DevG (Chicago, IL) on 09/15/2006:

My suggestions :

-- salt rub (preferably in the shower or bathtub)
Use simple plain table salt.
Mix salt with a little warm water to form a firm pasty mixture that's not runny.
Rub this mixture on the skin to relieve the itch without scratching too deeply or causing bloodshed. Salt in a wound burns which in this case satiates the itch desire. The salt helps the skin understand to produce good oils and good stuff so that the skin can learn how to moisten itself.
If one gets too much salt on or it burns a little, use water to rinse the salt and the sting away.

-- (preferably after salt treatment) Dr. Bronner's Mint liquid soap available at health food stores and at Trader Joes. Trader Joe costs about $9 per 32oz bottle.

This helps. This eases itching and feels good and keeps the skin moist. Helps the skin heal. It's good. It works well in tandem with the salt.

-- tiger balm

Apply tiger balm to affected areas. It seems to help decrease the itching desire. I have not used this method in many years. I don't remember how it works exactly except that it has helped me in the past.

-- gasoline (I don't really recommend this...) Once, I spilled gasoline on my hand with eczema on it...the gasoline seemed to have caused the eczema to go away.