Medical Review

Written by: Serene Naturopathic Doctors

Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Yasmin Amini, ND

Last Updated: October 2026

Services Related to This Article

• Naturopathic Eczema Care

• Naturopathic Skin Health

• Naturopathic Medicine

• Nutrition & Lifestyle Support

Quick Read Summary

Eczema can be frustrating because symptoms often improve and worsen without an obvious explanation.

When a flare happens after eating, it can be tempting to blame the most recent food. Over time, some patients begin eliminating more and more foods without confirming whether those foods consistently affect their eczema.

But eczema flares can be influenced by multiple factors, including:

• Skin-barrier health

• Environmental exposures

• Allergens and irritants

• Climate and temperature

• Stress

• Skincare products

• Individual triggers

At Serene Naturopathic Doctors & Doulas, our approach to naturopathic skin health focuses on identifying patterns rather than automatically recommending highly restrictive diets.

One patient Dr. Yasmin Amini worked with had recurring eczema and had begun blaming numerous foods for every flare.

Instead of immediately eliminating more foods, they reviewed the timing of her eczema, environmental and skincare exposures, dietary history, stress, and other symptoms.

Her plan focused on supporting the skin barrier, identifying reproducible triggers, optimizing nutrition, and monitoring symptoms.

This gave her a more structured and manageable way to approach her eczema.

What Is Triggering My Eczema?

Eczema can feel unpredictable.

Your skin improves.

Then suddenly:

It becomes itchy again.

Redness returns.

A familiar patch becomes inflamed.

And the first question is often:

“What did I do wrong?”

Maybe you ate something different.

Maybe you changed your moisturizer.

Maybe the weather changed.

Maybe you’ve been stressed.

Or maybe you can’t identify anything different at all.

This uncertainty can make people start searching for a single trigger.

But eczema isn’t always that simple.

Eczema Flares Can Have More Than One Trigger

Eczema—particularly atopic dermatitis—is a chronic inflammatory skin condition involving dysfunction of the skin barrier and immune system.

Symptoms can fluctuate over time.

Potential aggravating factors vary between individuals and may include:

• Dry skin

• Fragrances

• Soaps and detergents

• Certain skincare products

• Heat

• Sweating

• Cold or dry weather

• Environmental allergens

• Irritating fabrics

• Stress

• Individual allergic triggers

The challenge is determining which factors are actually relevant for you.

That’s why our naturopathic doctors focus on the patient’s individual pattern rather than assuming everyone with eczema has the same triggers.

Why Does Eczema Keep Coming Back?

Eczema often follows a pattern of flares and periods of improvement.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that every new flare was caused by something new.

The skin barrier itself plays an important role.

When the skin barrier isn’t functioning optimally, the skin may lose moisture more easily and become more vulnerable to irritation.

This can contribute to:

• Dryness

• Itching

• Irritation

• Inflammation

Scratching can then further damage the skin barrier.

This can create an uncomfortable cycle:

Dry or irritated skin → itching → scratching → more skin damage → more irritation

That’s one reason skin-barrier care is an important part of eczema management.

Start With the Skin Barrier

When people think about eczema triggers, they often immediately think about food.

But the skin itself deserves attention first.

Skin-barrier support may include an appropriate skincare routine using products that minimize irritation and help maintain moisture.

Depending on individual needs and medical recommendations, this may involve:

• Regular moisturizing

• Fragrance-free products

• Gentle cleansing

• Avoiding known irritants

• Appropriate bathing habits

• Protecting skin from excessive dryness

Prescription topical treatments may also be an important part of eczema care.

Naturopathic support should not require patients to abandon treatments recommended by their family physician or dermatologist.

Is Food Causing My Eczema?

Sometimes food can be relevant.

But that does not mean food is responsible for every eczema flare.

This distinction matters.

A patient experiences a flare.

They think:

“Maybe it was dairy.”

So dairy disappears.

Another flare occurs.

“Maybe it’s gluten.”

Gluten disappears.

Another flare.

Eggs disappear.

Then soy.

Then nuts.

Eventually, the patient’s diet may become increasingly restricted even though the eczema continues to fluctuate.

