Why is skin with eczema so susceptible to irritants?

As fluid accumulates in the epidermis, the ‘bricks’ separate and the
‘cement’ becomes disrupted, leaving big cracks in the ‘barrier’.
Irritants that would normally be kept on the surface are allowed
through to the more sensitive dermis. Some irritants, such as soaps,
act to dissolve the lipid-based cement, leading to a further
breakdown of the skin’s barrier function.