I recently got a call from a friend who was frustrated. She’s had eczema her whole life and often dealt with stares and questions from people who simply didn’t understand what it was. Recently, her job informed her they had received complaints from people who assumed she was contagious. Their answer to this was that she would have to wear long sleeves year-round now. Fact is, besides often being misunderstood eczema can usually be effectively helped naturally.
What is it?
Eczema is a skin condition that affects men and women of all ages. Often it occurs in infants and children and is outgrown by adulthood, though that is not always the case. Typically, it is treated by medications that contain steroids which only treat the symptoms and have no focus on the problem. This chronic skin condition is commonly hereditary and comes with a family history of food allergies and asthma.
Symptoms:
- Blisters with oozing and crusting
- Raw areas from scratching
- Inflammation
- Rashes
- Dry skin
- Ear discharge or bleeding
- Leather-like areas
Diet
Some doctors and dermatologist believe food and diet play little role in this condition. However, most people that have successfully stopped eczema from taking over their lives will tell you the first thing they changed was their diet. Food allergies and certain food intolerances are often the cause an increase in eczema. Promoting good gut health, especially in children you can often help prevent an outbreak. Many have found a real food diet to be beneficial and often start with a GAPS diet for gut health and healing. You can also try eliminating certain foods and looking for improvement – start with common allergies like gluten, soy, and dairy.
Triggers
Often Eczema starts with a trigger – and this may not always be diet related. Some common one are:
- Stress
- Dust
- Certain fabrics – such as wool, synthetics, or other rough materials.
- Detergents – use a natural, fragrance- free, low pH detergent.
- Tobacco smoke
- Extreme cold
- Heat and humidity
- Pollen
- Harsh chemicals – these can be anywhere (makeup, lotions, perfumes, soaps, ect)
- Pet dander
- Diet/food allergy
From this list you can see many of the triggers are caused by unnatural chemicals, additives, and preservatives. I believe the increase in diagnosed cases of eczema come from a combination of an increase in unnatural chemicals and additives in the products we use and the foods we eat.
Natural Remedies
Helping eczema starts with knowing what causes it. Once you figure out what the trigger is you can better control it and often stop it all together. However, until it is under control the symptoms can be helped naturally by:
- Cod Liver Oil – fish oils not only boost the immune system but are also known to reduce allergic responses.
- Calendula oil – you can add this to a bath or rub it on the skin. It is anti-inflammatory and a very good healing source for the skin.
- Probiotics – naturally post your bodies immune response.
- Tea tree oil – can be added to a bath, used as with a carrier oil, or made into a cream.
- Flax seed – omega-3 fatty-acids have been known to greatly improve eczema.
- Soothing Skin Balm — A blend of calendula-infused oil and rich mango butter to nourish damaged skin, with glycerin to promote normal cellular growth.
Summary
Eczema is common but that isn’t a comfort to the millions who have it. A natural, green lifestyle can greatly improve symptoms by cutting out the things that so commonly trigger reactions. By eating real food, boosting your immune system, and avoiding known triggers you should be able to keep eczema from taking over your life.
I get stress-related eczema on my legs. I discovered this quite by accident but, hey, it works, lol! I have a fruit smoothie every morning consisting of 1/2 c. OJ, 1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries and one ripe banana. I believe that the more “live” foods you eat are loaded with antioxidants, healthy enzymes and such the healthier, inside and out, you’ll be!
My daughter’s eczema is triggered by gluten. When she is gluten free it clears right up. I make a salve for her when she does have flare ups that works great. http://www.naturallivingmamma.com/2012/01/28/ellies-eczema-salve-improved/
My 5 yr old daughter has had terrible psoriasis for a couple years now. This is similar to eczema, but different. Doctors told us there was no “cure” and that she should go on steroids. They didn’t think diet had anything to do with it. ha! When we removed gluten and dairy from her diet, we saw tremendous improvement! So I am totally convinced that this is the right path. Not steroids for the rest of her life! I now need to add in the “good stuff” she should be having to help boost her system. Thanks for the recommendations!
My exclusively breastfed infant daughter has some rough spots on her skin that I think is the beginnings of eczema. I have been told to eliminate dairy from diet. I’m already putting coconut oil and recently calendula oil on the spots, without improvement. We use Bio-kleen laundry detergent and a fragrance free/non-toxic baby wash (only bath her twice a week). What are your thoughts?
well since my daughter had numerous triggers we started NAET treatments. They actually treat the allergy or sensitivity – it was much easier than avoiding most food! AND come to find out, those trigger nutrients were not being absorbed by her body and once she was treated her skin cleared, her eyes brightened and her hair started growing in thicker and longer! She is a blondie with thin hair that didn’t seem to want to grow! We’ve been so impressed with NAET!
