Home Remedies for Eczema
Home remedies for eczema have been around for generations because the skin condition can be such a tremendous burden for sufferers. Eczema is a painful, itching skin condition that is red, scaly and inflamed. In severe cases, the condition can result in cracked, seeping or bleeding skin patches. It can occur anywhere on the body, but is most frequent on the face and neck, ankles, behind the knees, in elbow creases and behind the ears. It is much more likely to become chronic in areas of the body that have creases which may not stay dry.
Diet Home Remedies for Eczema
It’s interesting to note that diet can have a profound effect on eczema. If you eat lots of mineral-rich foods and foods rich in natural oils, such as fish, nuts and olive oil, you can reduce the frequency of eczema flare-ups. To make sure you’re getting sufficient dietary oils, try taking fish oil capsules every day. You should also drink lots of liquids, particularly water.
Dietary supplements are also popular home remedies for eczema. In addition to the fish oil tablets, you should take a zinc supplement, vitamin E and the B complex vitamins. Turmeric is a spice that is often recommended for eczema. You can either steep it to make a tea to drink a few times a day, or you can find turmeric in capsule form at health food stores. If you take the capsules, take 3-6 pills of 500 mg. each daily.
Home Remedy Salves for Eczema
There are a variety of salves that can be made from common kitchen or bathroom items that will relieve the itching and burning of eczema at far less than the cost of expensive drug store ointments.
Honey, which has natural disinfecting properties, can be mixed with ½ teaspoon of nutmeg and applied thoroughly to the irritated areas. This will help kill the germs while it eases the itching. Other salves can be made by combining one teaspoon of camphor (easily found in health stores) and a teaspoon of sandalwood.
Many people swear by a salve made from a tablespoon of ground basil combined with two crushed cloves of garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper, all added to a tablespoon of olive oil. Gently apply the concoction to the irritated area and let it dry. You can apply this mixture several times a day if needed.
A home remedy for eczema that works overnight can be made by mashing a few cloves of garlic into some honey to make a thick paste. Rub the paste liberally on any areas of eczema, then cover with a nylon bandage. Leave the bandage on overnight and remove in the morning. Wash off the salve with rubbing alcohol. Don’t use any water to clean the area. If you use this remedy for a few nights in a row, you’ll see remarkable results.
You should also take care at all times to make sure your eczema is kept dry. One of the reasons it’s so difficult to keep eczema under control is that it thrives in areas of the body that aren’t sufficiently dried after bathing.