Table of Contents
Eczema Remedies
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DISCLAIMER
Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.
1 YEA
[YEA] 11/14/2008: Susan from Dania, FL U.S. writes: "i have a skin allergy,that a dermatologist identified as being eczema, It appears between my knee and ankle on my left leg. over the past 40 years it started about the size of a quarter and for the past 10 or 15 years had grown to cover and area of 4in.by 4 in.....I started taking the charcoal capsules twice a day, each capsule aprox 280 milligrams..the lesion has shrunk to about the size of a quarter..no more itching and burning etc,also whenever i feel an sinus allergy attack i take the charcoal..i reduce the amount that i take when the synmtoms reduce..can one build up immunity, does anyone know ,or toxicity???"
EC: Much more feedback about activated charcoal here.
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10 YEA
2 NAY
[YEA] 06/20/2009: Bill from Cedar Hills, UT writes: "_____ Coconut Oil healed daughter's mild excema
Since moving from Houston to Utah, my 7 yr old daughter has had a few bouts of mild excema, where the skin on her hands turned red, then purple, and got very dry, then grainy and started to look like what we called "mummy skin." It was frightful to my touch.
When it first appeared, we tried some ____ Coconut oil (__________) on it. We would apply usually once every evening before she went to bed. Her hands showed noticeable improvement after several days. There was no trace of her condition after two weeks.
Since then, to make sure it wasn't a fluke, we tried other lotions and petroleum jelly when it reappears about every 6 months. They did not work. So we've gone back to using _____coconut oil the last two times her hands started showing that now-familiar appearance. We now apply it twice a day when we remember, and as before, there is no trace within 2 weeks."
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[YEA] 12/03/2008: Katie from Palm Harbor, FL writes: "My daughter Ava is 2 1/2 and has been fighting eczema since she was 3 months old. The only thing that worked for us was steroid cream. This was only short term relief and a new patch of eczema pops up in another place daily. We started rubbing the coconut oil on two weeks ago. It did not clear up right away and seemed really dry but I was persistent and applied it 3 times a day. The patch on her face that recieved more applications is completely healed. Her skin is soft and smooth. She still has some discoloration but the eczema is gone. The patches on her body which are covered with clothes are still dry but she is not itchy and I am sure in a few weeks that will healed as well. Thank god we read this website.
Katie"
[YEA] 12/30/2008: Mo from Amsterdam, The Netherlands replies: "I read this post at the beginning of December and decided to try VCO on my 1 1/2 year old's face. She started getting what seems like eczema since she was 3 1/2 months. I did not want to use cortisone etc. but it was "weeping" and itchy. It took a while but got better. However when ever she is teething it would return. I became uncomfortable with constantly using these creams as she is still so young and I try to stay relatively healthy - so why do this to my child. When I read this post I thought it won't hurt to try. It has been almost 4 weeks now and I am happy to say that the eczema is gone although one cheek still looks a bit red. She is not itching and she look just fine. It did take a while to work and I almost gave up because it looked worse before getting better. i used it twice per day. I have also decided to put some on her food and I only cook with VCO.Thanks a lot for posting - if I did not see this post I probably would have gone for the more speedy but unhealthy option. Thanks again."
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[YEA] 05/17/2008: Kim from Montreal, Canada writes: "Eczema: During many months, I had suffered from what seemed to be an incurable rash. It got worse during winter when the air was cold and dry. At that point, I also had chapped skin. I tried various things, but they were proven to be ineffective. I had searched for a cure for a while, then I found about coconut oil. Following a few guidelines, I stopped eating things that might have triggered my eczema (yeast from bread and such), and started eating food accompanied with coconut oil. I also put it on the affected areas. Within a few weeks, it was completely gone! I was relieved my stigma, that didn't seem to want to go away for a very long time, suddenly disappeared. I highly recommend virgin coconut oil!"
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[NAY] 11/30/2007: Kay from Toronto, Canada writes: "Hi everyone. I've been ingesting and using 100% pure organic coconut oil since October 2007. I have excema and keratosis pilaris. I've found that my keratosis has gotten better, practicaly non existent, but my excema has worsened. I find that it is drying on my skin and I would need to keep moisturizing constantly throughout the day which is no good. Not sure if that is just because of the cleansing properties of the coconut oil and the toxins are just making their way out of my system or not .. but my excema has definitely not improved. in fact, i've developed a whole new kind of rash. kind of a blistery raised looking rash. I had to switch back to using Aveeno on my skin and just ingesting the coconut oil. Has this happened to anyone else?? Should I be drinking more water? I only take a teaspoon of the oil a day and drink aloe vera juice as well, twice a day. should I just continue to take the oil and put it on my skin?"
