Management of eczema.
Eczema symptoms vary from person to person and it is important to be aware of what makes your skin worse or better. I recommend seeking constitutional homeopathic treatment. In the meantime the following may be useful:
Creams:
Finding the right cream is very individual, some work beautifully for some people re-hydrating the skin, while for others it just sits on the surface. On balance I think trying the following is a good idea:
- If your skin is worse from contact with water, try to avoid aqueous creams, as aqueous cream is water based.
- Try to avoid creams with petro-chemicals in - they often feel great but they coat the skin so it can't 'breathe'.
- If you need to use steroid creams one possibility is to dilute the steroid cream, - i.e. squeeze 1 tube of steroid cream in to a jar and the equivalent amount of plain cream and use that. Further down the line you can slowly reduce the ratio, or if there is a flare up increase its strength. This gives you the flexibility as needed.
- If certain creams sting you can try putting pure hemp oil on the skin directly - as it is often the water or alcohol in the creams that causes the stinging.
- One cream that gets good testimonials is '7 cream'. Available from Helios. https://www.helios.co.uk/seven_cream.html
Diet:
- A wholefood diet where possible with plenty of water, avoiding excessive sugar and spice which may aggravate.
- It is often worth supplementing your diet with essential fatty acids, use either flax seed oil, hemp seed or fish oil . some studies have shown they can help increase cortisone in the body. You can introduce this slowly by adding a few drops to your food – or just plain on a teaspoon.Any benefits are destroyed by cooking. You should notice a difference in 4-6 weeks.
- A couple of portions of oily fish weekly are recomended to increase your omegas.
Bathing:
- If water aggravates then try to avoid baths when possible.
- Adding a handful of oatmeal (just normal organic porridge oats) to the bath can be soothing. You can make a 'bath bag' for the oats - to stop them going everywhere - with a muslin bag or with the foot of an old pair of tights. Run the hot tap over it, the water goes milky and soothes the skin.
Sophia McVeigh. Homeopath. BSc(Hons) RSHom. Tel: 07976 910 993.
Disclaimer: The information presented here by Sophia McVeigh is intended for information only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements or homeopathic remedies it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
