Eczema on Dark Skin: Symptoms and Solutions for Microbiome and Skin Barrier Repair

Did you know that 1 in 10 people in the U.S. has eczema? While eczema (atopic dermatitis) is incredibly common, it can be more prevalent and severe on darker skin. For example, Hispanic and African American children with eczema have double the risk of developing severe eczema than white-skinned children, according to research by Silverberg and Simpson (2014). However, there is hope as new research shows you can relieve eczema and repair your skin barrier no matter your skin type. Restoring your skin’s microbiome and pH are the key, so read on to find out more.

So, what are the symptoms, and how can we effectively treat eczema on black skin? 

What Does Eczema Look Like on People of Colour?

What signs should you be looking out for on darker skin? 

• Discolouration of the skin: Watch for darker patches or lighter, depigmented patches, after flare-ups, which can take months to blend in or fade (Davis, 2023; Alexis, 2022).
• Dry (xerosis), flaky eczema can make the skin look ashy or gray, which is more noticeable on darker tones (Alexis, 2022).
• Instead of red patches, eczema on black skin may appear as small, raised bumps or areas of thickened, rough skin.
• Itchy skin: No matter what skin colour you have, eczema is identifiable by its maddening itch.

Treating Eczema - Common Hurdles

One of the biggest challenges for darker skin tones is finding products that don’t leave a white or purple cast. Many eczema creams, especially zinc ones, can leave an unflattering residue.

Eczema creams also often contain herbs that can make your skin smell unpleasant or they use irritating fragrance (parfum) to mask these scents, which leads to skin irritation. Choose a rash cream that is fragrance free and scent free. 

If you are unsure where to look, here is our top suggestion for eczema on dark skin: 

Eczema Friend, a TGA-registered cream, is specifically designed to relieve symptoms of mild eczema, dermatitis, rashes, and itchy skin without leaving a white or purple cast. It is completely invisible, scent-free and fragrance-free, leaving your skin instantly feeling soft, comfortable and hydrated, without visibility so no one will know you are wearing it. This makes it an excellent choice for darker skin tones. 

Here are some extra steps you can take to help the eczema skin barrier repair process:

1. Hydration Is Key

Dryness can exacerbate eczema symptoms, and keeping your skin well-moisturised is essential for skin barrier repair (Elias, 2023). However, not all skin creams are beneficial as some can damage your skin (Elias, 2023). Look for skin care products that hydrate without damaging your skin’s pH (see more on your skin’s pH in tip 4). 

Nutritionist Karen Fischer says “Rather than buying several products to treat your eczema and combat dry skin, buy an all-in-one treatment moisturiser that is an eczema treatment cream with the correct pH for skin microbiome health, plus super hydrating to prevent dry, flaking skin. This is the cream I developed and I recommend it to my eczema patients.”

2. Address Hyperpigmentation Gently

For post-flare-up dark spots, focus on gentle treatments that support skin renewal. Avoid harsh exfoliants or skin-lightening creams, because these are not eczema-friendly and can worsen irritation, making your skin rash more visible. Nutritionist Karen Fischer says, “My patients with dark skin find their skin pigmentation evens out after treating their eczema, so don’t worry, your skin colour will go back to normal without the use of harsh chemicals.”

3. Avoid Common Triggers

Eczema flare-ups can also be triggered by:

• Fragrances and harsh chemicals in skincare products.
• Soaps.
• Extreme weather, whether it’s too hot or too cold.
• Stress, which can aggravate inflammation.

Using gentle, fragrance-free products and maintaining a consistent skincare routine can help manage these triggers.

4. Restore Your Skin’s Microbiome

Over-scrubbing or using harsh products such as soaps and cleaners can damage your skin barrier, destroy your skin’s microbiome and worsen eczema symptoms. Stick to gentle, pH adjusted cleansers and soft cloths for washing. 

Nutritionist Karen Fischer says “Eczema skin often has the wrong pH, around 6.0 to 7.0, which causes your skin’s protective microbiome to dislodge, making your eczema impossible to treat because it is more prone to bacterial infections like staph. Healthy skin has a low pH, around 4.5 to 4.9, so ensure you use an eczema cream that has a low pH within this range. Restoring the acid layer of your skin, helps to protect your eczema from staph and candida infections. Rash creams with a low pH around 4.6, help to restore your skin’s acid mantle, which is the key to skin microbiome health and eczema relief.” 

