Doctor V - How To Treat Eczema around the Eyes for Skin of Colour | Black or Brown Skin

Summary

Dr. Mitra Ratan, a cosmetic formulator specializing in skin of color, dedicates her channel to skin care, particularly addressing periorbital eczema. She emphasizes the importance of identifying and avoiding triggers like dry weather and stress, which can exacerbate skin conditions leading to hyperpigmentation. Dr. Ratan advises using gentle, fragrance-free moisturizers and recommends specific products like Bioderma, Vani Cream, and Aveeno Eczema Therapy. She also suggests using a humidifier and avoiding hot showers to maintain a healing environment for the skin. The video is a comprehensive guide for managing eczema and preventing pigmentation issues, with a strong emphasis on the unique needs of skin of color.

Takeaways

• 👩‍⚕️ Dr. Mitra Ratan is a doctor and cosmetic formulator specializing in skin of color.
• 🌟 The channel focuses on skincare for skin of color, with a commitment to unbiased reviews.
• 👁️‍🗨️ The video discusses periorbital eczema, a condition affecting the skin around the eyes.
• 🔍 Eczema in skin of color often leads to hyperpigmentation due to inflammation.
• 🚫 The video emphasizes avoiding triggers like dry weather, stress, and certain cosmetics to prevent eczema.
• 💊 A doctor may prescribe a steroid cream for severe cases to break the cycle of inflammation and dryness.
• 🧴 Suggested treatments include using fragrance-free, thick moisturizers to lock in hydration.
• 💧 A humidifier is recommended at night to maintain a healing environment for the skin.
• 🚿 Advised against using hot water on the face; lukewarm or cool water is preferable for washing.
• 🧘‍♀️ Stress management is crucial for preventing eczema flare-ups, especially during challenging times.

Q & A

What is the focus of Dr. Mitra Ratan's channel?

Dr. Mitra Ratan's channel is dedicated to skin care for skin of color, with a focus on providing information on whether skincare products are worth the investment and which ingredients may be gentle or irritating for this skin type.

Why is it important to address periorbital eczema early?

Addressing periorbital eczema early is crucial to prevent hyperpigmentation, which can occur due to the constant rubbing, irritation, and inflammation that triggers melanocytes to produce more melanin, leading to dark circles.

What are the common triggers for periorbital eczema according to the video?

Common triggers for periorbital eczema include dry weather, stress, contact dermatitis from certain cosmetics, atopic dermatitis, and environmental factors like pollution, smoking, dust, chlorine, and some sunscreen ingredients.

How can stress contribute to the development of eczema?

Stress can affect the water-holding capabilities of the epidermis, leading to increased transepidermal water loss and dry skin, which can initiate the cycle of eczema development.

What is the role of steroid creams in treating periorbital eczema?

Steroid creams may be prescribed by a doctor to act as a circuit breaker in the vicious cycle of eczema by reducing inflammation and creating a healing environment for the skin.

What type of moisturizer does Dr. Ratan recommend for periorbital eczema?

Dr. Ratan recommends using a thick, fatty, and fragrance-free moisturizer that does not contain essential oils or denatured alcohol to trap water in the skin and promote healing.

Why is it advised to avoid hot showers when dealing with periorbital eczema?

Hot showers can exacerbate dryness and irritation, which are detrimental to the skin's healing process. Instead, using cool or lukewarm water to wash the face is recommended.

How can a humidifier help in managing periorbital eczema?

A humidifier helps by increasing the water content in the air, creating a less drying environment that is conducive to skin healing and preventing excessive water evaporation.

What is Dr. Ratan's advice on managing stress in relation to eczema?

Dr. Ratan emphasizes the importance of managing stress, as it can impact the skin and potentially cause eczema flare-ups. She suggests investing in learning how to manage stress effectively.

Why should active skincare products be avoided when the skin barrier is compromised?

Active skincare products should be avoided when the skin barrier is compromised because they can further irritate the skin. It is essential to first repair the skin barrier before addressing pigmentation or other concerns.

