Kefir + Colostrum
Milk kefir and bovine colostrum both cure eczema. They are gut healers. My husband had eczema, and we finally found a cure. It's cheaper and better to make your own milk kefir. I found a facebook group offering free milk grains to make your own kefir, you just have to pay the shipping. Since kefir grains multiply, you can share them with others who need help. It's simple to make as well, and you can flavor it any way you like. We like to add a little sugar, frozen grated lemon, and strawberries to ours. Also, for the skin, if he broke out we would use first the dmso, then colloidal silver and aloe vera gel. You can skip the colloidal silver if you don't make your own; because otherwise it's too expensive to purchase. These seem to stop the itching.
Krill Oil
Krill Oil
L-Carnitine, Flax and Borage
Skin Update. Fatty Acid Metabolism Disorder.
Supplement with Borage, or Evening Promrose and Flax Seed Oil and Carnitine.
Totally Cured.
Eczema and dermatitis can be confused and be misdiagnosed, so forgive me for posting this here. This may help someone.
Symptoms: red, flaky skin, lifting off in very large flakes with white pustules like small cysts, forming rapidly under the skin. I did not have just the redness and broken veins that some people have.
It was diagnosed by my Dr. As "perioral dermatitis". It was a mess, and I had it for approximately 8-9 months before I figured out what it was.
This is for people who have tried everything. Believe me. I tried everything listed on this website and more.
I treated it as: a pathogen (like a bacteria like strep or staph), a fungus, mites, (yes, I drank the damn borax), scabies, leishmania, malessezzia, (seborrhea), acne, I tried three different antibiotic gels from the Dr, (metrogel, ciclopirox, clindamycin). I would get excited, because some things seemed to work for a few days, or a week but the condition always returned and got progressively worse. A fatty acid metabolism disorder will mimc the symptoms of Dermatitis with few other noticeable symptoms. My only clue came after I took a big dosage of Cod Liver Oil and I saw what looked like chicken skin under my eyes the next day. I knew something was really wrong. Started Flax, and Borage Oil capsules the next day. Took L-Carnitine on an empty stomach, (just happened to have it, and knew it was good for fatty acid metabolism disorder from a study I saw on the web regarding Acidura and Carnitine). The Acidura, (a condition of acidity in the body) interferes with fatty acid metabolism processes in the body. This, combined with a genetic predisposion called kryptopyluria and six cups of coffee a day meant I was not able to process fish oil of any type. This also explains why some of the other remedies like vinegar and baking soda, alkalinizing the body, liver cleanses, and the digestive enzymes seem to work for some people also. You will know within three days if this will work for you.
I saw healing within one day, the flakes stopped in three days and the redness went away in a week. My skin is perfectly clear and has been for two months. I still continue with the Carnitine, Flax and Borage only because I'm afraid to stop. Please note: I did topical applications of Sulfur, (sublimed pwder mixed into mayonese as a carrier) and bought MMS, (chlorine dioxide) previous to trying the Flax, Carnitine and Borage. The sulfur may have lessened the white pustules, but I still had the red, flaky skin. If the pustules don't go away, you made want to try the sulfur or the MMS.
Best Wishes.
(Murfreesboro, Tn)
03/04/2012
(Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
04/25/2012
Hi. I find this posting most interesting. I have been battling chicken skin for 2-3 years now. I do not have the red flaky skin but have been told I have rosacea. I am wondering if this could possibly be helpful as I have tried everything as well. I currently take evening primrose oil capsules irregularly and put a 1/2 tsp of flaxseed in my oatmeal each am. But I take a lot of omegas and am wondering if this is inadvisable. I take cod liver oil capsules; omega and fish oil capsules and seabuckthorn capsules on a rotating basis. My skin is wonderfully soft from these oils but wondering if it is also too much.
Also please note I did not take all these supplements until after a long time trying to experiment with things to try and get rid of this chicken skin/rosacea type condition. I would like to try just your supplement recommendations and stop all the others temporarily to see if it would clear up my condition - which to clarify is only on my face. I had actually come to the point of giving up trying to remedy my problem because I have worked so hard at it and never seen an improvement over the last few years other than they seem to be less prominent now then other times. I really could never figure out what it was that made them better or worse. I have been told I have candida; I was told by a dermatologist it was a hormone imbalance; so always a mass confusion and a constant process of experimentation.
I am 51 years old and have recently gone through menopause. Again, the symptom of these pustules, white bumps whatever you would call them have never actually left - even for a day. I have had times last summer where a couple picked off but none have come to the surface lately. I could never figure out what it was that happened at that time to cause the slight improvement at that time.
(Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
04/26/2012
Hi Maggie (fellow Calgarian) - I wonder if you have keratosis pilaris. While it seems most people get it on their arms or legs, some do get it on their face.
There are a number of cures here on Earth Clinic, including a homemade mixture of organic coconut oil, apple cider vinegar and lecithin (emulsifier). You might want to add a few drops of lavender - it sounds like it is quite whiffy!
Here's the link:
https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/keratosis_pilaris.html
Although you are taking quite a few oils, are you eating enough water-filled vegetables (like in green smoothies)? Supposedly that is the best way to get water into our cells.
A humidifier is a must here in Calgary. Exfoliate your skin very gently and rinse thoroughly before patting on a moisturizer (or coconut oil). Some people even put a 50/50 coconut oil and castor oil blend on their face at night (too heavy for the day).
Also, I believe there are a few forums on the Internet for people with facial keratosis pilaris but I think most of them opt for prescriptions and heavy-duty lotions filled with rather toxic ingredients.
Good luck Maggie! Cheers, Bess
(Uk)
10/23/2016
Thank you for posting that info, Dianne, it really makes sense for me, I haven't had eczema for 20 yrs, but had a recent flare up on my chin and under my eye. What's changed in my habits?
1) I switched from a more expensive omega 3-6-9 balanced supplement which included Eve Primrose Oil (GLA) to a cheaper Flax seed oil and have been taking a high dose for some muscoskeletal inflammation. It worked for that but maybe I overdid it and now have an imbalance.
2) I lost over a stone on the intermittent fasting diet where one only has 500-600 calsa day for 2 days a week. However I upped my coffee consumption those days and I work out. The combo of fasting, exercise and coffee would cause my body to metabolise triglycerides/ fatty acids from my own adipose tissue (fat)
I have been trying ACV, coconut oil, Citricidal and allsorts, but nothing has sufficiently worked. I have the qualifications and the knowledge but I didn't make the connection regarding my own body and EFA metabolism til I read your post, Dianne. Thank you for sharing! And thank you Earth Clinic!
PS that might be why the lady above found yeast worked - nutritional yeast contains active ingredients integral to the fatty Acid metabolism process.
Lavender
My wife and little girls have eczema, We tried some much stuff and the only thing that we could find that would work was lavender. My wife mixes it with water and not for sure on the ratio, but it works and does not sting, only smells good . John W.
