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Eczema and Bath Gels

Eczema rise is blamed on bath gels
Scientists trace surge in child skin disease cases to chemicals in the creature comforts of modern life

Robin McKie, science editor
Sunday May 12, 2002
The Observer

Jamie Brown was a few months old when his parents noticed a red patch on his arm. Despite careful wiping and cleaning, the rash spread until it covered a large area of skin with blisters and 'weeping' tissue. A health visitor diagnosed eczema. Jamie joined several hundred thousand UK children who have been diagnosed with this painful condition. From a level of only 3 per cent in the 1950s, the disease affects more than one in five children today, and numbers continue to rise.

Now a leading group of UK dermatologists has traced the origins of eczema to many of the 'wonders' of modern life. These include bubble baths, baby wipes, deep carpets and central heating. And unless parents like John and Tracey Brown learn to moderate the use of such commodities before their children are born, eczema is destined to continue to spread and cause misery, the scientists say in a paper to be published in Dermatology in Practice this month.

'Our research makes it clear that we need to treat eczema in the same way as we treat tooth decay,' said the team's leader, Dr Michael Cork, consultant dermatologist at Sheffield University. 'We should take action before it sets in, in other words, and not wait - as we do now - until symptoms first appear.'

Scientists have always been puzzled by the startling rise in eczema rates since the war. Why did it suddenly erupt from relatively rarity to become one of the most widespread ills of modern life, they wondered? Cork and his colleagues decided to use government statistics to try to tease out common factors. 'We looked at the way personal hygiene has changed and found some startling figures,' he said. 'In 1961, the average person used about three gallons of water a day to clean him or herself. By 1997, we were using more than 15 gallons.'

In other words, whereas we used to bathe only once or twice a week, we are now showering or bathing at least once a day. That in itself is not a problem. However, the nation's increased desire for cleanliness has been mirrored by an equal rise in the use of bubble baths and shower gels. Over the past 20 years, spending on such products has almost doubled in high street stores.

Crucially, both gels and bubble baths often contain chemicals that are now known to trigger eczema. 'Skin cells have various fats on their surface that help them retain water,' said Cork. 'Surfactants in gels and bubble baths can break these fats down and disrupt the cells' water content. They shrivel up - producing eczema's symptoms.' Similarly, baby wipes have largely replaced the use of cotton wool and water. These too can 'contain crude surfactants and perfumes' which can 'decrease the integrity' of the skin, state the researchers. Again, the end result is eczema.

In addition, the increase in central heating, double glazing and carpeting has produced warmer, more comfortable homes - both for humans and for dust mites. 'Dust mites thrive in carpets in warm houses,' said Cork. 'That can cause problems for asthma sufferers, of course but it also poses problems for those prone to eczema. Dust mites secrete toxins that have much the same effect that surfactants in bubble baths can have. They disrupt skin cells' water content.'

Even cats - whose ownership has doubled in Brtain over the past three decades - are involved, say the group. Their fur provides homes for mites, while they also produce chemicals that can trigger eczema. In short, modern life has exposed children to a set of environmental agents that can have a devastating effect on their skin.

The answer, for families like the Browns, is to act before a baby is born and to ensure they have their household stripped of all chemicals which are associated with the dermatological chain reaction that ends in eczema.

'We have to be much more proactive in dealing with this problem,' added Cork. 'There is no point in waiting until eczema has struck. Once it has set in, it can be persistent and very awkward to deal with. It should never be allowed to develop in the first place.'

How to keep the causes at bay
Scientists have pinpointed a package of everyday measures which they say should be implemented in all households - even those where there is no history of eczema in the family. They should include:

Ban bubble baths. Children should be bathed in emollient oils instead.

Avoid fitted carpets. Wooden floors and tiles will help to reduce dust mites.

Bedding should be washed at 60C to kill off dust mites and break down their droppings.

Fit washable roller blinds or curtains.

Keep pets out of bedrooms.

Put soft toys in the freezer overnight. This will kill off all dust mites.

Keep the humidity of the house to a minimum.

Vacuum all rooms (and mattresses) regularly.

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