Outlines

00:00

👩‍⚕️ Skin Care for Skin of Color: Periorbital Eczema

Dr. Mita Ratan introduces her channel focused on skin care for skin of color, emphasizing her dual role as a doctor and cosmetic formulator. She discusses periorbital eczema, a condition affecting the skin around the eyes, which is particularly problematic for skin of color due to the risk of hyperpigmentation following inflammation. Dr. Ratan explains the triggers of eczema, such as dry weather, stress, and certain cosmetic ingredients, and stresses the importance of early intervention to prevent long-term skin damage. She also touches on the challenges of treating pigmentation in eczema-prone skin due to a compromised skin barrier.

05:02

🧴 Treating Periorbital Eczema: Breaking the Cycle

The paragraph delves into the treatment of periorbital eczema, starting with identifying and addressing triggers. It mentions the use of steroid creams as a circuit breaker to halt the cycle of inflammation and dryness. Dr. Ratan advises using a thick, fragrance-free moisturizer to lock in hydration and create a healing environment for the skin. She recommends specific products like Bioderma Intensive Eye Cream, Vani Cream Moisturizing Ointment, Aveeno Eczema Therapy Itch Relief Balm, and QV Intensive Ointment. She also suggests using non-fragrant Vaseline for extra occlusion and a humidifier to maintain a moist environment, especially during sleep. Dr. Ratan emphasizes the importance of using cool water for washing the face and avoiding hot showers to prevent further skin irritation.

10:03

🌟 Managing Stress and Preventing Pigmentation

In the final paragraph, Dr. Ratan discusses the impact of stress on skin health, particularly for those with eczema. She acknowledges the difficulty of reducing stress but encourages finding ways to manage it for better skin health. She warns against using actives or treatments for pigmentation on broken skin barriers, emphasizing the need to repair the skin first. Dr. Ratan recommends using a physical SPF 50 sunscreen without alcohol or fragrance for compromised skin and invites viewers to access a free guide in the comments section. She also invites followers on social media platforms and thanks viewers for watching the video.

Keywords

💡Periorbital eczema

Periorbital eczema refers to a skin condition characterized by inflammation and itchiness around the eyes, often affecting the eyelids and the skin underneath. In the video, Dr. Mitra Ratan discusses this condition in the context of skin of color, emphasizing its tendency to lead to hyperpigmentation due to the skin's response to inflammation. The video aims to educate viewers on how to manage and treat periorbital eczema to prevent such pigmentation issues.

💡Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation is a condition where patches of skin become darker in color than the surrounding skin. This is often a result of increased melanin production in response to skin inflammation. Dr. Ratan explains that in skin of color, any form of inflammation, including eczema, can trigger hyperpigmentation, leading to dark circles around the eyes, which is a common concern for her viewers.

💡Melanocytes

Melanocytes are the skin cells responsible for the production of melanin, the pigment that gives color to our skin, hair, and eyes. In the video, Dr. Ratan mentions that inflammation from eczema can cause these cells to become hyperactive, leading to an overproduction of melanin and resulting in hyperpigmentation.

💡Skin barrier

The skin barrier refers to the outermost layer of the skin, which serves as a protective shield against environmental factors and prevents excessive water loss. In the context of the video, a damaged skin barrier is highlighted as a key issue in eczema, as it leads to dryness and a healing-impaired environment, which exacerbates the condition.

💡Inflammation

Inflammation is the body's response to harmful stimuli, including damaged cells, irritants, or pathogens. In the video, Dr. Ratan discusses how inflammation from periorbital eczema can trigger a cycle of skin dryness and further inflammation, which is detrimental to skin health and can lead to pigmentation issues.

💡Steroid cream

Steroid creams are topical medications containing corticosteroids, which are used to reduce inflammation and itching. Dr. Ratan mentions that a doctor may prescribe a steroid cream for severe cases of eczema to break the cycle of inflammation and promote skin healing, despite common concerns about potential side effects like skin thinning.

