Your Eczema Could Be Linked to Airborne Allergens

July 29, 2025

Knowledge Base

Your Eczema Could Be Linked to Airborne Allergens

For anyone living with eczema, the search for triggers can be a frustrating journey. What many people don’t realise is the profound and often overlooked role that airborne allergens play in both triggering and worsening eczema.

It’s time to consider a new perspective: your eczema might be caused by microscopic particles floating around you and settling on surfaces you touch every day.

Airborne Allergens as a Trigger of Eczema

Common airborne allergens such as dust mites, pet dander, mould, and pollen aren’t just minor irritants for sensitive skin, they can actually trigger atopic eczema.

Here’s what happens:

Direct Skin Contact – These tiny particles don’t just stay in the air; they settle on surfaces throughout your home – your bedding, clothing, carpets, and upholstered furniture. This means your skin is in constant, direct contact with them, creating a continuous exposure pathway.
Compromised Skin Barrier – Atopic Eczema is characterised by a weakened skin barrier, which acts like a faulty shield. This compromised barrier allows allergens to easily penetrate the skin’s protective layers.
Immune System Response – Once allergens breach the barrier, your immune system, sensing an invasion, mounts an inflammatory response. This is the underlying mechanism of atopic eczema: it’s an immunological reaction to allergens that have entered the body through the skin. Therefore, allergens aren’t just worsening existing symptoms; they can be a fundamental driver of the condition itself.

Reducing your exposure to environmental allergens is a crucial, often underestimated, strategy for managing eczema and allowing your skin the vital opportunity to heal.

By proactively addressing the presence of airborne allergens in your environment; you’re not just managing symptoms, you’re tackling the root cause of your eczema.