9 Best Dandruff Brushes To Keep You Flake-Free

If you suffer from a flakey scalp, you are not alone. Dandruff is super common among women and men, and annoyingly enough, can be difficult to treat. But if you're armed with the right tools, you can get rid of your shedding scalp. These 9 dandruff brushes are here to help you combat those pesky flakes while in the shower. In fact, you may have already seen these brushes in store and not realized it yet. These little contraptions seem to be all the rage when it comes to helping combat dry, flaky skin and dandruff, and as an added bonus, they're also affordable.

While dandruff shampoo is typically the first route people take to get rid of the dryness on their scalp, it's definitely not the only option. In fact, there are even home remedies for dandruff that contain all-natural, mostly household ingredients. If you're not interested in going the DIY route though, there's also tons of other, simple ways to help your scalp recover from a bout with dandruff. Whether it's doing a hot oil treatment or reevaluating your diet, there's a way to stop dandruff that's right for everyone.

One effective way, though, seems to be using dandruff brushes or shampoo brushes. These in-shower tools help break up flakes and wash them right out of your hair.

1. Traditional Brush
Dandruff brushes are typically silicon, and this is the perfect example of a classic brush.
2. Vinyl Brush
This vinyl brush seems like it's plenty sturdy for a scalp massage.
3. Exfoliating Brush
Exfoliate your scalp with this brush.
4. Electric Dandruff Brush
This electric powered brush will definitely be able to massage the dryness away.
5. Anti-Static Brush
Not only is this a great dandruff brush, but it also helps prevent static.
6. Handled Brush
If you want something with a better grip, this dandruff brush with a handle may be for you.
7. Dry Brush
If you're seeking a dry option, this will be a good bet.
8. Soft Bristle
With softer bristles, this brush will get the job done but be a bit more gentle.
9. Colorful Options
While these brushes are similar to others, their colorful hues are too good to pass up.

If you're looking for an affordable, easy way to combat those pesky flakes, definitely try one of these dandruff brushes. At the very least they'll help treat your scalp to a relaxing massage.

Try these skincare tips if you use makeup daily

There are some girls who like to do the makeup very much or their jobs are such, where they have to make almost daily makeup. Every day, due to applying chemical makeup products on the skin, the risk of skin damage is greatly increased.

Think about food: You may find it strange to hear, but your diet also affects your skin. If you always eat oily and heavy food, then your skin starts looking dull. So always include seasonal fruits, vegetables, etc. in your diet. Also, drink plenty of water. This causes the toxins of the body to come out and your skin starts glowing naturally.

Choosing the right product: If you want makeup to not have much adverse effect on your skin, then it is very important that you choose the product according to your skin. Always carry branded goods only. Never compromise with your skin by getting into a cheap affair. Also, before buying any product, focus on its ingredient.

Remove makeup: If you want makeup to not cause any damage to the skin, then it is very important that you must remove makeup before going to bed every night. Actually, the skin is naturally repaired at night and if the makeup is not removed, it will soon lead to aging of your skin. By the way, while removing makeup, you also have to keep in mind that you do it very comfortably. In particular, the area around the eyes is quite thin and sensitive and if you remove the makeup by pulling the skin, it increases the chances of getting fine lines.

Keep extra attention: To keep the skin always youthful, it is important to take extra care of it. Like, you must apply some homemade packs or hydrating sheets on your skin. This helps to keep the skin always youthful.

Anti-oxidant serum: Hydration is essential for skin rejuvenation. To give extra care to your skin, add an anti-oxidant serum to your beauty routine. In addition to hydrating the skin, the serum also protects against pollution, dirt and sun damage. It also prevents the onset of wrinkles, black spots and pigmentation apart from other signs of aging and makes the skin youthful and glowing.

