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Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Natural Remedies / Tips for Eczema Relief NOW (while healing from within)

Tips for Eczema Relief NOW (while healing from within)

by Jennifer Roberge / Affiliate Links ✔

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Skin Care Basics for Eczema Relief
  • Bathing & Hand Washing
  • Bathing Tips
  • Important: Bathe and Shower Chlorine Free
  • Dry & Wet Wrap Therapy: Effective Relief from Eczema+−
    • Dry Wrapping
    • Wet Wrapping
  • Eczema Relief Requires Special Clothing Considerations
  • Simplify Your Laundry Routine
  • Laundering Tips
child who needs eczema relief

The constant itchy skin, the uncontrollable urge to scratch causing many a sleepless night pretty much sum up one condition – ECZEMA. This uncomfortable and sometimes unsightly skin condition affects 3% of adults and up to 20% of children.

As a first step, it’s critical to identify any potential eczema food triggers and get to the root cause of this autoimmune ailment. This will help you resolve it permanently. However, you don’t have to suffer during what is usually a lengthy healing process.

There are a number of things that can provide immediate, although temporary eczema relief. So, while you work your way towards internal healing, here are a few things to help you on your way.

Skin Care Basics for Eczema Relief

The goal in treating eczema is to heal the skin to the point where moisturizing is no longer necessary.  However, the reality is that while your skin will likely lose much of its dryness as it heals, it may never be as soft and smooth as you would like.

So, it’s imperative that you find the right methods for moisturizing your skin. For some people a simple carrier oil like olive oil or avocado oil works wonders, for others it may be an oil mixed with beeswax in the form of a balm.  For still others more of a traditional cream is optimal.

Regardless of the format you choose, just be cautious and always read the full list of ingredients for potential allergens and harmful ingredients. And ALWAYS patch test a new product on a small area of skin before slathering yourself with it as any ingredient, no matter how natural, could cause your skin to react.

TIPS: Best practices for moisturizing your skin are to apply an oil or cream twice a day and thoroughly after every bath and hand washing.

My personal favorite skin care product for eczema is the Manuka Honey Skin Cream.

It’s not quite a balm and not quite a cream, but the active manuka honey and oil make this product very moisturizing and healing.

Bathing & Hand Washing

Bathing is a bit of a confusing topic as some are told to bathe daily while others are told to bathe only as needed.

Then there is the infamous suggestion from some conventional doctors to add bleach to the bath.

Yes, chlorine bleach!

While bleach does kill bacteria like staph that can trigger infections in those with eczema, it is a very harsh chemical. It can severely dry out the skin ultimately making things worse!

What about soap? Even natural ones like Castile soap? Are they too drying or are moisturizing versions ok? What about body washes? Bubble baths for kids?

The answers to these questions are to find out what works best for your or your little one’s skin through trial and error, but here are some suggestions to get you started.

Bathing Tips

Try bathing daily for one week and then the following week, only bathe once. Determine which method was less irritating for your skin and stick with it.

Try to find a soap with only a few basic ingredients like a tallow soap only with lye, water, and tallow, like this one.

Then use it as sparingly as possible. When bathing, only use the soap where it is absolutely needed and never soak in soapy water.

In general, skip the bubble bath and body washes because they contain a host of potential irritants, although there are a few good ones out there with healing herbs like this one.

Alternatively, you can also try hand washing and bathing with local, raw honey, which is naturally antibacterial and very moisturizing.

To add some anti-itch power to your bath, try straining gluten-free oats or calendula flowers in warm, not hot water.

And lastly, to help keep infections at bay, try using apple cider vinegar instead of a bleach bath, it works amazingly well.

Just remember to ALWAYS moisturize your skin thoroughly after every bath and hand washing.

Important: Bathe and Shower Chlorine Free

One other tip: make sure you are bathing in chlorine-free water. Chlorinated water is very drying to skin even for those without eczema.

This includes swimming pools – even saltwater swimming pools have chlorine!

If you don’t have a whole house filter, opt for a bath ball that will remove around 90% of the chlorine as the tub fills with water.

For showers and baths, a chlorine removal filter works great. Once you’ve bathed chlorine-free for a while, you will wonder how you ever went so long without taking this basic precautionary step.

Dry & Wet Wrap Therapy: Effective Relief from Eczema

For those that need an added boost of moisture to provide quick eczema relief, nothing speeds up healing like dry or wet wrapping.

Dry Wrapping

Apply a generous layer of oil, balm or cream and cover the skin with a piece of form-fitting clothing for as long as possible.

This works really well for eczema on the hands and feet where socks and gloves can be worn for an extended period of time.

Wet Wrapping

This method is a bit more intense, but the results can be incredible, although temporary until internal healing is complete and the skin repairs from the inside out.