Lecithin and Tryptophan
A biochemist recommended lecithin and tryptophan for my out of control eczema over 40 years ago. She actually stopped me in a grocery store and introduced herself and told me she could help. Cleared me up in no time.
I took three capsules of lecithin twice a day and two caps of tryptophan twice a day (don't remember the amt of mgs) until the bottles were gone. I have only recently started using lecithin again, two caps a day, to keep my arteries clean (I'm now 67).
I can't say enough good things about lecithin!
(Lithuania)
12/20/2020
Lemon and Pineapple Juice
I have had an unsightly patch of thick red scaly skin on the side of my nose for some years. I have tried many of the remedies cited on the EC site with only limited and temporary improvement.
When looking up my lemon recipe book I came across this eczema remedy.. "50:50 lemon juice and pineapple juice, applied hourly until cured". Well I didn't have any lemons at the time but did have the pineapple so I squeezed a little juice and applied a couple of times during the day and again at night. The improvement was dramatic. I continued with just the pineapple juice as I thought the lemon might be a bit severe on my face. I kept the juice in the fridge for up to 3 days.. It didn't seem to reduce its effectiveness by not being really fresh. I used night and morning for a week and now have only a little dry area of normal coloured skin. Perhaps a strict compliance with the remedy using lemon as well as pineapple and using only fresh juice would be a much quicker remedy. Try it out.. it certainly is worth it, and entirely safe and painless.
Lemon Juice, Magnesium Oil
I have finally cured the big patch of eczema which covered my upper right arm, after four years of trying many of the cures recommended on this site. Products which helped included ACV, iodine and clay. This was probably due to them removing the dead skin because, in my case, all moisturisers made the eczema itchy. I think the moisturisers were feeding the dead skin and not allowing the healthy skin to breathe.
My cure is probably a combination of lemon juice, transdermal magnesuim chloride oil and possibly overnight fasting of 16 hours e.g. stop eating at 7pm and breaking my fast at 11 am with a decent breakfast.
The lemon juice was a sheer fluke. My arm was so very itchy so I grabbed 1/2 a lemon which had been sitting in the fridge for a few days. The rind was hard and so rubbing the arm with the lemon rind was sheer bliss. Hours later the redness had disappeared and the skin was still calm, not itchy. I continued to rub my arm with lemon juice only washing it off before the next application. The lemon juice exfoliated all the dead skin which may be the reason that the itch and redness disappeared but the skin was still thick (lichen simplex chronicus) but not scaly so I decided to drench it regularly with transdermal magnesium chloride oil which I massaged into the skin.
When all the rough skin disappeared except for two extra thick "spots", I removed the top layers of dead skin painlessly from these lumps with a sterilised needle. It was about this time that I changed my regime only eating during an eight hour window during the day which means that all the food in my stomach will be digested before I tuck into breakfast the following morning.
Epilogue: I broke my upper arm four weeks ago and since then it has been envelopped in a sling so my arm has not been exposed to much fresh air recently but I have continued to spray my lovely smooth skin on my arm with the magnesium chloride and to date the eczema has not returned. Hurrah!
Magnesium Spray
I have found the perfect cure for eczema. I have been suffering a nasty bout of eczema on my back for the past few months. Pretty decent sized patch, approximately the size of my palm. Extremely itchy. In fact it was so itchy that I couldn't refrain from scratching it, especially at night, which of course caused it to spread. I tried everything...calamine lotion, tea tree oil, lavender oil, coconut oil, shea nut butter, calendula and chamomile ointment, and finally cortizone cream. Nothing worked.
So, I read somewhere to mix a small travel sized spray bottle with hot water, add a big pinch of both Himalayan salt and Epsom salts, shake the bottle real good, and spray that rash down liberally. Less than 1 week later the eczema rash is completely gone. Unbelievable. It cost pennies. It's worth a try for all you eczema sufferers.
Multiple Remedies
I would like to share my successful journey fighting a battle with eczema.
Eight months ago I began a low-carbohydrate diet (The Atkins diet) because I was overweight and this was causing my blood pressure to be high. My doctor wanted me to go on blood pressure medicine, but I told her I would lose that weight and see if that would take care of the problem. I had gained the weight over a period of five or more years when I was eating junk food instead of following a healthy diet. It took me only a few months of strictly following the low-carb diet to lose 30 pounds and get my blood pressure to normal.
Thankfully, I was able to avoid taking any blood pressure medication! Apparently the diet was working so well and so quickly that my body became overwhelmed trying to rid me of all those toxins I had accumulated during the years of eating an unhealthy diet. About four months after beginning my weight loss diet, I developed red, itchy and scaly spots - one on the back of my hand and a larger spot on my forehead and similar spots on my eyelids. I also had red blotches on my inner thighs, but these did not itch or become scaly. I believe all these various red inflamed spots to be eczema brought about by the toxins my body was trying to expel. In addition to the eczema, I experienced sore gums, tongue and lips. I believe these were all the result of toxins being released through my skin and mouth.
This was my first experience with eczema, so I immediately began researching natural ways of healing it. I soon learned from the experiences of other sufferers that the medical community might not be of much help, but that there are many natural ways to bring healing from eczema. I learned that eczema must be approached as a condition that is healed from the inside of our bodies rather than thinking that the condition only requires treating the skin. I gathered a lot of very good information, put it to use and have had good success. It took a few months to see a difference in my skin, but now all the redness and dry skin patches are gone ... only some slight redness on my inner thighs remains. The spot on my hand, forehead and eyelids have disappeared and the redness on my inner thighs is greatly diminished.
I've approached this problem in several ways and I wanted to share my experiences in hopes that it might benefit others. I treated the sore gums by rinsing my mouth with hydrogen peroxide diluted in water (3 to 1 ratio) and using only baking soda for brushing my teeth.
I rinsed several times a day and after about a month or so the soreness and sensitivity of my teeth and gums went away. My tongue still occasionally is tender but my lips are completely back to normal. Taking a zinc supplement seems to be taking care of the remaining sore tongue issue. From medical tests I had taken before beginning my weight-loss diet, I knew that my liver and kidney functions were not the best. When this eczema showed up, I realized that my liver function must be improved so that the liver can do it's job of eliminating toxins more efficiently. I began eating dark leafy greens each day and taking supplements such as milk thistle, B Vitamins, Vitamin E and C, and magnesium as well as taking a daily multi-vitamin. After a few more weeks of research into liver health, I added the following supplements which have really made a big difference. They are N-Acetyl Cysteine, L-Glutamine and Selenium. I highly recommend these three supplements.