Meet the no-plane pioneers

It has taken Roger Tyers four days to reach Moscow by train from Kiev. His destination is Beijing: a trip that will take 14 days, with a couple of overnight stops along the way. Tyers, an environmental sociologist at the University of Southampton, is on his way to China to research attitudes to the environment, the climate emergency and personal responsibility. “Given that, I thought it would be somewhat hypocritical of me to fly,” he says over Skype from his hostel room.

It has been months in the planning – he had to convince his bosses to give him a month off to travel to and from China. Has it been a pain? “It definitely has. It’s a matter of getting your train schedule in line with your visa requirements. I didn’t realise I needed a visa to travel through Mongolia, even though I’m not stopping there. There have been moments when I’ve been close to giving up and either cancelling the whole trip or just booking a flight.” But he is glad he has stuck with it, he says. “I have to prove it is possible.”

The no-fly movement is a small but growing community of people who are drastically reducing the number of flights they take, or giving up air travel altogether. Many campaigners say they feel flying is about to receive the same attention as shunning plastic or eating less meat because of its 2% contribution to global carbon emissions, predicted to grow to as much as 16% by 2050. In Sweden, where the movement has taken off, a new term has emerged: flygskam, meaning “flight shame”. Siân Berry, the co-leader of the Green party, has called on people to take no more than one flight a year and suggested a tax should be imposed on further journeys. Berry hasn’t flown since 2005.

The climate activist Greta Thunberg hasn’t flown since 2015; she did her European tour last month by train. In January, she attended the World Economic Forum at Davos in Switzerland, travelling 32 hours each way by rail, while a record number of private jets – about 1,500 – brought the rich and powerful attendees.

It is becoming harder to defend alleged hypocrisy, however well-meaning. The actor Emma Thompson was criticised for flying from Los Angeles to support the Extinction Rebellion protest in London, not only by the usual naysayers eager to point out double standards, but also by environmental campaigners. “She could just as easily have paid for a billboard poster in Piccadilly and got her message across there,” said Kevin Anderson, a climate scientist who hasn’t flown since 2004, on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. The issue has been significant among environmental scientists for years; the Flying Less campaign, aimed at academia, has been running since 2015.

Paul Chatterton, a professor of urban futures at the University of Leeds, also hasn’t flown since 2004. “I think every academic has to justify why they are flying to that particular ‘must-go’ conference. If we have something really important to say, say it in a different way.” He travels to European conferences by train. “One of the privileges of being a middle-income professional – and this is a direct plea to other middle-income professionals – is that you can negotiate with your boss and you have a bit more money to get the train. I’m not talking about people who can’t afford to do that, because I know trains are more expensive.”

As for Chatterton’s no-fly family holidays, the best ones have been taking the ferry from Hull to Rotterdam and cycling around the Netherlands. “You travel light, you make it an adventure with your kids,” he says. “Who wants to sit in a departure lounge? You get the excitement of travelling through places, figuring out what the next journey is. I think we have to get back into the idea that travelling is special; it’s a privilege.”

Most flying is carried out by a small proportion of the population. Aled Jones, the director of the Global Sustainability Institute at Anglia Ruskin University, says we have become used to the low-cost weekend flight abroad in a short space of time. “When I was growing up, and certainly for the generation before, flying on holiday was not something you expected to do,” he says. “By radically cutting down, we’re not going back to the dark ages; we’re going back to when people holidayed in the UK. It will be less of a sacrifice for a lot of people than we expect.” He admits that addressing “love miles” – flying to see family who live abroad – is “a very different challenge”.

Maja Rosén, who lives in Sweden and gave up flying in 2008, had always kept quiet when friends talked about flying abroad on holidays – until last year. “I thought: ‘How is it possible I’m more scared of destroying the mood than climate collapse?’ I decided that my new year resolution last year would be to start asking some inconvenient questions. I realised that most people weren’t aware of the impact from flying and how huge it is.”

She and a friend started a campaign, Flight-free 2019 (now Flight-free 2020), to encourage people to pledge not to fly. By the end of 2018, 15,000 Swedes had signed; by the end of this year, she thinks it will be 100,000. It has changed the conversation around flying in the country: passenger numbers dropped at Swedish airports in 2018, while a record number of people in the country took the train.

