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 Fast
Posted by Ana Lucia (Mexico City, Mexico) on 12/28/2011
★★★☆☆WORKED TEMPORARILY
Apple fast for Eczema
It worked wonders for the three days I followed the instructions provided by someone else that posted way before me. I was so amazed that I did not need any additional encouragement to keep doing it. However, on the fourth day everything started to go back to "normal", meaning, itchiness, blisters, rash, aching came back. I guess that it only works because you are detoxing yourself; but the moment you go back to your regular eating habits you throw everything to waste. I am currently trying to see if there is any food allergy that might be triggering it as I have already tried two dermatologists, a homeopatic doctor, the apple fast and coconut oil (both rubbed and eaten) and nothing has worked for me yet. I need an urgent cure as I am mother of a 4yo and of a 15mo and you can imagine how painful it is even to hold them!!!
Vitamin C, Acidophilous, Oatmeal Baths
Posted by Kiri (Perth, Western Australia) on 11/23/2011
★★★★★
I had severe eczema all over my body, you take high doses of Vitamin c to alleviate itching and for healing. Acidophilus at night for stomach inbalances, you will notice that your stomach can get very acidy, thats when you take an extra acidophilus. So one a night and one when needed. And have oatmeal baths (in handkerchief with rubber band around it, squeeze out white stuff, is healing and takes away itch) and eat as much as you can also. Put nutraplus as a healing cream, nothing else, as it will heat it up, and dove soap. Hope this helps someone out there. Kiri
Acidophilus
Posted by Jeff (Detroit Metro, Michigan Usa) on 10/09/2011
★★★★★
I have been taking Acidophilus with Bifidum wafers for one week now and it has provided me with relief from my eczema. I now feel like myself again, and can actually sleep without Tylenol PM. Don't forget to moisturize problematic areas after showering.
Egg Yolk Oil
Posted by Lydia (Hilo, Hi, Usa) on 10/02/2011
★★★★★
I have suffered with dishydrotic eczema on my pinky fingers and ankle for about 4 months. I tried everything from emu oil to steroid creams to kamani oil and more. Then I found this site and started using the apple cider vinegar approach and the vesicles started to dry up which was great, but the skin still wouldn't heal and eventually more vesicles popped up. What finally worked was a remedy a friend told me about that she learned from someone in her Korean natural farming group--egg yolk oil. Applied 2-3 times a day, it has taken my eczema from unbearable to 95% better in 10 days, I am totally amazed. It's worth a try for anyone who's been suffering for a while, it might just be a miracle like it was for me!
I don't know of anywhere that sells it, so you'll probably have to make it yourself like I did.
Here's the method I used:
Take a dozen eggs (i used eggs from a friends chickens, very good quality with dark orange yolks) and separate the yolks from the whites, put the yolks in a shallow pan (frying pan) and whisk them with a fork to mix to a even consistency. I suggest doing the next part outside on a camping stove or gas grill burner, as there is quite a bit of smoke and it smells pretty horrible. Making sure the yolk liquid is not too deep (only about and inch or less deep in the pan), cook over med-high heat until the yolks turn black and bubbly. It should look like tar bubbling, then it's done. This should take about 15 minutes depending on how deep the yolks are in the pan. Remove the pan from heat and quickly pour the oil that is on top of the "tar" into a jar. The tar will stay in the pan, it's basically just burnt black egg stuck to the pan. You can filter it with a mesh filter to make sure no crumbs get in the jar. The oil should be black or dark brown and smells like burnt eggs of course.
A dozen eggs produces about 1 oz of oil, so if you're using it over a large area of your body you may want to make a bigger batch.
My routine which worked very well is this: soak the eczema in 50% ACV for 15 minutes once a day, apply the egg yolk oil in the morning and at night (in between I used a myrrh and frankinsence salve if it got dry), take 1 tablespoon of fish oil per day, and use gloves when washing dishes or cleaning. That's all I did, and my finger and ankle are amazingly better in 10 days. The worst part is the smell--you won't want to be in public when you have it on, but the results are so worth it. Try it and let me know if it works for you!
