Excema
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

free skin care · Sun Apr 16, 2006 9:38 pm

Bosoxy wrote:

I developed eczema as a teen and was very concerned due to the fact that not only does eczema run in my family but also psoriasis. I tried everything and the thing that finally helped was switching to a natural product body wash and lotion, Garden Botanika.

I have used Garden Botanika almost religiously since. On 2 occassions I tried to get away with using cheaper products that are supposed to be good for the skin, but noticed immediately the dry and prickly feeling and within a couple of days I would get blochy.

While the Garden Botanika products do not say that they are for eczema or even dry skin, the products are made of quality ingredients that do not irritate the skin, and for me is the only thing that works. I can use any of the products that they carry on my skin with great results, it does not have to be the specialty items.

I also find that the minty conditioner they carry helps my scalp when I have a flare up. I do not use it every day as I do not like the way it makes my hair look when I use it on a daily basis, but I rub it into my scalp, let it sit for a couple of minutes and then rinse and follow with my usual conditioner on the rest of my hair. Sometimes I will put a tiny amount of the minty conditioner on any trouble spots of my scalp after I rinse, and that helps too.

I googled this product and added it to my list of products I eventually want to try...everything there looks yummy! Thankyou:)

Allie Grace

free skin care · Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:04 am

roadtonowhere wrote:

Stardust: what moisturizer are yuo using? Do you have dry or wet eczema? Mine is dry, and I already put the most moisturizing moisturizer, but it is still dry. And the skin feels harsh(when I touch it).

roadtonowhere - my worst eczema is on my hands. I guess it's the dry kind now since it rarely weeps during flare-ups. Just gets red, itchy, and cracked. I've gone years with hardly any problems but just recently I've been battling a really bad case for the last 3 months or so and finally, FINALLY think I've got a handle on it.

First, I used pretty heavy-duty px cortisone on it 2x/day for 3 days. That took care of the swelling and irritation but left me with very dry, scaly spots - probably what you have? Since the usual triggers are moisturisers, I decided to only use vaseline-type products. I remembered I had some ProCyte ointment which is like Vaseline but has copper in it. It's recommended for use post-peel or after dermabrasion.

I applied the ProCyte whenever the skin felt dryish, about 5x/day. Within 24 hours the dryness was less, redness was diminished and my hands in general felt a lot better. It's now been about 4 days and although there's still skin discoloration and some mild scaliness, I think my hands are pretty close to normal.

As for my face, I don't get much eczema there, but I do get allergic bumps if I switch around and try new products. I'm trying to stay strong and only use tried-and-true things with very short ingredient lists. Current favorite is La Roche-Posay Toleriane Fluid (their moisturising cream caused a reaction Sad

) and if more moisture is needed, La Mer. I'm still looking for a cheaper alternative to this.

I've just realized that if your eczema is on your face, greasy ointments wouldn't really work. Jurlique makes a very nice calendula cream that moisturises and helps with minor irritation. Avene Trixera and Skin Recovery Cream have been recommended by some at MakeupAlley as helpful for their sensitive skins, but they didn't work for me. For the really dry spots, have you tried an oil, like jojoba? Or I have in the past, dabbed some Aquaphor just on the spot to ease the dry feeling.

I've gotten rather carried away on this subject but hopefully something in this very long post will help. Smile

Good luck.

free skin care · Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:31 pm

Allie Grace wrote:

I googled this product and added it to my list of products I eventually want to try...everything there looks yummy! Thankyou:)
Allie Grace

You are quite welcome!

Once you try Garden Botanika, I would love to hear how you like it! Smile

free skin care · Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:52 pm

roadtonowhere wrote:

PhebesMeow: How long does it take for cortaid to reduce the symptoms? Also, do you use any prescription ointment?

Luckily the spray on cooling cortaid reduced my symptoms within one use. I stopped scratching, kept using it and it cleared up within days. Since then whenever I felt it coming on I would spray and it wouldn't even show up. My arms and hands were soooo torn up looking cuz I scratched. It's all healed now though. I didn't have any prescription ointment, I probably should have, but luckily for me cortaid worked. I think I had some pretty bad eczema too. I don't think cortaid would work for everyone though cuz then obviously no one would have eczema, but I think its worth a shot if you haven't tried it yet.

Fri Jun 02, 2006 11:31 am

Just read the thread on excema, and thought I'd add a few things that have worked for me. I've had excema all my life, as do my father and sisters, and now my daughter. There are many differents types. My excema is never triggered by food, or helped by avoiding certain foods. Nor is stress a trigger.

I have atopic dermatitis, which is an allergic dry skin condition triggered by many of the things that make regular dry skin aggravated, just worse. Namely: the winter, too much washing -- which is why my hands are always the worst -- like many folks on have noticed about theirs. It's also triggered by high humidity in summer -- which is like walking around with your hands soaking in water.

