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How to Heal Yourself from Eczema

by Kolbjørn Borseth of Aromantic

Eczema is the common name for skin disorders characterised by red patches, weeping blisters and often, severe itching. There are several different kinds of eczema which is often associated with food allergy (usually milk or wheat) and a deficiency in essential fatty acids from nuts and oils.

Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin (a contact allergy often associated with food allergies to milk products and wheat). A deficiency in essential fatty acids can make the body predisposed to developing dermatitis. Prostaglandins are suppressed by saturated fats and fried foods and by deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, especially zinc deficiency.

Factors Affecting Eczema and Ways to Treat It

Following long term treatment with steroid creams, start with herbal creams.

Sodium Bicarbonate helps to reduce the body's level of acidity.

· Add 1 – 5 tablespoons to your bathwater every other night. In acute cases, start with 1 tablespoon and gradually increase to 5 tablespoons over 2 months.

Aromatherapy Bath - Add 2 – 3 tablespoons eczema bath (see below) to your bath water every other night.

Wash with Wild Pansy Shampoo. It is especially good for Eczema.

Fasting is a good way to cleanse the body (this should only be undertaken under professional advice and support).

Avoid clothes made of synthetic fibres, steroid creams, creams with paraffin oil and Vaseline, perfumed washing powders and dairy products.

Drink plenty of lukewarm water (around 2 – 3 litres per day)

Eczema Bath

Once a week take the following bath:

Fill a cloth bag with 500-600gr fresh Ribwort leaf and 500-600gr fresh Ladys Mantle leaves or 50gr of each herb dried. Place in the bath tub and pour over 10 litres of boiling water. Allow to infuse for 10 minutes and then add the rest of your bathwater. Stay in the bath for 20 minutes adding more hot water to keep the bath warm if necessary. Do not rinse off but allow the body to air dry.

General Tips for Children with Eczema

It is important that a child's bowels work properly and, ideally, that they are emptied as many times per day as there are meals. If this doesn't occur naturally then this process should be assisted by the administration of laxative teas, fruit mousse or fig syrup. Be careful about giving a child anything sweet. Never give a child with excema, tomatoes, rose-hips, bread or rice. A small quantity of buckwheat bread is permissible. Otherwise, a purely vegan diet is required.

When using onions and garlic in food, great care must be taken. Begin with chives and then go on to leeks. Having started carefully it is usually fine to use onions and even garlic.

After the age of 12 a child with chronic eczema can also be allowed to try a 7 day fast, under careful supervision. It is then important for the child to take more fluids than would be taken on the One Day Fast. Children need more fluids than adults.

General Advice for those Suffering with Skin Conditions such as Acne, Eczema and Psoriasis

Diet

If your body chemistry is too acid you must eat more alkaline foods.

Balancing your diet - acid / alkaline

When food is metabolised by the body the end products are either acidic or alkaline. Acids are compounds of elements which give away hydrogen ions, Alkalines are compounds of elements which attract hydrogen ions. The body needs both Acids and Alkalines for its metabolism but we have more difficulty getting rid of Acids than Alkalines. It is therefore easy for an accumulation of excess acids to occur which can cause us to get rheumatism or skin problems such as eczema, psoriasis and acne. To avoid this, aim for a diet which is 70% Alkaline and 30% Acid.

To achieve a more alkaline diet you can consider replacing the following items in your diet:

Acid	Alkaline

Bread	Bread based on sprouts such as Buckwheat bread
Wheat, Spaghetti, Macaroni	Buckwheat and Millet Spaghetti
Chocolate & Cocoa drinks	Carob based products
Tea, Coffee	Herbal Teas & Fermented herbal
Barley cup	Teas
Soya products	Quorn products
Rice, Oats, Porridge	Millet or Buckwheat porridge

The following table of Alkaline / Acidity was developed by the Swedish man Ragnar Berg in the 1930’s.

ALKALINE (+)		ACID (-)

Cucumber	+31	Rice with husk	-51
Dried Figs	+28	Bran	-39
Raisins	+16	Whole Wheat	-38
Dried Rose Hips	+15	Oat Flakes	-30
Tomatoes	+14	Eggs	-23
Lettuce	+14	Rye Bread	-22
Mandarin oranges	+12	Meat of all kinds	-10 to -19
Celery	+11	Fish of all kinds	-10 to -19
Oranges	+10	Whole Rye	-17
Carrots	+10	Cheese	-17
Lemons	+10	Cottage Cheese	-17
Leeks	+9	Peanuts	-15
Endive	+9	Asparagus	-14
Spinach	+9	Corn	-14
Gooseberries	+9	Rice, polished	-11
Chives	+8	Wheat Bread	-11
Buckwheat	+8	Soya Beans	-10
Millet	+8	Rye Crispbread	-9
Grapes, Dried Dates	+7	Brussel Sprouts	-9
Bananas	+7	Wheat Flour	-8
Potatoes, peeled	+7	Brown Beans	-8
Blackberries	+7	Butter	-6
Plums	+6	Yellow Peas	-4
Cabbages	+5	Green Beans	-4
Apricots	+5	Margarine	-4
Peaches	+5	Artichokes	-4
Blueberries	+4	Almonds, Hazel	-1
Black Currants	+4
Milk	+4
Apples, Pears, Cherries	+3
Onions	+3
Strawberries	+2

The more -, the more acid the food is.
The more +, the more alkaline. 0 is balanced

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a vitamin that is used for all types of skin infections. It is safe to use in the form of Retinal Palmitate. This vitamin plays an important role in the functioning of the eyes and the making of new skin and mucous membranes. It prevents infections in the mucous membranes (respiratory). This vitamin nourishes the skin, counteracts inflammations and protects cell membranes and other structures within the cells from the damage caused by free radicals and in this way helps to prevent skin disorders. Vitamin A occurs naturally in liver, fish oils and egg yolk (primarily as retinol). The daily recommended intake for adults is 2.500-5000 IE. Excess vitamin A is stored in the liver. With larger doses (50.000-100.000 IE pr. day) the liver is unable to store the excess and this is then spread around the body and can cause symptoms such as headache, hair loss, feeling unwell and fatigue.

