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gethealthy18-blog · 5 years

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7 Natural Remedies for Eczema

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7 Natural Remedies for Eczema

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I get quite a few questions about skin problems like eczema and psoriasis. I’m not a dermatologist by any means, but I have had some personal experience with eczema (in myself and family) and have found some natural remedies that have helped us so I wanted to share. As always, ask your own doc and specialists before trying anything!

The Diet Connection With Eczema

I feel it is important to note that all of the topical remedies in the world didn’t help us until we addressed the underlying problem, in our case: diet and lifestyle factors that were causing/contributing to eczema.

Just as you can’t out supplement a bad diet in other areas, topical remedies don’t address the underlying problem.

Certainly, eczema and other skin issues are complex conditions with a potential variety of causes, but there do seem to be some common things that help (both dietary and other).

My Son’s Eczema (& What We Tried)

In our family, our son struggled with eczema off and on for a long time. He was born via c-section (due to placenta previa) and was given antibiotics and steroids as soon as he was born. This led to problems with his gut bacteria, some learning delays, and some skin/digestive problems.

We started the GAPS program (find all the details here) combined with a pretty intensive supplement and lifestyle change for him and finally started to see improvement.

If you haven’t heard of it, GAPS is an intensive diet that focuses on gut-healing foods like bone broth (traditionally prepared and long-simmered so it’s gelatin-rich) and many healthy fats and nutrient sources we typically don’t get enough of in our modern diets. It also includes a fair amount of fermented vegetables, making their nutrients more accessible to those with impaired digestive systems and helping the overall healing process.

How to Try a GAPS Diet

Depending on the severity of the patient, one either begins with or works up to the Introduction Diet, which is the strictest part of the protocol, focused on intensive healing. There are then stages as the person begins to introduce other foods. The most difficult factor of the GAPS diet is that in order to be effective, especially in the beginning, one must be 100% compliant. This means a lot of preparing foods at home, as practically any foods prepared by someone not familiar with the protocol will have things that can aggravate the gut.

For us, it meant consuming more homemade broth and soups (or ones from a quality source) as well as removing certain foods including gluten and casein (wheat and dairy). We also found that it was helpful to avoid food dyes and any processed ingredients, though this was as much from a behavior perspective as a skin one.

If you or a family member struggle with skin problems, allergies or behavior struggles, I’d definitely recommend at least checking out the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome to see if the protocol would be helpful for you.

Natural Remedies for Eczema

Of course, once diet has been addressed, there are some things that can be used topically that may speed healing or limit discomfort during the healing time. For us, these things were helpful:

1. Coconut Oil

We use coconut oil for skin, hair, teeth, and even soap making at our house! It is also great for eczema (as long as the person isn’t allergic/intolerant… I found this out the hard way when I took this genetic test and found out I don’t tolerate it well as a food.)

I’ve found that a thin layer of coconut oil or a coconut oil lotion bar helps cool eczema itching and pain.

For those sensitive to coconut oil, these hypoallergenic lotion bars work really well too.

2. Sea Salt Magnesium Spray

For eczema that is wet/oozing, I’ve found that drying it works better than trying to moisturize it. I’ve often heard people with skin problems say that they felt better at the beach, and it makes sense between the vitamin D from the sun and the magnesium and the minerals in the saltwater.

For those who don’t live near the ocean, this homemade magnesium salt spray can help achieve some of the same benefits at home.

3. Omega-3 Oils (While Limiting Omega-6)

This natural eczema remedy may not provide immediate relief but may help get at the root cause. Certain research as recently as 2016 found that consuming high levels of omega-3 (that is, more than you would get from occasionally eating fish) especially at an early age may reduce the risk and severity of eczema. This due to the DHA and EPA fatty acids found in fish.

While some studies suggest that more research is needed to pinpoint the degree of effectiveness, it seems that avoiding inflammatory omega-6 oils (found in many processed foods and vegetable oils) while increasing omega-3 sources from fish oil and consumption of fish had a positive effect on eczema in the studies listed below.

Unfortunately, studies suggest eating fish alone probably isn’t enough to get therapeutic benefits (though we do incorporate low-mercury seafood often). I find I get the most benefit when I take a fish oil supplement. I get the most benefit from these capsules due to the quality and ratio of omega-3 to omega-6. This company makes a chewable supplement for kids as well.