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[YEA] 11/19/2007: Bill from San Fernando, Philippines writes: "re: Jock Itch and Candida: I had jock itch for years and years - tried everything and nothing worked. When I moved from UK to the Philippines I started researching this problem. Interestingly I found out that jock itch was a well known expression or symptom of Candida which worried me. So, I looked for natural remedies for Candida and came across the humble coconut. Much of the current research on coconut oil may be found on this site: http://www.coconutoil.com/research.htm
So, the gist of this was that I started to take 3 tablespoons of coconut oil everyday. The results were astonishing. Not only did the jock itch disappear,my eczma disappeared, my bowel movements became more regular, I had less indigestion and I sleep more soundly now. I was so impressed, I now cook everything in virgin coconut oil - I think it is far more healthy than any processed vegetable oil on the market. I've since also learned that coconut oil has been used in baby food for the last 30 years and people in hospital with intestinal trauma have their food cooked in coconut oil as a matter of course. The only other natural remedy I take is Ted's Alkalizing Remedy (Lemon bicarb water) which is available elsewhere on this site."
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[YEA] 09/18/2007: Liz from Nairobi, Kenya writes: "My 8 month old son has had eczema since he was four months old. I have tried many prescription creams that did not seem to work or worked for only a few days. A friend asked me to try coconut oil. Its worked miracles. I got results in a day. There was no itching and the dry patches were gone. I now make sure to keep a bottle in the house all the time. I have also noticed that water and soap worsen eczema, so when he has it, I avoid them on the patches and use the oil instead."
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[YEA] 03/29/2007: Marietta from Montpelier, Vermont writes: "Virgin Coconut Oil: My teenage son had raw, red and cracked skin where the ear meets the head. I remembered reading somewhere that VCO cures eczema, so I spread some on the backs of his ears after he showered. Amazingly, the very next day (after only ONE application) they were completely healed; no raw, red, no cracks! We also eat it often, on popcorn, straight off the spoon and in stir-fries. Yum!!!"
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[NAY] 02/26/2007: Kim from Wheaton, IL writes: "Coconut Oil and ACV did NOT help my son's eczema. He has had terrible eczema/dermatitis all of his life. He is 13 years old now and the older he gets the worse it gets...especially in winter. As I looked for alternative treatments, I read the feedbacks on this website and tried the coconut oil and ACV. Neither worked and the Coconut oil seemed to make it worse. It was the Organic virgin oil. I'm glad it worked for some people but did not help my son. Thanks."
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[YEA] 08/04/2006: Jay from Chicago, IL writes: "1 TBS daily of oral supplementation has helped by facial eczema and atopic dermatitis. I have become immediately convinced that Coconut oil is nothing short of a miracle remedy for the skin and immune system. I was suffering from weekly eczema outbreaks on the face, and within 4 days of using 3 tablespoons daily and dabbing it with vitamin E oil, I noticed an almost immediate improvement. The itching and redness stopped, and the inflammation was way down. I would strongly urge ANYONE who suffers from this condition to try it, because in my opinion, there is nothing else like it on the planet."
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[YEA] 03/01/2006: Bonnie writes: "It is the only thing that gets rid of my daughter's eczema and mine. In fact mine was really bad when I was pregnant and it was the only relief I found. I used to take primrose oil internally -- that really helped, but it never offered any immediate relief. When she was about 2 months she got a bad flare up on her forehead and it cleared it within days. As a side note lice was going around the school and my boys came home with it. She never got it (I think it was the smell of coconut oil) & they always put their hats on her head."
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[YEA] 02/11/2006: Amy from Reeseville, WI writes: "I use coconut oil half and half with butter to make my cookies or if the recipe calls for shortening, I use all coconut oil. It also cleared up eczema for me and my son. You can add it to bath water just a tablespoon or two. It works great."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 02/18/2009: LB from Reigate, Surrey, UK writes: "VIRGIN COCONUT OIL/TEA TREE OIL FOR DISCOID/NUMMULAR EXCEMA
I found that mixing VCO with Tea Tree Oil and applying it to the patch of excema several times daily (6 or 7) cleared my discoid eczema within 7-10 days rather that the 8-10 weeks it usually took to clear. Discoid eczema patches are usually roundish in shape. They are very itchy to begin with, and then become very sore as they form several tiny heads which weep. The patch then becomes very hard and thick and normally takes weeks to heal leaving a mark where it had once been.
