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.
Probiotics
Posted by Steve (Naples, Florida) on 03/17/2011
★★★★★
The problem with Eczema is that it is usually a systemic problem caused by an overgrowth of candida. So one has to adhere to a strict diet of meats, vegetables, and salads until the rash is gone. Avoid anything that is sweet including fruits. Also avoid potatoes, pasta, bread, rice, mushrooms, cereal, dairy products, etc. Absorbine jr. works to kill the candida ( fungus ) from the outside but if your diet is poor it will keep coming back. Take probiotics in addition to absorbine jr to accelerate the dieing off of the internal candida. Apply the absorbine 4 times a day and take one packet of probiotics per day. If you are over 50 yrs old like I am , you need to take betaine HCL with each protein meal ( 2 - 600 mg tabs ) because most older people's stomachs do not produce enough HCL and undigested protein enters the blood and the body produces addition candida in the gut to counter the problem. I did all of these things and within 2 weeks my eczema was completely gone.
The medical industry is so corrupt that they think eczema is a genetic problem that each patient has to endure for life. They give you steriod products that only attack the symtoms and the same time it damages healthy tissue. Avoid doctors like the plague. Thank God we have this forum to help get thr truth out. Thank you earthclinic!
Honey
Posted by Alan (Oldham, Uk) on 01/08/2011
★★★★★
My wife as a child had eczema all over her body, my understanding of her problem hit home when now in her late 50s she got eczema all over her hands. We tried everything from doctor to tales of old. Her fingers split and weep and eruptions between the fingers cause itching.
Our current remedy which does work on the spliting of the skin is either a bandage or plaster with a small amount of pure honey next day the spliting has healed and most of the soreness gone. What we have not tried yet because she cant stand the stuff is eating it to see if it eases her by internal. Could I ask that if anyone has eczema and likes pure blossom honey please try it and publish your findings this will help all other sufferers out there.
Hot Water
Posted by Elizabeth (Nashville, Tn) on 08/12/2010
I agree that the hot, HOT water treatment does relieve my eczema on my hands... I know it's probably not the best thing to do but it's the only thing that relieves that intolerable, unbearable itching. You do get goosebumps from the icredible relief you get from it too!! Ha! I thought I was the only one. I try to follow up with a fragrance free lotion or coconut oil to prevent over drying of the affected areas. It usually clears up on its own in a couple of weeks.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda
Posted by Bajan Sands (Union Hall, St Philip, Barbados) on 10/20/2010
★★★★☆
This is Sandra from Barbados with an update. I have continued my quest for eczema relief. I changed up the routine a bit. Drinking the Apple Cider Vinegar was not working well for me as a daily option so I stick using it as "skin cleanser" after my showers each day & drinking only sometimes. I have also started to make my own body moisturizer, which is going very well.
My main ingredients being coconut oil, mango butter, shea butter & vegetable glycerin. I put other oils reputed to be beneficial to the skin as I feel like. I take some supplements too: probiotics, flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil & also drink black seed oil, usually once daily. I'm keeping positive & I continue to see improvements. Some very small patches have become raised again, tiny in comparison to how they were, but when I work on these a bit more they tend to subside. I recently started treating the more stubborn patches with neem oil. I will watch & update my reactions in due course. My daughter who was visiting from London, told me within minutes of meeting her at the airport she could see a big difference in the look & feel of my my skin & wants a tub of the body cream for herself. I no longer scratch myself constantly all day long or in my sleep at nights. I do still itch but only sometimes. I no longer feel my skin is my enemy.
In a nutshell, I have to say big thanks, once again, to Earth Clinic who started me off on this discovery, given me hope when I really thought there was none. I will continue to tweak my routine according to how my skin performs, but for now acv, organic coconut oil based moisturizer plus a few supplements are doing a good job.