To improve my kidney function, I began drinking more water each day. After a couple of months of this regimen, my doctor again checked my liver function and kidney function and they were normal. I was very encouraged and thankful! To improve my digestive system, I began adding lots of probiotics to my diet. I began making my own milk Kefir and fermented vegetables and consuming these daily. A healthy digestive system also greatly aids in removing toxins from the body.
My digestive system is now healthier than it's ever been! I plan on continuing the Kefir and fermented vegetables indefinitely. A note of caution when first adding probiotics to your diet .... begin very slowly; otherwise you may experience gas or bloating until your system adjusts to the healthy bacteria you are adding to your system. Begin by adding just one tablespoon of Kefir or the liquid from fermented vegetables each day and work up very slowly to where you can consume a cup or more each day. I believe warm mineral baths have also helped ... I add Epsom Salts, borax or baking soda to my bath water and soak for about 10 minutes before rinsing in the shower. I also find it helpful to apply a paste of baking soda and water directly to the splotches on my inner thigh and letting the baking soda stay on my skin for a few minutes before rinsing. When I had an especially irritated eczema splotch on my skin, I used zinc oxide cream and that was very helpful. In addition, I feel that taking baking soda internally is probably helpful to reduce the acid in my body, so when I remember, I take a half teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in water once a day, SUMMATION: I took immediate steps to improve my liver and kidney functions as well as my digestive health. This enabled my body to more easily deal with the toxins.
Perhaps that is why I only had a few eczema spots show up and no re-occurrences. My research has revealed that many eczema sufferers have skin breakouts over a much larger portion of their bodies than I did. I faithfully took supplements that aided my recovery ... particularly useful were the last three supplements I listed above.. I took major steps to improve my digestive health by consuming probiotics through my homemade milk Kefir and fermented vegetables. I bathed often in Epsom Salts, borax or baking soda. I used zinc oxide cream on eczema spots that were particularly irritated.
I've learned so much from other people about combating eczema and am so very grateful that my body responded this quickly. I also thank the Lord for guiding me and answering my prayers for healing.
Multiple Remedies
I'm a 55 year old caucasian female that has been struggling for the past year with severe skin issues, which I believe is a type of eczema. It started on the legs, back, and arms. I believed that I had become sensitive to shea butter, which at the time was the only product I used to moisturize with. I ceased using shea, and at that point, the eczema condition disappeared in those areas. Almost immediately, I began to have severe issues on my neck, face, and in the scalp near the temple area. This eczema acted differently. My face felt and looked burnt, and was weeping severely.
At this point, I began to use filtered water with baking soda to moisturize, then sealed the skin with an herbal cortisone salve, and applied an organic herbal moisturizer cream. The skin responded by healing itself of the burnt feeling/look. However, the main symptom of peeling has not gone away. The skin in those areas is similar to onion skin, and peels off. Sometimes, it extremely hard to remove, especially around the temple areas. It requires many hours of exfoliation every day, morning and night. If I leave it, it continues to build up, making the skin on my face, tighter and tighter.
I am taking ACV and a variety of supplements including zinc, vitamin b complex, magnesium, vitamin d, vitamin e, fish oil, etc. I have no other symptoms, although I do have other health issues, including Chronic Venous Insufficiency. Does anyone have advice for me?
(Somewhere, Europe)
12/28/2018
Mch, you can try eliminating dairy, sugar and grains for one week, and see if it gets any better.
(Sd)
12/29/2018
Thank you for the suggestion. I've wondered about gluten before, but haven't yet eliminated those three. I'm more than willing to try anything at this point. Thanks for taking time to post.
Multiple Remedies
Last summer, 2017, I started to get eczema on the top of one foot which seems to be caused by any shoe material. It was quite minor, just a few itchy spots here and there. However, this summer has been particularly brutal with itching and the spots keep appearing in different areas on my foot, depending on which sandal I wear. Hot weather and any sugar consumption definitely make it worse.
I have tried almost all the remedies on Earth Clinic's eczema section one at a time this summer to no avail. These remedies include topical borax paste, topical magnesium, Art's indigo powder in cetaphil remedy, lugol's iodine, baking soda paste, sea salt poultice, Himalayan salt poultice, topical apple cider vinegar, and finally essential oils like lavender, tea tree oil and mint. Most of those remedies soothe the area but nothing gets rid of it. Also to note: any remedy mixed in a cream lotion or oil like coconut oil makes the rash itch fiercely and spread.
The best remedy so far has been holding a qtip dipped in lugol's iodine on each itchy spot for about a minute as it takes away the fierce itch for about 12 hours. However, it also stains my foot and takes a couple of days to disappear. I am going to switch to decolorized iodine and try that next.
I was wondering if anyone had additional suggestions of remedies I can test.
Art, I am on day 2 of Pine Bark Extract supplements. That is the first supplement I am trying internally to treat this condition.
Thanks so much for any and all advice! D
Hi Deirdre,
You can try 80% aloe vera gel plus 10% xylitol plus 10% food grade vegetable glycerin and a little lavender essential oil. This should avoid the added irritant qualities of lotion based blends. Let me know if it helps and if not I will give it further thought!
Art
(La)
09/05/2018
Hi Art,
Thank you so much for your reply!
Yes, I forgot to mention that I tried your xylitol in glycerin application in July for about a week and it didn't help. = I also tried taking xylitol internally for a couple of months, as a sugar substitute, starting in July as well. No improvement, I'm afraid!
(Philippines)
09/05/2018
Hi Deirdre...I had both eczema and psoriasis when I had systemic candida all those years ago. After I used my anti-candida protocol for a year, my candida was gone and the psoriasis and eczema surprisingly also disappeared (never to reappear again). And I never used any topical remedies to get rid of these skin problems. That told me a great deal about the actual cause of my eczema and psoriasis.
So far you've only tried topical remedies for your eczema, and you've been treating it like a local skin infection. What I'm suggesting(according to my own experience above) is that your eczema may not be a local skin infection, but rather be an indication or symptom of a wider internal systemic infection in the blood (candida?). It's also well known that when people have systemic candida that this condition greatly lowers the immune system's ability to defend against other pathogen species. So, as I've mentioned before, you can also have many other pathogenic infections in your body caused by bacteria, viruses, mycoplasma and parasites etc as well systemic candida. This is well known from the research and this fact is what also confuses most allopathic doctors who, like as not, will always pounce on any bacterial infection as the main cause of your problem while completely ignoring other possible and significant pathogens (like candida or parasites) that may also be causing or contributing to your problems.
The simplest internal protocols that you could try for your eczema problem are listed below:
1. Pure Gum Turpentine: One teaspoon a day.
2. Lugol's Iodine.
3. Ted's Borax Water.
4. Alkalizing.
5. Ted's anti-fungal protocol - hydrogen peroxide/sodium molybdate/chlorella.
The above protocols will act to purify and disinfect the blood, tissues and organs in your body. My detailed anti-candida multi-protocol is shown here. Also, do not ignore the Alkalizing Combos at the end of the anti-candida protocols -- I deliberately added these alkalizing combos as a more convenient and simpler way of taking some of the recommended anti-candida protocols and they are very powerful.