I have also made a connection with eating citrus and flare ups."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 09/12/2009: Macky from New Iberia, La writes: "My son had severe eczema from the time he was a few months old. I took him to 3 doctors and was given prescriptions that didn't cure him.He scratched til he bled. One day after fasting I read that a deficiency in vitamin A will cause dry, itchy bumps especially on the legs.
I gave him cod liver oil in a cup of juice with a top on it (sippy cup) because of the smell. The next week he did not have one spot on him and he is 18 years old now and never had that again."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 01/12/2007: Josh from Elk Ridge, UT writes: "Hi all! What a great website this is...finally; I've been looking for a resource like this for years! Anyway, I have moderate to severe eczema that flares up in the winter and is more mild in summer. Anyway, I went several days without using steroid creams or immune system inhibitors (Protopic ointment)when I tried the following regime. I would take a cold shower, then spray myself with potassium alum (dissolved in water and put into a spray bottle) when I was still slightly damp. Also, I was taking 1 T apple cider vinegar internally twice a day. My eczema didn't seem to get worse until I missed 2 days of the potassium alum treatment. I even had a semi-cold bath with 1 C ACV and soaked for about 20 minutes, but I forgot to do the alum. When I do the alum, it helps my skin to calm down. It gets softer. I don't use lotion.
A friend of mine gave me the potassium alum stone with his story of severe eczema in Thailand. The generous people there gave him this stone to try and it cured his eczema. I've been using it as deodorant and it works very well; no chemicals or additives. I think you can get the stones at a health food store (or do a google search for them).
Get a clean spray bottle and break up about 1-2 Tablespoon size chunks of alum. Put this in about 1 cup of water and then fill your spray bottle with it. I spray a few sprays on my hair and massage it in my scalp. Some under arms for deodorant and then I give a few sprays all over my limbs and body, rubbing it into my skin. It has a weird texture; it seems to sink into your skin quickly - that's why the spray works so well. I'm thinking of trying an application in the evening as well and maybe by then I'll have more of a cure. Experimenting with the frequency... Let me know how this works for you. I used to have bad eczema in my hair that would flake all over; very embarrassing. I cured it by soaking my head with straight ACV and covering that with a shower cap overnight, but I don't like smelling like a pickle throughout the day. :) Now, the potassium alum has prevented it without the smell. Good luck to all, and hopefully we can cure our debilitating eczema."
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1 QUESTION
[QUESTION] 02/19/2009: Jessica from Toronto, Ontario, Canada writes: "I have heard that doing a colon cleanse can cure excema is this true? and if so what is the best type of cleanse? Also what can be done for infants who suffer from excema?"
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1 YEA
[YEA] 09/29/2006: Sharon from Boston writes: "Please delete my previous email from January and put this one in its place. This is the most successful remedy combination I have experimented with for dermatitis!
I have had an itchy dermatitis on and off around my nose for about 10 years. It was triggered after working in an office in Los Angeles for a man who smoked all day long (illegally of course, but he was a top entertainment executive so no one complained at that point in time). After years of smoking, the cigarette smoke was embedded in his furniture-- that's a horrendous smell to someone whose never smoked. Plus, think of all those microbes! At any rate, it took about 3 years to clear and then came back every time I would get around old, furniture embedded cigarette smoke. Psychological response? Maybe! At any rate, it came back again this summer after a few month respite.
But this time, I am happy to report that after years of playing around with every prescription and supplement under the sun, I think I have finally hit upon a dermatitis cure! It will only cost about $5... $.79 for the decolorized iodine, and $4 for a bottle of vitamin E oil. Here is my cure:
Using decolorized iodine for the face, take a q-tip and dab the dermatitis with iodine. If this is not on your face, you can use regular iodine. But it will stain you orange for a few hours.
If your dermatitis is on sensitive skin around your nose, like me, it will burn like crazy when you apply the iodine. Don't inhale the fumes while it is drying (takes about 10 seconds to dry). After it dries, apply some natural vitamin e oil. I open a large capsule and use that for several days before it runs out. Your skin will redden from the iodine and dry out, but the vitamin e will heal it and keep it from flaking. Keep this area moist with vitamin e oil all day and night if possible.
