The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Dietary Changes
Posted by Yooner (Oakville, Ontario, Canada) on 08/23/2011
★★★★★
Like a lot of other readers I've been suffering with eczema for a good part of my life, at least 20 years. I've tried everything under the sun... Both western medicine and alternative. I stopped using the steroid creams after reading about the side effects and tried the holistic approaches including acupuncture, diet changes, etc.
A combination of ACV and diet changes seems to have done the trick! My eczema has gone down significantly (been about 2 weeks now) and the flare ups only occur when I get stressed out.
I followed the instructions of what many other readers have suggested but added a few of my own changes:
- 2 tbls ACV in 8oz of water (twice a day - morning and evening)
- Application of virgin coconut oil on eczema areas (twice a day - after morning shower and before going to bed)
- Cut out *ALL* dairy, fried foods, soda, refined sugar (I now use honey instead), beef, pork, and wheat (gluten). I still eat chicken and fish...
- Increased the amount of fruits and vegetables I consume considerably
- Drink at least 4 8oz glasses of water per day
- Try to have a positive attitude as much as I can (we always have a choice on how we react to life events... Took me a long time to realize this but it's true. If you're interested, check out Heal Your Life by Louise Hay).
I'm hope this helps if you're at your wits end on how to deal with eczema. Good luck!
And last but not least, thank you Earth Clinic for hosting this thread and for sharing all this incredible information!!! Knowledge is power, it truly is.
Rob.
Apple Fast
Posted by Ashboo1 (Chicago, Il) on 08/19/2011
★★★★★
I am sick of pill pushing doctors, so I thought I would try the 3 day apple fast for eczema. It works well! I have severe eczema on my entire body (back, knees, elbows, neck, scalp, chest, arms, and ears) and have tried it all. I'm looking for healthy, and this is it. Thank you.
Apples, ACV, Dietary Changes
Posted by Marianne (Salyer, Ca) on 06/17/2012
Thankyou so much, Samuel from Redmond, WA. I reread your posting every few days, and am totally grateful for your clear information. It has been the only method that has proven to be helpful. No words can thank you enough.
Sea Salt
Posted by Cynthdr96 (Litchfield Park, Arizona) on 04/12/2011
★★★★★
My has had eczema for 3 years now. I have tried everything that the doctors have told me to do. Than just this year my started swimming at her friends house. They have a salt water pool... It was amazing, that night she came down the stairs and said look mom!!! I thought oh dear it got worse. But be hold my eyes her Eczema was so much better and almost gone. So since than I let go swim over there, and it is gone now. I just make sure that she put some lotion at night to keep the mositer in her skin. SO do a study on salt water with people with eczema, and see the difference for yourself.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Karl (Galway, Ireland) on 03/29/2011
★★★★★
Hi there, I was suffering from this debilitating condition (discoid eczema) for nearly a year. I had being to four doctors two of them "specialists" to no avail. I had to cure it myself which I did in six months. It's a very simple cure really. I experimented with a few different methods but looking back on it now the solution is very simple.
Shower twice a day. After the first shower spray apple cider vinegar to the wounds. Dilute to the amount of pain you can handle. Second shower at night apply shea butter or raw organic coconut oil. Use Dr. Bronner organic soap. Drink about 150 mills of ACV to bring the PH balence of your blood. Then consume Cellfood, Cellfood DNA/RNA, and Cellfood Silica and if you can afford it Cellfood multivitamin as directed daily. Your discoid eczema will be gone in 6 months. I have video evidence to back this up and I will send this to anybody who needs help with this terrible infliction. This is all you need to do people. It will cost $80 a month for six months... But trust me you will have your life back as I thankfully do now. Feel free to ask me any questions.
Honey
Posted by El (United States) on 04/21/2017
★★★★★
I love Manuka honey for ezcema.
Fish Oil
Posted by Elaine (Dallas, Texas) on 10/18/2010
★★★★☆
Eczema probably stems from a variety of reasons, and I think one of those reasons is TAPE WORMS. Many people have them and don't even know it, so I believe if you get rid of the tape worm, your skin will clear up. I have not tried ACV for eczema, but I take fish oil pills and they work just fine. It's not a cure but it remedies the problem until I stop taking the pills for a while. I had eczema since 22 and I am 33 now. Hope this helps.
Apple Fast
Posted by Tricia (Riverside, Ca) on 10/11/2010
★★★★★
I tried the 3 day apple detox, I had severe eczema on my back, doctors would prescribe hydrocortisone that would give temporary relief from itching but would never remove the ugly rash, I started the apple detox and finished in 3days the rash from my back has gone completely and no long itches. My skin is so smooth on my back and face.
Eliminate Dairy
Posted by Ca (Columbus, Oh) on 09/12/2010
★★★★★
I had bad eczema and my hands would crack and bleed. I was always looking for a new hand cream that would work, and found ones that would handle it but I had to constantly apply them. I almost never drink milk but I did eat cheese and other dairy products. After I eliminated dairy for a few days because I wanted to become vegan, the eczema on my hands went away. I was looking at them today and I can't believe how they look, they're fine. Very rarely I eat dairy now but it hasn't come back. I try to avoid all dairy products. People who have tried tons of creams but not this should try it. I don't need to use any hand creams now, my hands are never dry.
Apple Fast
Posted by Tanya (Orlando, Florida) on 06/11/2010
★★★★☆
I'm just giving an update on my eczema. I believe it just takes some time for the 3 day apple fast to work. Everyone is looking for that quick fix but healing is a slow process. The 3 day apple fast is a good start to clearing your eczema, just remember to drink lots of water and you will see results. My eczema is almost cleared totally up but the acne still remains. Believe me it's worth a try.
