While the weather this week is decidedly cooler than the last few weeks, the Met Office is promising more prolonged sunshine is on the way.

The sunny weather makes lock down life more bearable for most of us, but for those with eczema prone skin, the heat and sunshine can aggravate the condition.

Overheating, sun cream and sweat can cause eczema to flare and a small percentage of those with eczema also react to sunlight making summer very difficult.

But there are steps you can take to help.

With suncream, apply this at least half an hour after any emollients have been applied to the skin and use a brand especially for sensitive skin. Eczema Outreach Support asked parents on the Facebook page what brands agreed with their little one’s skin and Aldi’s and Boots sensitive ranges were mentioned frequently as well as Sunsense for not causing flares.

Avoid putting suncream on broken skin and apply at least 15 minutes before sun exposure and then reapply every two hours or after being in water.

Wearing cotton clothing and avoiding the hottest times of the day, between 12-3pm, can help skin overheating and reacting while for some eczema sufferers going for a swim in the sea can soothe their skin with the salt water helping to heal.

Make sure any beach towels or swimsuits are washed in a gentle non-bio washing powder and be careful of sand contacting the skin as this can also be a flare for some suffers.

If your child has hayfever, this can be aggravated in the better weather so make sure to be stocked up on antihistamines and plan for a day in the house if the pollen count is particularly high.

If your child has photosensitive eczema, you can get UV blocking full body suits and hats which may be suitable for your child and allow them some outdoor time in the good weather.

By taking some steps, we hope that you and your little ones can enjoy summer and make the most of the good weather.