“People don’t realise that what they do as an individual is so important because it affects those around them,” says Rosén. “If you keep flying, all your friends will as well. You contribute to the norm. But if you decide to give up flying or take a flight-free year, that makes others reflect. Change can happen fast as soon as enough people start acting. Before, people saw flying as an experience or something you do, it wasn’t in the category of consumption, but I think now people are starting to realise that by taking a flight they are a heavy consumer of fossil fuel.”

There is now a British arm of the campaign, run by the writer Anna Hughes, who last took a flight eight years ago. More than 1,000 people have pledged to have a flight-free year. Hughes likens it to the Veganuary campaign, by which people give up animal products for January to raise awareness of veganism and change behaviour. She has travelled to Ireland, Denmark and other European countries – and seen a lot of the UK. “There is nowhere I can think of that I want to go that I can’t get to by bike, train or boat. If I was going to go further, I would just take a long time to do it.”

The author Nicola Davies is taking long-haul flights for a couple of upcoming commitments, but after that she will radically rethink her flight consumption, she says. There will almost certainly be no more European flights; she has already travelled to the Balearic Islands in Spain by car. “We did the journey down to Barcelona in two days, then the ferry crossing is eight hours,” she says, adding that it requires a bit more planning than travelling by plane. “It’s much more exciting, much closer to the real skin of the planet than the feeling you get from going to an airport, popping into a metal tube and then popping out at some other point on the planet with no real grasp of the distance, habitat, people and cultures you’ve passed over on the way.

Nigel Slater's vegetable stock and soup recipes

I have been in need of a good vegetable stock for some time. Not one of the delicate, vegetal liquids the colour of hay but something altogether deeper, richer and more ballsy. In other words, more like a brown meat stock. Such a broth would be immensely useful in my kitchen as a base for the heartier non-meat recipes that form the backbone of my daily eating, but also as something restoring to drink as you might a cup of miso. My gran would have had Bovril. The colour must be dark and glossy, the flavour deeply, mysteriously herbal with a hint of mushroom and there should be a roasted backnote, the sort you find in a long-simmered meat stock.

And so the kitchen slowly filled with the smell of onions, celery and carrots, which we roasted with miso then removed from the oven and simmered for a good hour with thyme, bay and shitake. We slipped in a sheet of kombu for an extra layer of depth.

The broth was strained and separated from its spent aromatics, its deep, almost mahogany liquor dripping slowly into a glass bowl. I used the witches’ brew immediately with spring vegetables, letting the stock add substance to a soup of young broad beans and carrots that we ate with thick slices of chewy sourdough toast. We dunked the toast deep into the stock, letting it slowly swell with the bosky, fungal, roasted flavours from the bowl.

A roasted vegetable stock

Makes about 2 litres

onions 2, medium
carrots 250g
celery 2 stalks
garlic 1 small whole head
light miso paste 3 tbsp
water 80ml, plus 3 litres
dried shitake mushrooms 50g
rosemary 5 sprigs
thyme 10 sprigs
bay leaves 3
black peppercorns 12
dried kombu 10g

Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4. Peel and roughly chop the onions, then place in a roasting tin together with the skins. Similarly chop the carrots and celery stalks then mix with the onions and the head of garlic, separated into cloves.

Mix together the miso paste and 80ml of water then stir into the vegetables, coating them lightly. Bake for about an hour, tossing the vegetables once or twice during cooking, until everything is brown, fragrant and toasty.

Transfer the roasted vegetables and aromatics to a deep saucepan, add the shitake, rosemary, thyme, bay, peppercorns and the sheets of kombu, then pour a little water from the 3 litres into the roasting tin, scrape at the sticky, caramelised bits stuck to the tin, then pour into the saucepan. Add the remaining water. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and leave to simmer, partially covered with a lid, for 50 minutes to an hour.