4. Magnesium Baths

For some people with eczema, soaking in water makes it worse. For those who tolerate it, magnesium baths and other types of detox baths can be helpful in skin healing.

I regularly add a cup of Epsom salts or magnesium flakes and a few tablespoons of Himalayan salt to my kids’ baths. When I have the time, I take relaxing baths in this mixture also.

When I can’t take the time for a bath, magnesium oil also helps. Amazingly, I notice the benefits of transdermal magnesium on the skin much more quickly than when I take internal forms of magnesium.

My favorite magnesium bath recipe is:

These three detox bath recipes are also all great if the person can handle warm water.

5. Probiotics

Research on whether probiotics help eczema is mixed. A 2018 review found probiotics had “little to no effect” on eczema symptoms, although no adverse effects were noted either. This article at NationalEczema.org reviews many of the existing studies and concludes that “probiotics are not effective for the treatment of established atopic dermatitis but may be helpful in prevention.” It also points out that the current body of research may not be conclusive since the type of probiotic strain seems to matter greatly.

I know that probiotics seemed to help my son (high quality probiotics are an important part of the GAPS diet). I’m also constantly seeing more research on the many ways that gut bacteria influence our health, and I can’t believe that skin health is any exception. Could there be a link?

Probiotics and probiotic-rich foods are an element that is increasingly missing in the modern diet as we moved away from traditional food preparations like fermentation. (Find out how to bring back those methods here.) We also make an effort to wash our hands and our food (a good thing with the chemicals on them these days) which also wash off the beneficial soil-borne micro-organisms that provide friendly bacteria to the gut.

I’ve also found that the probiotic strains in those foods were not enough for us. We all now take a spore-based probiotic daily and have seen dramatic improvements in skin and digestive health.

6. Gelatin-Rich Foods

I’ve mentioned that bone broth was an important part of a healing diet for us, and this was partially because of its high gelatin content. Gelatin helps soothe the gut and the collagen it contains is also great for hair, skin, and nail health.

To make broth, you basically save the carcass when you roast a chicken, duck, turkey, or goose and follow these steps. Ideally, the animal lived its life outdoors eating its natural food. This means you’re looking for bones from grass-fed cattle or bison, pastured poultry, or wild-caught fish. Since you’ll be extracting the minerals and drinking them in concentrated form, you want to make sure that the animal was as healthy as possible.

There are several places to find good bones for stock or tallow (rendered fat) from healthy animals:

From a local butcher, especially one who butchers the whole animal

From local farmers who raise grass-fed animals (ask around at your local farmer’s market)

Order online from companies like Butcher Box or US Wellness Meats

I use grass-fed tallow when cooking or in soaps. I get mine at a discount from Thrive Market.

For those who aren’t ready to jump into having a pot of boiling bones on the stove, there is now a great pre-made shelf-stable bone broth available and I always keep this stocked in my pantry.

I also use gelatin in recipes like:

I also stir powdered collagen into smoothies, since this form of gelatin doesn’t clump in cold water.

7. Homemade Healing Salve

For scars or blisters from eczema that take longer to heal, a homemade healing salve was helpful for us. Our son would get eczema on his face before we were able to heal his gut and we are still working on reversing the scars from that. One thing that is helping is this homemade healing salve.

My homemade healing salve (or “boo-boo lotion”, according to the kids) is helpful on eczema as well as: cuts, bruises, stings, poison ivy and skin irritations. It also helps diaper rash and baby skin irritations- just don’t use with cloth diapers or line them first!

Here is the recipe.

A Note About Infant Eczema

Eczema isn’t a problem just because it causes pain and itching. In babies, it can be a risk factor for other problems. I didn’t realize this when we were figuring out my son’s issues, but according to newer research babies with eczema have a 1 in 3 chance of developing a food allergy later in life. In fact, they are 11 times more likely to develop a peanut allergy by their first birthday compared to infants without eczema.

It’s also important to note that symptoms for eczema often occur earlier than a food allergy, furthering the importance of food allergy prevention for babies with eczema.

