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Managing Eczema Naturally
Eczema is a type of dermatitis whose inflammation accompanies scaling, flaking, sometimes weeping, and crusting skin sores that cause painful itching and burning. The cause is often allergenic, and the location of the lesions can indicate the cause. Lesions on the scalp suggest eczema originated from shampoos, or hair products. If on the hands, eczema could be from lotions or even chemicals from work. Lesions on the face indicate the eczema maybe from facial products. Some underlying problems could be “Hypochlorhydria (low levels of hydrochloric acid in the stomach) causing a lack of absorption of nutrients. Another digestive cause could be a condition called ‘leaky gut syndrome’ in which the intestines become porous and allow tiny partials of undigested food to enter the bloodstream, provoking allergic reactions.” Candidiasis is another trigger for eczema, caused by an overgrowth of yeast in the system. Triggers are also related to extreme temperatures, weather conditions, stresses on the mental-emotional level, or stresses on the physical body. Additionally, you can develop a hypersensitivity to many substances which in turn becomes a trigger.
The use of *antipruritics will reduce the sensation of itching and the degree of physical trauma caused by scratching. *Anti-inflammatory and * vulnerary properties will help heal skin lesions. An *astringent will reduce any weeping or oozing. Often, eczema is seen as an attempt for the body to eliminate accumulated toxins through the skin. Using oils that help with the elimination of toxins assists its management. If an infection is present, an *anti-microbial is necessary.
It is important to manage eczema both externally and internally. Dairy and gluten are often underlying causes of eczema due to allergies. Avoiding them is a great way to control most eczema conditions. Omega 3 increases the eicosapentaenoic fatty acid levels known to reduce the incidence of eczema.
Eczeliminator, is a formula I created that utilizes a combination of essential oils, infused oils, and nut butters to control eczema externally. It rapidly reducing the outbreaks and relieves all the symptoms mentioned above. Eczeliminator is a powerful healing cream, hand made to order.
Eczeliminator includes shea butter, Aloe gel, and oils of coconut, calendula, Jojoba, and vitamin E. German chamomile has been used for eczema since antiquity because of the healing effects on both the digestive and skin issues. Its anti-inflammatory effects help to reduce skin inflammations and it is classified as an anti-allergenic. It is one of the gentlest oils and is used for sensitive skin problems. It is a *vulnerary, so it prevents tissue degeneration and promotes the healing of wounds. It is also a sedative, helping with stress reduction, which is a major cause of eczema flare-ups. Geranium, another main essential oil in Eczeliminator, was used by the Romans for its fragrant leaves and medicinal agents. Today, you will see it used in a lot of cosmetics for the fragrance. Geraniums *antipruritic agent reduces and controls itching. Its *cytophalactic properties promote cell regeneration. Its vulnerary properties were chosen for preventing the degeneration of skin, while aiding in healing. Geranium is a powerful astringent, helping to dry up the weeping version of a common expression of eczema. Finally, but more importantly, it balances the sebum (oils secreted from the sebaceous glands) making it valuable for dry, oily, or combination skin.
I chose lavender for the combined effects it has on the skin and nervous system. Lavender reduces inflammation because it is an antiphlogistic. The antipruritic agents reduce and control itching. It is also cytophalactic, known to assist our responses to unproductive stress, while not interfering with productive stress (a normal part of life). The *antimicrobial properties help with possible infection. Carrot seed is included for its highly regarded *hepatic agents that support the liver cells, purify the blood, and help eliminate toxins. This combination of agents in one essential oil makes it powerfully detoxifying. Carrot seed described as one of the strongest revitalizing essential oils makes it a great choice to use with skin affected by environmental issues.
+Key Of Terms:
- Antipruritic – an agent that relieves the sensation of itching or prevents its occurrence.
- Antiphlogistic – an agent that reduces inflammation.
- Antimicrobial-an agent that kills or inhibits microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
- Astringent – an agent that contracts tightens and binds tissue.
- Cytophalactic – an agent that promotes cell regeneration.
- Depurative – an agent that helps to purify the body, particularly the blood.
- Diuretic – an agent that increases the secretion and expulsion of urine.
- Hepatic – an agent that stimulates and aids liver function.
- Vulnerary – an agent that prevents tissue degeneration and promotes healing of wounds.
Page 319, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 3rd edition. Phylis A. Balch, inc, James F. Balch, MD.
Page 466, The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy. Second edition. Salvatore Battaglia
Natural Pain Management
Traditional allopathic medicine is known and loved for its ease and convenience…you take a pill and you get results. There are lots of arguments about the challenges of side effects and long-term use that come into play. For that reason, I like to share the knowledge that I have gained from education, trusted mentors, and experience over the years that helps manage pain naturally. Thinking and applying self-care in layers will get you the best results.
Epson salt baths-(magnesium sulfate) in a hot bath soak are a great way to manage muscle and joint pain. If your doctor has not limited you from hot bathing, this is one of the more enjoyable layers of management. Add 2 cups to a standard tub of water. Soak for 20-30 minutes. Fully submerge the parts of the body that are most painful.
