Eczema vs Psoriasis: What You Need to Know

Is your child troubled by itchy or irritated skin that flares up with little warning? A weakened skin barrier may be to blame.

Skin health is something many people take for granted but if your child is troubled by skin that’s easily irritated, these scenarios might seem disturbingly familiar:

Your young daughter is happily playing with her toys when suddenly you notice her scratching furiously. Before you know it, her skin is red, weepy and inflamed.
Your son, who’s just about to sit for his exams, has lots to do, but the persistent distraction of his irritated, itching skin makes it impossible to concentrate. To make matters worse, he’s worried it will show on his graduation pictures.
The whole family is looking forward to the long-awaited beach holiday right around the corner, and you are fervently hoping that your kid’s skin won’t flare up and ruin the whole weekend.

While occasional redness or itching is nothing to worry about, frequent episodes might be a sign that your child has a weakened skin barrier. In healthy skin, the skin barrier helps to retain moisture and prevent bacteria, irritants or allergens from penetrating; when the skin barrier is weakened, this function is impaired, making skin more reactive to these substances.^R1

Many people mistake eczema for psoriasis; at a glance, especially to the untrained eye, the symptoms may appear to be similar but they are in fact two different skin conditions, hence they need to be managed differently.

	Eczema^R2	Psoriasis^R3

What is it?	Allergic condition, common in infants and children especially those with family history of asthma and allergies.	Autoimmune disease which causes skin cells to grow rapidly.
What triggers it?	Overactive response of the immune system to external factors irritants; causes intense itching.	Build up of dead skin cells causes redness, inflammation and itching
What does it look like?	Red or brown patches or small, raised bumps that leak fluid when scratched, leaving a crust	A thick patch of silvery-white scales, which are made up of dead skin cells
Where does it usually appear?	Mainly affects face, back of knees and wrists, hands and feet.	Most commonly found on knees and elbows.
What can you do about it?	Avoid triggers and replenish moisture to relieve dryness and itching. Topical treatment with corticosteroids and/or antihistamines may be prescribed.	Topical treatment with corticosteroids and/or light therapy treatment. For more severe cases, oral, injectable or intravenous medication may be recommended.

	Eczema^R2	Psoriasis^R3

What is it?	Allergic condition, common in infants and children especially those with family history of asthma and allergies.	Autoimmune disease which causes skin cells to grow rapidly.
What triggers it?	Overactive response of the immune system to external factors irritants; causes intense itching.	Build up of dead skin cells causes redness, inflammation and itching
What does it look like?	Red or brown patches or small, raised bumps that leak fluid when scratched, leaving a crust	A thick patch of silvery-white scales, which are made up of dead skin cells
Where does it usually appear?	Mainly affects face, back of knees and wrists, hands and feet.	Most commonly found on knees and elbows.
What can you do about it?	Avoid triggers and replenish moisture to relieve dryness and itching. Topical treatment with corticosteroids and/or antihistamines may be prescribed.	Topical treatment with corticosteroids and/or light therapy treatment. For more severe cases, oral, injectable or intravenous medication may be recommended.

The intense itching that accompanies a flare-up of eczema can take a toll. Regardless of age, people suffering from eczema may feel frustrated and helpless, while the itchiness has a negative effect on concentration and quality of sleep. In addition, scratching can lead to inflammation and scarring, which can cause feelings of embarrassment.^R4

As eczema is a chronic condition, it’s important to manage the condition well, avoiding triggers and flare-ups while strengthening the skin’s protective barrier. This will help to prevent the dryness and itching that is caused by moisture loss through the skin; in medical terms this is known as trans-epidermal water loss or TEWL.

Experts recommend the use of moisturisers and emollients as the first line of treatment.^R5 This supports the skin barrier which contains ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol, making ceramide-dominant skincare an important tool in helping to repair the skin barrier function.^R6

Designed specifically for this purpose, the Ceradan^® range, which includes Ceradan^® Cream, Ceradan^® Wash, and Ceradan^® Skin Barrier Repair Cream, contains the correct ratio of lipids to replenish the skin. Its steroid-free, ceramide-dominant and lipid-based formulation is proven and clinically tested to relieve the symptoms of eczema.

Speak to your doctor for a proper diagnosis and discuss a skincare regimen to manage your child’s skin health needs.

References:

Kim BE, Leung DYM. Significance of Skin Barrier Dysfunction in Atopic Dermatitis. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2018;10(3):207–215. doi:10.4168/aair.2018.10.3.207, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5911439/
Skin Conditions and Eczema, WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/atopic-dermatitis-eczema#1
Understanding psoriasis and eczema, https://www.healthline.com/health/psoriasis-vs-eczema-pictures#psoriasis-vs-eczema
Jonathan I. Silverberg, Diane B. Nelson & Gil Yosipovitch (2016) Addressing treatment challenges in atopic dermatitis with novel topical therapies, Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 27:6, 568-576, DOI: 10.1080/09546634.2016.1174765
Vávrová K., Kováčik A., Opálka L., “Ceramides in the skin barrier”, Eur. Pharm. J. 2017, 64 (2): 28-35.
ISSN 1338-6786 (online) and ISSN 2453-6725 (print version), DOI: 10.1515/afpuc-2017-0004

Lennix is super sensitive to mosquito bites not only does it swells up to the size of golf balls but when he scratches it he gets a bacterial skin infection which either lands him in hospital for IV antibiotics or heavy doses of oral antibiotics.

