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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
Cheers, Michael
Multiple Remedies
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
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
Dietary Changes
★★★★★
Tea Tree Oil
★★★★★
10% Sulfur Soap and Sulfur Cream
★★★★★
Tea Tree Oil
★★★☆☆
WORKED TEMPORARILY
I quit wearing the watch and over the course of three days the rash spread up my left arm, then patches of it started breaking out on my right wrist and both shins and ankles. The itch was so severe at night I couldn't sleep. It looked like Chicken pox. So back to the doctor I went again. I was concerned it was scabies since it is going around the elementary school where I work and I also thought maybe I had the shingles. The doctor said no to those conditions, said it was not contagious whatever it was, he also said it was not RMSF or Lyme. He gave a Rx for triamcinolone cream which did nothing.
So I finally found some tea tree oil soap and tea tree oil and started showering with the soap and massaging the oil in the patches. After the oil is absorbed, I've been covering the areas with a thick ointment called Calmaseptine, which contains 20% zinc, calamine and menthol. This seems to stop the itching and in the mornings when I wake up the rash looks better and almost disappears, but later in the day after I get out in the hot sun or when I just get out of the hot shower, the rash comes back with a vengence. I don't know why heat is bringing it out and making it worse. I have an appointment with the skin doctor next week. I'm sure whatever he prescribes my insurance won't cover and a small tube of anything can cost $80-$300+ I finally understand how King Hezekiah, Job or the Egyptians felt during the plagues.
Multiple Remedies
★★★★☆
First I would like to say that Earth Clinic is literally a godsend for anyone who is looking for natural healing for a variety of ailments. I have found so much fantastic information here for a variety of bodily issues. Currently I am spending the summer in Connecticut, and whenever I am here or in the northern states I get absolutely unbearable eczema (really can not figure out why only here). I currently have been suffering from outbreaks on every sensitive skin area of my body such as eyes, lips, breasts and "other" places (ugh). This week I decided to give a go at some of the natural remedies researched from a variety of sources and am so excited to say that today was an absolute break through in fighting off this awful skin issue. Almost all areas are 3/4 of the way healed and I would like to share what I did to reach that point.
First I have cut out ALL sugar and cut back on caffeine (i love coffee but limited it to one cup every few days), especially do not eat any chocolate or drink alcohol. I ate a tiny bit of chocolate after dinner the other night and had the WORST outbreak afterwards. Also it would seem like "nightshade" foods such as tomatos, eggplant, peppers etc make it worsen, as well as wheat based foods and possibly even rice. So I decided to just cut all of those things. The magic of the actual healing seems to be coming from a combination of ACV (both topically and ingested), drinking lots of water, getting lots of sunlight, AND doing oatmeal baths. Parts of my body were so inflamed this morning I was miserable. Both eyes were so puffy it looked like I was punched. Now, 10 hours later everything is almost completely healed!!
I mixed some mango juice with honey and ACV and drank this 3 times today. I did about 45 minutes in the sun with virgin coconut oil slathered all over me. I then took a bath with an oatmeal sachet in it, squeezing the cloth to saturate all effected areas and let it soak in. Also while in the bath I wet a washcloth and poured some ACV on it to dab on the effected areas in between oatmeal milk pours. It admittedly burns like hell, but the oatmeal after helps to sooth this. I literally felt and watched as all my red swollen areas started to go down and heal before my eyes. I have also found that tea tree oil lip balm is awesome for lips that have swelling and dry itchiness. I keep one in my bed with me and apply it throughout the night so I can sleep without the skin cracking. I hope this helps all my eczema sufferers!!!
To add to this, although I am not sure it is helping, I have also started eating lots of salmon (vitamin D and omegas), taking flax seed oil, probiotics and eating food with raw coconut oil and organic olive oil. Pretty much cut out all citrus fruits and opting for a mostly raw vegetable diet. :)))
Digestive Enzymes
★★★★★
Apple Cider Vinegar, Colloidal Silver
★★★★★
★★★★★
Just a note to say that I've been suffering from eczema (on the forehead) for many years. I've tried just about everything, always with some success, but never quite curing it. It seldom flairs up , but still, it does sometimes. Anyway, this is the one thing I can say has had a REAL impact on my condition : beer yeast. I eat it on toast in the morning, and on salads and in soups. When I eat some everyday, my condition gets better, systematically. It is not a cure, but it alleviates every single symptom. It makes my life better.
Thought I would share this.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Coconut Oil, Epsom Salt Baths
Here's a guess for you based on just a few hints you gave... eczema since birth... and it is over 80 percent of your body...
That's not an external problem. That's internally produced. Liver...endocrine....lymph system. Might even be genetic, but even if genetic that does not mean you can't compensate. If not enough of some amino acid for instance, you can compensate with oral consumption of amino acids.
That the direction I'd go if faced with this. A good internist ... no a great internist .... needs to nail down the cause. He/she may not have the solution but diagnosis is essential or all is guess work. And you can try to deal with the problem by process of elimination but such a shotgun approach will likely lead to frustration in determining the cause.
