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Eczema

Anyone who has or has had eczema at any point in their life, will know the extreme discomfort and distress that it can cause and how essential a remedy for eczema is.

Not only in terms of physical discomfort but eczema also creates emotional problems such as anti-social behaviour, embarrassment and a general feeling of anxiety when around other people, if the affected skin is visible.

To add insult to injury, the very feeling of discomfort both physically and emotionally, causes more stress, which in turn, exacerbates the eczema further.

From my past experiences with eczema, I literally could not go out of the house when a flare up of eczema occurred as I knew the moment I had to talk to someone, my skin would worsen. After years of suffering, I began to piece together some of the underlying causes of my eczema and the triggers allowing me to develop the beginnings of a remedy for eczema.

Avoid Known Causes Of Eczema 

Eczema can be caused by several different factors. The causes can vary slightly between individuals but generally there is a common theme among all eczema sufferers.

It is a case of learning to recognize these factors and implementing the crucial steps to clear the skin. The following factors are some of the prime candidates for causing eczema. Try to implement the advice and be on your way to eliminating eczema.

#1 Dry Skin

Athough dry skin is a symptom of the eczema, it can also perpetrate the eczema causing a viscious cycle.

The key step is to keep the skin well moisturized. Apply your skin cream at least once a day, always after bathing or showering. Dab yourself down with the towel and make sure not to sub your skin too hard as this can cause irritation. There are many moisturizing creams available, so you need to find one which is completely compatible for your skin.

Everyone is unique, and what works for some do not for others. It is simple a matter of trial and error, luckily however, many creams on the market have been dermatologically tested and are suitable for many skin types. Try to go for more natural where possible and no perfumes, paraffin, or parabens. This goes for shampoo also for scalp eczema.

There are also organic skin creams, which make use of natural fruit and vegetable extracts. However, make sure to read the ingredients just incase there is something you could be allergic to.

#2 The diet

Many people have no idea how much your diet can affect the skin. In simple terms, if you are not giving your skin the right nutrients, it will negatively impact on the healing process, which is so important to eczema sufferers.

Vitamin C rich foods can help with skin regeneration, these include fruit and vegetables.

Foods containg zinc, such as shelfish and nuts also greatly assist in healing the skin. Obviously if you have any nut allergies do not include any kind of nut or seed in the diet unless you are completely sure you have no allergies to them.

Additives in food can, in some cases, severely irritate the skin.These include processed foods with coloring and preservatives. Look out for E numbers on food ingredients and try to avoid then where possible.

#3 Perfumes

Do you ever notice that your skin becomes itchy and irritated when brushing against your clothing all day? This is often due to the scenting agents in the clothing. If you can change  to unscented soaps, detergents, etc, you will more than likely find that your clothing becomes more comfortable for you. This also applies to your bed clothing.

Look out for non-biological and organic washing powder.

#4 Clothing itself

We already mentioned the damage that scented clothing can have, but did you know that just your clothing alone can prove to be pretty formidable? Most eczema patients have no idea that when they experience a worsening of eczema, it can be down to the type of material they are wearing.

Certain fabrics are particularly guilty, such as polyester. As a general guide, avoid anything woolen or synthetic, and try to wear 100% cotton clothing as often as possible.

These are just a few remedies for eczema which you can incorporate into your everyday life to reduce the causes and symptoms of eczema.

Although eczema is not life-threatening, it can be unbearable and have a huge bearing on the quality of life.

Currently, it seems the medical profession has still not come up with any kind of cure. Whether this is because they still do not fully understand the root causes of eczema or just cannot seem to find a cure is unclear.

However, one woman named Susan Clark, who had suffered with eczema from birth and the daily nightmare it causes, has now discovered an all natural remedy. This remedy, if implemented correctly, begins clearing the skin within a ten day period. Not only does her remedy clear up existing eczema but keeps it away.

Her remedy for eczema is totally natural and does not depend on harsh steroids and paraffin based creams and ointments.

