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Crazy Itch © Kelly Hironaka
Eczema is a non-infectious skin condition which may be aggravated by allergens such as animal dander, foods and irritants in soap and body care products. An outbreak is usually characterized by red, inflamed skin that is scaly and itchy and may lead to bloody, oozing lesions which heal over to thickened, darker skin.
There is no one treatment for eczema – it is a condition that must be treated from both the inside and the outside, naturally. In the treatment of eczema, the ultimate goals is to either eliminate or reduce the occurrence and severity of the itchy outbreaks.
Some oils and foods that you can consume to “lubricate” your body and your skin are flax seed oil and canola oil. Flax seed oil is high in omega-3 essential fatty acids. Omega-3s can reduce inflammation and promote the healing of skin. As a natural product, the dosage can vary greatly, but the average dose is 1 tablespoon per 100 lbs of body weight daily. Chia seeds are also high in omega-3 fatty acids and can be consumed in smoothies or sprinkled over cereal. Canola oil is 11% omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid) and is low in saturated fat.
For your external treatments, massaging unrefined shea butter into the skin may alleviate the symptoms and the appearance of the scaly rash. Because unrefined shea butter is high in oleic acid, an omega-9 fatty acid and is close in composition to human sebum, it can assist in skin repair and healing.
Flax seed oil, as written above, contains essential omega-3 fatty acid and can be topically applied. Hemp seed oil is an easily absorbed skin emollient and assists in regeneration of skin cells.
These are just some natural treatments that can be used to alleviate the symptoms of eczema and perhaps serve to lessen the severity of the outbreak.
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Comments
I have a line of skin care products that offer some relief to people w/eczema, but these are some wonderful new tips. I sent the article to a few of my customers. Hope they subscribe to your column. Your advise is great. Keep 'em coming.
Thanks for the skin care advice! I have also read / heard that taking nettles orally can help with eczema as well :)
Thank you for the post. Do you know of any sites that have a good natural eczema treatment? I found http://www.glaciersoap.com and it looks pretty good. I just wanted your professional opinion before I did anything. What do you think?
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