Stretch routine– I highly recommend yoga because it focuses on stretching, strengthening, and breath work, all in the same hour. Also, a master yoga intructor will teach a very important but less talked about skill, quieting your thoughts along with your breath work. This trains you to manage runaway thoughts and strengthen your psyche, which goes a long way in managing pain. There are lots of yoga classes out there that use caution for people with injuries, challenges with movement, or nervousness from being a newbie. No matter where you go, since you are utilizing yoga as a stretch routine and as a way to help your body while it’s in pain, I’d like you to choose a yoga instructor who has a strong focus on proper positioning. Talk with the yoga center you choose and ask if they observe and correct for proper positioning.
Physical therapy– if you haven’t tried, please do so. Do the homework they give you. Exercise and stretching are really one of the greatest things you can do to manage long-term pain. You need to be your own advocate for your limitations. Some soreness will be present. There is a difference between soreness and pain. Pain is your body telling you something is wrong and to stop or ease back a bit.
Topical natural therapeutic supports– I formulated HM Salve with essential oils that research suggests reduces inflammation, reduces spasm, increases blood flow, reduces pain, and supports the body’s natural healing process. Though it is not allopathic medicine, it is considered of great benefit. You can also use other topical over-the-counter ointments and creams, however, I prefer that whatever you use, you do not choose a product that is formulated to only numb the pain. This can give you a false sense of freedom in which case you might be overly active causing more problems. Getting better is my goal, not simply masking the pain.
Hot ginger compress– Ginger is well known for reducing any inflammation be it digestive, joint, or muscle. This is truly a great resource. It takes some time and effort but if you put in that effort you will be surprised by how effective it can be. It is an accumulative effect, so it is a committed routine. Doing it three or more times a day is going to get you the best results. See the directions below. Keep in mind once you do it a time or two it becomes an effortless routine. Caution….don’t burn yourself.
- ½ cup of powdered ginger- Check your local nutritional shops.
- A stockpot with about 1 gallon of water
- A washcloth and or hand towel for submerging in water
- A large dry towel
Boil the water and then stir in ginger with a whisk, turn off and cover.
When the water has cooled enough to use without burning yourself…but is still hot… submerge a smaller towel, ring it just until it stops dripping, and place it on the problem area. Keep the dry towel under you to catch any drips. Once the cloth has cooled, re-submerge, ring, and replace on the problem area. Continue this until the water in the pot is no longer hot. Your skin should be pink and you should feel a warming heat from the ginger for 10-20 minutes after. Alternatively, if it is your hand or foot you can soak right into the pot and eliminate the compress.
You can cover and refrigerate the water and reuse it for 2-3 days but no longer. If it begins to look cloudy or murky it’s time to discard and make a fresh batch.
Use until the pain is gone and then for another 30 days after.
People often report that they feel better after the 3rd treatment (3 or more a day) and that they feel great improvement after a week. Some even report the issue is gone after the recommended treatment of use.
Using hot ginger compresses is a tried and true natural medicine of the Japanese tradition.
The above directions are a variation of the original recipe.
Evolving With The Times
It’s easy when times are chaotic and filled with concern, to reign in your attention in such a focused way that it resembles a huddle, tuning out others around you. Expanding protective energy around your loved ones is a good thing, don’t get me wrong but I ask you to expand your view of family and to develop deeper relationships with your community. It’s certainly not a new concept to consider us one race, the human race, but by gaining deeper connections we grow in understanding and empathy, and in doing so we affect each other, hopefully, in more loving and supported ways.
For many years now our society has become increasingly more isolated. Studies suggest that we are living in a time when people, more so than ever before, report feeling deep levels of loneliness and despair. Even people surrounded by loved ones report loneliness and feeling disconnected. The great Carl Jung describes this as such, “Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible.” There is a lot of research about the factors that play into this disconnect including society placing higher value on independence while shaming the idea of having needs. Another theory is that coming into modern times and having electricity, has pulled people off of their front porches (where people used to communicate and interact a great deal with neighbors and even strangers, passers-by) and into the house where temperatures are maintained, watching people on tv instead of interacting with them. Social media, though it offers an opportunity to gain access to a larger number of people, removes depth and connection. One thing is certain, we are a society that needs to regain that depth of connection. In doing so we gain a desire to act with more care and tolerate less atrocities.
Let now be the time that you reach out beyond your comfort zone, and expand your depth of connection. Yes, check in with your friends and your neighbors, but offer quality conversations. Share stories, hear their weaknesses, and discover their strengths. Connect with them. Brace yourself for this next one…let them hear your voice, call them. (gasp!) There is so much value in the connection attained via spoken word. Sound has energy and vibration and limiting all of our communication to the written word is part of the problem. Not to get too science-y…we actually absorb sound through Meissner cells found mostly in our ears, face, and chest. A huge part of connecting with others comes from the shared energy exchange in the process of hearing each other. In times when we can’t physically be in each other’s space the next least removed is to engage in sharing a conversation audibly.