Other internal nutrients/herbs that have a significant effect against systemic candida are shown below.
1. Marigold (Calendula officianalis). The essential oil and/or extract are both anti-fungal.
2. Quercitin. Has antifungal, anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm activity.
3. Resveratrol. Only use the resveratrol capsules that are derived from Japanese Knotweed(JK) and avoid resveratrol tablets derived from red wine. The resveratrol capsules from JK have a much higher trans-resveratrol content. You can purchase high-quality JK resveratrol capsules from Gaia Herbs.
What might also help you, if you're not really sure whether you have systemic candida, is to have the candida antigen test. This is a fairly new allopathic test that is accurate -- you can ask your doc for this test. This test checks whether candida is in your blood I.e. whether you have systemic candida. Do not have the candida stool test (which your doctor might recommend) because it is very inaccurate.
Just some ideas for you...
(In)
09/05/2018
Deirdre,
If you have done all the things, to no avail, the next step past the borax h2o2 remedy. Which is Ted's EDTA remedy. Adding EDTA to the mite spray.
Tetrasodium EDTA, 30% in 70% water. Let dissolve. I usually add 1% to my spray. You can increase it, but test on your skin, EDTA is powerful and stings.
Vitamin D in coconut oil is a possible topical too. To get those nutrients into the feet. Not one I have tried.
If Epsom, Borax do not work. The next logical steps would be humic acid and EDTA. Humic, can be made, 6% in water at least same amount of salt. I added to my humic a tbsp or 2 of ACV. I was rereading Ted's remarks and thought it was a doable option.
I take a tbsp, 2 or 3x a day, for my glyphosate exposure. Topically on a soppy paper towel. Applied to the area could be done.
I also buy Black Diamond Humic, 1 qt. It is pre-mixed and effective straight humic. Smoother than you can do at home.
MSM powder. 1/4 cup. Run it in the blender to make it more fine. Add 1/4 cup water, 1 smidge of alcohol, blend. This is a great base for adding to remedies, making any topical. MSM is not a cooperative substance. You can replace the water with a lotion or an oil. Castor oil maybe.
Because you have addressed the major causes of rashes, I would suspect this is a nano invasion or morgellons. Parasitic or micro invasion. If you picked it up from shoes or anything that is whitened. Titanium dioxide, becoming more prevalent everyday can mess with the healthiest to the MCS group like me. This monster just drives deeper. Too small to be stopped by our bodies natural defenses. If there is a morgellons component then you have to stop its progress and deliberately remove it. Hence the humic and EDTA.
Some other options, PEMF, Ted's light therapy, both would be good additions to your efforts. I suspect this is beyond a 3 day remedy. Longer more diligent attention.
Treat all your footwear and slippers. Spray your sheets before bed and after you get up. Using the mite spray with EDTA spray.
May I mention again, Dr Lonsdale's thiamine. This opened a healing and absorption door unlike any other for us. My 2 inch neck unknown thing. At the juncture of jaw to neck 2 inches of mystery. Never got hurt there. No reason for it. It just was there. Irritated. Sometimes it peeled or broke open. 5 years of some cycle I could never pin down.
This finally disappeared on its own. Only after I followed Dr Lonsdale's advice. It was not my reason for starting but it was one of the many great results I had from this 1 change to my supplementation.
Now that I have the book he and Chandler Marrs wrote. I refer to it constantly. The change in my supplementation absorption has been nothing short of a miracle.
When our daughter's surgery to insert a pin in her foot then remove it, we used DMSO to carry the remedies into that deep infection. I did not use it directly to the site, but the surrounding area. Giving penetration. I think I always incorporate castor oil with DMSO. They are great companions.
Whenever anyone around here gets hurt below or at the pelvic line, every few days. Progesterone cream, a smidge, and iodine gets applied to the skin nearby. It seems to wake up tissues to the healing you're providing it.
Janet
(San Jose)
09/06/2018
There is an outstanding product line called Forces of Nature and they carry a product for Eczema. Worth a try ...
Hi Deirdre,
I think the mix you tried previously may have been water with xylitol and glycerin instead aloe with xylitol and glycerin, but it sounds like you may have a pretty stubborn case. In any case the pine bark with egcg that you are taking should be helpful because it will lower your total inflammatory and oxidative stress levels, but those effects are probably one to two weeks away if you are already taking it at high dose.
In addition to that you can take high potency probiotics and start the xylitol again. This will be for the purpose of trying normalize your gut microbiome. This combination would be considered a synbiotic. It attacks both inflammation and elevated oxidatative stress as well as improves your insulin sensitivity, repairs the intestinal mucosa, increases your short chain fatty acid production in the form of butyrate, lowers high cholesterol, reduces triglycerides, lowers blood pressure, acts as a histone deacetylase inhibitor(which is important in your case), increases hydrogen sulfide production, increases glutathione production and overall this should help return you to homeostasis and your whole body to a much better state. As I mentioned before in many posts, the synbiotics have many more health benefits that I did not mention and are a straightforward approach to improve overall health and ward off many health issues!
With the xylitol, for maximum effect, you will need to take more than just using it as a sugar substitute because in this case you are using it as a prebiotic and will need to take 12~15 grams per day. In order to avoid gastric issues typical of many prebiotics, you will need to dissolve the xylitol in water and sip throughout the day so if you are already taking borax water, just add your xylitol to it and sip throughout the day. Good luck and keep us posted!
Art
Hi Deirdre, I too believe you may be fighting a nano bug, not eczema. My reason is where you mentioned coconut oil made the condition worse, I recalled from one of Ted's very thorough posts where he said when fighting certain types of nanoinsects, do not use coconut oil topically as it is a lipid (fat) and these things feed on lipids. You have received great suggestions, the only thing I will add is the very basics for the immune system, magnesium, vitamin c, D3, iodine and salts. And probiotics, the most diverse you can get from different sources, kefir, kombucha, miso paste, etc. Sodium thiosulfate topically could help, Google "detox with sodium thiosulfate" and see a familiar face on YouTube video. Otherwise topically I'd try magnesium oil with Oregano or Rosemary oil added, and whole body soak in healing mineral baths, borax, sea salts, clay etc. Best to you.
(LA)
09/09/2018
Hi Art, Bill, Janet, Cathy, and Teena,
Thank you all for your amazing responses and remedy suggestions. Very interesting! I will try them one by one if need be, but I wanted to tell you with great excitement that the Pine Bark Extract (aka PBE), mentioned as one of the main remedies in Art's psoriasis protocol, started to work on the 4th day.
