Gut health is linked to immune and skin health. Thus, an imbalance in the gut microbiome can contribute to skin problems, including eczema (37). Eczema patients often have a less diverse gut microbiome with more harmful substances and fewer anti-inflammatory compounds (30, 37). In addition, patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) can suffer from essential fatty acid deficiency due to malabsorption, which can make their skin dry and more likely to have eczema (10).