Having a more positive relationship with the community starts with getting to know who they are. Expand your idea of family to the human race. Expand your depth of connection. Take this moment while there is already an interruption in the status quo and act in a way that develop’s deeper love for mankind.
Evolve.
Boosting Your Immune System Is Only A Breath Away
It’s easy when times are chaotic and filled with concern, to reign in your attention in such a focused way that it resembles a huddle, tuning out others around you. Expanding protective energy around your loved ones is a good thing, don’t get me wrong but I ask you to expand your view of family and to develop deeper relationships with your community. It’s certainly not a new concept to consider us one race, the human race, but by gaining deeper connections we grow in understanding and empathy, and in doing so we affect each other, hopefully, in more loving and supported ways.
We are in some pretty heavy evolving times! Evolving so quickly that it’s leaving most of us scrambling to keep up with moment-to-moment expectations. Worry and fear are at the root of much of the current experience though it doesn’t have to be. Maintaining a boosted immune system really can be as easy as deep breathing, meditations, and having daily practices that bring calm and joy.
Fear is interesting. We live in a society that gets rich off of fear. Our senses are saturated with it on a daily basis, so much so that we don’t even realize how standard it has become. Our entire economy stays rich by keeping people in fear. From the fun stuff like scary movies and roller coasters to the more personal stuff like the fear of not looking good and fear of not fitting in, and even bigger, the fear of impending doom. All of these fears trigger us to buy stuff, make-up and moisturizers, hair products, designer clothing, and the current summer fad because we wouldn’t want to be on the outside of acceptance. Then there are next-season must-haves so we are kept in purchasing mode at all times, making others rich. We have so much fear in our society that we don’t even realize it because it’s a current norm. We are fearful of losing our house our cars our jobs and our lives so we purchase really big-ticket items (Health insurance, homeowners insurance, car insurance, life insurance, and riders to cover all the in-between) to help us feel safe in the event any of those fears come true. I am certainly not steering you away from purchasing safety nets, not by any means, however, I do want to point out that we have more power over our lives and our health than what is often believed, and people who want to make a lot of money capitalize on these fears greatly.
When something big happens, like our current pandemic, the door flies open to an already deep reservoir of fear, add to that resonating with the fear of the world around us, that is ringing out, and we see people going into a frenzy. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that we need not be concerned or need not act with caution…a little bit of fear is not a bad thing in my opinion because it sets off hormones that help to sharpen our focus. When fear kicks in the fight response, It helps us to very quickly see and act upon all the steps to resolution. On a side note, many people are responding with a flight/freeze response and pretending that this pandemic is not really a concern. I do urge those to awaken from this and calmly and with clarity be cautious for the health of their loved ones and the rest of humanity. I do digress, back to my point. Don’t allow fear to simmer within. When our emotions go to anger and fear, our immune system plummets and that is the last thing we need right now.
Our bodies have a direct link to our thoughts and emotions and to our health via the Vagus Nerve. The Vagus Nerve is a massive nerve branch stemming from the base of our brain down into our visceral cavity touching almost every organ in our body including our heart. When the Vagus nerve is strong and tone (referred to as having High Vagal Tone) and is maintained through our actions, it triggers our Parasympathetic Nervous System to release a natural tranquilizer called acetylcholine. We literally feel a calming come over us like a drug when this is released. Choosing to practice actions on a regular basis that tone the Vagus Nerve, allows us to have power over our health both in the moment and over the long term. Research proves that our immune system is improved, our risk for stroke and cardiac disease is reduced, our moods balance out, anxiety is reduced, high blood pressure is lowered, pain is reduced, and much much more. Here is the catch, if you choose to engage in festering fear and anger and hate and other emotions that are not calming, your immune system just plummets. This is the root of the understanding that stress ultimately worsens and/or causes health problems. Getting and keeping a High Vagal Tone is the power you have over your health. It’s not the only power but it’s a big one.
Practicing activities that calm you and bring you joy, develops a High Vagal Tone. This includes meditation, massage, laughter, yoga, slow and deep breathing, and listening to beautiful sounds, i.e. Sound Therapy, and singing, all things that bring your heart to feel love and joy. As long as these activities bring you peace while practicing them, you are toning the vagus nerve. Now here is the catch, if you are someone who gets really caught up in your head and filled with angst with meditation, though I would recommend continuing the practice to strengthen that skill for so many other reasons, I would also advise you to do another practice that is calming, to ensure you are toning the Vagus Nerve. The daily practice of any variation of these actions manages your health in a very real and rooted way.
I am here to tell you, this life you are living absolutely deserves 20 minutes a day of practice. I know you have that much time, it’s just a matter of prioritizing. You deserve to be well cared for. All the people around you who love and count on you, deserve to be around a well-cared-for friend, spouse, parent, family member, and/or boss. Put down the phone, turn off the tv, step away from the chaos and noise, maintain your massage, add in yoga classes, invest in yourself…invest in your way of being so that your whole being is of benefit, so that during these evolving times you are choosing to evolve.
