Eczema

Hi MoonFlower08, have sent you a PM with a couple of suggestions.

There are enough natural options that you should be able to get something that works for you. It's just sometimes a case of having to try a few as each person's case can be different. And pay as much attention as you can to what makes your eczema worse, and then try to cut out those triggers.

Hi Moonflower,
I agree with lewey that eczema can have a lot of triggers, the wrong diet can play a big part in skin problems (intolerance to dairy etc) aswell as emotional factors.

Externally, Virgin Shea Butter is a really good active moisturiser that helps with eczema. It is brilliant at reducing inflammation & dryness, if you haven't tried it before - I'd really recommend giving it a go.

Also, as it is on your hands, its best to opt for a natural soap as a lot of soaps contain synthetic foaming agents (such as SLES) which can really aggravate eczema & other skin conditions.

My son's skin flares up from time to time. Hence my interest in alternatives.

At the moment his feet are terrible, we are currently using 'dead sea salts' in a foot bath or his bath each evening, then moisturising with aloe vera gel, with a few drops of very good quality lavender oil. In addition we 'wet' wrap his feet with bandages. He sleeps with another pair of socks over his hands (I treat his hands when necessary) to help delay him scratching his feet in his sleep.

He is still doing exams at the moment and only showed me his feet when they were really bad. When he was small I could moisturise every day but he now only tends to let me help him when it has gone too far. Typical teenager.

Try finding out what causes the itching in the first place, is it food, chemicals, creams, washing up liquid, emotional, etc, etc.

Good luck

Fudge

Forgot to mention that we use to live by the sea and I found that if he regularly went for a paddle in the sea his feet and legs improved.

With life as it is we haven't been doing this, but it does help.

Fudge

Calendula (marigold) cream helps my friend who has bad flare-ups on his hands.

Also,that zinc-based baby's bottom cream in a grey pot, for nappy rash, is v soothing for sunburn, bites & skin conditions in my experience (though I'm no expert.)

hi
i suffered from excema for years on my inner arms wrists hands and occasionally backs of my knees.
After years of potions and creams from the doctors which all made me worse - (i always felt like creams were somehow blocking my skin from breathing and releasing whatever was trying to get out of me!!) i went for some allergy tests when i was about 28 and discovered i had a dairy allergy. I cut out all dairy and have been fine since.
The thing most people dont realise is that dairy products are in so many things!! Anything labelled with whey, lactose, lactic acid is a culprit. Things i never dreamed off such as cooked meat slices, fish in batter, pastry, biscuits, cakes, chocolate, pizzas as well as the more obvious cream sauces, yoghurts, cheeses etc.
I converted to eating my cereal with soya milk which was absolutely disgusting to me but after persevering with several brands i found one i liked from tesco which is sweetened.
you can try putting dairy back into your diet after 6 months. It didnt work for me then but 13 years later i now seem to be able to have the odd bar of chocolate or a pizza without any probs. I don't eat a lot just in case. I've stayed with soya milk though.
Its worth a try.

Hi tt1,
Its great you have managed to keep your skin clear by your diet.
I have managed to help my skin a lot with my diet, I don't have eczema, I have psoriasis ... oh but it is so frustrating when people (namely medical people in higher places) laugh & undermine the connection between diet & skin health 🙁
I know a little girl & she has really bad eczema but her parents refuse to let her give up on 'normal eating' because they think its cruel... so she just drinks cows milk & butter & ice cream like the rest of her siblings. Its horrible to see her in so much pain - I only hope that when she gets older she will maybe decide for herself to try cutting it out her diet & hopefully see a difference.
As you say, creams may help relieve the symptoms on the outside but they will not remove the cause inside!

Btw, Fudge ... himalayan crystal salts are really healing & you can add them to bathwater if visits to the sea are a bit scarce! They really helped me.

Good luck x

Hi Moonflower 08,Eczema is caused by an overactive immune response .If you have had it for awhile you need to correct your immune system and everything will fall into place.There are someinteresting articles about the immune system here

Eczema and probiotics

I saw your post about eczema and had to join the forum and reply!