Evening Primrose Oil
Posted by Sara (The Beach, Canada) on 05/22/2010
★★★★★
I recently had a mild flare up of eczema and while I was at the pharmacy looking for relief I was told by a woman that she was completely cured of her eczema with evening primrose oil. I bought the creme and I bought evening primrose. I decided to see what the EP would do so I didn't use the creme. the first week I noticed a marked improvement, to my amazement the second week even the worst patches were gone. I don't know why it worked but it did. Sara
Olive Oil
Posted by Ann Rose (Minneapolis, Minnesota) on 04/08/2011
★★★★★
I used olive oil as a lotion directly on my eczema. The first time it was like my skin gave a sigh of relief. Everyday the patch got smaller and smaller until it was gone within about 2 weeks. Now I use olive oil and grape seed oils as moisturizers and haven't had any eczema for over a year, even though we just got through one of our worst winters ever.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Almond Oil
Posted by Saphi (Toronto, Ontario Canada) on 10/25/2009
★★★★★
I was reading everyone's testimonials and it gave me hope that ACV would clear my eczema that I've had for so long (since when I was 14, I'm now 21)and was irritated that my doctor couldn't help clear it and all he ever gave me was steroids to slow it down...What I did was pour of ACV on a cotton ball (soak it) and rubbed it on the places where the eczema was. Because it stings so bad I had a bottle of Sweet Almond Oil and rubbed it on the same spot where the eczema was to immediately stop the stinging and help with the healing of the skin. You can get a small bottle health food stores for around $6, I know it's expensive but it's worth it. I did this for about a week and it cleared up my eczema. I also drink 2 tbsp. of ACV in bottle water daily (tastes bad but bear with it!) to kill the eczema bacteria inside my body.
Diaper Rash Cream
Posted by Rich (Boca Raton, Fl) on 10/10/2009
★★★★☆
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". :)
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Marsha (Freeport, Bahamas) on 04/25/2008
★★★★★
I have just spent two hours reading testimonials from your readers about hydrogen peroxide. While taking a break I used the product on a flaky itchy area between my eyes above the nose and would you believe its gone already. I am going to use this remedy at least three time a week, but I will add some oil to it.
Do Nothing
Posted by Wade (Phoenix, AZ) on 04/24/2008
★★★★★
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.
Iodoral Tablets
Posted by Debbie (Philadelphia, PA) on 04/23/2008
★★★★★
Hi there, I've suffered from mild to severe eczema for decades. Lately, it has gotten worse with my hands openly bleeding. A month ago, I started taking Iodoral tablets (iodine-potassium) because i was told it's good for my hypothyroid condition. But a surprising thing happened! My hands got a lot better within days! I don't know if it's the iodoral for sure, but that was the only new thing I introduced into my body then. Anyway, I hope this helps someone.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Eva (Fairfax, CA) on 11/13/2007
★★★★★
I stopped eating corn products and my eczema cleared up and hasn't really come back unless i eat nuts, especially walnuts.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda
Posted by Ed Davis (Wenatchee WA, USA) on 06/03/2007
★★★★★
Skin Care - Dry Scaly Patches: I had some dry scaly skin on my nose and about for an inch or so on either side of my nose. I have been using a mixture of ACV, Baking Soda, and Water for a about a week and a half. I use about 1/4 tablespoon of BS and ACV till the bubbling stops. then I add just enough water to complete filling a small cup About 3 inches high, 1/2 full. I wash my face with this and leave it on for about a minute and then rinse it off. My skin on my nose and by my nose is now very soft and is no longer dry. I also found that when shaving with a razor that this mixture lubricated my skin and I did not get any cuts. I pieced this mixture together from reading about several items from this site. I love earthclinic.com
Herbal Tea
Posted by Yo (Japan) on 09/22/2024
Always check your liver and kidney markers when drinking herbal teas, especially in excessive amounts. Pregnant women should not drink herbal teas unless they are certified organic and only under a practitioner supervision. Keep in mind that anyone can just write on a package that is certified organic. I order all my herbal teas, honey etc. directly from New Zealand.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Posted by Jess (Seattle) on 02/23/2022
★★★★★
I started taking 10 drops/day of Grapefruit Seed Extract for a different problem. Within 3 days, the mild eczema on my arms was completely gone! It's been there for months so I was surprised by this. I did a search online & found that GSE can help with eczema.