  1. Bathe for 20 minutes in lukewarm water.
  2. Pat dry with a soft towel.
  3. Apply a generous layer of oil, balm, or cream of your choice to your skin.
  4. Dampen a form-fitting piece of clothing in warm water, ring it out and put it on. 100% cotton, bamboo or special fibers like Eucalyptus are the best materials for this. You can wet wrap your entire body with tops and bottoms or just a small area like your feet with socks. There are special garments available to enhance the effects of wet wrapping, like the ones you see here.
  5. Cover the damp layer of clothing with another layer of dry clothing.
  6. Keep the damp and dry layers on for a minimum of two hours and up to 12 hours or overnight. The key is to keep the damp layer damp, so if you chose to wear the clothing for a longer period of time, keep a spray bottle handy and dampen the underneath layer as needed.
  7. Remove the clothing and apply another generous layer of oil, balm or cream of your choice to your skin.
  8. Repeat several times per day for up to a week. NEVER use any form of topical medication while wet wrapping as the effects will be enhanced and could be dangerous.

Eczema Relief Requires Special Clothing Considerations

Synthetic fibers and rough seams in clothing can really irritate eczema-prone skin. And, some individuals may even be allergic or sensitive to elastic in waistbands and socks if a latex allergy is suspected.

While some clothing can be harmful to eczema, some fabrics and protective clothing exist to soothe and protect the skin from scratching.

TIPS: Look for natural fibers that breathe well, like cotton and bamboo, but avoid wool when at all possible as it can be scratchy.

If elastic is irritating to you, then you may have an allergy to latex, so search for latex-free, elastic-free clothing items and stay away from spandex.

If scratching is a concern, try keeping gloves, mittens or socks on overnight to prevent skin damage overnight.

Check out ScratchMeNot for kids or these adult PJs from Soothe with fold-over mittens and covered toes.

Talk about ultimate skin protection for eczema relief!

Simplify Your Laundry Routine

Laundry detergents are really harsh on all skin, not just eczema. Not only do they contain a host of chemicals and fragrances, but they are also very alkaline, exactly the opposite of the more acidic conditions our skin needs.

Sadly, the more natural detergents and “free” varieties are usually not much better. What happens is when you wash your clothing, the detergents don’t easily wash out and actually remain in the fabric for up to 10 washes!

This residue is really irritating and if the ingredients themselves don’t trigger eczema, the constant rubbing of this alkaline film on your skin all day certainly can make already irritated skin much worse.

Laundering Tips

More gentle laundry options that can really make a difference for relief from eczema symptoms include soap nuts, mineral laundry balls (like SmartKlean), or just a wash with vinegar and baking soda.

An added bonus is that with any of these laundry alternatives, you’ll find you simply won’t need fabric softeners and dryer sheets.

They contain just as many harsh chemicals as detergents do. Skipping these unnecessary extras will save you money, save your skin and most importantly, give you some much-needed eczema relief!

The takeaway is that eczema is a difficult condition to manage in that no one’s skin is the same, so no one form of treatment or skin care will work for everyone.

Effective eczema relief is always a matter of trial and error, which can take both time and a great deal of patience.

These quick relief tips should help you get through the more difficult times so you can stay focused on your journey to internal healing by healing and sealing the gut to put your eczema in remission for good!

More Information

Doctor Approved Remedies for Eczema Treatment

Eczema Treatment: Avoiding the Drug Domino Effect

What is the GAPS Diet?

Speed Gut Healing and Shorten Time on the GAPS Diet

Seaweed Wrap: Nourishes and Detoxifies

The Five Most Common GAPS Diet Mistakes

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Category: Natural Remedies, Skin Health
Jennifer Roberge

Jennifer Roberge is mother of two, blogger and founder of The Eczema Company. She hopes to inspire parents raising a child who is suffering from eczema, allergies or asthma, as well as adults who are personally suffering, to heal from within via holistic means.

www.eczemacompany.com/

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Reader Interactions

Comments (20)

  1. Kirsty Black

    Jun 28, 2016 at 9:45 am

    Great advice 🙂 There is another good post on the best washing powders to use for eczema-prone skin here: odylique.co.uk/blog/best-washing-powder-for-eczema/

    Might be useful 🙂

    Reply
  2. donni

    Feb 18, 2016 at 11:14 pm

    I have suffer from dry skin and eczema and apply honey does work, as its an antiseptic. I know use a lotion with honey it in instead – i use the Made From Earth Holistic Honey Lotion – it smells gorgeous and has aided the clearing of my eczema wonderfully. It is quickly absorbed and I found had a soothing, cooling effect on my hand.

    Reply
  3. Kenneth Gardner

    May 8, 2015 at 2:01 pm

    Help heal from the outside as well as from the inside! Tallow balm is what you need. It’s food for the skin and isn’t just palliative. Beeswax, honey, and vegetable oils can’t hold a candle to it.

