Eczema home remedies

Eczema is a chronic problem affecting the largest organ of the body…the skin. It is a condition that produces blisters, redness, scaling, flaking, weeping, crusting, color changes and itching that can be very annoying. At present, close to nine million Americans suffer from this unpleasant condition, making even the most mundane jobs painful and irritating.

People who suffer from this condition have a variety of options for treatment. In addition to prescription medications, there are many home remedies that are useful for treating eczema.

Oatmeal baths are commonly used to calm the skin. For the bath, simply pour 2 cups of colloidal oatmeal, such as Aveeno or any generic brand, into a tub of lukewarm water. Soak for at least 15 minutes. For use as a soap substitute, wrap colloidal oatmeal in a handkerchief, place a rubber band around the top, dunk it in water, wring it out, and use as you would a normal washcloth.

Homemade lotions are also popular in treating this disease. Use a lotion made out of blueberry leaves. This is proven to be fantastic for relieving inflammation of dermatitis. Calamine lotion is also good for many types of rashes that ooze and may need to be dried out. Calamine lotion with menthol or phenol added to it can be purchased over-the-counter at almost any drug store and seems to help itching more than calamine alone.

Skin washes that you can make at home are also good remedies. One example of a skin wash recipe is as follows:

Mix the following ingredients:

1 tsp. comfrey root.

1 tsp. white oak bark.

1 tsp. slippery elm bark.

2 cups of water.

Boil for 35 minutes use it to wash the affected area.

There are several preventative measures one can take to sooth eczema. Avoiding antiperspirants and quick changes in air temperature may drastically reduce itching. Staying away from baby lotions and fake nails can also help to calm your eczema. Baby lotions have a high water content that can further dry and irritate the skin as evaporation takes place. Some of the fragrances in baby lotions (lanolin and mineral oil) are common causes of skin allergy. Recent research at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation has shown that acrylic manicure products can cause “frequent and obvious cases of dermatitis.”

Keeping a close eye on your eczema is crucial. If you notice any changes or your eczema worsens, see you physician immediately for help or a change in diagnosis or treatment.