Eczema is the common name for skin disorders characterised by red patches, weeping blisters and often, severe itching. There are several different kinds of eczema which is often associated with food allergy (usually milk or wheat) and a deficiency in Essential Fatty Acids from nuts and oils.

Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin (a contact allergy often associated with food allergies to milk products and wheat). A deficiency in essential fatty acids can make the body predisposed to developing dermatitis. Prostaglandins are suppressed by saturated fats and fried foods and by deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, especially zinc deficiency.

Factors Affecting Eczema and Ways to Treat it

Sodium Bicarbonate helps to reduce the body's level of acidity.

Add 1 - 5 tablespoons to your bath water every other night. In acute cases, start with 1 tablespoon and gradually increase the eczema treatment to 5 tablespoons over 2 months.

Wash your Hair and Body with Wild Pansy Shampoo - it is especially good for eczema treatment of both the scalp and skin. See Recipe Brochure No 6 Shampoos & Liquid Soaps for how to make a Shampoo and replace the Boiling Water in the Shampoo Recipe with a Wild Pansy Decoction.

Fasting is a good eczema treatment and a way to cleanse the body (this should only be undertaken under professional advice and support).

Avoid steroid creams, creams containing paraffin oil and Vaseline, perfumed washing powders, dairy products and clothes made of synthetic fibres.

Drink plenty of lukewarm water (around 2 - 3 litres per day).

" I have just finished using the first pot of cream I made; very simple one from your leaflet, with no fragrance or preservative added. I kept it in the fridge as advised. It has been fantastic; no eczema flare ups at all and quite a few people commented how good my skin looked. Prior to using this, the only cream I could put on my face for any length of time without experiencing progressively more red, sore and itchy skin was very expensive (Dr Hauschka), so a great saving in money!" Barbara Gadd more testimonials >>

Eczema Treatment Bath

Once a week take the following Eczema Treatment Bath:

Fill a cloth bag with 50g dried Plantain leaf and 50g fresh fresh Lady's Mantle leaves or 50g of each herb dried. Place in the bath tub and pour over 10 litres of boiling water. Allow to infuse for 10 minutes and then add the rest of your bath water. Stay in the bath for 20 minutes adding more hot water to keep the eczema treatment bath warm if necessary. Do not rinse off the eczema treatment but allow the body to air dry.

Eczema Treatment for Children - General Tips

It is important that a child's bowels work properly and, ideally, that they are emptied as many times per day as there are meals. If this doesn't occur naturally then this process should be assisted by the administration of laxative teas, fruit mousse or fig syrup. Be careful about giving a child anything sweet. Never give a child with eczema, tomatoes, rosehips, ordinary wheat bread or rice. A small quantity of buckwheat bread is permissible. Otherwise, a purely vegan diet is required.

When using onions and garlic in food, great care must be taken. Begin with chives and then go on to leeks. Having started carefully it is usually fine to use onions and even garlic.

After the age of 12 a child with chronic eczema can also be allowed to try a 7 day fast. NB Only do it under careful supervision. It is then important for the child to take more fluids than would be taken on the One Day Fast. Children need more fluids than adults.

Eczema Baths

Eczema Bath Recipe

Stage 1
25ml Foam Bath Emulsifier
72ml Boiling Water or Boiling Herbal Infusion or Decoction
12 drops Preservative

Stage 2
35 drops Lavender Essential Oil
10 drops Roman or Moroccan Chamomile Essential Oil

Method:

1. Measure the Foam Bath Emulsifier in a measuring jug or beaker and pour into an oven-proof bowl.
2. Measure the boiling water from the kettle and pour into the bowl.
3. Add the Preservative.
4. Stir well until the mixture becomes thick.
5. Place the bowl in a basin or sink of very cold water, stirring the mixture occasionally.
6. When it has cooled to below 30˚C, blend in your own Essential Oils and add Lactic Acid if suing Preservative K.
7. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and then, if you prefer, add more cold water (10-80ml) to achieve the consistency you require.
8. Pour into bottles and label.

Tips

• Replace 5ml of the Boiling Water/Herbal Decoction or Infusion with 5ml Turkey Red Bath Oil if you are treating a very dry eczema skin condition.
• If you are using a Boiling Herbal Decoction or Infusion, then you could use 2-3g in total of different herbs per 100ml of water to make it. See The Aromantic Guide to the use of Herbs in Skin, Hair and Health products for which herbs to use.

Eczema Treatment Oils (makes 100ml)

Dry Eczema Oil Treatment Blend
10g Shea Butter (melt first in a bain-marie and then add the rest of the ingredients, starting with Thistle Oil and adding the Vitamins last)
30ml Thistle Oil
20ml Borage Oil
20ml Vitamin E Oil
10ml Jojoba Oil (Organic)
8ml Rosehip Oil
2ml Vitamin A Palmitate

Wet Eczema Oil Treatment Blend
20ml Thistle Oil
20ml Borage Oil
20ml Rosehip Oil
20ml Jojoba Oil (Organic)
18ml Vitamin E Oil
2ml Vitamin A Palmitate

Method:

1. Simply measure the Vegetable and Vitamin Oils in a beaker and stir in together.
2. Add up to 15 drops of Essential Oils.*
3. Store in Amber Glass Bottles.