💡Moisturizer

A moisturizer is a skincare product designed to hydrate and soften the skin, often used to alleviate dryness and irritation. In the video, Dr. Ratan recommends using a thick, fatty moisturizer without irritants like fragrance or alcohol to help trap water in the skin and support the skin's recovery from eczema.

💡Contact dermatitis

Contact dermatitis is a type of skin inflammation that occurs after contact with an allergen or irritant. Dr. Ratan discusses this as a potential trigger for eczema, especially in the context of using cosmetics or skincare products that contain ingredients like denatured alcohol, fragrance, or essential oils, which can irritate the skin.

💡Atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis, commonly known as eczema, is a chronic skin condition characterized by dry, itchy skin and rashes. Dr. Ratan notes that it often affects children under five years old and can be a trigger for eczema flare-ups, although many people may outgrow it or see improvements as they age.

💡Humidifier

A humidifier is a device that adds moisture to the air, which can help alleviate dry skin conditions like eczema. In the video, Dr. Ratan suggests using a humidifier at night to create a more hydrating environment and prevent the skin from drying out, which is crucial for managing eczema symptoms.

Highlights

Dr. Mitra Ratan discusses skin care for skin of color, focusing on periorbital eczema around the eyes.

As a cosmetic formulator, Dr. Ratan evaluates ingredients to determine their value for skin of color.

Inflammation from eczema can lead to hyperpigmentation in skin of color, which is difficult to treat.

The goal is to break the cycle of eczema to prevent pigmentation issues.

Common complaints of periorbital eczema include dry, flaky, irritated skin that can feel thickened and sting.

Triggers for periorbital eczema include dry weather, stress, and contact dermatitis from cosmetics.

Atopic dermatitis is a common cause of eczema in children under five years old.

Pollution, smoking, dust, and certain sunscreens can also trigger periorbital eczema.

Treatment involves stopping triggers and possibly using a steroid cream for severe cases.

Dr. Ratan recommends using a thick, fatty moisturizer without irritants for eczema-prone skin.

Globally accessible product recommendations include Bioderma, Vani Cream, Aveeno, and QV Intensive Ointment.

Using Vaseline and a humidifier at night can help lock in moisture and create a healing environment.

Avoid hot showers and use cool water to wash the face to prevent further skin irritation.

Stress management is essential for overall skin health, especially for those with eczema.

Dr. Ratan advises against using actives or dark circles kits on broken skin barriers.

Proper SPF use is crucial, especially with physical sunscreens that are alcohol and fragrance-free.

Dr. Ratan offers a free guide in the comments section and encourages following her on social media for more skincare advice.

