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance™.
How To Dry Wrap
Dry wrapping is so easy to carry out and very simple. You can choose to either dry wrap your entire body or you can wrap individual parts like hands, arms, and legs, as indicated above.
Although this method can be carried out through the day, we suggest trying the process at night time, so that your eczema can be moisturized all night long. Another suggestion is to find dry wraps that you can wear underneath your daytime clothing for even more relief.
- Moisturize the skin with a natural cream or balm/salve of your choice, see our tips above. Make sure to apply the product liberally to areas of the body that need to be treated. (For an added boost, take a 20 minute bath in warm water first, no soap, towel dry leaving skin slightly damp. Then apply cream.) Once applied, skin should feel moist and well hydrated. If the skin is still dry, make sure to apply another layer of moisturizer before continuing onto the next steps.
- Cover the areas to treat with a form fitting, dry layer of clothing, as suggested above.
- Leave it for a minimum of two hours, overnight or all day is best.
- Repeat, if you’re able. Remove the dry layer every few hours, re-moisturize, and cover with the dry layer again.
Enjoy eczema relief and moisturized skin!
Resources
https://www.medicaljournals.se/acta/content_files/files/pdf/95/8/4432.pdf
https://www.jaci-inpractice.org/article/S2213-2198(14)00180-9/fulltext
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5582672/
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Bio: Laura is a contributor and content developer for The Eczema Company. She is in no way a medical professional. Her comments, suggestions, and reflections are not intended to replace any medical advice. Always seek the help of a medical professional before undertaking any diet or lifestyle changes.
