herbs for eczema

Click to view images

Eczema

General characteristics

There are many different kinds of eczema; all involve either all or some of these symptoms. Patches of skin are usually red and inflamed and itchy. Scratching tends to spread the patches and makes the skin weep and become crusty. It is exacerbated by anxiety and stress, can be connected with food intolerances and also faulty elimination i.e. poor bowel, kidney, liver or lung functions. It can often be partnered with asthma (especially in children) which can become worse when the asthma is treated with steroids or other inhalers but also vice versa – eczema that is simply suppressed with cortisone creams can burden the lungs and lead to asthma in those susceptible.

Diet and lifestyle

Adopt a diet that is rich in fresh fruit, vegetables and grains, nuts and seeds. Avoid burdening the system with unnatural processed foods (see wholefood diet in the natural healing section of this site).

Aduki beans are used successfully in Chinese medicine so include these in soups or salads.

All members of the allium family e.g. leeks, garlic, onions, chives are known to help the skin.

Drink a glass of fresh carrot juice daily.

Sesame seeds contain oils which are very beneficial to the skin.

Include some cress or watercress in a daily salad. All the dark green leaves provide beneficial nutrients for the skin.

Useful herbs

Herbs that help the skin and have a particular affinity for childhood eczema include heartsease, red clover and marigold. Both are excellent as a tea or made into a soothing ointment.

Herbs that cleanse the blood and increase the elimination gently via the bowels include yellow dock, dandelion root, burdock root, sarsaparilla, walnut leaves, knotweed, red clover, barberry root, oregon grape root. Include 1 or 2 of these in a formula to keep the bowels moving and the bloodstream cleaner.

Herbs that raise vitality and have a tonic action on the entire body include nettle, yarrow, elecampagne root and vervain.

Herbs that help alleviate itching and can be included in a healing ointment or skin wash and/or tea include chickweed, plantain, marigold, chamomile, blackberry leaves, comfrey leaves, balm of gilead buds, witch hazel.

Herbs that improve the movement and cleansing action of the lymphatic system include cleavers, mullein flowers, figwort, blue flag root, echinacea root and birch leaves. Again, include 1 or more of these in a tea formula to take daily.

Herbs to include in the bath to soothe and moisturise irritated skin include oats (in any form), chamomile and marshmallow leaf or root.

Herbs to soothe an irritated and stressed nervous system include chamomile, skullcap, vervain, oatstraw, lemon balm and any of these can be included in a tea formula with good effect.

Neem leaf can be very useful in eczema.

Natural healing

It is important to keep the bowels moving daily and check the kidneys are functioning well

Avoid skin contact with irritant chemicals wherever possible and only use soaps based on pure vegetable oils with essential oils added.

Undiluted whey concentrate ('molkosan' by Bioforce) dabbed onto the areas affected can be very beneficial.

Make an oatmeal bag using a clean sock or something similar. Stuff the sock with oats, tie a knot in the end and soak in hot water to soften then gently rub over the affected areas.

Make sure you get fresh air and a little sunshine on the skin every day where possible.

Make an ointment from evening primrose, almond and olive oil and include marigold petals and comfrey leaves (see ointments in the natural healing section of this site).