Do the topical iodine for 2 days, 3x a day. After the 2nd day, cut the iodine back to 1x a day. However, you will still want to keep the vitamin e oil on all day. After 3 days of 1x daily application of iodine, cut the iodine back to every other day. Continue every other day for 10 days (or less). Keep up the vitamin e oil every day until the dermatitis has disappear completely.
Let me tell you, the iodine and vitamin 3 oil starts to work on clearing up the dermatitis in about 24 hours! Initially the skin will look red and inflamed, but don't worry... the vitamin e speeds up the healing process.
I hope everyone with dermatitis (even perioral dermatitis) will try this cure. My particular form of dermatitis is one of the trickiest to heal so I am thrilled to maybe have a cure! I will let you know in the future how long this holds before I have to do the iodine again. Hopefully, never! Thanks"
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1 BETTER BUT NOT CURED
[BETTER BUT NOT CURED] 10/10/2009: Rich from Boca Raton, Fl writes: "I've had some success with this one. Desitin Diaper Rash cream. Ingredients are Cod Liver Oil plus Zinc (2 remedies already mentioned in here). The stuff doesn't work overnight, but it seems to work.
Note: it is known that Zinc supplementation cures facial eczema in cows, I looked for a zinc product.
Had some bumps dissapear and wrinkles/stretch marks go away and hair grow back in the affected area. I'd say 80% cured in 2 weeks. Kind of smelly stuff. Got a bit lazy on application.
*****
Eczema is often a misdiagnosed yeast/fungal infection. Diaper rash is usually a yeast problem. So I'm thinking this eczema stuff is like "adult diaper rash". :)"
10/10/2009: Avis from Indianapolis, In replies: "I have very smooth skin but whenever I have a break out of any kind I use Aveeno brand diaper rash cream and it clears it up right away. I have tried the Destin brand but if I am honest, I have tried several brands the Aveeno worked the best for me but the Walmart brand worked better than Destin for me."
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1 YEA
[YEA] Jimness from Torrance, CA writes: "After I dampened a small sponge with water, I poured a small amount of distilled white vinegar onto the sponge, which I then used to lightly scrub away the unsightly white patches from my chin. Although this vinegar treatment does not STOP the appearance of white flaky patches (which I believe to be Psoriasis), it definitely slows-down the recurrence."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 04/24/2008: Wade from Phoenix, AZ writes: "I suffered from eczema my entire life - I head it all over my arms and legs as a kid, and continued to suffer from it on my legs (behind my knees), my arms, and hands. After trying countless prescriptions, lotions, oils, etc., I finally found my cure - do nothing. I found that by putting these ointments and lotions on my skin, even though it was dry, it makes my skin itchier and weakens the skin for when you scratch - and by the way, I could control my self and not scratch during the day, but my itching was so bad that I would scratch unconsciously at night - very very aggravating). So do nothing - and ever since I stopped using any lotions or ointments, my eczema is gone on my legs and arms. My hand unfortunately, I still have to watch because doing dishes, working on cars, etc. is much more demanding on my dry skin - so every so often I have to work on that. Yes my skin is still dry - so sorry ladies if you demand having soft smooth skin, cause that I don't know how to fix. I got the idea from my friend in med school, who pointed out that people's lips who use chapstick actually will produce less oil because of the artificial oils coming from chapstick. Same with my skin - the skin will balance oils, etc. once you stop putting stuff on there. Some of my boys also have my skin - and we've instituted the same policy - no lotions, just let the skin adjust. It takes months some times, but it is the best option I've found for the long term."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 10/10/2007: JOYCE from Joelton, Tn writes: "On eczema, I believe removing the cause is the best cure. The causative factor is usually soap. No matter what kind - if it's soap, don't use it. One of our psychiatrists came in with a classic case of exzema (in his forties). I took one look at him and remarked, "that looks itchy, is it?" He said yes. When I caught him without an audience, I asked him if he ever tried leaving off soap for his eczema. He said he had and it got better at first, then got worse.
This almost threw me off track, until I thought to ask him what he used instead of soap. He replied that he didn't remember the name of it but it was some kind of medicated cream. I then suggested that he try leaving off soap again and not using any thing instead. He was surprised when told to just use a thick, wash cloth and water when bathing, nothing else, but agreed to give it a try. Several days later when he was next on call, he came in with the smoothest complexion and very happy with it.