A few questions: Do you have any relatives with anything like this? (genetic)
Did your mother have this condition at any time? (pathogenic natal carry forward)
What OTHER symptoms do you suffer with? (might give a hint to the underlying cause)
You are dealing with symptoms in taking various baths etc...that's fine...I would be too, but you've got to get to the cause.
Here's a guess....an issue on the cellular level; the cellular pores not allowing essential oils et al to come in and not allowing toxic debris from leaving. Soooooo....want a broad based shotgun approach? Order AEP, membrane integrity factor (amino ethyl phosphoric acid).... "Calcium AEP".... take five a day....for two weeks.
Hemp Seed Oil
★★★★★
Multiple Remedies
Well, now I am married... I have not had a problem with it for the past 3 years, and I have found that it has been flaring up and down all year. It is currently going full bore with no end in sight and I fear it will only get worse if I don't figure out how to nip it in the bud without getting a full blown divorce! I think it's time I figure it out so that I don't end up alone with my clear complexion. Afterall, the one thing all the men of my past have in common is me and my eczema! I dont' think they need be taking the blame.
Anyway, I wanted to report something that is working [that does not include divorce]... It may be the combination of all the things I am doing, but I actually believe that _____ [a supplement that generates collagen and contains silicon and choline] is contributing the most for some reason. Anyhow, here is my remedy:
About a week ago I started on 5 drops B___ 2x per day with juice. about 3 days ago, started drinking Raw unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar, 2TBSP 2-3 times daily with water/juice. Make a water/lemon/vinegar mixture that I spray on my face and neck in the morning and at night. Cotton swab with water/vinegar all over my face as a toner, follow with Squalane Oil before it dries. Take an expensive probiotic once a day. Eat a LOT of dried figs [i don't know why I think they help? maybe]. Drink a raw unpasturized local Kombucha drink once or twice per day.
About 3 days ago my eyes were red, weeping and watering constantly. I looked like I had severe allergies or was crying all day when I had not been. My eyes were swollen upon weaking, and reddish and blotchy. This went on for the next two days... However, I have noticed that upon waking in the morning, the skin on my forehead and around my eyes is looking less and less wrinkly and more smooth and supple. Especially today and this afternoon. The skin around my eyes went from being very taught and dry and irritated to being smooth[ish] and flexible. Maybe it is just a good day, but I don't think so. I really think this B___ is making the skin less wrinkly and smoother. It may also be the ACV and Kombucha helping out, but I cannot believe that it would have such a quick effect. Either way... Try it out! Even if you do not have eczema, taking [the silicon supplement] and ACV and using a lemon/vinegar/water spritz on the skin followed with squalane oil really makes it soft at supple without being greasy or heavy. I have NOT stopped wearing make up either. I use a light foundation powder and blush over the parts of my face that are not affected by eczema, then I dab on the powder with some squa oil on my eyelids to help cover and redness so I don't look and feel so horrid. I then carefully put on any old mascara. I take make up off with the squa oil and a cloth and some water as well. It is very gentle. I know some people us coconut oil and say that works for them, but it never did anything for my eczema. I put only coconut oil on my skin for half a year and just watched my skin get worse day by day. Anyway, if it clears more and more, I will let you know!
Kefir
Vinegar Soaks
★★★★★
Long story short, I stopped my athlete's foot with a half and half mixture of white vinegar and water and soaked my feet for 30 minutes, once a day, every day for a week and a half. I started doing this after I noticed an outbreak on my hands occurring and after just a few days the treatment stopped the dyshidrotic eczema dead in its tracks and a week after the small but not developed outbreak was dried up and gone. Even though my feet are still a bit red and tender from years of having athletes foot it has drastically improved and the eczema on my hands have never returned.
In the end, I have associated my breakouts of dyshidrosis to the initial fungal infection from the athlete's foot. I am not a skin specialist, just going by what worked for me. If you are suffering from this condition my best advice would be to find a root cause to the break outs. I've heard that leaky-gut syndrome can be a cause but there is so much speculation out there which is what makes dealing with any kind of eczema so frustrating!! I hope this helps....
Multiple Remedies
What finally worked, was having her include at least two (but the more, the better) small vanilla yogurts each day, without fail - one in the morning, and one in the evening.
This, along with two fish oil capsules at bedtime has significantly improved (dare I say, perhaps even 'cured') her eczema. The difference is truly astounding.
Honey
★★★★★
I hope this can be of help to any of you who have suffered a long battle with this problem as I have.
Dietary Changes
Goat Milk
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Apple Cider Vinegar, Cold Showers
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stumbled across this site and saw the apple cider vinegar remedies. I ordered it online and it actually does work if you apple it more so then drink it. just get some Apple Cider Vinegar with same amount of water. soak it in cotton. Apply it on affected areas. it will sting at first but the sting dies soon.
Another thing I did to improve my eczema is drink plenty of water and take cold shower! Oh yeah and also try to avoid foods that flare up your eczema! Curry is a big no-no for me! The cold shower is the best method for me! It is ver effective and seems to me like my uncurable eczema is cured.
Just sharing with you guys because what it can be like having eczema..
hope u guys beat eczema!
Raw Food Diet
★★★★★