Atopic dermatitis (AD), also called atopic eczema, is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that irritates your skin. Unfortunately, annually it affects 15-20% of children and 1-3% of adults worldwide.
It’s difficult to tolerate the inflammation and rough patches on the skin caused by the disease. It is worse when blisters, itching, redness, bleeding, or crusting appear in the affected area.
Often prescription medicines won’t fully cure atopic dermatitis but they reduce the severity of inflammation and rashes.
Mast patients take to proven natural remedies for eczema. Finding the best cure for eczema right there in your kitchen is easy and practical.
What is Eczema?
“Eczema is a medical condition in which patches of skin become rough and inflamed, with blisters that cause irritation and bleeding, sometimes resulting from a reaction to irritation (eczematous dermatitis), but more typically having no obvious external cause,” says the National Eczema Association.
There are seven different forms of eczema: atopic dermatitis, neurodermatitis, dyshidrotic, contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, discoid, and stasis dermatitis.
People with eczema often have asthma or allergies along with itchy, red, or hyperpigmented skin.
What causes eczema flare-ups still needs to be clarified. It is mostly an inherited atopic disease in which the patient might have certain allergic conditions like dermatitis, hay fever, and asthma. In most cases, patients with moderate to severe eczema could also contract asthma or hay fever.
This disease is more prevalent among children than adults. Infant eczema flares usually subside as the child grows up to become an adult.
Symptoms of Eczema
Here are the common symptoms of eczema in children and adults:
- patches of dry skin with rashes
- A particular area of the skin becomes red and inflamed (skin creases, elbows, wrists, back of knees, around the neck, or feet). Dermatitis on the face is common in babies and children.
- Strong itching sensation on affected skin areas; scratching may cause the skin to thicken and roughen.
- Inflamed areas of the skin may get blistered and weepy; bumps could appear in some cases.
- On inflamed skin, infection is possible.
- Scaling of the skin in the infected area.
- Rashes might bubble up with pus oozing out (usually happens in infants).
Eczema symptoms can vary depending on the individual’s skin type and the area of skin affected. Dermatitis on the face, eyelids, and around the neck mostly appears as patches of red rashes with tiny goosebumps.
Causes of Atopic Dermatitis
Medical professionals do not have any clues on what exactly causes eczema. Atopic dermatitis, a common type of eczema, is similar to an allergy but is not an allergic reaction.
Some of the recent studies have come up with possible combinations of factors that cause eczema:
- Environment (influence of pollution and adverse climates)
- improper functioning of the immune system
- Hereditarily acquired genes
- Hypersensitivity of skin to certain activities and conditions
- a faulty skin barrier that allows germs in but keeps moisture out.
It is not contagious, and coming into contact with people with atopic dermatitis will not spread the disease.
If anyone in your close blood relationship has atopic dermatitis, you could also be at risk of contracting this disease. This skin ailment runs in the family.
Children with atopic dermatitis are at high risk of contracting asthma, hay fever, or other skin allergies.
It is quite common that children born to older women have a higher risk of contracting this skin inflammation than children born to younger women.
There are external factors that can trigger or flare up this dermatitis disease. These common factors include perfume, makeup, solvents, soaps, detergents, cigarette smoke, makeup products, dust, or other irritants in the living environment.
Here are a few more situations or conditions that can aggravate this skin disease:
- Living in a dry climate
- Winter humidity levels are low.
- Overexposure to water
- Exposure to very hot or cold temperatures
- Immediate chilling of the body after sweating
- A prolonged warm water shower
- Not using a good skin moisturizer after a bath
These are the basic facts regarding the symptoms and causes of eczema.
Topical Home Remedies For Eczema
Here we are going to address the question of “how to treat eczema” or “what is good for eczema.”
In most cases, eczema will not last long, and usually, it disappears by itself within a couple of months or after a year. However, treatment must contain its severity and prevent the damage it might cause to the skin.
Note that exposure to hot sun, stress or scratching can make eczema worse.
If you have a history of eczema flare-ups, consistently avoid things that aggravate the condition.
There is no specific cure for it, but treating the particular symptoms and preventing the flare-up of the disease is possible.
Over-the-counter eczema treatments are available. Traditionally, natural solutions are used as the best treatment for atopic dermatitis.
After conducting extensive research, I have identified ten alternative treatments for eczema that have been effective and in use for hundreds of years.
1. Jojoba Oil
Jojoba liquid wax or oil can penetrate deep into the skin’s molecular structure and function like sebum, a natural skin oil.
The long-chain fatty alcohols and acids in jojoba oil make it a great way to keep the skin moist.
This oil wraps the skin with a protective layer as a barrier to external irritants. The anti-inflammatory elements contained in this oil prevent skin inflammation and heal wounds quickly.