Transcripts

hello i'm dr mita ratan and this channel

is dedicated to skin care for skin

of color as you know i'm a doctor but

i'm also a cosmetic formulator

specifically the skin of color i love to

look through ingredients

of products and tell you whether or not

it's worth your money or whether you

should sidestep as you know none of my

videos have ever been sponsored and they

will never be sponsored

this is our reference library for us and

for our children to

really know what is going to be gentle

for us and what may

irritate our skin and lead to more

hyperpigmentation

so today's video is all about

periorbital

eczema so that's eczema around the eyes

so it tends to happen on the eyelids and

underneath the eyes i've got multiple

videos on

eczema for their face body and for

children so you can watch those

for those specific situations but this

one really is for around the eye area

often for skin of color any form of

inflammation

does lead to pigmentation so at the

hyperpigmentation clinic that's my

clinic

i see a lot of cases of perioptical

pigmentation that happened

after eczema because that constant

rubbing irritation and inflammation

triggers the melanocytes the cells that

produce a pigment melanin

those cells then become hyperactive

they're clustered around the eyeball

and you see it as dark circles

so really what we want to do with hairy

orbital eczema is to

break the vicious cycle and try and nip

it in the bud as early as possible so

that you don't end up then with

pigmentation because once you get

pigmentation

it's actually very difficult to treat in

someone with eczema because the

skin barrier is damaged so then how many

actives can you really put on that skin

to try and treat the pigmentation

so we just don't even want to get to

that point if we can avoid it

so if that sounds good to you please

give me a thumbs up let's dive right in

so often the complaint is that the skin

feels dry

flaky irritated the skin can often feel

thickened it can sting whenever you put

anything on it or even just when it's

when you're not put anything on it

sometimes the skin can bleed

and just feels uncomfortable and swollen

so

it's frustrating because it's around the

eye area it's right at the

center of your face it's not something

that you can you know hide or that

it's under your clothes and so people

really do feel very self-conscious

about it it also means that you know you

can't do normal things like wear makeup

for example to cover it up because

it literally makes a situation ten times

worse so first of all you really need to

look at the triggers

so the classic triggers are

dry weather often this happens

in the winter when you have central

heating on

or it can happen in the summer when you

have

air conditioning on both those

situations

are going to dry the air and can be

triggers

for periodical eczema the next classic

trigger

is stress so stress really affects

the water holding capabilities of the

epidermis the top layer of skin

and so then you get more trans epidermal

water loss so more water evaporation

from the skin

and then guess what happens your

epidermis is now dry

and you are now in that vicious cycle of

getting

eczema so stress is something that also

really does need to be managed

the third is contact dermatitis so this

is really any cosmetics this includes

creams washes makeup moisturizers

that contain things like denatured

alcohol which can dry the skin

fragrance which can irritate the skin as

well

essential oils which is a skin

sensitizer these things

really should not be worn on eczema

prone skin or a damaged skin barrier

so really please have a look at your

makeup

have a look at the ingredients it's it's

very likely

that a lot of these ingredients are

actually in those cosmetics and in those

creams

the next common cause is atopic

dermatitis which tends to take place

under five years old and affects about

20 percent

of children so a lot of people will grow

out of eczema as as

children or it just becomes more mild as

as we get older so that's something else

but also the other triggers are things

like pollution

or smoking other ones would be dust

chlorine so if you swim a lot and also

some sunscreens can irritate the skin

a lot of them will have denatured

alcohol in them so for example i'm

manufacturing sunscreen at the moment

and sunscreen is a very difficult one

to manufacture the reason being that it

can feel very oily

and so the instinct of any cosmetic

formulator is to put it in an alcohol

that is quick drying

that evaporates immediately and gives

you that

non-sticky feeling it was extremely hard

for me to formulate

our spf 50 zinc

oxide spf 50 physical mineral sunscreen

without alcohol and that actually took a

lot longer to achieve

because it's very very difficult to do

and it's not something that

a majority of manufacturers are going to

do so

really have a look at the back of the

packaging and just see which ingredients

are in there

so how do we treat it so first of all we

have to stop the triggers this could be

your makeup it could be

pollution whatever it is you need to

stop the trigger it could be stress

the next thing you need to do often your

gp or your doctor

may give you a steroid cream if it's

quite severe

it's a circuit breaker in this vicious

cycle

because eczema equals

dry skin equals not a healing

environment for the skin

equals more trans epidermal water loss

equals more dry skin and it

literally is this vicious cycle so

really want to stop the inflammation

calm the skin down create that healing

environment for the skin

allow the skin to recover unless you do

that circuit break

it's extremely difficult no matter how

much you're hydrating the skin no matter

