People with eczema can bathe daily or weekly without worrying about flare-ups

A major study has found that people with eczema are able to bathe either daily or weekly, without any impact to their symptoms.

The findings of the new study, which are published in the British Journal of Dermatology, are great news for people living with eczema, as it will mean they will have the freedom to choose how often to bathe without fear it will worsen their symptoms.

People with eczema often have questions about how best to bathe including how often to have a bath or shower. The 'Eczema Bathing study', was prioritized and developed by people living with eczema, in partnership with researchers from the University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. The research was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The study compared daily bathing – having a bath or shower six or more times a week, with weekly bathing – having a bath or shower one or two times a week.

438 people living with eczema from across the UK took part in the study, which included both adults and children. Everyone was put into one of the two groups at random to help ensure that the two groups were as similar as possible. Those taking part continued using their usual treatments during the study and recorded their eczema symptoms each week for 4 weeks.

Overall, the results showed there was no difference in eczema symptoms between the two groups.

Lucy Bradshaw, Lead Author, and Senior Medical Statistician at Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, at the University of Nottingham, said: "The findings of our study are great news for people living with eczema. It means they can choose a frequency of bathing that suits them. It was fantastic to work so closely with people living with eczema to co‑design this study. Together, we're starting to answer questions about living with eczema that haven't had enough attention in research until now."

Amanda Roberts, an eczema patient and carer and Co-Chief Investigator, said: "There are so many things in everyday life which have the potential to affect eczema. It is good to know frequency of bathing or showering is not one of them. One less thing to worry about."

The Eczema Bathing Study is the first study completed as part of a wider five-year project that started in 2022 – the Rapid Eczema Trials research project - that aims to answer important questions on how to manage eczema. The Rapid Eczema Trials citizen science project has built an Eczema Citizen Science Community who are working together to design and run a series of online research studies. People are being encouraged to join the community from across the UK. The next study is looking at how long to use steroid creams to treat flare-ups to help keep control of eczema.

The Rapid Eczema Trials research project is led by researchers at the University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, and is being delivered in collaboration with another four UK Universities (Southampton, Bristol, Birmingham City, Imperial) and the Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit

How often to have a bath or shower is such a simple but important issue that people with eczema often ask health care professionals for advice on. The Rapid Eczema Trials project has provided everyone with the best, evidence-based answer to this practical question."

Matthew Ridd, GP, Co-applicant and Professor of Primary Health Care, University of Bristol

Professor Marian Knight, Scientific Director for NIHR Infrastructure and Director of NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research said: "This study shows the value of the NIHR's approach to putting patients and the public at the heart of everything we do. By working with people who live with eczema, the research team has been able to answer a question that has affected people's quality of life for years. The research shows that how often you bathe does not make a difference to symptoms, giving people the freedom to make the choice that is best for them. This is exactly what our research funding is about, giving people the answers they need to better understand and manage their own health."