How to use:
Apply a few drops of jojoba oil to the affected skin area by gently massaging it with the palm of your hand or a cotton ball; repeat the procedure three times a day.
2. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is loaded with antifungal and antimicrobial agents that are great for healing all types of skin irritations and infections. The rich lipid content in this oil is excellent for moisturizing the patches of dry skin caused by atopic dermatitis.
The lauric and caprylic acids, as well as vitamins E and K in this oil, help relieve itching and flaking. The nutrients in virgin coconut oil also nourish the skin.
When you apply coconut oil to the eczema-affected area of the skin, the medium-chain fatty acids in this oil form a protective layer over the skin. It is a protective barrier that blocks external irritants.
Coconut oil slowly and steadily removes the infection from the skin.
How to use:
Apply sufficient virgin coconut oil to the infected area by gently massaging. Repeat the application of this oil a few times a day till you get rid of atopic dermatitis.
If you are wondering “how to get rid of eczema on the face,” the coconut oil treatment could be worth trying.
3. Oatmeal Bath
If you are vexed over the issue of how to treat this skin condition on the face and body, give it a try with a colloidal oatmeal bath.
It is one of the best-known ancient remedies for moisturizing and soothing the skin.
Oatmeal contains natural and chemical ingredients that have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. It helps reduce itching and discomfort of dermatitis and prevents the flare-up of the infection.
After the bath, you may gently pat the skin dry and apply herbal eczema cream or lotion while your skin is still damp.
How to use:
Fill your bathtub halfway with warm water and immerse yourself in it. One cup of oatmeal bundled up in cheesecloth or muslin; let the oatmeal soak in the water for 30 minutes. Water turns milky and smooth when the oatmeal extracts get diluted, and you immerse your body in this water for 10–15 minutes. Repeat this once a day till you get rid of it completely.
4. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is known for its extraordinary potential to soothe and heal inflamed skin. The terpenes (a group of volatile unsaturated hydrocarbons) found in tea tree oil are excellent antibacterial agents.
The powerful ingredients in this oil are highly sensitive to the skin. For this reason, use only a few drops of tea tree oil diluted in other carrier oils like coconut or olive.
How to use:
Take 5–7 drops of tea tree oil and dilute it in 30 ml carrier oil.
Apply the oil mixture to the eczema-affected areas of the skin.
Repeat the treatment 3 times a day.
Using tea tree oil in your bath water may also help manage eczema symptoms.
5. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is an excellent treatment for dyshidrotic eczema. It is rich in malic acid, a natural antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal agent. Using ACV can help to soothe and heal the skin inflammation caused by eczema and prevent the flare-up and spread of the disease.
How to use:
Add one tablespoon of ACV to three tablespoons of water, and apply the diluted ACV solution with a cotton ball. Repeat this process twice a day. It is natural to experience a burning sensation for a couple of minutes after the ACV application.
6. Olive Oil
Olive oil is known for its medicinal qualities and several health benefits. Applying olive oil helps to reduce skin inflammation and soothe flare-ups.
The presence of squalene and oleocanthal elements in olive oil gives this oil anti-inflammatory and antioxidant power. This oil is beneficial for getting rid of the flaky, dry, and itchy skin caused by eczema. This oil’s fatty acids and Vitamin E are effective for moisturizing and nourishing the skin.
How to use:
You can directly apply the olive oil to the skin; do it a couple of times daily till you have completely gotten rid of atopic dermatitis.
You can also use olive oil as a skin exfoliant. The ingredients required for exfoliation treatment are 12 drops of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and ¼ cup of water.
The more advanced natural solution for eczema is using olive oil-soaked cabbage leaves to cleanse the skin. This treatment is done by placing cabbage leaves soaked in olive oil over the disease-affected skin. The leaves soaked in oil can stay on the wounds for at least 2 hours. You can bandage leaves on the affected skin with cotton linen; wash the treated skin with lukewarm water afterward.
7. Essential Oils
Most essential oils are effective for treating eczema. Apart from the tea tree oil we have already discussed, lavender oil, chamomile oil, calendula oil, and rosehip oil are also exceptionally useful for treating dermatitis diseases.
Lavender oil contains antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal elements that heal and prevent skin diseases. Apply seven drops of lavender diluted in two tablespoons of carrier oil to the affected skin three times per day.
Also, calendula oil has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial elements. It works well for healing all common types of skin issues. Either apply the calendula oil or take a handful of the calendula flower’s petals and infuse them in any carrier oils like olive oil or coconut oil. Then apply the solvent oil on the skin.
