Home Remedies for Eczema

Tackling eczema naturally? Finding tried and true home remedies for eczema is a good start. Realize, however, that discovering a natural "cure" for eczema is a multi-step journey that includes understanding the symptoms of eczema, finding your own unique triggers and causes of eczema and then following a "what you put in your body" and "what you put on your body" two step action plan.

Natural "Cures" for Eczema

In my nutritional practice, one of the things I never promise my clients is a cure for anything. First it is outside the scope of a holistic nutritionist's profession to diagnose or treat any ailment. Additionally, most of the work nutritionists do is to work alongside a client to correct system imbalances (i.e. intestinal, digestive, endocrine) through lifestyle choices such as diet and supplementation. Rather than "curing" a particular ailment, we simply help a client provide nutrients to the body that in turn, allow the body to correct imbalances and heal itself.

Are there home remedies for eczema and is there a natural cure for eczema? More likely, there is a journey of eating in a more healthy manner, correcting the intestinal terrain (i.e. dysbiosis) and providing the nutrients that allow the body to successfully fight off any infection or re-balance the skin's pH levels.

In addition, the natural "cure" journey for eczema includes avoiding synthetic chemicals in soaps, lotions and shampoos and only using the best skin care products that support skin health and healing.

So What Would an Eczema Natural Remedy Look Like?

One of the first steps in putting together a home remedy for eczema is evaluating which triggers are potential causes of eczema. Then take a look at Begin Within Natural Skincare's nutritional information and, if there are gaps in essential nutrients, begin adjusting diet and start eating to restore optimal nutritional intake. Deficiencies that can contribute to eczema symptoms cover a range of nutrients but are most often of essential fatty acids such as the omega 6, gamma linolenic acid, and omega 3s, found in fish oil and flaxseed oil, and vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, B complex, C and E, zinc and magnesium. Supplementing with a nutritional package that supplies many of these important nutrients can be very beneficial.

In order to determine what foods to eat and which foods to avoid with eczema, and for specifics on recommended nutritional supplements to use in the holistic management of eczema, study the information on the which foods cause eczema page.

Next, take a Candida Survey to determine if dysbiosis is a potential eczema cause. If so, follow the protocols for re-balancing gut bacteria including taking Candida overgrowth-reducing supplements.

If anxiety or a poor stress response seems to be a factor, discover appropriate ways of dealing with stress. This may include counseling, prayer, meditation, a more balanced rhythm to life or stress reduction tools such as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).

Topical Home Remedies for Eczema

While avoiding the "cure" word, I certainly do want to bring encouragement that as one uses nutrition and cleansing to help bring correction to the body internally, there are a variety of topical home remedies for eczema that additionally can help with dermatitis. As you evaluate potential topical eczema treatments, keep in mind that eczema requires topical applications that both moisturize the skin as well as exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-itch properties. As well, those topical applications should be natural and organic skin care applications.

Moisturizing with the right organic body care products brings healing to the skin as well as enhances skin's ability to protect itself against potential triggers.You may need to try several suggestions or rotate products used to find what works best but these home remedies for eczema—all three of which have moisturizing as well as some anti-itch properties, and a long history of use—are certainly worth a try:

• organic coconut oil
• organic flaxseed oil (on its own or with the contents of two evening primrose oil capsules) and
• aloe (right from the plant is best!).
  

Additional suggestions for home remedies for eczema include the use of natural salt compresses (i.e. Himalayan sea salt) on an outbreak to help with itching and the use of topical ointments that contain licorice, chamomile or HerbaCort—a combination of herbs that have cortisone-like properties. Bone, Flesh and Cartilage (BFC) ointment can also help, as can dry brushing.

Finally, be sure to get sufficient amount of healthy sun exposure (i.e. not in the hottest time of the day, do not burn, ensure sufficient essential fatty acid intake) as that too can be very beneficial in managing most types of skin rashes and eczema skin symptoms.

Studies have also shown that visiting a sunny sub-tropical climate seems to interrupt the flare-up cycle and significantly improves skin condition of those who suffer with eczema symptoms. The benefits are not only immediate but remain for some months after. Perhaps along with a healthy diet and organic skin care products, an annual vacation to a warm and sunny location may be in order!

As you build up your complement of home remedies for eczema remember that the journey to healthy skin will take some time, especially if skin and gut imbalances have been long-standing, but as appropriate lifestyle changes continue to be made, you should be well on your way!