The skin is the largest organ of the body and, due to its excessive exposure, is the most likely organ to be easily damaged. Moreover, a lot of doctors and general practitioners believe that the skin acts as a well tuned barometer to identify a person's overall health.
An irritation of the skin can be quite a common occurrence. Skin irritation is often caused by an allergic reaction of some sort; however, there is also a very real likelihood that the condition is a prominent symptom of an underlying and probably more serious condition. Irritated skin can cause a noticeable inflation as well as severe itching and scratching. While the most natural reaction would be to scratch the affected area, precautions must be taken to avoid this as it could cause irreparable damage to the upper layers of the skin and, very often, results in the permanent scarring of the skin tissue. The condition can be caused by a number of various factors. It is important to identify the root cause of the condition before identifying the best way to treat it as some treatment methods will work on a skin irritation caused by one factor but may be rendered completely useless when used on irritated skin caused by something else. Some of the aggravating factors of the condition include allergies - where the skin comes in close contact with a substance that it reacts negatively to. The best example for this occurrence is the fact that a number of people suffer from skin irritation when their hands come in contact with washing soap or detergent. In these instances, the most important thing is to avoid direct contact of your skin with the substance - in this instance, by using gloves.
Some rather effective home remedies that will help almost any type of skin irritation include making a hot compress with a drop of lavender essential oil and applying it over the skin. Apple cider vinegar holds a number of skin healing properties that have made it one of the foremost substances in the treatment of a variety of skin ailments. Applying it over the affected areas on a regular basis should show significant improvement. Another option is to fill a bathtub with some lukewarm water and add a tablespoon of baking soda to it. Get into the bathtub and let your body soak in the solution for a while and then dry yourself properly.
answered by M W