Due to this research and other landmark clinical trials such as the LEAP trial, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommend introducing allergenic foods early and often — specifically for infants with eczema — to reduce their risk of developing a food allergy. (I explain more in this post.)

Helpful Eczema Resources

I vividly remember how terrible it was to watch my son suffer through his eczema and I know the pain of not being able to take away the pain/itching a child experiences. The book The Eczema Cure is a very thorough resource and provides answers when it feels like you’ve tried everything else. Use the code WMAMA20 at this link for 20% off.

For more, don’t miss this podcast interview with Jennifer Fugo, an expert on all things eczema (both personally and professionally).

This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Scott Soerries, MD, Family Physician and Medical Director of SteadyMD. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.

Have you ever struggled with eczema or skin problems? What helped you? Share below!

Sources:

Varma SR, Sivaprakasam TO, Arumugam I, et al. In vitro anti-inflammatory and skin protective properties of Virgin coconut oil. J Tradit Complement Med. 2018;9(1):5–14. doi:10.1016/j.jtcme.2017.06.012

McPherson T. Current Understanding in Pathogenesis of Atopic Dermatitis. Indian J Dermatol. 2016;61(6):649–655. doi:10.4103/0019-5154.193674

Proksch E, Nissen HP, Bremgartner M, Urquhart C. Bathing in a magnesium-rich Dead Sea salt solution improves skin barrier function, enhances skin hydration, and reduces inflammation in atopic dry skin. Int J Dermatol. 2005;44(2):151-7.

Schlichte MJ, Vandersall A, Katta R. Diet and eczema: a review of dietary supplements for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. Dermatol Pract Concept. 2016;6(3):23–29. doi:10.5826/dpc.0603a06

Calder PC, Kremmyda LS, Vlachava M et al. Is there a role for fatty acids in early life programming of the immune system? Proc Nutr Soc 2010; 69: 373–80. doi: 10.1017/S0029665110001552

Miles EA, Calder PC. Can Early Omega-3 Fatty Acid Exposure Reduce Risk of Childhood Allergic Disease?. Nutrients. 2017;9(7):784. Published 2017 Jul 21. doi:10.3390/nu9070784

P.E. Martin et al., Which infants with eczema are at risk of food allergy? Results from a population?based cohort. Clinical & Experimental Allergy 2014 Sept 11. https://doi.org/10.1111/cea.12406

Source: https://wellnessmama.com/12065/eczema-remedies/

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sillygoatman-blog · 7 years

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Why Use Goat Milk Soap Instead Of Commercial Brands Of Soap Bars?

Here are a few of the wonderful benefits of using goat milk soap:

Seriously, why would someone want to spend $5.50 a bar for natural goat milk soap when you can buy 8 bars of a named brand soap for $10.00? Well let’s take an in-depth look at this question and see what we can find out.

But First, What does soap really do?:

Soap is a surfactant, which means; you take the bar and rub it on yourself and it lathers up, it foams up between your skin and the dirt and oils, the oil residue gather on top of your skin, and the soap lowers the surface tension between them, and then when the warm water comes along the skin, the water stays on your skin and the dirt goes away. Makes since right? OK moving on now.

Obviously the first and most important aspect of this question would be to look at the ingredients that go into these bath bars right?

Let’s pick just one of the named brand bars out there that I have been asked about in the past and we will put it up against a family owned goat milk soap company I am familiar with, Silly Goats Soap Company in upstate, New York (disclaimer: Our family owned farm).

For our Commercial brands let’s us Look at the Dove, White Beauty Bar. I get people all the time ask me about this one. They think it is so pure and natural and then wonder why their skin keeps feeling and looking so dried out and tight.

These are the ingredients in a Dove bar:

Water

Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate - Is a mild detergent. can pose skin irritation depending on the individual's sensitivities and concentration used.

Stearic Acid - a solid saturated fatty acid obtained from animal or vegetable fats.

Sodium Tallowate - it is a substance extracted from the fatty deposits of animals, especially from suet (the fat of cattle and sheep).