People who forgo the use of soap also find that they have less body odor and attract fewer insect bites.
Again, on headaches, remove the cause, instead of looking for a cure. Aspartame (Nutrisweet) is well known for causing headaches. So is Monosodiumglutamate. If you want to find some other things they can cause, type in Excitotoxins, and hit search. For those who think MSG is only found in stir-fried (Chinese foods), make a list of the names MSG is hidden under in the ingredients list, then go into your kitchen and see how many of your foods have one or more of them listed in the ingredients.
Classic example is the 15% chicken broth that may be contained in a well-known brand of raw chicken that you must take home and cook...The MSG isn't mentioned because they didn't add MSG - they added chicken broth which contained the MSG.....Learn to protect yourself and your loved ones by learning these legal loop-holes. Oh, yes, you will also learn that that they are named excitotoxins because they excite the neural cells (Brain & Central nervous system) to death.
If you also research meta-bolic syndrome X (now called insulin resistance) by orthodox medicine) you will also find that excitotoxins are the same things that cause insulin resistance which ends up as full fledged Diabetes Mellitus,Type 2 which used to be called DM, adult onset, but was renamed to DM type 1 for juvenile onset and type 2 for adult onset, because children (even toddlers, are now developing type 2. So be your own health defender by learning all the names the excitotoxins are hidden under, stop buying these products, and write the supplier telling them why you aren't buying their product. You will only have to make one list because the excitotoxins are the same ones that makes us kick out excess insulin, proceed through insulin resistance, then to full fledged DM, type 2 and all of its complications."
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3 YEA
[YEA] 03/10/2007: Teri from Atlanta, GA writes: "I have been trying everything to help my 8 week old's facial eczema. Then I found that her eczema flared terribly every time I used a product containing citric acid. We once rinsed her pacifier out at a restaurant in one of our diet cokes. (full of citric acid) Her eczema flared TERRIBLY and on the spot. We took it out of my diet (she is breast fed) and stopped using all products containing citric acid. She is soooo much better. BUT is that considered an allergy or just an intollerance? I'd love some help."
06/28/2009: Kate from Adelaide, SA, Australia replies: "I would say that Teri from Atlanta is on the right track regarding citrus. I had eczema all of my childhood. My family and I eventually came to the realization that acidic properties were to blame, in particular oranges. Every since that discovery I have stayed well clear of them. I also have to watch my intake of other acidic fruits such as tomatoes, lemons, limes and even grapes. Your little one is so young, but even now you can record what you feed her each day and in another column you can write her reaction to that food, if any. Eventually you will see a pattern form. There may be one or more culprits. As your daughter gets older, the key is to put a topical cream on before she feels the itch. That is if you want to use that on her skin. I used to apply it once I had already starting scratching and by that point it was useless because it would just make me want to scratch even more. When I learned to apply it religiously (about 2-3 times per day) it would be more controllable. Stay away from soap, there are plenty of soap free products today that will be gentler for your baby's sensitive skin. The worst thing one can do is scratch an eczema spot 'vigorously' as that will only spread it. Just digging a nail lightly in or even just pressing against the itchy point is usually enough to relieve the itch. Remember 'Knowledge Is Power' so explore this condition as much as you can and you will help your daughter no end. "
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[YEA] 04/24/2006: Minni from NYC writes: "Re: Elimination of Citric Acid for Eczema - I agree 100%. Citric also causes me acne & headaches & sore throat. But I'll also add this: That Licorice is like the ANTITHESIS of Citric Acid. Why? Citrus speeds things up. Licorice calms things down."
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[YEA] 02/16/2006: Laura from Streetsboro, Ohio writes: "Just wondering if you had heard from anyone regarding citric acid allergies and eczema. When my son was a baby he had really bad eczema. We didn't know what was causing it until I started looking at the labels of all his food products and discovered a common denominator....citric acid. I decided to only use products that did not have this in it and low and behold his eczema cleared up. It was even in the creams I was using to treat the eczema. No wonder none of it helped. He is 4 now and when he gets a build up of citric acid in his body (because it is in EVERYTHING) he gets eczema breakouts again."
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ELIMINATE CORN PRODUCTS AND NUTS
[YEA] 11/13/2007: eva from fairfax, ca writes: "I stopped eating corn products and my eczema cleared up and hasn't really come back unless i eat nuts, especially walnuts."
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