Want to treat eczema without resorting to strong, medicated creams?
Wendyl Nissen shares her top tips for treating the disorder at home with natural products.
- Bathe in lukewarm water. It shouldn’t be too hot or too cold.
- Use natural, cold-pressed oils after washing. Apricot oil is particularly good.
- Have an oatmeal bath. Tip in a cup of oatmeal and soak in it, or better still, put it in a cloth handkerchief, tie it at the top and sponge yourself all over with it while you’re in the bath.
- Cotton clothing is a must – avoid all synthetic materials and wool.
- Fake nails – avoid acrylics. A study found that the chemicals used in them can cause dermatitis.
- Use cold milk as a dressing – put milk into a glass with ice cubes, let it sit, then pour it gently on to a gauze pad or thin piece of cotton. Apply for 2-3 minutes, then continue the process for 10 minutes.
- Use good old-fashioned calamine lotion.
- Take a look at your diet. Traditionally eggs, orange juice and milk have been implicated, but it would pay to test them out just to see.
- Avoid quick changes in air temperature. Dress in layers of cotton and avoid going from a cold room into a hot shower, for instance.
- Use white toilet paper with no patterns or added fragrance – dyes and chemicals irritate the skin.
- Emollients containing urea can relieve itching because it is a sloughing agent, so sheds dead skin.
- Use perfume-free washing powders for your clothes.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Sponsored by %%sponsor_name%%
Native ad body.
Sponsored by %%sponsor_name%%
Native ad body.
Sponsored by %%sponsor_name%%
Native ad body.
Sponsored by %%sponsor_name%%