Hi, I read your message and was interested I the NAET approach. Would you be able to give me more info on this therapy please. Thankyou.
I was astonished you did not mention epsom salt? Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis There is an increased interest in the role of magnesium in preventing and managing disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Dietary magnesium is absorbed in the small intestines. Magnesium is excreted through the kidneys. I have had nothing but success with it for my skin inflammation problems and it won of my little girls long time battle with eczema in 2 baths of epsom salt, completely clear lol in fact I would go as far as to say not only will it clear the eczema up but it would probably also contribute greatly to fixing the source of the problem in the first place.
Found out gluten was a trigger for me more than 15 years ago. Gave it up and I have not had so much as an inkling of a breakout since!
Dairy, dairy, dairy! In our family, remove the dairy, remove the eczema. So simple, yet my dh just won’t listen. He just treats with prescriptions that don’t really work and it goes round and round..
My children get it if we have cow milk and as they get older, they can tolerate a little dairy but not more than 1 time and then skip a few days and have some more. Mostly in the form of cheese.
We have dairy goats and they can use that a little, with very little issues, but again, we don’t have it every day.
Amy J
All about gluten for me too. Discovered after 25 years of frustration. So glad I found what cured me. Feels great!
I suddenly had eczema like symptoms on my face and the face wash / cleanser I had been using for years started agitating it even more. I tried several other brands meant for sensitive, eczema prone skin, everything would worsen it. Finally I came to know of Made from Earth products. None of their products agitate my skin. Started using the Aloe & Jojoba Therapy and the Green Tea Cleanser. My face is completely clear and healthy now. I have seen a major improvements. It reduced redness, itchiness and breakouts.
It have found several things that help. Avoid all sulfates, this means in shampoo, body soap, hand soap, dish detergent and laundry soap. If you can ,find replacements that have tea tree in them Next. Avoid all moisturizers with water or alcohol in them. I use palmers coca butter in the jar ( only use the jar. The others have water and alcohol in them). Or I make my own moisturizing bars. I have found tea tree balm helpful for clearing up breakouts when I’m traveling and can’t avoid sulfates. Lastly like another user said magnesium. So good for so many things. I use either magnesium oil or magnesium pills every day. I have not had a full breakout of eczema since I made these changes. Good luck,
I have also read about a family who started using handcrafted goat’s milk soap to heal their eczema. All natural with no chemicals or preservatives is great for all skin types.
Our daughter had terrible excels on her face as an infant. Nobody could think if anything did her. I finally walked into our local health food store and asked if they had any ideas at all.
The lady suggested trying Emu Oil. It worked like a charm! Needless to say we always have some in the house now. It works for all kinds of issues.
We did finally figure out that bananas were a trigger and now as she’s older, snow mold and certain pollens. No drugs necessary though 🙂
My 5 month old son has been suffering from awful eczema on his head since birth. It’s red and inflamed, mostly on the crown of his head and on his upper cheek/forehead area. The poor guy scratches himself constantly until he bleeds, and I almost have to hold his hands down all the time or they immediately go up to itch. He looks like a tiger attacked him! It’s embarrassing for us and so uncomfortable for him. I trim his nails constantly, and he wears socks on his hands, but I want him to be able to use his fingers.
The problem is, nothing has worked, and it doesn’t seem to be any of the common triggers I find online. He’s formula fed (he was adopted), so I can’t “change my diet.” (Heck, we’re dairy free, gluten free anyway!) We tried going to soy formula early on, and it made him scream constantly where before he was always happy, so that was a no go. (Back on Similac, back to normal). I don’t think it’s detergent because I use baby friendly ones, and there’s no eczema anywhere the clothes touch. I’m very “green…” I use all natural cleaners around the house like baking soda and vinegar. We do have pets, but his birthmom also had pets and had no allergies, and again, I feel like it’d be in more places than his head or he’d had other symptoms.
The doctor immediately suggested Aquaphor, but I don’t like all the chemical ingredients in it, so I tried a barrage of natural remedies first. Olive oil, jojoba oil, shea butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and Burt’s Bees Baby Bees ointment. Nothing made a difference, and they all just made him super greasy all the time, to the point where holding him for cuddles kept making my face break out in awful acne! Lately he seemed so desperate that I broke down and tried Aquaphor and then Cetaphil cream. The Cetaphil seems to help slightly, but he’s still really itchy.
I’m at the end of my rope! I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to put him on unnecessary meds like steroids so young. But he’s so miserable, and the angry rash and sores on his head look so ouchy. What else can I try?