When you have a deep brown, richly coloured broth, tip through a sieve into a heatproof bowl or large jug and leave to cool. Refrigerate and use as necessary.
Spring vegetable soup

It seems only right, having a stock of such deep, herbal joy, to let it steal the limelight. I use it here as the base for a spring soup made with young broad beans and carrots barely thicker than an index finger.

Keeping the soup uncluttered by cream or other unnecessary bits and bobs, we are free to add other vegetables as the mood takes us: small heart- shaped leaves of young spinach, lightly cooked courgettes (add them with the tomatoes) or perhaps some spears of steamed asparagus.

Serves 4

broad beans 200g (podded weight)
spring carrots 180g
garlic 3 cloves
olive oil 3 tbsp
cherry tomatoes 200g
vegetable stock a litre
parsley leaves a handful

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, salt it lightly, then drop in the broad beans and let them cook, at a rolling boil, for 6 or 7 minutes. Have ready a bowl of water with ice cubes in it. As the beans become ready, drain and drop them into the iced water. Using your thumb and forefinger, pop the bright green beans from their pale, paper skins, leaving only the very smallest unskinned.

Trim and lightly scrub the carrots, then slice each in half lengthways. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Warm the olive oil in a deep sided casserole over a moderate heat, add the carrots and garlic and let them cook for 2 or 3 minutes, occasionally moving them round the pan.

Cut each tomato in quarters then add them to the pan, stirring them as they soften and lose their shape. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil, then lower the heat, letting the vegetables cook for a further 3 or 4 minutes.

Drain the broad beans and add to the soup, letting them cook for a further 3 or 4 minutes. Check the seasoning then add the parsley leaves and ladle the soup into bowls.

Can Instagram Save the Flower Industry?

In a field of tulips, a group of three young women stop and ask me to take their photograph. They're wearing matching white dresses, and they have thick, drawn-on eyebrows, which may have been described in the late months of 2014 as being "on fleek." Around us, families wander in and out of the furrowed land between plantings, stopping to pick long-stemmed tulips and place them in their baskets. We're at Wicked Tulips Flower Farm, but this is no ordinary farm visit. I had to buy a ticket to get in. People seem more interested in taking pictures of the crop than they are in buying them. And that's fine by Wicked Tulips, which doesn't primarily sell flowers, even though they have some 600,000 of them growing on five acres. They're selling an experience—an Instagram-ready location, fresher than the Museum of Ice Cream, greener than the Color Factory. It's a place to see and mostly be seen, and it's perfectly calibrated to capture the millennial imagination.

It's the kind of engagement the floral industry is banking on for its survival. They want Americans of a certain age to start treating flowers like the Europeans do: as a year-round luxury, the backdrop of our lives, as essential as a good bottle of wine at dinner or slice of cake on your birthday. The floral industrial complex, which includes multinational commercial growers, large-scale importers, and retail purveyors down to neighborhood florists and bodegas, is currently seeking ways to reach younger generations. They're worried that people like me, a 31-year-old member of the much-maligned superbrood that came of age around the turn of the 21st century—now the largest potential customer pool in American history—aren't buying enough flowers. They're anxious that their industry, which is a relatively new one in the grand scheme of things, is in danger because of it. And so they're trying to convince us to buy flowers, not only because flowers are nice and make us happy, but because they provide texture and experience and other buzz-marketing things.

Flowers can also help you "build your own personal narrative," according to Brigid Stevens, who holds the title VP of brand at millennial-focused online flower retailer The Bouqs, which has an Instagram following in the hundreds of thousands. "Our customers, millennials and beyond, are gift-givers. They're homemakers, decorators and lifestyle enthusiasts," she says. "What's so appealing about this industry is that it's tactile. It's about creating and making something. That's how we position our brand."