Wool is a common trigger for me, as well as many others with this kind of excema. And I was always told to avoid moisturizers with lanolin -- though this advice may be dated.

What has worked for me, and helped me to vastly reduce the amount of cortisone creams I use is Prescription Lac Hydrin 12%. You can buy this over the counter as Amlactin 12%, though for some reason I find the prescription one better. The other thing that helps is to use Aquaphor on my hands every time I wash. My dermatologist told me that's what doctors use since they have to wash their hands so much. Aquaphor is also highly recommended for children/babies, and I use it on my daughter. I've also had some success with a drugstore hand cream called Cutemol.

Also, using Cetaphil for routine hand/body washing helps, not just for your face Though I've found now I'm ok with Dove sensitive skin soap on my body.

There have been some newer prescription things for excema that have come out recently, but have not tried them yet because was pregnant and nursing.

free skin care · Fri Jun 02, 2006 3:44 pm

aerubin great post and welcome to the forum!

I suffer from dermatitis too, in fact the description of atopic dermatitis that you give sounds a lot like me! I do not seem to have a problem with wool though. I am going to have to try the LacHydrin or Amlactin. Do you think it would be okay to put the Amlactin on my legs right after I shave them? I have been considering buying Aquaphor and I think I will go ahead and get some of that too. I can also tolerate the Dove Sensitive soap and use it on my hands and body. I pretty much want to avoid using cortisone creams if possible.

free skin care · Sat Jun 03, 2006 9:31 am

Ooooh, this reminds me! I meant to post here a wee while ago to tell everyone who used Penzim Gel, liked it,but found it too greasy, that they may prefer the Lotion. It sinks in really quickly and doesn't leave your skin feeling tacky.

free skin care · Sat Jun 17, 2006 7:58 pm

I can sometimes get eczema in dry cold weather, but in general my skin reacts to everything (usually with red blotches and hives - it is really quite attractive as you can imagine).

Anyhow, one thing that I found that helped was taking two supplements suggested to me by a naturopath/homeopath (not sure which). Anyhow, I took 1 500 mg capsule of Quercetin (3,3',4',5,7-Pntahydroxyflavone - whatever that is, that's what the bottle says) and 1 500 mg tablet of Bromelain (Pineapple Enzyme) 3 times a day for about 3 weeks, and my skin calmed down tremendously. I only truly appreciated how much it had improved when it started reacting again recently after months of calm, so I am back on the supplements as of today.

Maybe the same regime would help to calm eczema.

free skin care · Sat Jul 22, 2006 7:59 pm

i used to have eczema when i was little- my dad would bring home bag balm from the pharmacy for me to put on the insides of my thighs and the insides of my elbows. It softened the skin very much so:)

Thu Aug 03, 2006 4:11 am

my gal has eczerma flare-ups very often and no cream seems to help her at all.

managed to get Freederm Eczema/Dermatitis Skin Rash Cream

was skeptical initially cos had spend alot on all types of cream but still didn't help my gal till I got this.

do consider cos it made my gal's life so much better that I wish to share with ppl who faces the same problem. Razz

Thu Aug 03, 2006 12:07 pm

anyone can adise if Penzime can be used on regular basis?

free skin care · Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:44 am

Double Base Cream was recommended to me and it works well. Doesn't contain steroids. I am from England, so I'm not sure if it's available worldwide.

free skin care · Wed Oct 25, 2006 9:42 pm

My heart goes out to you -- eczema runs in my family and we've all suffered from it to various degrees.

This is rather a old-fashioned aid, but you could try using an oatmeal soak for your hands. I had eczema all over as a baby, and my mom used to bathe me with an oatmeal bag. It soothes the itching and helps remove the built-up skin some suffers get. (Aveeno now makes oatmeal for the bath; it's like a powder, comes in envelopes and you just add one to your bathwater and have a nice little soak. Obviously, you could just add an envelope to a basin of water in which to soak your hands.) If you can't find the Aveeno stuff, take a few thicknesses of cheesecloth, dump about a half-cup of regular rolled oats in the middle, gather the ends up snugly to form like a little balloon (with the oatmeal inside) and secure the ends with a rubber band. Run warm water in your bathroom sink or basin, add the oatmeal balloon and move it around/up and down until the water becomes milky. Soak your hands and, if they're not too cracked or painful, gently rub them with the saturated cheesecloth ball.

I would also add that you should check to see if you are sensitive to wheat products. Food sensitivity can cause all kinds of trouble.

I seldom get eczema anymore (now I get psoriasis instead but they seem to be related) but, if I do, it's usuallly exacerbated by stress. What starts out as a tiny bubble on my palm can quickly escalate if I'm under a lot of stress.