At that point, restriction has increased—but understanding hasn’t.

Why Restrictive Diets Aren’t Automatically the Answer

Removing many foods can make eating more difficult and may affect nutritional adequacy.

This is especially concerning when dietary restrictions are continued without a clear clinical reason or a structured plan.

Instead of immediately asking:

“Which foods should I eliminate?”

it may be more useful to ask:

“Do I have a reproducible reaction to this food?”

A suspected trigger becomes more meaningful when the same exposure is consistently associated with the same response.

Even then, suspected food allergy requires appropriate assessment.

Food Allergy and Eczema Are Not the Same Thing

Eczema and food allergy can coexist, particularly in some children with atopic dermatitis.

But having eczema does not automatically mean someone has a food allergy.

And a flare after eating does not, by itself, establish that a particular food caused the flare.

True food allergy assessment requires appropriate clinical evaluation.

Symptoms suggesting an immediate allergic reaction—such as:

• Hives

• Swelling

• Difficulty breathing

• Throat tightness

• Wheezing

• Vomiting shortly after eating

• Dizziness or fainting

—require appropriate medical attention.

Difficulty breathing, throat swelling, or other signs of a severe allergic reaction require emergency care.

Look for Reproducible Patterns

One of the most useful parts of eczema assessment can be understanding the timing of flares.

Questions may include:

• When did the flare begin?

• Where did it appear?

• What skincare products were being used?

• Did you introduce a new product?

• Did the weather change?

• Were you exposed to heat or excessive sweating?

• Did you change laundry products?

• Was stress unusually high?

• Were there environmental exposures?

• Was there a consistent food-related pattern?

The purpose isn’t to create anxiety around every exposure.

It’s to distinguish repeatable patterns from coincidence.

Skincare Products Can Matter

Sometimes patients focus heavily on diet while overlooking products that repeatedly come into direct contact with their skin.

These may include:

• Cleansers

• Moisturizers

• Fragrances

• Cosmetics

• Sunscreens

• Hair products

• Laundry detergents

• Fabric softeners

Even products marketed as “natural” can contain ingredients that irritate sensitive skin.

Natural does not automatically mean non-irritating.

Reviewing skincare and household products can therefore be an important part of understanding eczema flares.

Climate Can Affect Eczema

Living in Ontario means the skin may experience very different environments throughout the year.

Cold outdoor temperatures combined with dry indoor heating can contribute to skin dryness for some people.

Heat and sweating may aggravate symptoms for others.

Seasonal changes can therefore provide useful information.

If eczema consistently becomes worse during a particular season, that pattern may deserve attention alongside diet, skincare, and other possible triggers.

What About Stress?

Some patients notice that eczema becomes more difficult to manage during stressful periods.

That doesn’t mean eczema is simply “caused by stress.”

Eczema is a real inflammatory skin condition.

But stress may interact with:

• Itching

• Scratching

• Sleep

• Skincare routines

• Daily habits

This makes stress one possible piece of the picture rather than a universal explanation.

Scratching Can Become Part of the Cycle

Itching is one of the most difficult aspects of eczema.

The problem is that scratching irritated skin can further damage the skin barrier.

This can create an itch-scratch cycle:

Inflammation → itching → scratching → skin damage → more irritation

For some patients, nighttime itching can also disrupt sleep.

That can affect energy, mood, and quality of life.

Controlling inflammation and supporting the skin barrier can therefore be important not only for appearance, but also for comfort and daily functioning.

When One Trigger Doesn’t Explain Everything

Imagine someone experiences eczema after eating at a restaurant.

They assume the meal caused it.

But that same day they also:

Used a new body wash.

Spent hours outdoors in cold weather.

Wore an irritating fabric.

Experienced significant stress.

Which factor caused the flare?

It may not be possible to know from one episode.

That’s why repeatedly observing patterns can be more useful than immediately eliminating the last food eaten.

Keeping an Eczema Trigger Record

A short-term record may help identify patterns.

You might track:

Photos taken periodically may also help document how the skin changes over time.

The objective isn’t to track everything forever.