As one of those millennials and, I suppose, a possible lifestyle enthusiast, I should be in their target market. But I have to admit: I haven't been buying flowers lately. Not since I began reporting this story and saw first-hand how flowers make their way into our country, then sit in cardboard boxes in massive refrigerated warehouses while shivering workers in Carhartt overalls check each upright set of stems. And how those tightly closed roses, waxy tulips and spikey chrysanthemums can be rendered scentless and soulless by the long, cold journey from field to vase, the product of a massive global juggernaut.

But I like flowers. I like them a lot. They make me happy. They make you happy, too, even if you may not realize it. A Rutgers University study found that when participants were presented with a gift other than flowers, they smiled and were happy. Sometimes they would smile a "Duchenne smile," or a true smile that involves the mouth, cheeks and eyes. But sometimes they would fake it, offering up a half-smile, a false affirmation. When the same participants were presented with flowers, 100 percent of them offered a Duchenne smile. "In an emotions lab, you never get a 100 percent response unless you're dropping a snake on people," said the researcher. "I was shocked."

These days, flowers are available at every Walgreens, CVS, Whole Foods and Costco. They're everywhere, and they're not particularly expensive—you can get a bouquet for less than $10. So why aren't more of us buying them?

Millennials have not yet been accused of "killing" the floral industry, but there is fear among cut flower buyers and sellers that a dystopian future with fewer bouquets (and too many succulents) could be on the horizon. U.S. employment in the floral sector dropped by more than 50 percent between 2001 and 2014, according to data compiled by the University of Florida, and the job outlook for floral designers over the next few years is bleak. In 2015, the not-for-profit Produce Marketing Association published a report identifying millennial disinterest as a key factor affecting the cut flower business. Millennials, according to the PMA, are less likely than baby boomers to appreciate flowers as gifts, less likely to know where to buy flowers, and less likely to purchase bouquets. They are, however, more likely to enjoy single flowers than their older counterparts and more likely to purchase flowers to impress guests. But price is cited as a barrier for many millennial customers, and as the PMA notes, because "floral expenditures on cut flowers are highly correlated with disposable income … in the U.S., growth in expenditure on horticulture products has come to a standstill."

In 2016, the American Floral Endowment issued a 72-page action plan titled "Marketing Tactics to Increase Millennial Floral Purchases," offering suggestions to help florists attract younger customers, including things like running quirky advertisements on social media and offering free gifts with purchases. The AFE argues for an increased focus on the benefits of flowers, and also recommends taking advantage of "trendy cultural trends," like food and personal health, on social media platforms. The goal is to get young people to stop thinking of flowers as an extravagance and start considering them a part of an everyday Gwyneth-style pampering regimen.

Flowers could dovetail nicely with the still-blossoming Goop-erific wellness industry, if they can just figure out how to tap into that market. For the past five years, succulents and houseplants (particularly the house-tour ubiquitous fiddle leaf fig and the always creeping, never flowering pothos) have reigned supreme in this arena, but they're pretty sure cut flowers could edge their way in, if the right influencers got on board.

According to the AFE, though millennials clearly want to share their peonie selfies with the world, they also happen to be "the least knowledgeable about making flower arrangements and the symbolic meanings of flowers." Apparently, we don't know how to trim rose stems or arrange chrysanthemums in a vase, and we were never taught the Victorian language of flowers, in which each blossom is assigned its own highly specific meaning (hydrangeas for heartlessness, snowdrops for hope, poppies for sleepiness and insincerity). While most floral companies are content to let this complicated code die, Teleflora, one of the largest and oldest flower delivery services in America, recently launched a blog that offers short articles on the meanings of various blooms, including information on "birth month" flowers, as well as some pop psychology on the significance of color. Orange roses signal passion. White roses mean "we're young and in love."

In a hotel conference room in Miami, a wall of red roses has begun to sweat. The roses have been tightly packed into a standing frame, and from a distance, the hundreds of crimson blooms appear to blur together, taking on the texture of velvet. Up close, you can see how the heat is beginning to affect them, breaking down the structure of the petals and turning the edges brown. A sweet fragrance wafts from the wall, but only if you get very close.

