No news is good news.

Writing about my condition has been a outlet for frustration, so logically radio silence would be a sign of improvement. And it has.

It's been about a month since I radically changed my self-care routine. Used to leave myself half an hour to shower every morning before work. Now I wake up early, brush my teeth, deodorize and make coffee and breakfast. I avoid full-body water submersion and wash my hair every other day -- usually at night -- using a hand-held sprayer so the rest of me stays dry. I use olive oil soap only where absolutely necessary. Evening full upper-body applications of Vaseline sealed with a cotton shirt keeps my skin criminally soft, and any suspicious itchy bumps get nipped in the bud with the most minimal touch of cortisone cream.

Haven't changed my diet, and only after 3 back-to-back meals with legumes did I feel a little itchy. But otherwise it's been smooth sailing. It's all about maintenance now that I've stabilized at a baseline level of skin appeasement.

Seems almost too good to be true, after everything I'd tried. Really? Who knew doing NOTHING to it (except slathering on "natural" petroleum products) would be the key. Every eczema treatment program calls for baths and oils. But those both made it worse for me. They're certainly not the culprit -- but clearly they were exacerbating a seasonal, likely environmental reaction, since winter's when it's worst.

And until I live in a tropical climate year-round, this routine oughta keep me sane.

New year, new (smelly) solution?

Whenever I'm at my wit's end, it's easy to forget times when my condition's improved. So for future reference: my skin's been clearer this past week without bathing than it has been all season, with minimal drugs and despite massive doses of probable food allergens.

I've allowed myself daily localized applications of triamcinolone acetonide creme (yea, Googled it) to treat flare-ups in small patches, but nothing close to a full upper-body coating of ointment. Seems to be under control for the time being.

A luke-warm bath this morning did irritate it a little. Might be best just to leave on that protective layer of oil and dead skin, no matter how unappealing. I bird-bath to get clean while keeping the majority of my skin dry. And it hasn't felt this soft in winter since Hawaii last year.

So in the ongoing saga of unscientific speculation I'm leaning toward stress and environmental causes, maybe even something in the office building since I haven't been there since the 22nd. We'll see how long it lasts this week once I get back into the old routine, and back at my desk.