Probiotics are the way forward for eczema. The friendly bacteria in our gut, all 2kgs of them produce much of our immune system and also affect how our body is. Our skin is often called the third kidney and so reflects that there is an imbalance somewhere. Probiotics help to recolonise the intestinal tract with friendly bacteria.

Avoiding any chemicals, anything that is 'alphabet soup' i.e. a name that is long and confusing or has letters and numbers is not going to help your eczema at all. Washing up liquid even the so called 'eco' ones are full of grotty chemicals that can irritate the skin, and hands especially with washing up. Soaps in public toilets are also a no no as they are so harsh.

A gentle lotion preferably with aloe vera and calming herbs is perfect.

Hang in there, eczema is perfectly treatable and you'll look back and think 'wow' I can not believe I used to have eczema.

All the best
Joanna

hi tangleberry
my parents were of the opinion their diet didnt do them any harm so why should i have any probs. Otherwise I think I wouldve been symptom free earlier. I was rather annoyed to find out in my adult life that when i was a baby and toddler I was given goats milk cos i couldn't tolerate normal milk, yet my parents put me back on dairy when I started school. I only found this out from my doctors records when I moved practice. My parents didnt even tell me!! How they couldn't see the connection I don't know. I have to say its certainly worth going for tests. most health food shops offer a basic test for about £20/£25. My father has had asthma for years but he wont entertain the idea it could be allergy related. I had problems as a child breathing but soon as I left home I was fine. That I blame on animal hairs though!! We always had cats and if I touched them and rubbed my eyes they used to swell up. But my father would rather suffer than take an allergy test. He thinks any alternative or new ideas to be rubbish!! Thankfully most of the world are not like that and have moved on with the times and will look at other options!! I'm so pleased to be one of them and am always open to trying new therapies etc

hi tt1, yes its kind of scary sometimes how parents are in that position of doing the thinking for us when we are little - you'd assume that if there was a known intolerance that it might encourage them to keep you off normal milk... but I guess a lot of people won't if they don't really believe in it.
At least now you are all grown up - you can have full control whether you allow cows or cats into your life 😉

And I agree that allergy tests are a good idea if you want to know for sure & you feel an elimination diet might be too random.

You are not alone, I was allergic to cow's milk as a little girl & was given goat's milk. Then (like you) my parents put me on cow's milk when I started school. I suffered from asthma, hay fever, acne, all sorts. We can't blame our parents they were under pressure from their friends and colleagues and chances are we might do the same as them in a similar situation that number of years ago.

Ultimately allergy tests are fine but your own body's intuition is far the best. Try a food, see what happens and then make a valued assesment. Why spend vast amounts of money only to be able to find out what you can do yourself?

Your body renews itself reguarly and so you will not be the person you were a few years ago. Change now and you will renew.

All the best
Joanna

probiotics

i have to agree with joanna here on probiotics being the solution.
my little cousin has been suffering from eczema since birth, but after i found and recommended Probiostart for her, the whole family has been relieved! they noticed the redness and itchiness going down within a week of taking the sachets every morning. I'm not sure up to what age you can take these probiotics - as this product is aimed at infants. but having seen the results I'm pretty sure that a similar product aimed at adults would be equally effective.

I have found that when mine is bad, & I have it all over my feet, using castor oil is fab, tried all others and as an aromatherapist I have used everything oil wise, cream wise, from Dr., herbalist, homeopath everything -except HP brown sauce!
Went to see a client who was an old gypsy and he told me to use it.

Elave cream from boots( not all boots have them though) is good for eczema.it was mentioned in magazine article by a lady who had ezcema on her hands and this cream helped her.

Amethystfairy:)

Have you tried Udderly Smooth? I believe they are now doing a cream specifically for Eczema and other skins complaints. Its brilliant stuff, it cleared my eczema up and i had it REALLY bad.
Google it, and you'll find a supplier.
Hope this helps.