how many occlusives you're putting on

the skin if the skin is inflamed

it's just going to carry on drying out

so

it is a necessary step it is something

that a lot of people don't want to do

because of the fear of thinning skin but

that really does happen with

highest steroids over a longer period of

time

not you know one percent hydrocortisone

for a couple of weeks is really

not going to have that thinning skin

effect that can happen

next i want you to wear a thick fatty

delicious moisturizer with no fragrance

no essential oils no denatured alcohol

nothing that's going to irritate your

skin

i've written down a full list for you so

the products that i love and i'd

recommend are bioderma

intensive eye cream i like vani cream

moisturizing ointment

because it's thicker and that really is

going to trap water in the skin

aveeno eczema therapy itch relief balm

again is very occlusive very very thick

qv intensive ointment and that is for

our australian family and new zealand

family who

have access to qv so everybody who's

watching this channel should be able to

get access to one of these products i

really

put a lot of effort to making sure that

the products that i'm recommending

are global products that my whole family

around the world has access to there's

no point me doing

a video where it's only products that

you can find in the uk that really isn't

gonna

help everybody so i do try and make a

conscious effort

to do that so please buy one of those

products as you know none of my videos

have ever been sponsored they'll never

be sponsored this is

purely based on what's in your best

interest

i may even go one step further and cover

the area

on top with vaseline so the

non-fragrance vaseline

just to really occlude the area

especially at night time

at nighttime i'd also use a humidifier

because

water has to come from somewhere and

either the water is evaporating

or the water is being locked into your

skin and it really

is a process of diffusion so really you

want

the air around you a relatively higher

water content

and not a drying environment because

obviously water is just going to

evaporate we do not want that we want to

create

that healing environment so please buy

yourself a humidifier

and put it on at night time and please

don't have any ac

or central heating on at night time if

you can avoid it i know obviously if

you're in a really hot country

and you know you're going to not be able

to survive with that ac i fully

understand

but just know what's going on and just

know how important it is for you to

purchase a humidifier as well

when you wash your face please don't put

it under a hot shower

so when you have your normal shower as

it is i please i don't want any of you

using a hot shower anyway it's so bad

for our skin

but if you you know you can't survive

without your hot shower i do understand

try making lukewarm if you can but don't

put your face under it i want your face

to be washed

with relatively cool water not cold

water but cool water

and use my cellar gel wash if the skin

is actually dirty

it's probably one of the most gentle

things that you can use on your skin

where your skin still feels hydrated

after you've washed it you do not want

your skin feeling squeaky

you know or dry or tight is absolutely

the enemy

for all our skin but especially eczema

prone skin

it's also essential to reduce stress i

know it's really easy to say i mean i'm

literally the most dressed person

i'm like the worst person to give you

advice on stress

but you know when you're in times of

difficulty and you know this covert has

has just been a nightmare for so many

people

so many of us know people who have had

covert who passed away with covid

and we've all gone through a lot of

grief they'd say in the last 12 months

i think this has really impacted you

know everything around us but it has

also impacted our body it's impacted our

skin and

you're probably if you have been eczema

prone you're probably likely to have had

a flare-up to be honest in the last 12

months

just because of the amount of stress for

all under so it's easy for me to say you

know

oh de-stress your life but obviously

life isn't quite like that

and what i would say is try and manage

your stress as best you can

and just know that you know holding

stress in

i used to do this whole stress in and it

would just

affect every part of me and i don't want

that for you

so i would invest in learning how to

manage stress because life is stressful

like just even the thought of what may

or may not happen

is stressful that's something i really

had to learn this year honestly

i've learned a lot this year but one

thing that has really does

stand out in my mind is i need to take

care of my

mental health and stress levels now as i

mentioned

at the beginning that you can get

periorbital pigmentation that happens

with eczema around the eye area and so

what i would say is do not put on any

actives on the skin this

includes my dark circles kit please do

not wear this if your skin barrier is

broken because

it's only going to irritate your skin

further you have to

repair the skin barrier before you can

do anything

about the pigmentation i would say make

sure you're really good with your spf 50

i do prefer physical because of the

anti-inflammatory effects of zinc oxide

make sure there's no alcohol in it or

any fragrance in it that's really

essential

for for compromised skin barrier

don't forget i'm in the comments section

for one out the launch for every single

video

please do download your free guide link

is down below please don't forget to

follow me on instagram at the

hyperpigmentation clinic and at skincare

by dr v and tik tok as dr mita ratan

thank you very much for watching