Eczema – Natural Safe Relief - From Pinecrest Natural Skincare

While Eczema is quite a common condition among children, many adults can experience that dry, itchy, red, irritated skin. It is believed that at least 1o% of the population will at some point experience this condition, and while there are in fact 7 types of Eczema, the most well-known is also known as Atrophic dermatitis.

Other types include, Contact dermatitis, dyshidrotic (fluid filled blisters) Neurodermatitis (thick scaly patches) Nummular, Hand only eczema and Statis (usually associated with varicose veins) I will talk about these in later posts. 

With the most common type (Atrophic), there can be several causes, including weak skin barrier which means it can’t protect the skin from triggers such as allergens. There is also the possibility that is can be triggered by stress, immune system issues, pollutants, irritants in products being used and more.

While its often best to first seek advice from your Doctor or Dermatologist, it can be a good idea to keep a diary of flare ups. So, take note of your diet at the time, and if there is particular stress going on also at the time. Also take note of skincare products you are using as well as personal care products i.e.: shampoos, sprays, perfumes etc. Maybe you could look at household cleaners, and detergents. Have you recently changed the products you are using to different brand or type.

Many products we use everyday contain a lot of synthetics, chemical, preservatives, and fragrances which for some can cause severe irritation.

And remember your skin is trans-dermal, so what goes on gets in, and many of these ingredients are known endocrine disruptors & may be causing hormonal havoc (More on Hormones in another blog soon)

So What Can You Do Naturally For Relief?

• Most Important, moisturize regularly (using emollient – oil based balm) There are many wonderful natural products in the market including our own Pinecrest Top to Toe skin Soothing Balm (over 12 months) and our Top to Toe Baby balm (children under 12 months)

• Make a simple oatmeal compress for the bath is a great idea to soothe skin.

• Also baking soda can be added to bath to calm itch.

• Wear loose clothing to keep skin cool.

• Pat dry wet skin never rub.

• Check your products and use only natural fragrance / par-fum free

• Stick to natural and organic products both personal care and household.  There are many simple recipes online on how to make simple safe household cleansers using vinegar, lemons, baking soda etc. I will post some recipes soon.

• Grow your own Aloe Vera plant, a wonderful all round skin loving plant, which I myself would not be without as it has so many uses and has been renowned for centuries.

• Look at your diet and see if there are ways you can improve it.  A healthy balanced diet shows through our skin. Are you drinking enough water? Hydration is so important for healthy skin.

• And finally finding ways to deal with stress. Yes, its hard to avoid stress and even more so at the moment, but there are many amazing complementary treatments to try. My personal number 1 being Reflexology and I also love Reiki and Havening Techniques for anxiety. More on these treatment and others coming soon also.

There are also many wonderful free choices, like getting a walk on every day, even 15/20 minutes can really help reduce those cortisol levels. Check out some great free short meditations, and guided relaxations online. A great app I’ve just discovered is called Insight timer and there are so many others.

So, although Eczema can come and go often easing as we get older, there are many natural measures you can take to ease symptoms.

Moira from Pinecrest Holistic therapies and Natural skincare

www.pinecrest.ie