It's now been 7 full days of Pine Bark Extract supplementation and I have no more itchy skin and all the bumps on the top of my foot have almost completely healed, leaving behind a smooth foot for the first time in 2 years! The healing process started to speed up when I upped my dose from one Pine Bark Extract capsule a day to one capsule in the morning and another capsule at night. Each capsule has 240 mg. Thank you, Art!
I stopped all my other supplements over the weekend so I would make sure this was the winning supplement curing eczema on my foot. Indeed, seems to be.
Here is Art's psoriasis protocol in case some are not familiar with it: https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/art-solbrig-psoriasis-protocol.html
I am very grateful for everyone's input and encouragement. I have no doubt all of your positive thoughts also sped this healing along.
Thank you so much! Will give another update in a week or two.
Hi Deirdre,
I am so happy that the PBE/EGCG is working for you! I think you will find that the eczema can comeback fairly easily for awhile until all of the circulating memory cells are reduced significantly, but on a positive note, I think you will find that the blue lotion will now have more effect in helping the PBE to clear any future outbreaks. If need be, you can also adjust your PBE dose upward for a bit to get faster control and then reduce a bit once you feel like you have good control! I have gone as high as 9 caps a day for myself, but I can not recommend that dose to anyone because it comes with risks mainly because of the EGCG. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!
Art
(LA)
10/26/2018
Hello everyone,
I wanted to give an update on my eczema issue. As mentioned in my last post, the eczema on my foot completely went away. However, one day about 3 weeks ago, I devoured a rather large-ish bag of gummy bears at the movies. Smart.
The ingredients in the gummy bears - Corn Syrup, Sugar, Gelatin, Dextrose, Citric Acid, Starch, Artificial and Natural Flavors, Fractionated Coconut Oil, Carnauba Wax, Beeswax Coating, Artificial Colors - Fd&c Yellow No. 5, Red No. 40, Blue No. 1.
The next day, oh ho no surprise, the eczema on my foot reappeared EVERYWHERE it had previously been and itched like #&%*#%*%*! I immediately took 3 Pine Bark Extract supplements, which helped the itch, but makes me so alert I can't fall asleep at night! Art suggested I instead add 3 capsules of PBE to 2 ounces of witch hazel and spray that on my foot twice a day and I have been doing that. It definitely helps.
Janet, I was taking Vit D3, up to 10,000 units a day per one of your suggestions and it didn't help. Don't think I have a deficiency there but I am still taking it here and there. I also applied your wonderful soothing foot salve before the gummy bear "incident" and it was very helpful. But once the eczema was re-triggered, it didn't really help much.
I then turned to Bill's famous turpentine protocol for the first time, which I must admit, have been hesitant to try even though it's been on Earth Clinic since the very early days.
I started with just 3 drops of turpentine on organic cane sugar. Felt fine, just a little buzzy in the head. I can confirm that you should make sure to drink a lot of purified water when on the turpentine protocol to help with the detoxing process! Wow... Powerful stuff!!
After a few days, I increased to 4 drops, then took a weekend break. I resumed the protocol with 1/4 teaspoon of turpentine, which was too too much so I cut back to16 drops, a little more than 1/8 teaspoon.
The standard protocol - 1 US teaspoon of turpentine - is approximately 96 drops! Not sure I am ever going to be able to take that much in a day. Holy moly.
So now I am on week 2 of turp and taking anywhere from 4-16 drops a day depending on how I'm feeling. It seems to be enough turp at this point for me.
I am also taking 1 to 3 drops of 5% lugol's iodine, though not every day. I get an intense, all-day sinus pressure reaction from lugol's at 3 drops in 8 ounces of water. So then I back off for a few days.
Basically it took about 10 days doing the above for the eczema to clear up... I am staying consistent about applying the PBE in witch hazel. I have one particular resistant and itchy spot on the side of my foot and I apply turpentine to it directly twice a day. Immediately takes away the itch whereas the PBE does not.
I plan to stay on the turpentine protocol for at least a year as Bill suggests in his posts.
Oh, I am also applying a thick coating of coconut oil to my feet at least twice a day. It no longer makes my skin itchy. I must need it because a few minutes after applying it, my skin has totally absorbed it! It's been fantastic. I think all the barefoot karate training I have done for the past 20 years has taken a bit of toll on my body (virus, bacteria, fungus exposure, etc) and I need to really up my remedy game. Thanks to all the absolutely amazing and caring friends on EC, I know I am in good hands and extremely grateful.
Have a blessed weekend!
(Usa)
10/26/2018
Hi Deidre,
I didn't review the entire thread but here's something that might help: https://www.edisoninst.com/15-benefits-of-drinking-lemon-water-in-morning-empty-stomach/
Wish you well,
KT
(In)
10/27/2018
Dear Deirdre,
Just some thoughts re your eczema.
When you said gummi bears, all my alarm bells went off. Not just the sugar either, glyphosates.
So reviewing what you have said. Using a candida diet, turpentine, various remedies, some things that fight all efforts to overcome always devolve back to fungus, candida.
I think the newest challenge this year and last is the increased amount of glyphosates used in food. The dessicating of farm fields with glyphosates seems to be be increasing greatly and quickly.
Gummis have food dyes in them. Often a trigger for stubborn existing conditions.
Myself, when exposed to mold, maybe some sugar in there, I get skin eruptions. The kitchen sink, ugh. This crazy stuff. Standing at the sink.
We have removed, replaced, rebuilt so much around this area. One small uncaulked spot. Boom. Eruptions. Along with other symptoms. Several different miniscule drips.
If you were my daughter, I would go back to the start. Probably at the very least a hair mineral analysis. Ted uses both chromium, vanadium. Not just chromium to normalize sugar.
Vitamin B1 thiamine, that disrupted absorbency pathway. In Ted's work it is feet and hands. Circulation. Extremities.
In Dr Lonsdale's work it is the inability to heal, recover. High calorie malnutrition. In his and Dr Marrs book. It is the beginning of the solve of more things than I can list. The solves encompassed within his long career are so vast. It has certainly been a recovery tool for us. It couldn't hurt and it may help.
Janet
(New Zealand)
10/31/2018
Hello Deirdre, I am sorry to hear that you are poorly?! Not good. I wonder if you might benefit from trying Flax Seed Oil, which, (among other claimed benefits), has the possible potential of improving skin conditions. Mine is a New Zealand, organic, cold-pressed, extra virgin oil that is supposed to be traceable from "Soil to Oil" (love that bit) and has Omegas 3,6 and 9 as well as natural vitamin E in it. You cannot use it for cooking, as it has a low smoke point but we dribble / "drizzle" the smallest amount over our evening meal reasonably regularly. Think it has helped my dandruff somewhat. Check out if you can rub it in?? It is also supposed to benefit joint and heart health, brain and cardio-vascular functions but WHAT are they compared to the dreaded dandruff which causes Social Death and Gradual Disintegration??!!
