Are you battling dry winter skin and eczema flare-ups?

May has arrived in South Africa and so has the cold. The mornings are dry on the Highveld, the wind cuts through the Winelands and the heaters are on indoors for the first time in months. And right on cue, the skin starts to misbehave. Itchy patches behind the knees. The kids' cheeks looking raw after bath time. That spot on the inside of your elbow that flared up last August and has decided to come back for an encore.

If this sounds familiar, you are in good company. Winter is hard on skin - ours, our kids', the whole household - and eczema in particular tends to flare when the weather turns cold and dry.

Let's look at why this happens, what eczema actually is (in plain language) and where a humble little molecule called hypochlorous acid fits into the picture.

Why winter is so rough on your skin

Skin's job is to be a barrier. It holds water in, keeps germs out and acts as the first line of defence between you and the world. In summer that job is easier. In winter, several things conspire against it.

Cold air holds less moisture than warm air, so the air around you is drier (yes even if it is raining in Cape Town). Indoor heaters strip the room of what humidity is left. Hot showers feel wonderful but they dissolve the natural oils that keep your skin soft. Add in soaps, scratchy jerseys and the merino wool sock you forgot you were sensitive to - and the barrier starts to crack.

When the barrier cracks, two things happen. The skin loses water faster than it can replace it, so it feels tight and looks dull. And the small openings let in the things that trigger inflammation - allergens, bacteria, dust. That inflammation shows up as redness, itch and the sore patches that drive children (and us) a bit mad.

For people prone to eczema, this is when flare-ups start.

What is eczema, really?

Eczema (or atopic dermatitis, if you want the medical term) is essentially your skin's immune system reacting too strongly to something it shouldn't be reacting to at all.

Think of it like this. Your immune system is trained to spot intruders and respond. In someone with eczema, the system is a bit too keen. It sees something harmless - a fragrance, a fabric, dry air, a bit of dust - and treats it like a threat. The response is inflammation: redness, swelling, heat and itch. The itch is the worst of it because scratching breaks the skin, which lets in bacteria, which makes the inflammation worse. A nasty little loop.

You may have heard of biofilm too. Biofilm is a slimy invisible layer that bacteria build to protect themselves on the skin's surface. In a healthy person it is not much of a problem. On broken eczema-prone skin it gives the bacteria a place to hide and keep stoking the inflammation. This is part of why eczema patches can be so stubborn - you can clean the skin, but unless you deal with the biofilm the bacteria underneath keep restarting the trouble.

Eczema runs in families, and it often shows up alongside asthma and hay fever. If you have it, your kids may well develop it too. The good news is that for many children, the worst of it eases off by the teenage years. For adults who have lived with it for decades, the goal is usually to keep it well-managed - fewer flares, milder flares and faster recoveries.

In winter your job is twofold. Protect the barrier (keep the moisture in, keep the irritants out) and calm the inflammation when it does flare. Easy to say. The trick is in the routine.

Where hypochlorous acid comes in

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is a molecule your body already makes. When you get a cut or an infection, your white blood cells produce HOCl as part of the immune response. It is one of the body's own tools for sorting out bacteria and calming inflammation - which is rather elegant, when you stop to think about it.

We produce a medical-grade version of this molecule that you can spray onto your skin. The version in Trifectiv® Plus Wound & Burn Care is exactly that - the same molecule your body makes, in a form you can keep in your bathroom cupboard.

Why does that matter for eczema and dry winter skin? A few reasons.

First, HOCl calms inflammation. It reduces the chemical signals that drive the redness, heat, swelling and itch. This means a flare-up settles faster.

Second, it deals with the bacteria and biofilm hiding on broken skin. By breaking down the biofilm and killing the bacteria underneath, it stops the loop where bacteria keep restarting the inflammation.

Third, it is gentle. Because it is the same molecule your body already produces, it does not sting, burn or strip the skin the way harsh antiseptics do. In fact the FDA has long recognised HOCl as safe for wound-care use, and its safety profile is robust enough that it can be used on babies, during pregnancy and on the most sensitive skin.

What HOCl is not is a moisturiser. It does not replace your usual barrier cream or body lotion. Think of it as a calming spray that sits alongside your moisturising routine - the firefighter for the flare-ups, not the daily watering can.

A simpler winter routine

We are big believers in less is more. A bathroom full of bottles is not the answer. A few good things, used consistently, almost always is.

Here is what a sensible winter routine looks like, whether you are dealing with your own dry patches or managing a child's eczema.

• Keep showers and baths short and warm, not hot. Five to ten minutes is plenty. Hot water feels lovely but it strips the skin oils you need.
• Swap your soap. Standard bar soaps and most bubble baths are usually too harsh in winter. Use a fragrance-free, soap-free liquid cleanser. (And yes, the same rule applies for little ones - ditch the bubble bath while the rash is settling.)
• Moisturise within three minutes of getting out of the bath or shower, while the skin is still slightly damp. This locks in the water. A fragrance-free emollient does the job - nothing fancy needed.
• Treat flare-ups early. If you spot an itchy patch starting to grumble, spray it with Trifectiv® Plus, let it air dry (don't rub it in), and apply your moisturiser or lotion once the spray has dried. Repeat three or four times a day until the patch settles. The earlier you get on top of it, the less likely it is to become a full flare.
• Steer clear of petroleum jelly. This forms a waterproof seal over the skin, which traps moisture badly and prevents the skin from breathing the way it needs to. It also gets in the way of HOCl doing its job. A simple non-occlusive lotion is a much better partner.
• Watch the triggers. Wool, perfumed laundry powder, fabric softeners and overheated bedrooms are the usual suspects. You probably know yours.
• Keep an eye on humidity. A small humidifier in the bedroom can take the edge off the dryness, especially in homes with underfloor heating or aircons running through the night.
• Dress in soft layers. Cotton next to the skin is kindest. The merino wool jersey can go over a cotton top instead of straight onto bare skin.
• And don't forget to drink water. We tend to drink less of it in winter because we are not thirsty in the same way - but the skin still needs it from the inside out.

When to see a doctor

Most winter dryness and mild eczema can be managed at home. But there are moments when you do want a professional eye on things.

If a patch is weeping, crusting yellow or spreading rapidly, that may be an infected eczema patch and it needs proper assessment. Same goes if the skin around it is hot, swollen or painful in a way that feels beyond the usual flare. And if the eczema is affecting sleep night after night - yours or your child's - the GP can help with a stronger treatment plan that includes prescription options alongside what you are already doing at home.

Why Trifectiv® Plus

Trifectiv® Plus Wound & Burn Care is the same medical-grade hypochlorous acid trusted in hospital wound care and by surgeons, scaled down for the family bathroom. It is gentle enough for newborns, safe during pregnancy and works on everything from a scraped knee to a sunburned shoulder to a winter eczema patch.

You spray it on, let it dry and let the molecule do what your body's own white blood cells do - settle the inflammation, clear the bacteria and soothe the skin.

So if winter has started to do its usual number on your family's skin this year, this might be worth a try. A simpler routine, a few good products and a little spray to keep the flare-ups in check. Less is more, as always.