Sweaty Lifestyle & Dealing with Eczema

Said I never because I have eczema and I call it delicate princess skin.

When it's summer my fitness lifestyle with tight fitting leggings and sport bras as my daily outfit becomes stressful.

Many years ago I broke out in rashes all over my body as soon as my body started to perspire to release heat and stay cool.

It felt so unfair that everyone else in the gym worked out dripping in sweat with no sign of discomfort.

I too wanted to be able to stay in sweaty clothes to keep training without having to change clothes in the middle of my workout.

I had access to the best dermatologists in Los Angeles, I completed all health evaluations with thorough blood work and clinical examination. I was in excellent health, my skin was just sensitive, my doctors said.

I searched for years to figure out my triggers, covering food allergies, food sensitivites, yes I know you want to ask if I tried eliminating dairy, gluten, soy, meat, eggs, wheat, fruit, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds etc.

You bet I was thorough!

I kept looking for the culprits, I even thought it was from termites in a table I had bought, I was so desperate I returned the big wooden table just to beg to have them return it.

I stopped using detergents with fragrance, eliminated all my diet junk filled with artificial sweeteners and colors.

I tried to lay in the sun, I hated that, and I tried phototherapy where you go to a light therapy that many who have skin conditions like eczema seem to get great results from.

I could keep writing all the things I did to check, check and double check, but why waste time on that... Because I came to realize that my skin, the biggest organ of the body is utmost happy as long as it doesn't have to wear tight clothes and sweat in it!

When it was the worst time I stayed home and challenged my theory that it's the friction between clothes and my skin that sends my immune system into alarm mode.

Skin barrier creams and anti-chafing sticks did not work, just in case you were going to ask about that.

The salt in my sweat triggered eczema, it was abrasive to my princess skin

And then I realized I was underconsuming omega 6, the pro-inflammatory essential fatty acid.

I started using toasted sesame oil every day to meet my RDI for omega 6, I never quit that. I love toasted sesame oil!

Sweaty lifestyle and eczema challenge me to find my way

I stayed at home so I could train in the nude

I went all out training hard to break a sweat to see what happened when my skin didn't have to touch any clothes. I did not break out in rashes anymore. In all the typical areas where my skin got red, then itching and burning, then blistering if I kept going, no more breakouts appeared!

Looking back my stress response wasn't helping

When I felt the burning sensation coming on, I became overwhelmed with anxiety about having another episode of dermatitis which simply means inflammation of the skin, or eczema. That anticipation of what to come and how that impacted my active lifestyle affected me hard.

Summer in Sweden is arriving here is my plan

Knowing that I have delicate and sensitive skin, instead of being mad at my body and complain about it I dress better. I'm going to wear those loose dresses, Harem pants, skip thongs and underwears and go braless as much as I can.

Since my body never seemed to care about what kind of fabrics I was wearing, natural or not, sweat-absorbing or not, I can relax about that. I do love linen, hemp and cotton, but they're not great for gym life or lifting.

Eczema prevention includes managing stress and anxiety from having a flareup

The kind of Fitness Wear I'm looking for now

With my meditation life and mastery of my mind of today I am definitely hopefull and optimistic about my skin adventure's next chapter, the one of today.

I know how to prevent my skin from getting mad:

1. Put paper or cloth in the sport bra cleavage and a bit under the bra line.

2. Keep my intense cardio sessions short, cool down with longer recovery intervals to reduce excess sweating.

3. Get out of the sweaty clothes as soon as I can so there is no wet fabric that irritates my skin.

4. After showering wait to dress until my body lotion is absorbed completely. Oh, you wonder if I tried coconut oil or jojoba oil instead? Yes, my skin hates it, it needs that petroleum based bad for you creams like Cetaphil.

5. Be consistent in moisturizing my trouble spots with thick cream, I like to use foot cream without any peppermint or other strong ingredients.

6. Wear loose sweatpants when I'm out walking or when training if my training allows.

7. Avoid worrying about what I'll do if I break out again. If I do, it'll just be another opportunity to learn more, discover more and find new ways!

I am looking for fitness apparel that are focused on promoting skin health.

Where are those brands with a special interest in supporting athletes and active individuals who need innovation in design and function.... Because I love wearing supportive, skin wrapping tights, shorts and sport bras, I love shapewear too, and compression wear for strength training, I feel it supports my body and protects my muscles and joints.

I just can't always wear what I want so that is why I'm searching for clothing that I can build trust in from the perspective of my delicate skin!

Instead of being angry at my body, I embrace my weakness!

I choose to see it as the balance lesson life gives me: I've built my muscles strong and tough, now let the wrapping of the whole body be fragile!

Seize the Training Day with Me!