I just recently found out that I have Eczema only on my left hand, but I have known for a while it was from constantly washing my hands throughout the day. Between taking care of my son and daily chores I was washing my hands constantly. It wasn’t until a year later and after a big move that it seemed to have gotten worse. My diet and mood haven’t changed, though I did have some stress from going back to school (online full time) and my son at home with me. I had tried all sorts of hand creams and nothing worked and was getting worse with one brand I had tried. But I had tried petroleum jelly at one point and thought I would try it again, and it worked! Not even a day later I noticed a huge difference in it! Now just a week later it’s hardly noticeable. My hand still gets dry every few hours, but it still beats what it was looking like when I wasn’t using this. Just thought I would share this as another alternative if other options are not working for other people. But I do love the idea of putting tea tree oil in a bath! I am going to have to try that one out =)
Laci, I’m a mother of a 7 mo daughter who is has similar prob to your little on but mine is all over the body. I changed formula to one without dha in it and I’ve had some improvement now I’m trialing epsom salt baths. I have suffered from exzema since I was little so I know their pain
You might try doing some searches on castor oil, raw apple cider vinegar, and essential oils. Also Dr. Joel Wallach has lectures on nutrition that teach about essential vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids to help heal the body and foods to avoid.
[…] 1. Treating and Controlling Eczema Naturally […]
For those who cannot find a cure for eczema, please look into the possibility of salicylates as the cause. They are natural pesticides found in nearly every fruit and vegetable, almonds, honey, olive and coconut oil (and many other foods!) I recently discovered this list, as my 2.5 year old son has been suffering with eczema since he was 3 months old, and had been consuming high salicylate foods every day of his life! (We had already eliminated gluten, dairy, egg, corn, citrus and a host of other foods as possible causes!) There is an extensive list of low salicylate foods on http://salicylatesensitivity.com/about/food-guide/
Good luck!
Lara
[…] Treating and Controlling Eczema Naturally […]
Fyi to the author, it seems there’s a paragraph and a link about online casinos pasted into the middle of the article.
My exclusively breastfed son developed eczema soon after birth, until it went away in July but came back in September. The elimination diet didn’t make a difference, but we started CLO and it disappeared! The only times it has resurfaced have been times we didn’t give it for any reason (he had a stomach bug and refused to take it, and when traveling for a week). I haven’t found an underlying cause, but am glad the CLO works! Our pediatrician was shocked at the difference. Epsom salt baths have also made his skin super soft again 🙂
Can you tell me what CLO is? I am interested.
CLO is Cod Liver Oil. Very rich in important nutrients like Vitamin A, D, and Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids. Kate just got in a new Cod Liver Oil here: https://earthley.com/product/cod-liver-oil/
Eczema is also tied to liver function. The skin is your second tier detoxifier. If your liver if not working properly your body turns to the skin. For me this means leg eczema that doesn’t respond to food triggers like it does in other areas of my body. For gentle liver care try dandelion root tea and castor oil packs over the liver.
Just discovered this amazing band cream for eczema by Neutrogena ~ Hand cream concentrated really worked a treat! I can’t believe it
I’ve had eczema all of my life. I remember as a kid scratching the insides of my elbows and backs of my knees raw pretty much all the time.
We found out I was allergic to oatmeal and sensitive to wool. Cutting those out helped… I found out that my own sweat really irritates my skin, it does best clean and dry. I use mild soap – Kirk’s Coconut Castile works well for me – and I don’t even use that every day. I have to use unscented laundry detergent. I react to mold and mildew in the environment and need to sleep in a cool (un-sweaty) room.
I make my own coconut oil barrier cream for my skin – for one cup of coconut oil, I add .75 oz of beeswax and melt it all together (I’ve been known to melt the beeswax bits in the jar in the microwave until almost melted and add the coconut oil until its clear and I can mix it all together!) Olive oil is an alternative, use 1 cup Olive oil and 1 oz beeswax (in the little bits is easiest). Very gentle to your skin and healing.
In my case I deal with some foods (too much tomatoes can do it too!), but mostly environmental problems, either something that comes into contact with my skin (no wool! avoid fragrances, use gentle laundry detergent – this shows up where the fabric comes into contact with my skin.) or I breathe.
We have had amazing success with the Nemechek protocol: specific doses of Nordic Naturals fish oil. olive oil and the pre-biotic inulin. Like we can’t believe how well it worked. While on the protocol you can’t take probiotics, only inulin the pre biotic. If anyone is interested there is a Nemechek website and book.
I just learned something on my recent vacation. I was reading and came across the information that our cortisol levels drop in the evening and allergies flare up. I found that very interesting as I was going itch crazy when I went to bed at night. I tried taking Zertec right before bed and that was the end of that! In the last week my skin has improved because of just that simple treatment. On the other hand, I do seem sleepier during the day – but it’s hard to tell if its the Zertec or just the fact I wasn’t sleeping well at my friend’s houses. 🙂