Essential fatty acid supplements can also help, and B vitamins for stress. I hope the oatmeal provides some relief.

free skin care · Wed Oct 25, 2006 10:09 pm

Just to share: Last winter for the very first time, I developed what sounds like the same thing on my hands--very dry, thick, cracking skin on my thumbs at the inside of the joints. It "left" the beginning of summer but was starting to return a couple of months ago. Then, I read somewhere that some people can suddenly develop this response to antiseptic liquid hand soap. I have containers of antiseptic hand soap in both baths and in the kitchen. I stopped using it and am seeing definite improvement.

free skin care · Fri Oct 27, 2006 5:45 pm

Hi all. I've been in hospital twice because of eczema. As someone else mentioned on this thread, it can have different causes with diferent people, so I'll just tell you what helps me - it might help someone else if they decide to try.
Equal amounts of hazelnut oil and sunflower oil mixed together: one dessertspoonful (orally) twice a day. I am sensitive to phenyl and benzyl (very close chemically). You would not believe the number of things these chemicals are in. Diet drinks and anything containing aspartame (phenylalanine), hair dyes (phenylenediamine). Lanolin and petroleum based products also contain benzyl. Many hair products contain variations of these chemicals (shampoos, conditioners, styling products). I've become very good at reading labels!
I'm lucky enough at the moment to have only localised patches rather than over my whole body and I have to say that the BabyQ has made a huge difference to those: most have gone completely.
I'm obviously not an expert - actually, I don't really think anyone is. I can remember my dermatologist saying there was nothing more he could do other than prescribe steroid cream and prednisolone for really bad flare-ups. In my case, the eczema is not due solely to dryness (which taking the oil really helps with) but because of an over-active immune system: it perceives something it doesn't like and totally overreacts. A simple virus infection like a cold also sends it into overdrive and the eczema comes back - this is usually when it gets to whole body stage, and I get to go back on the Prednisolone.
Wear rubber gloves when using cleaning products - always, and even if the eczema isn't on your hands. Reaction and sensitisation is a funny thing - the reaction may not always occur at the site of contact.
I sympathise with anyone who has this disease - so many people just think, "so you've got an itchy rash - live with it", but they have clearly not tried to sleep with the feeling of thousands of ants crawling over their body. Which reminds me of another thing - don't allow yourself to get too hot because this makes the itching worse - especially in bed. Better to be a little chilly.
Hope this helps someone. Sorry for the length of post.

free skin care · Sun Oct 29, 2006 2:27 am

My son start to have one. He's 5 yo. What can I do to help him

free skin care · Sun Oct 29, 2006 2:30 am

rosielynt wrote:

My son start to have one. He's 5 yo. What can I do to help him

free skin care · Sun Nov 05, 2006 4:39 am

Thankyou so much for your replies, regarding excema remedies for my grandson. I passed them onto my daughter and she tried the oatmeal remedy and it certainly stopped the itching, so she is going to carry on with this. Thanks again for taking the time to reply. x

Tue Nov 07, 2006 6:35 pm

I also have eczema, and yes it goes back several generations on my father's side, and now its carried over to my own children. Tried the cortisone, the saran wrap, all sorts of remedies. There is obviously a genetic pre-disposition in some cases. All told eczema is relative to the individual. I realized through the years that washing does worsen the symptoms. In my case, stress exacerbates the condition. I've heard the adage its allergy related. I do know I can handle my cat when I'm not broken out and have no problems. But ohhh myyy, handle the cat when I am broken out and my symptoms worsen. However, I do not see this as a true allergy, more likely, my resistance is down during breakout times. I've tried every prescription and shots throughout the years without relief. I finally decided, I'm done with that. Need to research and learn more. In the course of my research I began to study and research natural ingredients that are said to alleviate the symptomology. I decided to experiment and put what I learned in to my own home-made soaps, body washes, lotions, and balms. I wasn't looking for a cure, just to take back my life. Those with eczema will understand this ; ) What I make is not a cure I won't purport as such. I learned to live with eczema, and learned how to lessen the breakouts and decrease the symptoms. When I am broken out, the best thing is water and air. When I am not broken out I use my handmade soaps and balms made with kukui oil, tamanu oil and kokum butters. My breakouts are further and farther between ; ) When I do breakout, its bearable and a lot less intense.
Huggs, Bekka

Sun Nov 12, 2006 12:08 am

Treating weeping excema without medication

I've been living with weeping excema since I was eight years old. My excema is linked to my asthma, and is also hereditary. When I was first diagnosed, my physician spoke mainly to my mother about what was happening to my skin, not bothering to explain to me what was wrong or how his prescriptions were going to help. Being the curious child that I was, I was always prodding my feet and sometimes hands, where ever the excema had broken out. At the time, my mother was constantly giving me different creams and medicines to reduce the infection and ease the itching. I tried soaking in tea, salt, and wrapping my feet. I hated every minute of it, because none of it really worked.