Epsom Salt
Posted by Art (California) on 07/05/2021 2443 posts
Alex,
You might give over the counter 1% Clotrimazole cream to try to determine if it is fungal or some other cause. If 1% Clotrimazole clears it or helps considerably, it is likely fungal.
Art
Cold Wet Wrapping
Posted by LN (England) on 03/14/2021
It must be obvious I suppose, but I realise that I omitted to say that the dampened bandages are applied to the dry/itchy patches, before covering with the dry layer and then clingfilm. I do not apply any creams, oils or moisturisers, just water. It certainly works very fast for me, as relief and I hope will turn out to be curative longer term.
Vitamin D, Eliminate Dairy
Posted by Hope (Ma) on 07/30/2020
★★★★★
Hi!
Yes, this was also my experience for eczema/dermatitis on my face, but the sunlight didn't do it. Vitamin d3 supplementation did cure it within two days. For some reason, the sunlight made it much worse. I can also eat dairy, no prob.
Dead Sea Salt and Rose Hip Oil
Posted by Aaron (MT) on 10/15/2024 9 posts
★★★★★
I found great and unexpected relief from a Dead Sea Salt bath when I was soaking my Hamstring that was affected by Sciatica... My normally inflamed hands and wrists tamed completely over a few days, the itch was gone...
It came back because I have to completely detox my Liver, but it's good to know it will work when needed... In the future I can just use a large Tupperware bowl to soak my hands...
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 12/28/2018
Mch, you can try eliminating dairy, sugar and grains for one week, and see if it gets any better.
Turmeric
Posted by Bob (Cleveland) on 12/16/2018
★★★★★
I recommended Silymarin (Milk Thistle extract) in a post a few years ago. The product I used contained Turmeric (700mg per serving). When I switched to a product that did not contain turmeric my eczema came back. I now believe it's the Turmeric (or the combination of Silymarin and Turmeric) that's curing my eczema. Definitely, for me, Turmeric is an essential component of my eczema treatment.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Art (California ) on 09/05/2018 2443 posts
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
Peppermint, Tea Tree and Eucalyptus Oils
Posted by Teena (Melbourne, Australia) on 01/06/2018 233 posts
Thank you for your very comprehensive post, I'm sure will help a lot of people. Often times when we have recurring skin problems it is because something is not right internally. You usually need to attack or fix internally as well as topically. I would consider adding a great probiotic like homemade kefir, or probiotic pills bought refrigerated to balance your gut's good bacteria, best on an empty stomach, and vitamin c at minimum 1000 mg a day. Of course there are many other immune boosters as well to consider. Sometimes the symptoms flare initially as your boosted immune system fights it out. Also I trust your hand soap is natural, mine is a mix of water, borax, baking soda, bentonite clay and anti fungal, anti bacterial essential oils. Best of health to you
Hemp Seed Oil and Flax Seed Oil
Posted by Eugene (Concord, Tn) on 09/10/2017
★★★★★
Was diagnosed with Nummular Eczema and it was quite an ordeal and am posting this in hopes of helping others. Through trial and error I developed a regiment that has got me back to normal. I take one capsule of Hemp Seed oil either every day or every other day. I also take daily one capsule of Flax seed oil which cleared up the itching and swelling around my eyes. These are the most important. I also take 1 or 2 Probiotic Acidophilus. I also take 1 Borage oil capsule every other day, I think helps but I believe the others are the most important.
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Sue (London) on 04/28/2017
★★★★★
I have had ear eczema for years, have used coconut oil to moisturize ears, which at least kept them from drying and being painful, but that's all it did.
3 weeks ago I started taking Diatomaceous earth, and slowly my ear eczema seems to be clearing. I put it down to the Food grade diatomaceous earth.
For the last 6 months, I have also been using magnesium oil and mega mag, vitamin k2, bee pollen, acerola cherry powder, boron, adrenal cocktail and other stuff as recommended by Morley Robbins at the magnesium advocacy group, in the hope of healing myself from arthritis.
But it is only since using the diatomaceous earth that the eczema seems to be clearing.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Michael (New Zealand) on 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
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Rachel (Chicago, Illinois) on 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
Posted by Art (California ) on 12/29/2016 2443 posts
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
