"Are you wearing red eyeshadow?"

I remember feeling mortified when a classmate asked me this question in middle school. Embarrassed, I told her that the redness on my eyelids wasn't eyeshadow but skin irritation.

Shocked, she apologized and went on with her day. I knew she genuinely thought I was wearing red eyeshadow and that she meant no harm, but I just couldn't stop thinking about what she said.

What I actually had was actually a flare-up of eczema. According to the National Eczema Association, eczema is "the name for a group of conditions that cause the skin to become red, itchy and inflamed."

Even though I have gotten over the comment my classmate said to me in middle school, there are other comments that I've heard over the years that frustrate me. Here are things you shouldn't say to someone with eczema.

1. "Just put on some lotion."

HAHA. It's not like I've spent hundreds (maybe even thousands) of dollars on different lotions and prescriptions already. If getting rid of eczema was that simple, I would be cured.

2. "Can't you just cover it up with makeup?"

Okay, this one doesn't bother me as much as the others, but I still wish people would stop saying this. Even the "hypoallergenic" makeup products irritate the heck out of my skin. Also, my foundation tends to get flaky.

3. "Drink more water!"

"Your skin is just thirsty!" Yes, sometimes dry skin can be due to dehydration. But for people with eczema, dry skin is an everyday thing. Drinking more water might help a little, but it usually doesn't.

4. "Stop scratching!"

I'm TRYING! But if I don't scratch, I get more itchy. People with eczema get so itchy that sometimes, they don't feel relief until they've scratched their skin raw. Although "Stop scratching!" might help in the moment, it just makes me feel worse.

5. "You should totally try [insert generic moisturizer here]. It got rid of my dry skin!"

I'm not talking about the people with eczema who give you recommendations. I'm talking about people who get maybe one patch of dry skin on their hands, buy any type of lotion, and think it'll work for me too.

I couldn't just talk about lotion and not include this gif from the Gold Bond commercial. Carry on.