Ionized water is good for eczema and other skin conditions. This is a video excerpt of a Japanese documentary called "Miracle Water" shot in the mid 90's.:

Hi,

Whilst searching for something to help with the ezcema on my hand, I have stumbled on what seems to be an cure for eczema. I`m desperately looking for a solution. Just follow this link and see what you think:

Any opinions would be appreciate.

Thanks

Gemma

Hi! Thanks for all these advice. I just want to ask if you know of a cure for kiddie eczema? My kid has it and I would like to ask for any remedy?

probiotics for kids -

Hi moonflower, i suffered with severe eczema on my hands, since i was a kid (many moons ago). Then last year i read an article on the healing properties of honey.........applied it to my sore, split hands,left it on for 10 mins, then washed of with emulsifying cream and within 2 days it had healed and cleared!!!!!!! It may be coincidence, but to this day i have not had an outbreak since x

be careful of anything that has mineral oil in as its from rock and it doesnt let the skin breathe!

Hello

My eczema is in my arms. Does it matter if i wash my hands with liquid soaps like Carex? Since my hands are not affected OR I should totally avoid Carex soaps for hands? Dishwashing liquid when I wash dishes?

The Food Hospital

Does anyone know of a natural remadie for bad eczemam - especially on the hands?

Thanks
MoonFlower

Hi,

I am currently working on a brand new television series for Channel 4 called ‘The Food Hospital’ (working title). The idea of the programme is to explore the possible health benefits of everyday foods in targeting a wide range of medical conditions and symptoms. I am hoping this will be of interest to you.

There’s plenty of evidence to say that our health and our diet are closely linked and current scientific research shows that certain foods can be used to treat some illnesses and / or their symptoms.

Patients attending ‘The Food Hospital’ will be advised by our team of medical professionals, including a GP, a specialist medical Consultant and a leading Dietitian. Using evidence-based, cutting-edge scientific research, the team will prescribe specific diets for the treatment of the patients’ conditions or symptoms.

The team will welcome patients with serious illnesses and everyday ailments alike. The treatment that the Food Hospital will offer is intended to be followed in conjunction with the patient’s existing medical regime, and the Food Hospital medical team will endeavour to work collaboratively with the patient’s current medical advisors.

We are currently looking to speak to people who might be interested in knowing more about ‘The Food Hospital’. This could be people who are living with a condition which affects their life, or people who have recently started to experience symptoms they wish to address.

Please don't hesitate in getting in touch: @betty.co.uk">edd.buckley@betty.co.uk

With many thanks,
Edd Buckley
'The Food Hospital' - Researcher

Buteyko Breathing Method for Eczema

Yes, Butyeko teaches effective breathing, and this may help eczema by improving the blood and oxygen circulation to the skin. People often have other problems associated with it, eg asthma, sinus, low energy etc.

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, the prevalence of atopic eczema is increasing and affects 9 to 30% of the U.S. population. It is particularly common in young children and infants. While many infants who develop the condition outgrow it by their second birthday, some people continue to experience symptoms on and off throughout life. With proper treatment, the disease can be controlled in the majority of sufferers.

Eczema is term for a group of medical conditions that cause the skin to become inflamed or irritated.The most common type of eczema is known as atopic dermatitis, or atopic eczema. Atopic refers to a group of diseases with an often inherited tendency to develop other allergic conditions, such as asthma and hay fever.The cause of eczema is unknown but is presumed to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors.The hygiene hypothesis postulates that the cause of asthma, eczema, and other allergic diseases is an unusually clean environment. It is supported by epidemiologic studies for asthma.The hypothesis states that exposure to bacteria and other immune system modulators is important during development, and missing out on this exposure increases risk for asthma and allergy.

Hi there... I found organic raw coconut oil really helps my eczema, i get it a little on the inside of my wrists, coconut oil is an awesome product and well worth researching!

The apple company Cider Vinegar!!
You need to secure your gut and create sure excellent viruses. I take about 2 tbsps mix with a bit of water - 3 periods a day. Its fairly powerful and you should sweep your tooth after if you can as it can be difficult on the enameled of your tooth. But create sure its ORGANIC APPLE CIDER VINEGAR!! It should have floaty things in the end of the container... if not.. don't buy it!