So now whenever he gets bitten we immediately apply antiseptic solution and then put a bandaid on it so he wouldn’t be able to scratch.

However the area around the bite becomes very dry and scabby possibly due to lack of air because we leave the bandaid on until the bite heals? We have been using @ceradan311sg soothing gel to help calm the skin so scratching is minimised to prevent further damage and it’s been working great! We ❤️ it!

Having eczema since I was 2 weeks old at birth, I’ve been on the search for products to keep the eczema under control. One thing I found useful before attending this session is that I “drink” moisturisers by the bottle and only came to know Ceradan since Marc was born. What I didn’t know was Ceradan is great for all ages, all skin types, especially dry, sensitive and eczema ones.

The texture of the Ceradan Hydra moisturiser is very light yet is able to maintain the hydrated feeling for quite a while. And understanding from Dr Lynn that the key issue with eczema skin is to build up the skin’s barrier to minimise inflammation and infection, using a moisturiser with 3:1:1 ceramide dominant ratio is essential.

Honestly though, this 3 are my most used products from @ceradan311sg ? I love using the wash on Shayera & Zayne as it puts my mind at ease knowing that it’s soap free and safe for all skin types. As for the diaper cream, I use it on the kids even when there’s no rash to ensure that they’re protected. I used it on myself the other day when I had a minor rash on my hand and it helped! As for Ceramoz, it’s part mosquito repellent and part moisturiser! It’s the kiddos must have when they go over to my in-laws place which is a landed space, so you know how mosquitos love to party inside.?

We were introduced to Ceradan Skin Barrier Repair Cream by Marc’s paediatric when he started to develop a neck rash from all the sweating, milk and drool in between his neck folds. And later, when Marc started on his helmet therapy, the orthopaedic suggested using Ceradan Body Wash to help minimise any possibility of heat rashes and keep his skin moisturised.

Having used Ceradan products on Marc for quite a while now, we do find that it’s a very gentle and baby-safe product. Upon using the Ceradan Skin Barrier Repair Cream, his neck rash was under control very quickly and it’s been very effective even for myself when I have eczema flare ups. Ceradan Regimen, which consists of Ceradan Skin Barrier Repair Cream and Ceradan Body Wash, is suitable for children as young as newborns and it has demonstrated clinically-proven efficacy in a study conducted by KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and National Skin Centre in Singapore to prevent 1 in 2 eczema flares in Singapore children.

Since Marc loves swimming, and the chlorine in the water is very drying for the skin, I highly recommend Ceradan Body Wash to cleanse and maintain his gentle baby skin as hydrated as possible.

My baby is almost 2 months old, for the past weeks, I’ve been overwhelmed by frequent diaper changing and feeding my baby day and night. ?‍♀️?? Diaper rash is also every mum’s nightmare so choosing the right diaper cream is so important. Ceradan’s diaper cream is clinically proven and also recommended by KK Children & Women’s Hospital.

It is hypoallergenic and 100% safe for newborn.

I’m thankful to be able to try out this diaper cream for my baby with its unique triple protective actions◾Zinc oxide to seal out wetness ◾Octenidine to control yeast overgrowth ◾Contains 3:1:1 ratio of ceramic, cholesterol and free fatty acids to repair skin barrier.

Thanks for keeping my baby’s skin rash-free!

Ceradan is available at Watsons, Guardian and Unity stores.

Recommended by a pediatric dermatologist, my 4 YO girl has been using the Ceramoz for more than 2 years now. It is truly the best of both worlds, being able to moisturise and protect against mosquito bites at the same time!

One big problem we had to deal with when my girl started childcare was mosquitoes ?. Doesn’t help when she had eczema and very sensitive skin. One bite on her and the bitten site would swell and become inflamed. Mosquito patches don’t work at all, and kid-friendly insect repellents either don’t work so well, or are too “spicy” – imagine the whines when she accidentally rubs her eyes after applying the repellent. When we were initially introduced to Ceramoz, we were a bit doubtful but later glad to learn that my girl don’t get bitten by mosquitoes that often anymore! (Truth he told, she only gets bitten when she forgets to apply it after her shower in childcare). It has proved its use so much that I use it now even during her non school days, 2+ years and counting!

If you have a school-going child with eczema conditions, delicate skin, or is simply a mosquito magnet, Ceramoz will make your life better!

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