Baking Soda
Posted by Jean-marc (Gatineau, Canada) on 05/10/2010
★★★★☆
I have chonic eczema and use lots of cortisone cream that helps controll it. My skin was in very bad shape this spring, especially the neck. I tried sodium bicabornate (half a cup in the bath) and after two days,the improvement was spectacular. No more itching at night, my skin is soft, the eczema is gone almost completely. I don't think this is a cure, but it certainly helped me a lot. Good luck to all!
Discoid Eczema Remedies
Posted by Quiet (Wisconsin, Wisconsin Usa) on 05/17/2012
★★★★★
This will resolve the itchy blisters--makes them stop itching immediately and rapidly disappear. Apply 2x daily and continue at least overnight for at least a week after all visible signs are gone:
1. Wash with gentle soap and then gently with baking powder (sodium bicarbonate) Pat dry.
2. Apply thin coat of tea tree oil
3. Apply thin layer of coconut oil.
4. Paint effected area with thin coat of zinc paste. (I used one that also contained castor oil, was made for babies and had no added scent.
Cover effected areas to prevent touching anything. Is it contagious? Maybe. Clean everything In your household, using bleach when possible.
Those four steps are the heart of this treatment. I also took turmeric with pepper during treatment, but am not certain that is essential. (1 tsp w/ pepper 3x daily during active phase; tapered to 1 tsp / day during "99.9%" sure it is gone phase ( the extra week)
The first time I tried this, all blistering was gone in 10 days. Furthermore, at step 2 or 3 above, the itching stops, so you will be comfortable.
Good luck.
Vitamin D
Posted by Carol (Charlotte, Nc) on 04/01/2010
★★★★★
First off - I love Earth Clinic. Thanks to all of you who write in and offer advice. This site has helped me on many occasions. Concerning my eczema - I suffered from eczema all over my hands for 5-6 years after the birth of my son. It was extremely embarrassing, itched like crazy and made me absolutely miserable. I wish I could have enjoyed those early years with my son, but I did not because of the horrible itch, pain, and embarrassment. I know it was very much stress related. I tried all kinds of remedies - watch my diet, omega 3's, and multiple vitamins, etc... When my son went to kindergarten, the stress level went down and my hands got better, but still aggravated. It was not until I went to have a physical and had my Vit. D level checked that I believe I found the answer. Optimal Vit. D level should be over 50, and mine was 20. So I started to supplement with Vit.D and my hands immediately cleared up. Interestingly, so did that "redness and heat" within my body that I always felt was with me. I haven't had my level checked again but I am still on higher than usual doses. I also learned that if you are overweight, you require more Vit. D because the fat cells absorb a lot of it. Most folks supplement with 1000 a day but I take 5 - 6,000 a day. Also, I learned that going outside can work but you have to live where the sun is just right in relation to your location, has to be the right time of the day, and need 15 minutes of that sun on large parts of your body - like arms and legs. And in the winter in most of the USA, there is no way to get enough Vit D. from the sun. Also, there is a huge deficiency nationwide of Vit. D. And this causes all kinds of illnesses. There is a major epidemic of Vit. D deficiency. I found that when I got my Vit. D. level up, my hands cleared up, and I stopped getting colds, flu, etc... Actually, quite amazing. This is especially true of elderly who hardly ever get any sun and have lower immune function anyway. Bottom line: If you don't know your Vit. D, get it checked. If below 50, supplement or make intentional effort to get nature's Vit.D - the sun most every day.
Eliminate Dairy
Posted by Connie (Manitowoc, Wisconsin, USA) on 07/31/2009
★★★★★
I can't speak for everyone, obviously, but the eczema on my arms returns when I drink milk or eat ice cream.
Vitamin B-Complex
Posted by Lisa (Lawton, OK) on 12/01/2007
★★★★★
I was diagnosed with eczema many years ago. The Dr. prescribed some medication, but I didn't want to take it because I was pregnant at the time. Tried Vitamin B-Complex after reading about the benefits. I took 1 in the morning and 1 at night and the eczema started to clear up after about 3 weeks. I then started taking just 1 pill a day and if I get lazy and don't take it for several days, I start feeling the "itch" starting. This might help Jordan with the "itchy bumps". I hope so. I'm somewhat of a petite person; I don't know if body weight would affect the amount of B-complex needed to see possible improvement.
Honey
Posted by seagull (Atlanta, GA) on 07/03/2007
★★★★★
i read the suggestion of using honey for eczema - i mixed honey with some vaseline for easier spreadability and then put on cotton gloves - altho it took several days - it worked!! the palms of my hands are almost clear now - were really bad. great idea - tx so much!!
Jojoba Oil
Posted by Dawn (Pocahontas, usa) on 05/11/2007
★★★★★
Pure Jojoba oil has cleared up my daughters eczema ; shampoo without sulphates cleared up her eczema.
Eliminate Citric Acid
Posted by Kate (Adelaide, SA, Australia) on 06/28/2009
★★★★★
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.
Turmeric
Posted by SuSu (Sacramento, CA) on 02/03/2007
★★★★★
After taking turmeric, 1/4 heaping tsp, and then stopping, I realized that the eczema on my palms had disappeared and then returned when I quit taking the turmeric. I resumed and it's been gone ever since.
Table Salt
Posted by Celene (West Springfield, MA) on 11/18/2006
★★★★★
I tried using a teaspoon of table salt, mixed with a little warm water to form a paste. I applied it to the side of my nose (where the crease is) because i have a very itchy patch of skin there that I can't seem to stop scratching! Putting salt on itchy skin works! It breaks the scratch/itch cycle, but eating garlic everyday will help also!