This amazing story has changed the lives of many who previously had suffered the trauma of living with eczema.

To read more click on this link - To story of Susan Clark.

Her natural treatment for eczema has already been changing the lives of many.

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A picture of a baby with eczema on the cheeks. Babies often develop eczema on the cheeks and the rash disappears before long. Unfortunately, in some cases the eczema is due to inherent allergies or atopy and must be treated and the allergies investigated.

Adult eczema on the arm.

Dyshidrotic eczema is characterized by crusty lumps on the skin that weep when touched. This form of eczema can be extremely acute and can take place due to emotional stress and anxiety. It is a very difficult form of eczema to treat as the root cause is down to the state of mind as opposed to an allergic response.

Nummular eczema is not necessarily an allergic response and is associated with dry skin characterized by patches of dry, itchy rashes sometimes in the shape of a coin.

Eyelid eczema is also very common and can be the result of allergies to make-up, skin cream and other substances containing chemicals and irritants.

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Lets have a look at eczema and treatment.

As most of us know, steroids and emollients are ususally the prescribed treatment given by your doctor to clear the skin, but this is only to be used for a very short time to clear the initial outbreak. I do not encourage the use of steroids as they can cause very severe side-effects with continued use such as, Glaucoma and thinning of the skin which in turn, cause further complications.

There is some dubiety as to the effectiveness of emollients and paraffin creams for use as a moisturizer. Some say that the thick layer on top of the skin causes further itching and discomfort, where others find it a good source of added moisture. It would seem that it is purely a matter of opinion and personal circumstance.

Other treatments for eczema include natural substances that do not cause any side effects or unpleasant reactions. Certain oils such as neem and evening primrose oils are known for their healing properties and hormone balance. They can be taken in capsule form every day for best results.

Organic skin creams with added vitamin E oil are a great source of rejuvenation for the skin and can be used once or twice a day for added effect. Choosing a skin cream that is 100% organic allows you to be safe in the knowledge that your skin will not suffer any side effects. One thing to note, however, is that some of these types of cream contain fruit and vegetable extracts and some use nut oils. If you have food allergies then be sure to read the ingredients for your chosen skin lotion.

Personally, I encourage the use of a natural treatment for eczema as it can be used for continuous use and not a quick fix but rather a permanent solution. And, although there is no known cure for eczema, there are simple ways to help you control and prevent out-breaks of eczema

For an in-depth guide to an all natural treatment for eczema Go Here.

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We all know how infuriating and uncomfortable hand eczema is - not to mention embarrassing and socially crippling. We use our hands almost every minute of the day for one thing or another and this usually means touching substances that have a high chance of causing an irritation to the sensitive skin of the eczema sufferer.

Hand eczema treatment requires a certain amount of discipline and organization. following is a guide to clearing the eczema on your hands (and keeping it away). There is no known actual cure for eczema but there ARE ways to control and prevent an outbreak.

Now for the good old allergen diary.

If you don’t know all of the substances you have an allergy to, you can keep a diary of when you felt an irritation (even a mild one) and what you were handling at the time. As discussed in previous posts, this diary can also be used for other areas with eczema.

This process could take up to a month to get an idea of the main suspects for your hand eczema. You might find at first that you do not have conclusive evidence but before long, a pattern will emerge. Once you have found the culprits, you can take more care to avoid them and if you absolutely must handle the substances, be sure to wash and moisturize your hands after use. Don’t forget you can continue to analyse your hand irritation for other allergens.

That leads me to the second biggie for hand eczema – loss of moisture and lack of washing the hands. If you are suffering from hand eczema you absolutely must keep your skin clean and well moisturized. This means washing the hands after visiting the rest room and any other time where you have come into contact with dirt of any description.

Every time you wash your hands then moisturize them with no exception, as the drying out of the skin will undoubtedly result in an itching session. It is a good idea to carry around a portable container of your hypo-allergenic skin cream so you can moisturize whenever you need to.