Sodium Palmate - saponified palm oil or palm kernels

Lauric Acid - a saturated fatty acid

Sodium Isethionate - a detergent used in detergent bar soaps

Sodium Stearate - Sodium stearate is the sodium salt of stearic acid.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine - is derived from coconuts and is used to make products produce more foam.some people do have negative reactions after exposure to it.

Sodium Cocoate or Sodium Palm Kernelate - saponified coconut oil or saponified palm kernel oil

Sodium Chloride - salt

Tetrasodium EDTA - a preservative

Tetrasodium Etidronate - a preservative

Maltol - from larch bark, pine needles, chicory, or roasted malt, used for enhancing flavors

Titanium Dioxide - a white coloring agent

That is a lot of stuff right?

The kidneys, liver, intestines, lungs, and skin (skin is the largest organ of the human body). are our main filtration systems. As you can imagine many of these harsh chemicals and toxins that when rubbed into your skin get into your bloodstream and accumulate in your heart, liver and kidneys and over time can cause cancer and a multiple of other health concerns. Now who wants that?

One of Doves main ingredients is made with tallow (beef fat). Now don't get me wrong I love my big t-bone steak and enjoy eating my hamburgers and I do not condone any of my vegetarian or my vegan friends. I believe in live and let live. We personally grow our own cows, chickens, pigs, turkeys, ducks and rabbits. But we give our animals the best life they can possible have. Green pastures, fresh water and lots of love. We believe in giving them the best possible life while they are here because they will be giving us life in the end.

Here is my problem with these big commercial soap companies. And we will stay with our example Dove. Dove is a personal care brand owned by Unilever originating in the United Kingdom. Dove products are manufactured in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey and United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dove_(toiletries)

As you can see this company is HUGE and is manufacturing on a giant scale on continents all over the world. So, it only makes sense that their supplier of animal fat also has to be HUGE too. Where are they getting all that fat? It only makes sense that they are getting them from slaughterhouses and commercial feedlots that also operate on a huge scale.

These commercial feedlots make it a general practice to use antibiotics and hormones, to keep the cattle from getting sick and and to make them grow artificially. They also live in horrible conditions, smashed into small areas with no room to move and the people that are over seeing them do not care anything about them or their condition. You get the picture. You have seen the videos. That are living in less than desirable conditions.

Here some of the other brands on the market you might recognize that also use tallow to make their soaps:

Ivory

Dove

Neutrogena (except Neutrogena Naturals)

Purpose

Cetaphil

Dial

Lever

Tone

Jergens

Zest

Camay

Irish Spring

basis

pHisoderm.

So Why Use Goat Milk Soap Instead?

Our goat milk soaps are made using no animal products like tallow or fat. They are made of goat milk, plant oils and natural herbal fragrances instead. Not only are goat milk soaps better for your skin and your health, they’re much kinder on our environment and our delicate aquatic ecosystems because they lack all unnatural ingredients. You can even make them at home!

Goat Milk Soap is Rich In Vitamins & Minerals – Science tells us that goat milk is rich in Proteins, minerals and vitamins. Goat Milk contains fifty plus essential nutrients, like vitamins A, B1, B6, B12, C and E, minerals, citric acid, amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, natural enzymes, and other nutrients that nourish and revitalize dehydrated skin. Vitamin A slows down the aging of our skin, helps prevent brown spots and the thickening of skin. While Zinc contributes to the reconstruction of collagen fibers, encouraging moisture retention and assisting in maintaining your skin’s elasticity.

Anti-Aging – Naturally rich in Caprylic Acid, known for soothing and rejuvenating skin. Goat milk also contains Lactic Acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid, which removes dead skin cells, and is believed to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin.

Doctors have recommended using goat’s milk soap for those who suffer from acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes, and sunburn. Goat’s milk does not leave your skin feeling dry or irritated; it leaves you feeling naturally clean and smooth.

Cold Process – Commercial brands of soaps are made with water, detergents, petroleum products and surfactants, all very harmful to your skin. They take out the glycerin and sell it to makeup manufacturers. All our goat milk soaps are made using the cold process method and are vegetable oil based. Giving you a soap that is super high in glycerin. Which is awesome for your skin!

So to sum things up for you, chemicals are bad for us.