P.S. and FYI.... in the Kiwi vernacular the term "gummy" refers to an article of footwear more properly known as a "gumboot" (or "wellington" if you happen to be British). Invented by the Duke of Wellington when he was presented with the problem of keeping his feet dry at the Battle of (wait for it) Water loo... and the rest is history as they say. Megan and Harry have just to-day participated in our Gumboot Throwing Competition. Being a Royal can be such fun at times. So, if you have taken to eating your gummy, I would be tempted to earnestly beseech you to immediately cease and desist this unhealthy practice as contraindications may ensue.
Cheers from Down Under and get better ASAP. Michael
(Ten Mile, Tn)
10/31/2018
HI U OLE PATOOTS DOIN,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, may be preaching to the choir here, but I bring up this slate black oil, ICHTHAMMOL OINTMENT, that was a staple in every family's medicine cabinet when I was a kid. Few people know of it now.
Our Atlanta daughter is a registered nurse and has been in the medical field for some 25 years . She had a small splinter in her finger for several weeks that would not come out. My Tractor Driver told her to go get a tube of ICHTHAMMOL OINTMENT and it would come out on it's own in few days. She had to go to 3 drug stores before someone knew what the ointment was. She used it and the ointment caused the area around the splinter to fester and soon she just pushed it out easily. She was amazed. She had forgotten that we had used that on her many times in her youth.
My wife then decided to see what it would do for a two spots of eczema on her leg and they were gone is less than a week. Our tube must be at least 50 years old. Folks used it to draw out splinters, briars, and things embedded under the skin. Also used to draw boils or cyst to a head, ingrowing hair anything that needed “drawin".
In a mill in Arkansas, I got a splinter in my finger and went to the mill nurse to remove. Did not have emergency rooms back then, so she wanted me to send me to the local doctor. I told her to forget it, my wife will take care of it. Soon she turned in her resignation and I ask why? She said she was going back to school to get her Masters so she can teach. Good people, she was ahead of her time. She could not do her job, so she now teaches that same job. Sounds right to me.
Deirdre, suggest you try this ointment from yesteryear. It is still around.
====ORH====
Multiple Remedies
Finally eczema is disappearing fast after three years of trying most of the natural remedies recommended here. I realise that it is slightly premature to post my good news but there has been such a remarkable change for the better in the appearance of my skin that I wanted to tell other eczema suffers about my success. Even if it does not cure the eczema 100% (which I hope it does) the condition seems to be fading fast. Recently I started to eat lots of sauerkraut with my main meal of the day and have been spraying the eczema patches with transdermal magnesium twice a day. The improvement is outstanding and although the condition has not completely disappeared I have only been on the sauerkraut regime for just over two weeks now but hallelujah the itch has gone and most of the dead skin and inflammation too!
Concerning ACV in my case it calmed the itch because it sloughed off the dead skin. Moisturising the eczema helped create the itch because the dead skin was soaking up the creams and oils and they probably discouraged my skin from producing its own moisture while I plastered it with lotions and potions. I have had a modicum of success with Lugol's oil too as it obliterated the dead skin and tamed the itch.
The first and only other bout of eczema that I have experience was 17 years ago and I managed to clear that up immediately thanks to four treatments of colonics but that did not work for me this time round. There was no marked improvement after three sessions whereas the previous time, the eczema cleared up overnight after the first session but I had been recommended to have a minimum of four sessions so I completed the treatment.
Let food be thy medicine! Good luck!
Multiple Remedies
I found relief with multiple remedies.
1. Hot water rinse
2. ACV
3. Thyme essential oil
4. Coconut oil
I'll explain the routine. If I skip any part of this routine I will be obsessively scratching my skin until it bleeds and weeps. My type of eczema is from winter dry skin, and cleaning chemicals in my food service job -- such as the blue dye in the dish soap, and vinyl and latex in gloves, and the Sterilox that we soak vegetables and fruits in.
First, to explain the hot water rinse. This is a remedy that my midwife told me, for poison ivy or poison oak, and it works great for eczema itching, too. She said to hold the rash under hot running water -- as hot as you can stand -- and it will feel like the hot water is scratching the itches out of your skin. It's either pulling out the irritants, or the histamines, or both. Your skin will feel a huge relief after this.
The ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) is self explanatory. It's one of the top remedies on this website. I apply it after the hot water rinse -- I use the raw ACV from the health food store, that has all the brown stringy stuff in it. I pour it into the cap, and then pour the cap-fulls onto my rash and rub it in, undiluted.
After the ACV has dried and stopped stinging I apply single drops of thyme essential oil, and rub each one in, until the rash is covered. Thyme essential oil is miraculous! They found in studies that it has more anti-inflammatories than any other essential oil. It has a warm sting, at first, but it is a healing and cleansing type of sensation.
Lastly, I apply the coconut oil, to moisturize my horribly dry winter skin. Having done all four of these steps, my skin is at complete peace.
Now! All of that was for relief of the rash. But what about healing the source of the problem? Of course, I try to avoid the irritants, as much as possible -- for example, not exposing my wrists or the backs of my hands to the blue dye in commercial soap -- but it is safe to expose my palms and fingertips to this dye in the soap.
But what about the nutritional deficiencies? Vitamin D deficiency is linked with eczema. But, living up in the Chicago suburbs, I am already taking 8000 IUs a day (10,000 IUs is borderline overdose). Well, I found a website from a fellow eczema sufferer that talks about an enzyme deficiency. The website is softress dot com. Basically, to make the enzyme called delta-6-dehydrogenase (D6D) which makes a protective oil for our skin, we need zinc, magnesium, and selenium + vitamin B6.
Softress dot com says, "A healthy body produces natural oils that form a skin barrier that keeps skin soft and slightly acidic (pH between 4.5 and 6, depending on age, with an optimum at around 5.5), helping skin to resist infection by disease-causing bacteria. When the body is unable to produce these natural oils, the skin becomes very dry and the skin barrier is damaged, exposing the skin to infection.(4) To make matters worse, the body's immune system may overreact to common substances, causing inflammation and further damaging the skin.
Current research focuses on why the body is unable to produce these natural oils. Central to this research is an enzyme called delta-6-dehydrogenase (D6D), which converts the linoleic acid in dietary vegetable fats into gamma linolenic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid necessary for maintaining healthy skin. In both eczema and diabetes, the D6D enzyme may be impaired--it may not function properly. Levels of the specific vitamins and minerals required for D6D to function are often very low in people with eczema or diabetes. Nutritional supplementation to increase the levels of these nutrients may reduce or eliminate the symptoms of eczema and help stabilize insulin and glucose metabolism."
I think that the vegetable oil they are talking about is Omega 6, and that the best source of that is sunflower oil.