Even to this day I've always been a fan of remedies that don't involve taking drugs or doing seemingly unreasonable things. I eventually lied to my parents and said my excema was getting better and to stop forcing the medication and cremes. In those days as a child, I would scratch and pick at the infection; sometimes to the extent that my feet bled. But I found that if I did this enough, the skin would eventually heal and the visible rash would go away. I did exactly what they say not to do, but I did what my body was requesting of me, and it's my belief that I helped in the healing process. Years later (perhaps because I was so young at the time) my feet have no trace of scaring or cracking.

After years of trial and error, I've found a method that works for me. Over the years, I've grown out of full blown outbreaks, by making sure to keep my feet and hands aired out, changing socks regularly, going barefoot when indoors. (and yes, I *do* bathe regularly- once a day, I know many people say not to do this, but I don't see a difference as long as you make sure to dry off well) I've also found that if I do break out badly, a trip to the beach (or a bucket of sea-salt water) will help immensely.

Over the past couple of years I usually only experience a small break out on my hands or feet, including a countable number of "dots" or "bubbles". And to take care of this, I puncture the bubble with a pin (a clean sewing pin) drain the bubble, wash the skin well with soap, and file the skin with a nail file just until the top of the bubble is removed and I'm left with a small hole.(the filing prevents the bubble from regenerating, as they tend to do with just a small puncture). After washing well once more, the skin heals itself usually with in a day.

As odd as my method sounds, it works for me, and I figured I'd share it with you all. Since there is no cure for excema, it's only possible to treat the symptoms. My symptoms were itchy skin and an ugly rash, and so I scratched it and found a way to make the rash less visible. Please remember that what works for one person won't work for everyone, and whatever treatment you decide to use, if it causes the problem to worsen, stop.

free skin care · Sun Nov 12, 2006 6:55 pm

Lac Hydrin.

Wed Nov 15, 2006 12:17 pm

My son developed baby eczema at 3mos old--from getting cow milk protein through my breast milk. It was spreading radically. I bought Freederm but read the ingredients when it arrived and discovered it's just another steroid cream! I then resorted to Ellidel and it cleared right up. I stopped buying anything with whey or milk in it and turned to goat and soy alternatives.

We were living outside the states at the time of his first outbreak. Every time he ingested anything with cow milk the eczema (and sleeplessness) would return. When we got back to the states 4 mos ago, I had him start BioSet treatments--Read the book "The Food Allergy Cure"--it works for airborn allergens too. He's not had one iota of eczema since and he does have things with cow milk from time to time now--even milk chocolate and cheese. But I still monitor it. The BioSet doesn't CURE a milk protein allergy, nor a wheat allergy--but it does cure all others--and it has kept his body from overreacting to the protein.

I know this seems quite different from the other postings...but that's why I wanted to include it. It worked for us.

By the way, immunize any child with eczema for chicken pox--they get it 10x worse than everyone else. I wish I had known that when my baby got horrible chicken pox at 13 mos old

free skin care · Wed Dec 20, 2006 12:46 am

I have it in my legs,elbow and they're small and they are stress related

free skin care · Sat May 05, 2007 2:48 pm

Oh boy can I relate to this thread. I developed dermatitis a few years ago after having been bitten too many times by insects (paper fleas in an office I worked in). Now, periodically I get horrible outbreaks that seem to occur for any reason. If I eat too much sugar, spice, if I have stress in my life, hormonal changes...anything can bring on an outbreak. My dermatologist told me it's my immune system acting up.

Anyhow, here's what my dermatologist recommends and it works.

Using Emulsifying ointment
http://www.nsc.gov.sg/cgi-bin/WB_ContentGen.pl?id=133&gid=34
instead of soap. You can buy this at any drug store from the pharmacist. I get a big tub for around $14 CAD. The best brand is made by Xenex Labs
http://www.xenexlabs.com/catalogue.php?cid=1&pid=74

It is the right consistency for me. Some ointments are greasier than others, but basically it's made out of paraffin wax and oils. It takes a little while to get used to but it REALLY helps soothe the skin and prevent outbreaks. And it cleans just as well as soap.

Once out of the shower, I apply (on recommendation of dermatologist) Lac-Hydrin 12% AHA, available in any drug store. This is a non-prescription lotion.
http://www.lac-hydrin.com/
http://www.drugs.com/mtm/lac-hydrin.html
This moisturizes and exfoliates skin. It's amazing how well these two products work. And they are not expensive.

free skin care · Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:51 am

Try Protopic presciption cream. It really works!!!

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.