Oil on troubled waters: emollients and eczema

While most of us will have suffered from episodes of dry skin (xerosis) at some stage in our lives, this is usually confined to the occasional mildly annoying episode. However, for others, particularly those with eczema, this forms part of a chronic, very distressing situation that often has a significant impact on their quality of life. Despite the fact that many children and adults have eczema, it is still often considered to be a minor skin condition that children will 'grow out of'. However, an increased research focus towards examining the impact of eczema on the individual has shown that eczema is anything but a minor problem.