The final method of the hand eczema treatment is one which will be close to any eczema sufferers heart – the art of trying to stop picking. Research has shown that picking the skin is actually part of the disease and is very hard to stop, however, if you do, you are likely to experience a huge improvement as picking causes a large percentage of the itchiness and therefore scratching, weeping and scab formation. Make a conscious effort to stop, and you will see results.

Eczema on the hands means that you have more chance of infection due to the disturbances on the top layer of skin. However, if you keep your hands clean, well moisturized and avoid your known allergens you will be well on your way to getting rid of this irritating skin condition.

To access the full step-by-step guide for preventing hand eczema continue to Natural Eczema Treatment.

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Before you do anything, get the eczema diagnosed by your physician. Next it is a good idea to find out what your child’s allergies are as allergies are the main reason for eczema to appear on the skin.

You can go for the skin test, which will test for all the common allergens, food and non-food (ask your doctor for this test). As stated before, the common allergens are dairy foods, eggs, fish,wheat, nuts, dust and pollen. This test is not painful and can be performed very quickly and accurately. If you do not want to go for this option you can alternatively keep a log of everything you child eats and when outbreaks of eczema occur. Soon a pattern will form allowing you to isolate certain foods.

This can also be done for substances your child comes into contact with such as ink, paints/crayons and pets.

Next remove these allergens from the diet/environment where possible. Remember to clothe you child in cotton clothes only, as this material has been proven to cause no undue irritation to the skin unlike other materials such as polyester and other synthetic material. Also try to use non-biological and/or organic clothes washing powder as the lack of harsh chemicals is softer and less irritating to toddler eczema.

Try to keep your child’s diet as natural as possible. If your child has a propensity towards eczema, then highly processed foods containing lots of additives and colorings should be kept to a minimum.

Sometimes we already kind of know what aggravates our skin but can’t seem to put it into perspective and take action to really clear the skin. Eczema can be very demotivating and it is easy to fall into the trap of instant gratification regardless of the consequences.

However, if you can begin to take steps to break that cycle and just put a few weeks of research for your skin then you will be rewarded and rewarded throughout your life.

Unfortunately it is sometimes the naughty pleasures in life such as candies, junk food and alcohol that can bring on eczema so it is up to you to decide what you would rather have - your instant pleasures of a life of eczema free skin.

Following are a few remedies for eczema to get you started in the right direction and in some cases completely eradicate eczema - go on, take action!

Now, as I have said before there is no known actual cure for eczema but there ARE ways to control and prevent an outbreak.

Contact Eczema – Do you find sometimes, that an itchy rash will appear after touching something? This is called contact eczema and is very very common. Everyday materials such as ink and photocopier toner, perfumed hair products, dust, even some types of paper can cause an irritation in the skin which can potentially bring on an eczema flare-up.

To avoid this, keep a log of when you suddenly became itchy and what you recently touched. At first you may be a little confused as to what actually caused the eruption but when you have analysed over a period of a few weeks, a pattern should form. Once the offending materials have been isolated, try to avoid, or wear protective, hyper-allergenic gloves when in contact – it is the only way.

Evening Primrose Oil – Many have heard of this and even know of it’s healing and maintenance properties for the skin, yet never take action. Evening primrose oil is available in capsule form to be taken once per day. The skin will benefit from the oils in helping rejuvenate the cells and also assist in hormone balance. This oil is really a must for inclusion in your remedies for eczema tool kit.

Finding Out What Foods Bring On Skin Irritation – A huge percentage of those suffering with eczema have many food allergies that actually contribute to most of the skin problems present. To find out exactly what foods you are allergic/intolerant to, you can have a skin prick test performed at your local doctors or you can keep a diary of foods eaten and the response of your skin.

The skin prick test is very accurate and you can be tested for non-food items also such as dust, pollen and so on. Keeping the diary is slightly trickier but can be more expansive in the food range. You will have to be meticulous in your eating and logging of results. A good idea is to start with a very plain and limited diet and gradually introduce new foods.