It is to collect enough information to identify meaningful patterns.

Nutrition Still Matters—But It Should Be Individualized

Avoiding unnecessary food restriction doesn’t mean nutrition is irrelevant.

An individualized nutrition assessment may still consider:

• Overall dietary quality

• Protein intake

• Fibre-containing foods

• Dietary variety

• Identified nutritional deficiencies

• Existing allergies

• Other medical conditions

• Individual food patterns

If someone’s diet has become highly restrictive because of eczema, nutritional adequacy itself may need attention.

The goal should be to support health while avoiding unnecessary restriction.

What Does a Naturopathic Eczema Assessment Look At?

At Serene Clinic, an individualized eczema assessment may consider:

Not every patient needs the same investigation or treatment.

The history helps determine what deserves attention.

Naturopathic Care Can Work Alongside Dermatology

Eczema may require conventional medical treatment.

Depending on severity, this can include prescription topical medications and other therapies recommended by a family physician or dermatologist.

Complementary naturopathic skin health care can focus on areas such as:

• Skin-barrier support

• Nutrition

• Lifestyle

• Identifying reproducible triggers

• Reviewing skincare and environmental exposures

• Monitoring symptom patterns

These approaches don’t need to compete.

The objective is coordinated care that supports the patient while ensuring appropriate dermatological treatment remains available when needed.

Experience From Dr. Yasmin Amini, ND: Eczema

Eczema can be frustrating because symptoms often fluctuate and triggers aren’t always obvious. Skin-barrier health, environmental exposures, allergies, stress, climate, skincare products, and other individual factors can influence flares. Our naturopathic doctors work with patients to identify patterns while ensuring that appropriate conventional dermatological care remains part of the treatment plan when needed.

For example, I worked with a patient who had recurring eczema and had begun blaming numerous foods for every flare. We reviewed when the eczema appeared, environmental and skincare exposures, dietary history, stress, and other symptoms rather than immediately recommending a highly restrictive diet. We developed a plan focused on supporting the skin barrier, identifying reproducible triggers, optimizing nutrition, and monitoring symptoms. This helped make her approach to eczema much more structured and manageable.

— Dr. Yasmin Amini, ND

Patient examples have been modified and de-identified to protect privacy and are provided for educational purposes. Individual experiences and treatment plans vary.

Why Patients Choose Serene Clinic for Eczema Support

At Serene Naturopathic Doctors & Doulas, we don’t assume every eczema flare is caused by food.

Instead, we look for patterns.

An individualized assessment may consider:

• Skin-barrier health

• Timing of flares

• Skincare

• Environmental exposures

• Climate

• Allergies

• Nutrition

• Existing dietary restrictions

• Stress

• Sleep

• Medications

• Existing dermatological treatment

From there, the plan can focus on factors that appear relevant to the individual patient.

For Dr. Amini’s patient, this meant moving away from blaming more and more foods and toward a structured approach involving skin-barrier support, reproducible triggers, nutrition, and symptom monitoring.

The goal isn’t to eliminate everything that might possibly trigger eczema. It’s to identify the patterns that actually matter.

When Should Eczema Be Assessed by a Doctor or Dermatologist?

Medical assessment is particularly important when eczema is:

• Severe or rapidly worsening

• Interfering significantly with sleep or daily life

• Not responding to the current treatment plan

• Affecting large areas of the body

• Frequently recurring despite treatment

• Associated with possible infection

Signs that may suggest skin infection include:

• Increasing pain

• Warmth or swelling

• Pus or drainage

• Rapidly worsening redness

• Crusting

• Fever or feeling unwell

Prompt medical assessment may be necessary when infection is suspected.

Eczema Care Is About Managing Patterns, Not Chasing Every Flare

When eczema keeps returning, it is understandable to search for one thing to blame.

But constantly changing diets, skincare products, and supplements can make the pattern even harder to understand.

A structured approach asks:

What consistently happens before a flare?

Which exposures are reproducible?

Is the skin barrier being supported?

Has the diet become unnecessarily restrictive?

Is appropriate medical treatment being used when needed?

Those questions can create a much clearer path forward.