All around are similar walls, some made of white chrysanthemums, others decorated with blowsy baby pink peonies and powder blue hydrangeas, but roses (red roses, so-called "Freedom roses," as they were branded in the post-9/11 years) are the defining feature of the room. And that makes sense, because despite bridal trends and wildflower hype, rose varietals are the most important genus in the global floral importing business. They're the MVP of the flower world, the traditional Valentine's Day gift, and the standard unit of desire on The Bachelor. Roses fuel the flower trade, and the bulk of the roses sold in the US enter the country just a few miles away at the Miami International Airport.

Fashion Meets Gaming With Nick Covella of DMarket

Just over a week ago, Tommy Hilfiger launched Tommy Jeans XPLORE, a collection of denim and accessories embedded with what they call smart chip technology. Inspired by the gaming industry and the challenge/reward-based loyalty that gaming breeds in users, Hilfiger's smart chips allow wearers to earn points for wearing the clothes and for playing a Bluetooth-enabled game, points which can be exchanged for rewards like gift cards and exclusive merchandise, even tickets to the brand's runway shows.

While this is one of the first gaming technology inspired fashion endeavours on the market, the potential of transferring gaming concepts towards building consumer loyalty in fashion is, indeed, interesting.

I reached out to Nick Covella, a veteran of the tech industry who is currently SVP of Engineering at DMarket,  the first blockchain-based marketplace for trading in-game items. Covella thinks the opportunities to meld fashion and gaming go far beyond technology.

"It's inevitable that fashion and gaming industries will increasingly collaborate in the coming years because it brings so much value to both industries, enlarging both communities," says Covella. "Fashion could potentially make gaming popular among those who never played while designer in-game items will add pop culture to the gaming industry. Fashion would also receive exposure to a huge audience of 2.3 billion people playing games every day."

Hilfiger's foray into gaming tech wasn't the first made by a fashion brand. A few years back, Louis Vuitton dipped their toes in gaming (albeit not in such a direct way) by casting a virtual character from the game Final Fantasy in their ad campaign. There is even a Swedish fashion brand, DRKN, which is solely inspired by gaming.

"There are more things in common between fashion and gaming than one can imagine. Especially, when we are talking about in-game items," says Covella. In-game items are products gamers purchase within the game and live solely, and only, within the video game. "Both fashion and in-game assets are, often times, about displays of wealth. People buy Hermès bags for $60K, meanwhile, truly dedicated players are purchasing unique in-game skins from [the game] Counter-Strike: Global Offensive for the same price. This desire to display wealth exists both in real life and in virtual reality."

It's the motivational techniques used to get gamers hooked, though, that Covella believes present the most immediate opportunity for marketing in fashion by understanding and applying these techniques to programs such as customer loyalty.

The sufferer's guide to red, itchy, flaky skin

From one sufferer to another, consider this everything you need to know about the irritating skin condition, from what causes a flare-up to how it can be managed

I've suffered with eczema for as long as I can remember. It's a year-round thing: in the summer, heightened pollen levels aggravate it, while during winter the harsh cold causes the sore and dry skin it to split, weep and itch. It does my head in – and I'm not alone.

According to Allergy UK, as many as 15 million people are living with the infuriating skin condition in the UK alone, but a lot of us still aren't really sure what causes it or how we can keep its itchy, red symptoms at bay.

To some extent, it's down to individuality – your eczema will probably differ completely from mine. But to explain it thoroughly, we asked consultant dermatologist Dr Walayat Hussain of Bupa Health Clinics about all things eczema.

What is eczema?

First thing's first, let's break down exactly what eczema is. 'Also referred to as “dermatitis”, eczema is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that can make your skin red, dry and itchy,' says Dr Hussain. 'There are a number of different types, and the type you have determines which treatment options are best for you.'

