Top 10 home remedies for eczema

 Eczema

home remedies for eczema

1. Coconut Oil
I use coconut oil for everything. It is one of the things that would absolutely be on my list in a you-are-going-to-an-island-and-can-only-bring-five-things type situation. We use it for skin, hair, teeth, health and even soap making at our house, but it is also great for eczema (as long as the person isn’t allergic/intolerant to coconut!).
I’ve found that for us, a thin layer of coconut oil or a coconut oil lotion bar helps cool eczema itching and pain. For those sensitive to coconut oil, these hypoallergenic lotion bars work really well too.
2. Sea Spray
For eczema that is wet/oozing, I’ve found that drying it works better than trying to moisturize it and offers relief. For this, we use a homemade salt and magnesium spray. I’ve often heard people with skin problems say that they felt better at the beach, and it makes sense. Between the Vitamin D, the magnesium and the minerals in the water, the beach is great for skin health!
For those who don’t live near the ocean, this homemade spray can help achieve some of the same benefits at home.
3. Fermented Cod Liver Oil
Sounds nasty (doesn’t taste so great either) but fermented cod liver oil is one of the supplements we take daily. From a past post:
“Fermented Cod Liver Oil (FCLO) is recommended by the Weston A. Price Foundation and is a great source of healthy fats for the body. This supplement is also an integral part of the tooth remineralization process as detailed by Dr. Price and by Rami Nagel in Cure Tooth Decay. These two help reduce inflammation in the body and lead to healthy cell, hormone and brain development. They are especially important during pregnancy and for children while their brains are developing.
Cod Liver Oil/High Vitamin Butter Oil are a great source of the fat-soluble vitamins A,D, E and K and as such are supportive of hundreds or processes in the body. The supplements are rather pricey, but we’ve seen a big difference from adding this to our regimen (including skin health!)
We take Fermented Cod Liver Oil in Capsules or Fermented Cod Liver Oil/High Vitamin Butter Oil blend in Gel Form.
Yes, the taste is terrible and yes, my kids do have to take it anyway. You can sneak the chocolate flavored gel into smoothies though.
4.TRADITIONAL CHINESE HERBS
A very difficult area to study, since herbs are not given for “eczema” per se, but rather for the underlying imbalances in the body that lead to eczema. There are a number of small papers showing positive effects and there may well be something to this. However, it is difficult to know which particular combination might be effective and an individual patient’s outcome may be related to skill of their practitioner. There is also some concern about heavy metal contamination of certain imported herbs, and even pure herbs have very real side effects that must be considered.
5.NATURAL THERAPIES
Coconut oil for alternative therapyMany plants and natural substances fall into this category, making it extremely difficult to parse out what actually works. Sunflower seed oil applied topically appears to have some very favorable properties in terms of itch, inflammation, and improvement of the skin barrier function. Coconut oil has antibacterial effects, which may also be of great benefit in eczema. A recent paper suggest that borage oil and evening primrose oil now have enough evidence to be convincingly shown as not helpful treatments for eczema, and these should probably be excluded from further discussion.
6.DIETS
Many patients and practitioners feel that diet is the secret of eczema, and most of us wish it were so simple. The truth is that there are many types of diets that are recommended for eczema, including: dairy free, gluten-free, low-allergen, no sugar, no dyes, no yeasty foods, alkaline foods, and many, many more. The reality is that, aside from avoiding foods that one is truly allergic to, of course, diets seem to have less effect in the real world than they seem to on the internet. There is no doubt, however, that some foods seem to be inflammatory, particularly in some people, and so gluten-free and dairy-free may make a difference in some. Avoiding processed foods is also generally a good idea, even if it does not help the eczema much. Eating natural, organic, and balanced foods is a win-win, so rather than argue against it, it is better to encourage it! However, it is always frustrating when a patient has been assured that diet is the solution and—despite their best efforts—the eczema seems to disagree.
7.PROBIOTICS
Healthy bacteria which makes sense given there is clearly disrupted bacteria both on the skin and in the gut of patients with eczema. However, it doesn’t play out so simply when studied in the real world: it does seem to help prevent some eczema when given to pregnant mothers, but has limited effect in children and adults once they have developed eczema.
8.VITAMINS
pills.gelThere are a number of vitamins that may help with eczema. Vitamin D supplementation, though still a bit controversial, is quickly becoming more mainstream as studies show both that supplementing vitamin D can help eczema, and that more severe eczema is correlated with lower levels of vitamin D. Safe and inexpensive, it seems a reasonable consideration for most patients. Topical vitamin B12 has been studied and has some compelling evidence that it is helpful. However, there is no commercial product as of this writing, and so it must be compounded in order to be used which can be expensive.
9. Soak the Oats
When everything else is failing you and managing your eczema is getting so complicated your head spins, go back to the basics. A plain old oatmeal bath (rarely) hurts anyone, and it noticeably moisturizes and soothes the skin. Chemical constituents in oatmeal have anti-inflammatory properties, which can help relieve discomfort brought on by inflammation associated with eczema. It also seems to work a treat when it comes to reducing itchiness.
You will need…
-Roughly 1 cup of oatmeal
-Cheesecloth, muslin, or something similar
-A bathtub
Directions
Pour the oatmeal into some cheesecloth or muslin and tie it off securely into a little bundle. Tie an extra-long piece of material around the top. Fill the tub part way and then use the extra piece to hang the bag right below the faucet. Run the bath until it’s full and the water is milky and smooth. Soak for 10-15 minutes before getting out, patting gently dry with a lean towel, and applying your usual moisturizer. Feel free to just let the bag float in the water after the tub is filled-you can give it a squeeze now and then to get even more of the good stuff out.
oatmeal bath
10. Tea Time
Chamomile is incredible at soothing the skin. It reduces inflammation, tames itchiness, and heals spots that may have been overly-scratched at. Its benefits are, for the most part, from a natural alcohol known as a-bisabolol, or levomenol. Bisabolol has been shown to ease irritation, reduce inflammation, and has anti-microbial effects, which can help ward off any germs that decide to take advantage of your skin in its weakened state. There’s no better way to surround yourself with these benefits than to take a tea bath. It’s quite similar to the oatmeal bath above, but with chamomile instead of oats. If you’d like, you can even try combining the two sometime.
You will need…
-4 tablespoons of dried (German) chamomile flower
-Muslin or cheesecloth
-A bathtub
Directions

Place the chamomile in cheesecloth or muslin and tie off. You can add more later if you want a stronger bath, but I find 4 tablespoons is a good place to start. Fill the tub part way and then tie the bag to the faucet so the bath water runs directly over it. Once the tub is full you can drop the bag directly in the tub and give it a squeeze now and then to get even more healing benefits. Soak for 10-15 minutes or so and then gently pat yourself dry with a clean towel. Follow up with your regular moisturizer if you need to.