If you are dedicated to healing and preventing eczema, this should be no problem. Once you have discovered foods that bring on eczema, you should eliminate them from your diet.

There are many fast and effective avoidance measures and natural treatment for eczema that can be implemented easily. For a full guide to getting rid of eczema once and for all, continue to the Complete guide to Remedies For Eczema.

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If you are currently suffering from eczema, you will have experienced the many sleepless, restless nights and the limitations that this skin condition brings. You too will have received the endless prescriptions for steroid-based skin creams that only work temporarily and are dubious in their safety. There comes a time in every eczema sufferers life when enough is enough and a different plan of action must be sought that will deal with the problem effectively but without any nasty side effects.

To summarize, the following points are a few sound rules to abide by for a natural treatment for eczema.

There is no known actual cure for eczema but there ARE ways to control and prevent an outbreak.

In most cases, eczema and the corresponding symptoms are caused by an allergic reaction to something. It may be eaten or come into contact with in some other way such as, inhalation or simply on the surface of the skin, causing a direct response.

Due to this, it is a good idea to find out what you are allergic to. There are different ways to to do this, the most common probably being a skin test known as a Skin Prick Test, where the suspected substances will be tested on the skin at you local doctors surgery. This is a simple test in a controlled setting and the results will be almost immediate (around 10 minutes), some may take slightly longer.

The most common non-food allergens are: dust (dust mites), perfumed products, shampoos etc, pollen, cleaning detergents and animal hair/dander. The most common food allergens are: nuts, wheat, dairy products, eggs, food additives, alcohol and fish.

Once you have determined the substances you have an allergy to, the next step is to completely eliminate them from your life where possible. There may be times when it is very difficult to avoid certain substances. However, you may find that eczema symptoms are often a build up of many allergies combined and if there are only very few occasions where you are subject to your allergen, you may be able to deal with it far easier and faster than before when following a natural treatment for eczema.

Another factor to consider is your clothing. Certain materials such as wool, leather and polyester are common offenders for aggravating or even causing eczema, so try to stick to pure cotton garments where possible.

Always keep your skin well moisturized. Research has shown that a large percentage of eczema is caused by dry skin becoming itchy. Be careful here and make sure you are using a skin cream that is conducive with your skin type and one which does not cause you to become itchy or is ineffective in it’s moisturization. Going for pure organic skin lotions can be a great choice, failing that, a cream which has been dermatologically tested. Many people find that shampoo can dry out the scalp, trying an eczema shampoo can help.

Emotional upset and stress can also cause eczema. This may be a little harder to treat however, it can be done. Get plenty of exercise. This is good for stress and also has other health benefits. A long soak in the bath with lavender extract can also be great for reducing anxiety and stress.

There are many methods that can be implemented into a natural treatment for eczema For full access to these methods, continue to Natural Treatment For Eczema

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Scalp eczema is not just horrendously itchy and annoying, it can also affect us emotionally and in ways which might affect the way we act in social circumstances just like eczema on other parts of the body.

A while back, my scalp had become so badly covered in eczema that my hair was beginning to fall out! As you can imagine, I was not a happy bunny. My scalp was so dry and itchy and snowfalls of skin would fall on to my shoulders. I was distraught. The affected skin on the scalp was seeming to weaken the hair follicles and my hair could be quite easily pulled out.

I decided at this point that something had to be done and fast.  I loved my long hair and I was not going to lose it to eczema.

So here I began some pretty in-depth research into finding appropriate remedies for my situation that would work and my first, and probably the most vital piece of information, was learning that my regular and most other shampoos, contain harsh chemicals which can really irritate the skin, especially sensitive skin.

The worst offender is Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLS). This chemical compound is actually used in the cleaning of car engines! This substance has also been found, in some cases, to cause hairloss due to damage to the scalp and hair follicles. So I needed to eliminate this from my hair washing routine to begin healing my scalp eczema.