• Staphylococcus and other pathogenic bacteria commonly seen in eczema skin, favour a neutral pH around 6.0 to 7.0 (Panther, 2015). 
• Healthy skin needs an acidic pH of around 4.5 to 4.9 (Lambers, 2006), so choosing the right skin care, like Eczema Friend, can help to restore your skin’s microbiome through acidification.

5. Use Sunscreen Daily

Eczema-prone black skin is still at risk for sun damage, which can darken post-eczema marks. Choose a sunscreen designed for sensitive skin to protect your skin without irritating it.

6. Repair Your Gut Microbiome (Leaky Gut)

Promote skin health from within and assist the repair of your gut wall lining, with pure powder products such as AM Activated Multi, which contains glycine and zinc to support gut lining repair. 

Your skin is made from the nutrients you consume in your diet so taking a skin supplement, like AM Activated Multi which contains molybdenum, magnesium, vitamin C and methylated (activated) B vitamins, can also support skin repair when your diet is inadequate.

7. Stay Consistent with Treatments

Consistency is key when managing and preventing eczema. Use pH treatment creams like Eczema Friend daily, even during non-flare-up periods, because it can protect your skin against future flare ups, and keep your skin hydrated and pH healthy.

Your Skin, Your Care

Managing eczema on darker skin doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By understanding how eczema affects your skin and choosing products designed with your needs in mind, like Eczema Friend, you can reduce flare-ups and feel confident in your skin. Click here to buy Eczema Friend. 

Take the first step today and explore truly effective eczema solutions. Your skin deserves care that’s as unique as you are.

References

Silverberg JI, Simpson EL. Associations of childhood eczema severity: a US population-based study. Dermatitis. 2014 May-Jun;25(3):107-14. doi: 10.1097/DER.0000000000000034. PMID: 24819283; PMCID: PMC4118692.

Croce EA, Levy ML, Adamson AS, Matsui EC. Reframing racial and ethnic disparities in atopic dermatitis in Black and Latinx populations. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2021 Nov;148(5):1104-1111. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.09.015. Epub 2021 Sep 30. PMID: 34600773; PMCID: PMC8578465.

Adawi W, Cornman H, Kambala A, Henry S, Kwatra SG. Diagnosing Atopic Dermatitis in Skin of Color. Dermatol Clin. 2023 Jul;41(3):417-429. doi: 10.1016/j.det.2023.02.003. Epub 2023 Apr 12. PMID: 37236711.

Davis CM, Flohr C, Gupta MR, Koplin JJ. Managing Atopic Dermatitis in Patients With Skin of Color. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2023 May;11(5):1376-1383. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2023.03.041. Epub 2023 Mar 29. PMID: 37001639.

Alexis A, Woolery-Lloyd H, Andriessen A, Callender V, Gonzalez M, Heath C, Han G. Insights in Skin of Color Patients With Atopic Dermatitis and the Role of Skincare in Improving Outcomes. J Drugs Dermatol. 2022 May 1;21(5):462-470. doi: 10.36849/JDD.6609. PMID: 35533036.

Christian Gan, Satveer Mahil, Andrew Pink, Michelle Rodrigues, Atopic dermatitis in skin of colour. Part 2: considerations in clinical presentation and treatment options, Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, Volume 48, Issue 10, October 2023, Pages 1091–1101, https://doi.org/10.1093/ced/llad162

Lambers H, Piessens S, Bloem A, Pronk H, Finkel P. Natural skin surface pH is on average below 5, which is beneficial for its resident flora. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2006 Oct;28(5):359-70. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-2494.2006.00344.x. PMID: 18489300.

Panther DJ, Jacob SE. The Importance of Acidification in Atopic Eczema: An Underexplored Avenue for Treatment. J Clin Med. 2015 May 18;4(5):970-8. doi: 10.3390/jcm4050970. PMID: 26239459; PMCID: PMC4470210.

Elias PM. Optimizing emollient therapy for skin barrier repair in atopic dermatitis. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2022 May;128(5):505-511. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2022.01.012. Epub 2022 Jan 20. PMID: 35065300; PMCID: PMC9979622.