Manufacturers fill their skincare products with chemicals and then try to distract the consumer from noticing, by using misleading packaging and language. There is no regulation. It’s up to us to source products that have fewer chemicals in them for the benefit of our own health.

Chris Shaefer is the owner of Silly Goats Farm in upstate New York and raises Lamancha goats. He uses the pure goat milk for handmade goat milk soap, lotions and other natural goat goodies. To Learn more got to Silly Goats Soap Company

#goat milk soap #benefits of goat milk soap #goat milk lotion #Goats #Silly Goats Soap

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sillygoatman-blog · 7 years

Text

Why Use Goat Milk Soap Instead Of Commercial Brands Of Soap Bars?

Seriously, why would someone want to spend $5.50 a bar for natural goat milk soap when you can buy 8 bars of a named brand soap for $10.00? Well let’s take an in depth look at this question and see what we can find out.

But First, What does soap really do?

Obviously the first and most important aspect of this question would be to look at the ingredients that go into these bath bars right?

Let’s pick just one of the named brand bars out there, that I have been asked about in the past and we will put it up against a family owned goat milk soap company I am familiar with, Silly Goats Soap Company in upstate, New York (disclaimer: Our family owned farm).

These are the ingredients in a Dove bar:

Water

Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate - Is a mild detergent. can pose skin irritation depending on the individual's sensitivities and concentration used.

Stearic Acid - a solid saturated fatty acid obtained from animal or vegetable fats.

Sodium Tallowate - it is a substance extracted from the fatty deposits of animals, especially from suet (the fat of cattle and sheep).

Sodium Palmate - saponified palm oil or palm kernels

Lauric Acid - a saturated fatty acid

Sodium Isethionate - a detergent used in detergent bar soaps

Sodium Stearate - Sodium stearate is the sodium salt of stearic acid.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine - is derived from coconuts and is used to make products produce more foam.some people do have negative reactions after exposure to it.

Sodium Cocoate or Sodium Palm Kernelate - saponified coconut oil or saponified palm kernel oil

Sodium Chloride - salt

Tetrasodium EDTA - a preservative

Tetrasodium Etidronate - a preservative

Maltol - from larch bark, pine needles, chicory, or roasted malt, used for enhancing flavors

Titanium Dioxide - a white coloring agent

That is a lot of stuff right?

One of Doves main ingredients is made with tallow (beef fat).

Now don't get me wrong I love my big t-bone steak and enjoy eating my hamburgers and I do not condone any of my vegetarian or my vegan friends. I believe in live and let live. We personally grow our own cows, chickens, pigs, turkeys, ducks and rabbits. But we give our animals the best life they can possible have. Green pastures, fresh water and lots of love. We believe in giving them the best possible life while they are here because they will be giving us life in the end.

Here is my problem with these big commercial soap companies.

And we will stay with our example Dove. Dove is a personal care brand owned by Unilever originating in the United Kingdom. Dove products are manufactured in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey and United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dove_(toiletries)

Here some of the other brands on the market you might recognize that also use tallow to make their soaps:

Ivory

Dove

Neutrogena (except Neutrogena Naturals)

Purpose

Cetaphil

Dial

Lever

Tone

Jergens

Zest

Camay

Irish Spring

Basis

pHisoderm.

So Why Use Goat Milk Soap Instead?

Doctors have recommended using goat milk soap for those who suffer from acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes, and sunburn. Goat’s milk does not leave your skin feeling dry or irritated; it leaves you feeling naturally clean and smooth.

Cold Process – Commercial brands of soaps are made with water, detergents, petroleum products and surfactants, all very harmful to your skin. They take out the glycerin and sell it to makeup manufacturers. All our goat milk soaps are made using the cold process method and are vegetable oil based, leaving the natural glycerin, along with the moisturizing properties of goat milk in the bar. Giving you a soap that is super high in glycerin. Which is awesome for your skin!

So, to sum things up for you. Chemicals are bad for us. Manufacturers fill their skincare products with chemicals and then try to distract the consumer from noticing, by using misleading packaging and language. There is no regulations. It’s up to us to source products that have fewer chemicals in them for the benefit of our own health.

#goat milk soap #benefits of goat milk soap #ingredients in Dove soap

0 notes