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.