    Reply
  4. Buffy Miller

    May 8, 2015 at 1:22 am

    Twenty years ago, I developed eczema on my hands. I believe it might have been from years of using baby wipes and the use of other cleaning chemicals. I went to dermatologists who recommended lotions and sleeping with cotton gloves on my hands. With no success, I decided to heal myself from the inside rather than the outside. I took large doses of Vitamin A and Zinc for three months. The eczema disappeared and has never come back. Note: Large doses of Vitamin A can only be taken for 3 or 4 months before it becomes toxic.

    Reply
  5. Barbara

    May 6, 2015 at 10:32 pm

    any recommendations on what to do with psoriasis?

    Reply
    • BingYun

      Jun 10, 2015 at 1:06 am

      I think depending on the type of your psoriasis. If it is red, itchy, you could try the products I have recommended before, such as Zi Yun Gao, or All purpose balm made from Chinese herbs. You can get them from Amazon or from All for skins.

  6. Linden

    May 4, 2015 at 8:28 pm

    Just on a side note:

    “If elastic is irritating to you, then you may have an allergy to latex, so search for latex-free, elastic-free clothing items and stay away from spandex.”

    Latex is made from natural gum trees. Spandex is plastics as well as other elastics.

    Reply
    • Jennifer

      May 5, 2015 at 8:35 am

      HI Linden – While Spandex itself doesn’t contain latex, it is sometimes coated with latex to create a shinier appearance. So, if someone has a severe latex allergy, it may be best to stay away from Spandex altogether just to be on the safe side.

  7. Vailhem

    May 4, 2015 at 2:42 pm

    I had eczema for 7+ years, and psoriasis for about 1.5 years. I’d thrown just about everything medically prescribed & suggested as well alternative herbal type things at both of them.

    I’d have mixed success but each would eventually come back. Then I found out about diatomaceous earth. Bought a bag of it …paid something like $20 for 10lbs off amazon, so super cheap as 10lbs is >1 year at the recommended quantity of ~1 ‘heaping’ tablespoonful per 100lbs of body weight.

    Within a month, my eczema was totally gone and my psoriasis nearly gone. After another month, my psoriasis was completely gone… ….and I haven’t had to deal with either since.

    That was well over a year ago. I still take de daily, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. The stuff has multiple other benefits beyond just skin health…. many very noticeable, others less-so, but so cheap yet so powerful! Can’t recommend it enough.

    (note: DE is a material, not a specific product. many companies sell it via many different sites… amazon is just where I found what I bought… but, i’m not suggesting a specific product or site, just the ‘concept’ of the material itself …. ….just wanted to point out that I’m making no money off of this as I’ve been accused of elsewhere when making the recommendation)

    Reply
    • Jennifer

      May 5, 2015 at 8:36 am

      Wow! That’s wonderful! So happy you found this works so well for you!

  8. Maggie

    May 4, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    Hi Jennifer – Thanks for this post! My 6 month old has eczema that is itchy. We’ve delayed solids in hopes of giving her gut a little more time to ready itself. She’s exclusively bfed. I’m on a grain-free, egg-free, peanut-free, chocolate-free diet. Any tips for healing her gut. I do give her baby probiotics. Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Jennifer

      May 5, 2015 at 8:39 am

      Hi Maggie – Sounds like you’re on the right track! You may want to consider adding bone broth and fermented foods to your diet, since your daughter is breastfed. I know you’ll find some other great gut healing protocols right here on this blog. But if you don’t see improvement, you may want to consider adding cod liver oil and seeing a naturopath for guidance. While issues with the gut are common for those with eczema, there are often other issues as well that may need healing and it’s worthwhile to look into this with a practitioner.

  9. Beth

    May 4, 2015 at 11:40 am

    I would also recommend Walkabout Australian Emu Oil, used topically for rapid relief and internally for its gut healing, anti-inflammatory properties and fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and the elusive K2, plus Omega 3, 6, 7 and 9.

    Reply
  10. Wendy

    May 4, 2015 at 1:19 am

    I am a big of fan of the Eczema Company. We’ve been buying products from Jennifer for 2 years now for my 3-year-old’s eczema. We bathe daily with different detoxifying material (Epsom salt, Dead Sea salt, Himalayan salt, bentonite clay, baking soda, apple cider vinegar, etc). We don’t use soap. We use the bamboo gloves that are sold on the website. We also like the manuka honey cream but currently using shea butter. We are also on the GAPS diet.

    Reply
    • Jennifer

      May 5, 2015 at 8:41 am

      Hi Wendy! Thanks so much for your comment! I’m thrilled you’ve found a good variety of things that work best for your child.

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