Rosehip oil contains essential fatty acids and antibacterial agents that are good for getting rid of itchiness and dry skin caused by eczema. This oil soothes inflamed skin and provides an excellent moisturizing effect.
Chamomile oil derived from German or Roman chamomile flowers has good antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory qualities latent in it. Apply this oil to affected areas of the skin two times a day to eliminate the inflammation and dryness caused by eczema.
8. Shea Butter
Shea butter is effective for curing eczema. It provides soothing effects to the skin besides getting rid of dry, itchy, and painful patches on the skin.
One of the highly popular home treatments for all dermatitis types is a mixture of shea butter, jojoba oil, beeswax, and coconut oil.
The non-saponifiable fatty acid in shea butter can heal, repair, and soften damaged skin. It removes skin inflammation and prevents the flare-up of the infection.
Beeswax protects the skin from external irritants that aggravate eczema conditions. The benefits of jojoba oil and coconut oil for curing eczema are already well known.
How to use:
Take 2 tablespoons of each shea butter and beeswax and 5 tablespoons of each coconut oil and jojoba oil, and blend them in a heating boiler at a moderate temperature. After cooling down, apply the ointment to eczema-affected areas of the skin; repeat the treatment 3 times a day.
9. Calamine Lotion
Calamine lotion is the best-known eczema treatment available over the counter.
Of course, you can prepare the calamine balm at home if you wish to do so. The ingredients required for preparing Calamine lotion are calcium bentonite clay (4 tsp), baking soda (4 tsp), tea tree oil (10 drops), sea salt (1 tbsp), pink kaolin clay (optional; 3 tsp), zinc oxide powder (1 tsp), and water (1/4 cup).
It has zinc oxide and iron oxide compounds that have antiseptic and astringent effects. This is excellent for eczema issues with badly inflamed skin and weeping sores.
Calcium bentonite clay has antibacterial and anti-toxic effects that help heal skin sores.
Baking soda is another antiseptic agent that cleanses eczema-affected patches and rashes on the skin. It is effective for getting rid of bacteria that inflame the disease.
Sea salt is a great way to eliminate dead skin cells and ease pain, itching, and swelling.
The pink Kaolin clay is an excellent exfoliate that removes the dead and dry skin from dermatitis-affected areas of the skin.
How to use:
Mix all the ingredients in a glass bowl except the tea tree oil and water. Then gradually pour the water while stirring the ingredients till you get a lotion-like, thin consistency. When the lotion is ready, mix 10 drops of tea tree oil. Apply this homemade calamine lotion twice daily until the skin eczema inflammation is completely gone.
10. Supplements and Nutrition
A fish oil supplement is a proven treatment for itching and inflammation caused by atopic eczema.
The amino acids in fish oil, especially N-6 and N-3 fatty acids, are good for developing healthy skin tissues and repairing damaged skin tissues. Taking fish supplements daily can help you achieve healthy skin free of dermatitis.
Vitamins D and E are essential for a fast recovery from eczema.
Recent studies have shown that people with low vitamin D levels are more likely to have atopic dermatitis-related skin problems. It is safe to have up to 10,000 IU of this vitamin daily.
Scientific research supports the benefits of a diet high in vitamin E in preventing eczema. Besides, vitamin E’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects may also help alleviate eczema when applied topically.
If your body doesn’t have enough Vitamin D, E, or essential amino acids, you can talk to a doctor about supplements.
How to Remove Eczema Scars
Depending on the skin type of the individual, some get ugly eczema scars on the skin. If you do not know how to get rid of eczema scars, you can try some of these effective therapies to solve the problem. It is easy and effective to use excellent natural pigmentation removal creams like Meladerm to get rid of eczema scars.
Here are a few natural antidotes for removing eczema marks:
- Apply a mixture of onion extract and aloe vera gel.
- Use topical Vitamin E lotions on your skin.
- Massage the scars daily with almond oil containing Vitamin E.
- Use a skin scrub made of honey and crystal sugar.
- Apply raw lemon juice extracts to the scarred area daily.
- Rub aloe vera gel into the affected skin several times per day.
- Lotion made from coconut oil and cocoa butter
- Scars can be removed with a baking soda scrub.
- Apply the apple cider vinegar to the affected area daily.
- Massage scars daily with extra virgin olive oil.
You can get rid of eczema scars by regularly and consistently using 2 or 3 of these natural solutions. Try out the ones that are most convenient for you to use.
Conclusion
Eczema is a common disease that mostly occurs in infants and children. This skin disease can be contained and cured quickly by following the necessary precautions and simple remedies.
All-natural cures for eczema work best, especially if the disease is in its initial stages. If you try countermeasures that don’t work or don’t give you the results you want within two weeks, you should see a doctor.
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