Eczema affects people of all ages and can cause misery. Doctors often prescribe a steroidal cream, which for many people doesn't always do the trick. There are other things you can do to ease the terrible itching and blistering. Read on to learn a few natural/home remedies that may assist in your lifelong battle with eczema.


Steps

1. Change your diet.
   
   
   • Switch from a standard diet to a wholesome diet of fresh, organically grown fruits, vegetables, and nuts, mostly in their raw form.
   • Foods such as salmon and other fish may help, too (because they contain fatty omega acids).
     
     
2. Avoid things that could aggravate your eczema. Anything from changing weather conditions to dish detergents and clothing fabrics can aggravate your eczema. If you are susceptible to eczema, avoid wearing wool or rough fabrics. These fabrics will only irritate your dry, itchy skin even more so, causing the clothing to rub and scrap your skin. *Avoid lotions that are heavily perfumed. These can irritate your skin.
3. Consider getting an allergy test. Although having one done is sometimes cumbersome, and even a pain, you can discover what foods, animals, carpets, or even trees cause your Eczema flare-ups.
4. If you can’t afford to have an allergy test done, consider keeping a journal. Keep a log of everything you eat, wear, and do on a particular day. For example, write down that you ate oatmeal, wore a polyester blouse, and washed dishes with Palmolive. Then, notate how you felt that day and indicate the times and days you began to itch. Eventually, you will discover certain patterns. That is where self-diagnosis can begin.
5. Look for natural supplements and substances.
   • Consume Virgin Coconut Oil, which contains Medium Chain Fatty Acids or medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). Unlike trans fats, Virgin Coconut Oil provides good fats and nourishment to dry eczema skin. It also contains lauric acid, which makes up 50% of the fatty acids. Lauric acid has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.
   • Take a natural kelp supplement which you can find in most health stores. It is a small pill which reduces the levels of acidity in your body.
   • Look for creams that contain neem oil - this is reported to be very effective for eczema. You may have to try a natural foods store to find it.
   • Aloe Vera Barbadensis Miller is also known to help Eczema and is in many products.
   • Load up on Zinc, B Complex, Fish Oils, and Grape Juice. These supplements will help your dry, itchy skin from the inside out.
6. Soak your body in kelp and bentonite clay infused water. Have a colloidal oatmeal bath. After the bath, massage your hands and feet with castor oil mixed with calendula extract and wrap them in plastic bags for a few hours to keep the skin and the cracks as soft as possible.
7. Use colloidal oatmeal/coconut butter lotion and Shea Butter (derived from the seeds of the Karite Nut of the Mangifolia Tree in Africa). These 2 lotions soothe and moisturize skin without clogging pores.
8. Rub Vaseline or Aqauphor on the affected areas. Vaseline may be very greasy (the intensive care brand less so) but it will remove the dry skin after two days of applying. You can also try get your hands on Crocodile or Alligator Oil.
9. Wash your hands about every hour and apply a light hand cream because when you touch your eczema, bacteria can get inside and washing your hands too often can overdry them.

Tips

• Never scratch because scratching breaks the skin open and makes it vulnerable to bacteria and infection.
• Check Out the: Beat Eczema guide

Warnings

• Although eliminating dairy products/milk from your diet will improve eczema symptoms, women (and everyone else, but mostly women) need the calcium and other nutrients in them to prevent bone problems and to stay healthy. It's up to you to weigh the positives and negatives. You choose.