Could a water softener help with eczema?

Eczema is a painful and distressing skin condition. It affects around one in five children in the UK ¹, and often it can continue to be a problem long into adulthood. Most current treatments for eczema only suppress the condition, and can often have unwanted side effects.

There is a good deal of anecdotal evidence to that suggests that softening water can greatly improve skin complaints such as eczema and psoriasis.

The causes of eczema are not yet fully understood. Hereditary and environmental factors are both thought to have a part to play. Hard water is known to be associated with eczema - a study of primary schoolchildren has found that those who live in hard water areas are around 50% more likely to suffer from eczema ².