Thanks for reading, Lydia
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 Joanl (Arlington, Texas) on 08/07/2012
Right on Samuel! Don't feel too bad, I didn't discover the poison food issue til I was 33! 30 years of misery! 16 years of great skin.... Til lately, ate cantelope from a farmer who claimed to grow organically, ate it every day for weeks! ... Now I can't eat anything til I'm clean, almost everything is a trigger. My cycle of itch restarted and it could be a couple of months before my blood is clean. Just sweating burns my skin, the itching intolerable, maddening!! He claims it was a mineral complex he put on the crops for flavor. My mouth, neck, eyes, ears, hands, arms all begging to be lopped off to stop the itch. I can eat org. Apples, plain rice, chicken, oatmeal... FUN (gonna go try acv/h2o on my skin... Hang in there everyone! Oh, tomatoes are the worst, they get sprayed with all the -cides, and they're treated with citric acid to be canned, or made into any condiment. Organic tomatoes only folks!
Aloe Vera Juice
Posted by Amelie (Paris, France) on 03/27/2011
★★★★★
Eczema remedy: 1/2 cup of organic pure aloe vera juice when you wake up and the same before going to bed. You should start seeing a difference within 3-4 weeks.
Aloe Vera Juice
Posted by Maha (Usa) on 09/17/2017
Just to clarify are you drinking this or apply it on your eczema?
EC: She was probably drinking it.
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 El (United States) on 04/21/2017
★★★★★
I love Manuka honey for ezcema.
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.
Baking Soda
Posted by Allnatural (Jeffersonville, Indiana, United States) on 08/16/2010
★★★★★
I took a lotion bottle with a pump dispenser and emptied the contents. Rinsed out the bottle and used a funnel to put in some baking soda. I added regular tap water and it looks like milk. When the eczema on my face first broke out I used this twice a day on my face. It burns at first, but it really dries it up. After 2 days my face looked so much better that I wasn't ashamed to go out anywhere. By the 4th day it was completely gone! I also used Hydrogen Peroxide after washing my face in the baking soda. Just used a cotton ball to apply the HP. It burned too, but not so much that it couldn't be handled. I am still washing my face in the baking soda but only once a day now and it doesn't burn since I have no break out of the eczema. It has also dried up all my pimples. Why I didn't do this before I'll never know. This site has been a life saver, with lots of wonderful, natural cures to life's ailments. Thanks a million!
Apple Cider Vinegar, Zinc Cream, Propolis
Posted by Lyonya (Toronto, On) on 07/29/2010
★★★★☆
I had a terrible eczema for more than 2 years on joints of my fingers. It was in a form of little bumps that started on the joints of index finger on both hands and with time spread around to other joints and also spread to the area near the finger nails. I apply (topically) apple cider vinegar whenever I have an itching episode and then, I apply a generic "baby rash" cream with 15% zinc. I also use propolis (bees wax) to prevent inflammation (I also used polysporin for the same reason). After ~ 2 weeks the eczema was essentially gone. But when I stop using ACV (apple cider vinegar) new patches appear and it takes 2 weeks to completely heal the infected region.
Remark: I noticed that when I regularly use ACV, even when I don't have an itching episode, the spread of the "bumps" stop and the infected area gets better.
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.
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
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 05/22/2012
Just Realized that I left out one step in my remedy, above. Sorry!
It is this: right after washing with mild cleanser and/or sodium bicarbonate, and before applying tea tree oil, I dabbed all effected areas with hydrogen peroxide. Let this dry, or pat it dry before applying the tea tree oil.
H2O2 bleaches everything it touches, so if you have dark hair, you might be concerned about that.
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.
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 and Baking Soda
Posted by Tavora (Brooklyn, Ny) on 08/16/2009
Hi - I read a book called Green for Life and the author's daughter had cured her asthma w/ a drink (her mother create) called 'Green Smoothies'. The whole family are raw foodists but each (the author, her husband, and two children) had very significant health problems. By changing their diets and drinking 2-3 quarts (sometimes more) of green smoothies a day - all their health issues went away. The son even 'cured' his juvenile diabetes....(the author will recommend to drink at least 1 quart to start). For healing purposes - 2-3 gallons.
The smoothies may help with your asthma and tame your eczema. From what I know - dairy products are a huge trigger w/ eczema. But one other thing to consider for your asthma is Mullein tea. It is an expectorant and helps strengthen the respiratory system. Many blessings!
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.