Also, I remember that I used to drink a tablespoon full of ACV in a glass of water, and there was no stiffness in the skin of my hands and face, but when I stopped drinking it the stiffness came back, and I could feel it in the skin of my hands, when I clenched my hands. I stopped drinking ACV because someone on this website said that ACV wipes the iodine out of our bodies -- but now I am thinking this must be nonsense -- and I am drinking it again, starting today.
So, here's the nutritional remedy for my type of eczema, caused by dry winter skin that is exposed to workplace chemicals.
1. Balanced B vitamin complex (too much of one will make you deficient in another, and physical or emotional stress will deplete you of all).
2. Vitamin D3 (the amount you need will be based on your skin color, plus how much sun you get -- website page from the Vitamin D Council will tell you how much you need.)
3. Zinc supplement
4. Sunflower oil supplement, or some form of Omega 6
4. Selenium gave me ovarian cysts, but maybe you can take it.
5. ACV
6. 500 mg of magnesium, at bedtime. It is better to take magnesium and vitamin D at different times of day.
7. Vitamin B6 supplement
(Ontario, Canada)
12/28/2016
Hi Rachael,
It looks like you are partly there in your treatment of your eczema. I have had various forms of eczema on and off SINCE I WAS 4 MONTHS OLD and have tried many things over the years to treat it (medically as a child and holistically as an adult). I agree that the hot water and the coconut oil treatments are great and have been using them for quite some time as required. I see you have also identified the current irritants and some of the nutrients to supplement your diet.
My greatest improvements came when I acknowledged the fact that the skin is part of the body's detoxification and elimination system along with the kidneys and liver. The skin is not the only thing reacting to surface toxins. The skin absorbs everything it touches and the blood quickly routs toxic material to the liver for treatment and/or elimination. Any skin issues are a reflection of the toxic build-up in the body which the liver is struggling to cope with. My first main skin improvement condition came when I realized that my food intake mix promoted an acid condition in my body and I changed my food intake mix to produce a more alkaline balance. This allowed the liver and kidneys to do their jobs more effectively. Also the severity of the itchiness ‘attacks' went down considerably.
Secondly, doing liver cleanses helped with the liver overload and reduced the frequency and severity of the eczema. I still have a way to go but hopefully you can find something useful in my story.
(New York)
06/16/2017
Hi, my daughter is 7 months old, has had bed eczema since 2 months old. She is breast fed and formula fed since 2 months old. Her diet consist of enfamil formula, squash, carrots, peas, brown rice, strawberry, apple, pear, banana. What is consideded an akaline diet? How do I help her skin naturally from within to outside? Thanks so much
(London Uk)
06/17/2017
(Tn)
06/17/2017
Dear Hb,
I am so sorry to hear about your baby's eczema!
I would take her off strawberries for a while, especially if they are not organic.
If it would be possible for you to make goat milk kefir fresh, that is the first thing I would be trying. If not, some high quality plain yogurt (maybe with some of the fruits you give her.) I think Fage is a good one.
Topically for relief, if you could find a plantain or calendula salve at your health food store it may provide some relief. It isn't hard to make and I can walk you through how to do that if you think you would want to make your own.
I would also try some baths with baking soda or Epsom salt or raw organic apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup if a tub of warm water.
Did the eczema begin when you began the formula? Have you tried any other types? What does the pediatrician think is the cause?
I hope you find relief for her soon!
~Mama to Many~
(New Zealand)
06/18/2017
Hi Jb, Regarding Eczema and the strawberries etc...whilst strawberries are supposed to have beneficial effects (and are nice to have also of course) I would be suspicious of introducing them in large amounts too early in life. It would be nice to know where they come from of course. (The strawberries that is - not the babies). I know variety is supposed to be the "spice of life" BUT I wonder if we are over-doing things these days, especially for an infant whose digestive system has not fully developed. You can't run before you can walk eh?
Cheers, Michael
(Chicago)
06/19/2017
I thought of two more things to help after making my last comment. One is -- you are giving her formula. Are you using tap water, or fluoridated water to make her formula? Because both of those have fluoride, and tap water also has chlorine -- and fluoride and chlorine cause eczema, because the body is trying to detox these toxins through the skin. I take gallon containers to my local grocery or health food store and refill them with water that has been filtered, run through reverse osmosis, and treated with ultraviolet light. When I move to a new area, I try all the sources of this kind of refillable water -- to find which location has the best tasting water. I would use this kind of water to make baby's formula with.
Secondly, I would give her organic coconut oil -- probably in her formula. I read Adelle Davis' book called Let's Eat Right To Keep Fit, and in it she writes of a baby that had eczema, and she fed the baby vegetable oil, because he had been on a low fat diet. The baby was ravenous for the vegetable oil, and it healed his eczema. I'd put coconut oil in baby's formula, because it is the BEST vegetable oil of all, and also kills viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi! As for how much coconut oil to give a person, I just follow my instincts, although you might want to online search on that as well. It's been a long time since my kids were babies.
(Chicago, Illinois)
06/19/2017
I would look into vitamin D supplementation. My online searches show that when babies have eczema, it's due to vitamin D deficiency. However, please do your research, and consult your pediatrician about supplementation -- as it can be dangerous to give babies vitamin and mineral supplements. Basically, you want to be sure not to overdose, with a baby or child.
After you find out what the safe limit on vitamin D is, I would squeeze the vitamin D3 gelcap into baby's food.
Also, try to get her out in the sun, to make her own vitamin D. The best part of our body for making vitamin D is the upper arms, and the oil on our skin is necessary for the creation of vitamin D -- so let her skin accumulate oil! And no sunscreen! To prevent burning, avoid getting refined sugar into her system before going out in the sun. It is refined sugar that causes us to burn. Also, if you are worried about sun damage, get lycopene into her. Lycopene fights skin cancer, and it is the red pigment found in tomatoes, in tomato products like ketchup, and in watermelon.
There might be some B vitamin that also is deficient in babies who have eczema. I think I might have come across it in my online searching about B vitamins. You might want to look that up.
As for trying to control symptoms of any malady with diet -- aaaaghhh! I have NEVER seen diet change cure anything! Except that switching to healthy foods can stop weight gain -- that is the only one. I have not seen diet change stop gassy tummy distress in babies. I have not seen diet change relieve depression or Attention Deficit Disorder in any way whatsoever. I have not seen diet change help with ANYTHING. I say, if humans have been eating it for thousands of years, and it tastes good and makes you feel good -- then eat it!
---------------
I thought of two more things to help after making my last comment. One is -- you are giving her formula. Are you using tap water, or fluoridated water to make her formula? Because both of those have fluoride, and tap water also has chlorine -- and fluoride and chlorine cause eczema, because the body is trying to detox these toxins through the skin. I take gallon containers to my local grocery or health food store and refill them with water that has been filtered, run through reverse osmosis, and treated with ultraviolet light. When I move to a new area, I try all the sources of this kind of refillable water -- to find which location has the best tasting water. I would use this kind of water to make baby's formula with.