Vitamin A is produced synthetically. Natural compounds can be used e.g. those found in betacarotene or essential oils. These result in a vitamin A acid (retinoic acid) which is very strong and active. This is stabilised by mixing with organic acids such as acetic acid to produce retinol acetate, or palmitic acid to produce retinyl palmitate. Retinyl palmitate is a yellowish, thick, liquid oil which becomes very thick at temperatures below 15ºC. Dosage should be in the ratio of 0.1-2% (maximum), i.e. 0.1-2ml pr. 100ml finished product. Retinyl palmitate is absorbed by the skin. It is used in skin care products for dry, ageing, lifeless skin, also in the treatment of acne, excema and psoriasis. Vitamin A increases blood flow, stimulates the skin and protects against sunburn. Vitamin A is also used in anti-wrinkle creams where it is claimed to 'remove' wrinkles.

Clay Facemasks and compresses are also good for the use for all skin care conditions

Method - Sprinkle the clay over the waters and allow to settle for 5 – 10 minutes then whisk it together. Then add Stage 2.

RECIPE: Clay Mask 1 / Compress

Stage 1 :

40ml Camomile Water
25ml Spring Water
10 drops Paraben
75gr Green Clay

Stage 2 :

10ml Apricot Kernel Oil
1 drop Roman Camomile (optional)
Spoon into a Jar or Tub and label

Method:

Paste the clay all over the affected area and keep it on for 1 hour or until it starts to get dry and crack.
Wash off with warm water and rinse with cold.
Place a cotton compress soaked with aloe vera on the area for around 20 minutes.
Rinse off with cold water.
Apply avocado oil on the face

Repeat this treatment 1 - 2 times per wee

Clay's Properties and Effects

· Rich in minerals and active enzymes
· Stimulates lymph circulation and thereby more efficient waste handling and Improvement of cell nutrients
· Stimulates blood circulation
· Draws toxins and superfluous fat from the skin
· Contracts and tones the skin
· Strengthens the connective tissue

Therapeutic Indications and Use

Poor blood circulation - Use in face masks and body packs.

Poor lymph circulation - Use in face masks and body packs.

Sunburn and general burn damage to skin - Use in creams lotions, baths and face masks. A blend of Clay, Aloe Vera, Tea tree and Lavender is outstanding for all kinds of burns.

Irritated and sensitive scalp - Use in shampoos and hair packs.

Personal hygiene - If you cannot use ordinary soap.

Refresh tired and "washed out" skin - Use in facemasks.

Slack or loose skin - Use in creams, lotions, baths, face masks and cleansing products.

Acne and other skin problems where cleansing is called for - Use the clay in creams, cleansers, lotions, face masks and baths.

Eczema - Blend the clay with the juice or infusion of Lady's mantle, Horsetail and Chamomile into a cream-like consistency. Put this into a cotton cloth and place on affected area. Then secure by wrapping the herbal compress with cling film, a sticky compress or another cotton cloth. Leave for 3-4 hours or overnight. You can repeat this treatment every second night with the same or different types of herbs.

One Day Fast

Drink (in early morning) 0.5 – 1 litre tepid water

09.00 am	Drink 200ml Berry juice (Blueberry or Cranberry - not blackcurrants)
	Drink 200ml Linseed drink
11.00am	Drink 200ml herb tea:
	Infuse 2gr Dandelion leaf, 2gr Chamomile, Boil 2gr Golden Rod for 20 minutes. Strain together.
13.00pm	Drink 200ml Carrot juice (Fresh is best)
15.00pm	Drink 200ml Carrot juice
17.00pm	Drink 200ml Vegetable stock and 200ml Green juice (such as Wheatgrass or Nettle juice)
19.00pm	Berry Juice (Blueberry or Cranberry - not blackcurrants)

Soothing the Itch

Massage with Chickweed juice. Fill a food mixer with Chickweed and 100ml still water. Mix for 2 minutes. Squeeze out the juice and massage into the affected area. You can also add 5-10ml Aloe vera concentrate.

RECIPES

Each recipe makes 100% e.g. 10% would be 10 ml in a 100-ml blend. You may add up to 0.5% of essential oils of your preference.

	Anti Wrinkle Oil Face Oils		Acne Oils		Psoriasis Oils		Eczema Oils
							Dry	Wet
Evening Primrose Borage Oil (Starflower)	20%	40%	25%	45%	20%	30%	30%	30%
Thistle Oil	20%	10%	25%	45%	20%	10%	40%	40%
Jojoba Oil					10%	10%	8%
E-Vitamin Oil	25%	20%	10%	9%	4%	5%	20%	20%
Rosehip Oil	15%	20%	38%		10%	4%
Apricot Kernel Oil					25%	30%
Shea Butter (melt and add to the blend)					10%	10%		5%
A Vitamin Palmitate		1%	2%	1%	1%	1%	2%	5%

About the Author:

Kolbjørn Borseth of Aromantic specialises in empowering people of all levels in making their own highly effective natural skin care products. Through his web site customers are able to access many free resources as well as being able to order all the raw materials, equipment and know-how required to make aromatherapy products, creams, shampoos, soaps and cosmetics.

Visit Kolbjørn's Natural Skin Care web site at: http://www.aromantic.co.uk

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