Then I was led on to my first remedy for scalp eczema being organic shampoo (& conditioner). Organic hair products are becoming easier to find, if you look around big shopping stores and high street chemists, there will usually be a section for organic beauty products.

After only a couple of washes using the new organic shampoo, my scalp began to really improve. Switching my shampoo was a great help, however, even though there was a change for the better, because my scalp had been so bad, it was still itchy and flaky.

More research led me in the direction of an book called Dry Itchy Scalp Remedies. At first I thought, it was just another guide to a healthy scalp that didn’t work, but boy was I wrong! After using the advice given in the book I found a tremendous change in the condition of my scalp.

This book had not only helped me physically but also mentally as I felt so much more confident and happy.

Some examples of Natural Remedies For Scalp Conditions

- Dry, itchy Scalp. One of the natural remedies, which I found to be very simple was to wet the hair, cover the scalp in olive oil and wrap in a towel. Leave for around 20 minutes then gently wash out. That is just one of many methods to ease the scalp and treat the condition.

- Dandruff.1 tablespoon of honey,5 drops thyme  and peppermint oil, 3 drops of sage oil and 5 drops of carrot oil (instead of oils you can use fresh herbs steeped in water). This formula is also beneficial for scalp odours. 

Don’t worry if some of the remedies sound a bit complicated there are actually quite straightforward and there are lots of simple methods like the olive oil.

After using a few of the remedies, I couldn’t believe the difference in the condition of my scalp. The eczema had cleared up and the dry, tight itchiness had vanished. My hair was stonger in the root and I was able to brush it confident that handfuls wouldn’t come out.

I an so thankful to Mia Wadsworth (the author) as I really didn’t think there would be a solution.

If you are suffering as I did, I strongly recommend this book, as it covers absolutely everything, not just eczema and dry scalp but other scalp conditions such as psoriasis and dermatitis. You can downlaod it instantly and start implementing the strategies to clear your scalp and have beautiful hair again.

Surveys suggest that one out of ten children can develop eczema, many going on to have the disease permanently where others grow out of it. If you see rashes on your child, consult your doctor and/or dermatologist immediately to confirm the diagnosis.

Babies and children up to 5 years old can experience eczema on the forehead and cheeks, which appear as red, inflamed rashes. This can be extremely uncomfortable for the child and must be treated to avoid further discomfort. There are many creams and ointment available but it is best to try for the more natural treatments as opposed to harsh steroid creams.

For older children, eczema often develops on knees, wrists, ankles and elbows which can be aggravated by clothing and other external substances.

You can avoid the flare ups of toddler eczema by following these prevention measures.

1)Use cotton clothing, as this natural material is soft on the skin and does not usually cause of worsen existing eczema, helping the skin breathe and cool down. 2)Use mild soap, preferably of natural ingredients with warm water when bathing. Fragrance free soaps are gentle on skin. Use a cloth to apply the soap and try not to rub the skin roughly.

3)Regular moisturizing of the skin helps reduce dryness which increases itchiness. Use creams and ointments that are advised by the doctor to maintain the skin’s moisture and reduce irritability. However some creams which your doctor may prescribe may not always be compatible with your child’s skin. So look out for signs of increased redness and itchiness. It should become apparent if the cream is not working. In this case try something else.

4)Encourage your child to avoid scratching and rubbing the affected areas. This will be very difficult for the child but is absolutely necessary.

5)Make sure to keep your child’s nails are trimmed down and clean.

6)Keep your environment clean and dust-free. Also restrict pets on some areas at home.

7)Consider having your child take an allergy test. As this can eliminate substances which cause the eczema.

The comfort of your child is of utmost importance and finding a suitable treatment for eczema can be difficult. When you choose a treatment or eczema medication, you should discuss with your doctor. Fortunately, however, there are tried and tested methods to treat eczema that will clear it up permanently if you follow the steps correctly. Next continue to Toddler Eczema.

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