Secondly, I would give her organic coconut oil -- probably in her formula. I read Adelle Davis' book called Let's Eat Right To Keep Fit, and in it she writes of a baby that had eczema, and she fed the baby vegetable oil, because he had been on a low fat diet. The baby was ravenous for the vegetable oil, and it healed his eczema. I'd put coconut oil in baby's formula, because it is the BEST vegetable oil of all, and also kills viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi! As for how much coconut oil to give a person, I just follow my instincts, although you might want to online search on that as well. It's been a long time since my kids were babies.
Multiple Remedies
My heart goes out to everyone and their stories, thank you for sharing. This is my story:
My eczema started at age 18, inside elbows and knees. Doctors and their steroids? Not a realistic long term solution.
Every case and effective treatment is as different as those who suffer from it.
At age 28, I decided to address my inner demons, addressing what I thought was emotionally upsetting, long story.... insecurities related to our culture and sexuality, self worth, seeking validation from others, too much to list, but alas, my skin started getting better.
Also, I also tried eliminating gluten from diet???I lost some weight, but nothing noticeable after 6 weeks, as far as eczema.
This was all while living in western WA.(Was born and raised in southern CA until I moved to Seattle at age 15 in 1984) One doctor early on (1995), suggested the humidity in this area was largely to blame. I moved to Chico CA for 3 years. 2000 to 2003, it got better. In fact, I moved back to Seattle in 2003 and don't recall it acting up again for a few years, even in the Seattle winters. Winters in AZ? (2013 and 2014) awesome. Back to WA and in one years it came back. With a vengence this winter.
Obviously food is a factor in all health, I haven't had the patience to overhaul my diet, but I am getting better at staying very far away form fast food and over processed food. In the mean time...... what has helped with this last bout?
Learning to not focus on how bad it is and be more proactive. treating the symptoms? I read for years about oatmeal baths, but also, making a paste of fine ground oatmeal (colloidial). I was at my wits end and while getting a bath ready, I made a paste with colloidial oatmeal and water, smeared it on my arms and legs, sat for 20 minutes listening to Abraham Hicks (youtube it) about skin disorders. then I soaked in the oatmeal bath. the next day, skin started to exfoliate a lot more.
DRY BRUSHING!!!! A stiff natural bristle brush. I thought it would tear up my skin but first I started with a softer brush to get used to it. Plus, it is a nice way to relieve itch without breaking skin. A few days later, I used a brush with stiffer bristles. WOW! Some suggest to brush from feet to heart area, then hands to heart area. Supposed to stimulate lymph system. help with circulation. Visible results....mass exfoliation! The amount of dead skin I swept off the bathroom floor was astonishing. makes perfect sense, moisturizing dead skin cells is not that effective.
So, the first week, I dry brushed morning and evening. Now once a day. MOISTURIZING? Many people say coconut oil helps. Not me. Just kept my skin itchy. Shea Butter? YES!
First I bought Shea butter with frankincense and myrrh. It seemed to actually help. I gave up on drugstore lotions like Euerin, and CeraVe. I then used plain shea butter, not so effective.... I read more about frankincense and myrrh. The first essential oil helps sooth the itch, the latter is said to help heal skin faster. It is the first moisturizer that has made a difference.
I ordered raw pure organic unrefined shea butter and mixed frankincense and myrrh essential oils with it, about 20 drops of each to a pound of shea butter. seems to be helping. After the first week of dry brushing 2x a day, the pile of dead skin cells on the bathroom floor reduced drastically.
The eczema on my wrists was the worst so I have been applying triamcimilone to help, and it does, several times a day. and my face was getting bad too. There is a steroid, desonide? Sort of worked for me on my face. Remembering a doc who gave me Elocon (brand name, generic is good, not recalling name now) Worked even better than desonide for my face. and cheaper!
Eczema is torture, and add the depression that comes with it, extra torture when one is too depressed to even make an effort. Again, everyone is different and what worked for one person didn't work for me (i.e. apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, drug store lotion.) Yes, the shea butter is a little "greasy", but, take the time to let it soak in before getting dressed. and wear cotton!
A big help is a psychological approach.... remember that you are worth taking care of!!!! I was too depressed to do this. But instead of getting frustrated by the time it takes to rub dabs of steroid on all the little lesions, and then to warm the shea butter in hands so it can spread, on every square inch of my skin.....I tell myself that I am worth taking care of myself and taking the time to do it. Its not a chore or a burden, but a treat I am worthy of. I believe much of eczema is physiological, but the rest is emotional.
I hope this helps someone!
Exfoliate with dry brushing and oatmeal paste. (Store bought colloidal oatmeal can get spendy. I put about a cup of oatmeal in blender for a few minutes, easing the upper outsides down with a fork, but dont put fork in too deep or it hits the blades....get it as fine as you can. I then put it all in a double layer cheese cloth, tie up end with a rubber band. Put it in bath water, squeeze the dissolved oatmeal from cheescloth repeatedly into bath water as it runs. Open cheesecloth in a mixing bowl with a little water to make a paste that is stiff enough to stick to skin, not too watery. the first time I got it just right. The second time I did not grind the oats fine enough. You cant get it too fine. It will take about 5 minutes with a blender.
Moisturize with shea butter infused with frankincense and myrrh ( I blend it all with a hand mixer in a bowl, then scoop it into glass mason jars. )
and most importantly.....
BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE WORTHY OF SELF CARE AND SELF LOVE!!!!
In reply to Stephanie (Washington),
Recent studies are suggesting that there is a correlation between vitamin d status (25 OH d serum level) and eczema or atopic dermatitis. You mentioned that your eczema worsened in Washington and improved in Arizona and that it did not start until you moved from Southern California to Washington.
In Southern California you would have been getting more UVB exposure and consequently a higher 25 OH d level than you would get in Washington.
You also said that it started around the age of 18 which would have been when you finished high school. Thinking back to high school, I remember being in the sun a lot because of all of the outdoor activities associated with being in high school and I also remember that it seemed like I got a lot less sun exposure after high school. It may be that this chain of events was enough to get your serum 25 OH d level into the insufficient or deficient range and possibly make it easier for eczema to take hold.
In any case, it seems like an easy enough and inexpensive enough thing for your dermatologist to get your vitamin d level into the optimum range to find out if it can have a positive effect in controlling or eliminating your eczema. Below 30 ng/ml is considered insufficient and below 20 ng/ml is deficient. The reference range is 30~100 ng/ml.
Some cancer studies have shown that being around the 75 ng/ml area may help to reduce risk of certain cancers.
Here are some recent studies suggesting that there may be a relationship between vitamin d and eczema or atopic dermatitis.
Http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/12/789
Https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28017448
Https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25282565
Art