Conclusion

Eczema can be frustrating precisely because triggers aren’t always obvious.

Food may be relevant for some patients.

But so can:

Skin-barrier health.

Skincare products.

Environmental exposures.

Climate.

Allergies.

Stress.

Other individual factors.

For one patient working with Dr. Yasmin Amini, recurring eczema had led her to blame numerous foods for every flare.

Rather than recommending an increasingly restrictive diet, Dr. Amini reviewed when the eczema appeared, environmental and skincare exposures, dietary history, stress, and other symptoms.

The resulting plan focused on supporting the skin barrier, identifying reproducible triggers, optimizing nutrition, and monitoring symptoms.

This made the patient’s approach to eczema more structured and manageable.

The principle is important:

Don’t automatically eliminate more. First, identify the patterns that repeat.

Frequently Asked Questions About Eczema Triggers

1. What commonly triggers eczema?

Potential aggravating factors can include dry skin, soaps, fragrances, skincare products, environmental allergens, heat, sweating, cold or dry weather, irritating fabrics, stress, and individual allergic triggers.

2. Can food cause eczema?

Food allergy and eczema can coexist, particularly in some children, but food is not responsible for every eczema flare. Suspected food allergy should be assessed appropriately rather than assuming a food is responsible based on one flare.

3. Should I eliminate dairy if I have eczema?

Not automatically. Removing dairy or another major food group without evidence that it is contributing to symptoms can create unnecessary dietary restriction. Individual assessment is more appropriate.

4. Should I eliminate gluten for eczema?

There is no universal recommendation for everyone with eczema to eliminate gluten. Dietary restriction should have a clear reason and should consider the individual’s medical history and nutritional needs.

5. Can stress make eczema worse?

Some people report worsening symptoms during stressful periods. Stress may influence itching, scratching, sleep, and daily routines, but it should not be assumed to be the sole cause of eczema.

6. Can cold weather make eczema worse?

Cold temperatures and dry indoor air may increase skin dryness and aggravate eczema for some people. Seasonal patterns can therefore be useful to track.

7. Why is moisturizing important for eczema?

Eczema involves impairment of the skin barrier. Regular use of appropriate moisturizers can help reduce dryness and support the skin barrier as part of eczema management.

8. Can a naturopathic doctor help with eczema?

A naturopathic doctor can provide complementary support by reviewing nutrition, skincare, environmental exposures, lifestyle, stress, existing dietary restrictions, and individual symptom patterns while working alongside appropriate medical or dermatological care.

9. Can I see a naturopathic doctor while using prescription eczema treatment?

Yes. Complementary naturopathic care can occur alongside prescription eczema treatment. Patients should tell their healthcare providers about medications, supplements, and other treatments they use.

10. How can I figure out what triggers my eczema?

Looking for reproducible patterns can be useful. Tracking the timing of flares alongside skincare products, environmental exposures, climate, diet, stress, and treatment may help identify factors that consistently coincide with symptoms.

References

1. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Clinical and patient guidance on atopic dermatitis, skin-barrier care, triggers, moisturizers, and medical treatment.

2. Canadian Dermatology Association. Patient education and clinical information relating to eczema and atopic dermatitis.

3. National Eczema Association. Evidence-informed patient resources on eczema triggers, skin-barrier care, environmental factors, and treatment.

4. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). Clinical information on food allergy and the relationship between allergic disease and atopic dermatitis.

5. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Clinical guidance regarding atopic eczema, treatment, trigger assessment, and recognition of complications.

Looking for Eczema Support in Toronto?

If recurring eczema has left you wondering whether food, skincare, stress, allergies, climate, or environmental exposures are contributing to your flares, a more structured assessment may help clarify the pattern.

At Serene Naturopathic Doctors & Doulas, our naturopathic doctors provide individualized eczema and skin-health support while working alongside appropriate conventional dermatological care.

Book a free consultation to learn more about naturopathic eczema and skin health support in Toronto or virtually across Ontario.

This article is for educational purposes only and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a physician or dermatologist. Eczema can require medical treatment, and suspected food allergies or skin infections require appropriate assessment.