If you're experiencing uncomfortable dry, rashy skin, there's a good chance that it's eczema – your GP will be able to confirm a diagnosis. It can appear pretty much anywhere on the body; it's possible to get eczema on hands, feet, legs, arms, torso and eczema on the face. And although eczema in babies is very common, many people will experience symptoms throughout adulthood.

Are there different types and causes of eczema?

Despite usually being referred to as simply 'eczema' alone, there are many different types and each has its own specific set of causes and treatment options. Read on for a break down of each type.

Dishydrotic eczema
Also known as pompholyx, dishydrotic eczema appears as tiny, fluid-filled blisters usually on your hands and feet. They look like raised pinpricks covering the top of hands or feet or in patches between the fingers and toes, and are incredibly itchy, becoming even more sore if they burst as your skin tries to heal.

While the exact causes are unknown, it's thought dishydrotic eczema is triggered by stress or upon contact with allergens.

Atopic eczema
Also known as atopic dermatitis, this is the most common type of eczema, often found in people who also have asthma, hayfever and allergies. 'This can be genetic and you may notice your skin gets irritated on the face, in front of the elbows and behind the knees,' says Dr Hussain. 'It usually flares up if you have allergies and come into contact with soaps, detergents or other types of chemicals.

'Although there is no cure for atopic eczema, your GP or dermatologist may prescribe you with a specific type of moisturiser known as an emollient. These work by restoring water and oils to your skin to soothe and hydrate it, as well as helping to repair the damaged skin.'

Contact eczema
This type appears when your skin becomes sensitised to something in the environment. 'Unlike a peanut allergy, which occurs immediately upon exposure, contact dermatitis develops over a period of time as your body becomes sensitised to something you may have been using or wearing for years, such as nickel in jewellery,' says Dr Hussain.

'Contact dermatitis often affects your hands, so avoid this, consider what products you're using that maybe irritating your skin and try shielding your hands from them. Your GP may refer you to a specialist Dermatologist who performs patch testing, which can help identify what you're allergic to.'

Discoid eczema
This type appears as very itchy, flat red patches of inflamed skin, usually on the arms and or legs, and is most commonly found in middle aged or elderly people. 'We don't know what exactly causes discoid eczema, but in keeping with other types, your skin loses moisture and therefore struggles to provide an effective barrier against substances,' says Dr Hussain. 'This means usually harmless substances, like soap, can irritate your skin.

'Although there's no simple cure for this type of eczema, your dermatologist or pharmacist can recommend some medications to help ease the symptoms, along with daily moisturising.' Read our guide to the best moisturiser for dry skin and choose a gentle formula for eczema-prone skin.

Seborrhoic eczema

In seborrhoic eczema, inflammation usually occurs in areas of your skin that are hairier or more oily, i.e. where there are more sebaceous glands, such as your eyebrows, chest or scalp.

'It's believed that seborrhoeic dermatitis is caused by having too much yeast in your system or your immune system's over-reaction to yeast,' adds Dr Hussain. 'Your Dermatologist can recommend some creams and shampoos to help reduce the level of yeast you have which should help ease the symptoms.

Varicose eczema
Varicose eczema mainly affects people who have varicose veins, causing the skin around them to become itchy and inflamed, and can be managed by working on improving your circulation.

'This can be done by keeping active and wearing compression socks every day, apply moisturiser to help with the dryness and talk to your pharmacist about which ointments would be best for you,' advises Dr Hussain. 'If this doesn't work, your GP may refer you to a dermatologist or vascular specialist to explore other treatment options.

Treatment of eczema

There are many different options to manage eczema, and no 'one-size-fits-all treatment plans. Your GP may prescribe topical steroid creams, such as hydrocortisone, eumovate and betnovate, to help with the itching. These work by stopping the skin cells from producing chemicals which cause inflammation in response to the allergens.

While there's an element of trial and error in terms of which over-the-counter products keep symptoms at bay, Dermol 500 Lotion is a very gentle, daily moisturiser and also works as a soap substitute, used by eczema sufferers all over – because it really works.