*A good choice of Essential Oils for adding to Eczema Oil Blends:
Lavender, Sandalwood, Roman or Moroccan Chamomile, Geranium, Orange and Bergamot.

Aromantic’s Base and Ready-made products that help relieve Eczema

Select which of Aromantic’s Base and Ready-made products you wish to order:

Active Cream 1Vitamin A CreamVitamin A Cream with Zinc

Aromantic Courses that teach you how to make Eczema Treatment products

Intermediate Course in Natural Skin Care

Click here to find out more about or to book a place on Aromantic’s Intermediate Course in Natural Skin Care.

General Advice for those Suffering with Eczema

Eczema and Diet

If your body chemistry is too acid you must eat more alkaline foods to assist eczema treatment. You can test your acid/alkaline balance by using simple litmus paper.  If your urine is under +7, you are too acid.

Balancing your diet - acid / alkaline

When food is metabolised by the body the end products are either acidic or alkaline. Acids are compounds of elements which give away hydrogen ions, Alkalines are compounds of elements which attract hydrogen ions. The body needs both Acids and Alkalines for its metabolism but we have more difficulty getting rid of Acids than Alkalines. It is therefore easy for an accumulation of excess acids to occur which can cause us to get rheumatism or skin problems such as eczema. To avoid this, aim for a diet which is 70% Alkaline and 30% Acid.

To achieve a more alkaline diet you can consider replacing the following items in your diet:

Acid	Alkaline
Bread	Bread based made from sprouts or Buckwheat bread
Wheat, Spaghetti, Macaroni	Buckwheat and Millet Spaghetti
Chocolate & Cocoa drinks	Carob based products
Tea, Coffee	Herbal Teas & Fermented herbal
Barley cup	Teas
Soya products	Quorn products
Rice, Oats, Porridge	Millet or Buckwheat porridge

The following table of Alkaline / Acidity was developed by the Swedish man Ragnar Berg in the 1930's.

ALKALINE (+)		ACID (-)
Cucumber	+31	Rice with husks	-51
Dried Figs	+28	Bran	-39
Raisins	+16	Whole Wheat	-38
Dried Rose Hips	+15	Oat Flakes	-30
Tomatoes	+14	Eggs	-23
Lettuce	+14	Rye Bread	-22
Mandarin oranges	+12	Meat of all kinds	-10 to -19
Celery	+11	Fish of all kinds	-10 to -19
Oranges	+10	Whole Rye	-17
Carrots	+10	Cheese	-17
Lemons	+10	Cottage Cheese	-17
Leeks	+9	Peanuts	-15
Endive	+9	Asparagus	-14
Spinach	+9	Corn	-14
Gooseberries	+9	Rice, polished	-11
Chives	+8	Wheat Bread	-11
Buckwheat	+8	Soya Beans	-10
Millet	+8	Rye Crisp bread	-9
Grapes, Dried Dates	+7	Brussel Sprouts	-9
Bananas	+7	Wheat Flour	-8
Potatoes, peeled	+7	Brown Beans	-8
Blackberries	+7	Butter	-6
Plums	+6	Yellow Peas	-4
Cabbages	+5	Green Beans	-4
Apricots	+5	Margarine	-4
Peaches	+5	Artichokes	-4
Blueberries	+4	Almonds, Hazel	-1
Black Currants	+4
Milk	+4
Apples, Pears, Cherries	+3
Onions	+3
Strawberries	+2

The more -, the more acid the food is.
The more +, the more alkaline. 0 is balanced

Eczema Treatment One Day Fast

Drink (in early morning) 0.5 - 1 litre tepid water

Early morning       Drink 0.5 - 1 litre tepid water
09.00am                Drink 200ml Berry juice (Blueberry or Cranberry - not blackcurrants)
11.00am                Drink 200ml herbal tea:
                                Infuse 2g Lady’s Mantle, 2g Chamomile, 2g Yarrow for 20 minutes. Strain together.
13.00pm                Drink 200ml Carrot juice (Fresh is best)
15.00pm                Drink 200ml Carrot juice
17.00pm                Drink 200ml Vegetable stock and 200ml Green juice (such as Wheatgrass or Nettle juice)
19.00pm                Berry Juice (Blueberry or Cranberry - not blackcurrants)

Soothing the Itch

Massage with Chickweed juice. Fill a food mixer with Chickweed and 100ml still water. Mix for 2 minutes. Squeeze out the juice and massage into the affected area. You can also add 5-10ml Aloe Vera Concentrate.

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