Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis) – Natural Treatment Guide

Atopic Dermatitis is a fancy name for an itch that rashes. Therefore the more you itch the larger the rash becomes.

Continuous itching can breakdown the barrier of your skin, making you more prone to infections. Babies and young children are especially prone to infections as their immune systems aren’t fully developed.

Atopic Dermatitis most commonly occurs on the face, arms and legs in babies and young children whilst teenagers and adults tend to have it behind their knees and elbows. The skin condition usually shows its first appearance in children under the age of two, which then can lead to asthma, allergic rhinitis and food allergies later on in life.

Though Atopic Dermatitis is a genetic disorder, there are still many other factors that contribute to its development – and it’s these factors that you can influence to relieve and reduce your severity of eczema.

First Repair And Protect The Skin

To immediately prevent Atopic Dermatitis from worsening, an emollient must be used to inhibit the itch-scratch cycle so that the progression of the skin rash can be impeded.

Emollients also work to hydrate the skin preventing further water loss from occurring, as well as repair the impaired skin barrier function reducing the likelihood of infection.

Opting for emollients that use 100% natural ingredients over chemical based creams are ideal as synthetic chemicals can act as an irritant and create a worsening of the rash.

Emollients can and often clear up the rash remarkably if you use one that contains ingredients to get the job done properly. I have seen astounding results on many individuals with Atopic Dermatitis who have used these two emollients.

They are both a completely natural alternative to steroid and chemical based creams providing a safe and effective alternative.

Xma Therapy Cream

This cream has a combination of 15 different natural ingredients. These ingredients aim at hydrating the skin, restoring the damage that has occurred through scratching and protect it from any irritants or bacteria/viruses.

It reduces inflammation and redness with aloe vera and chamomile, hydrates the skin with a variety of nut, seed and plant oils whilst increasing collagen repair of the skin surface with vitamin C and A.

The company also supplies you with a 90 day satisfaction guarantee – so if you use it and do not see any improvement within this time period then you are entitled to a refund. I think this is a great bonus especially if you have spent a lot of money on emollients before.

To learn more information about this cream and read their testimonials, you can visit their website here.

Moogoo Eczema and Psoriasis Balm

This cream is wonderful for Atopic Dermatitis, Psoriasis as well as any sort of fungal or yeast based skin condition. It is designed to reduce the irritation by hydrating and keeping the skin well moisturised through ingredients like chamomile, sage oil, olive oil and squalene.

Find out more information by checking out their website here – you’ll be entertained by all of their adorable pictures of cows.

Food Triggers

Food allergens are constantly being demonstrated in many studies to induce eczema skin rashes.

In a controlled food challenge study, 40% of children with moderate to severe Atopic Dermatitis had their rash worsened by food allergens by producing skin inflammation.

The most common food triggers linked to Atopic Dermatitis are; eggs, milk, wheat, soy and peanuts. Reducing sugar including glucose, lactose and maltose have also been markedly linked with a dramatic improvement in Atopic Dermatitis.

Taking your child or yourself for food allergy testing will determine exactly what foods are causing the Atopic Dermatitis. By eliminating the food culprits, the skin rash usually tends to subside significantly.

Feed Your Gut with Good Bacteria

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that live in your digestive system and contribute positively to your well being and the regulation of your immune system. About 70% of your immune system is found in the gut associated lymphatic tissue (GALT) surrounding your digestive system, where the regulation of immune responses take place.

Beneficial bacteria are essential to modulate immune responses which in turn regulate allergic reactions.
Many controlled trials have demonstrated that taking a probiotic (good bacteria) supplement can greatly improve the extent and severity of Atopic Dermatitis.

Studies have demonstrated that children with atopic dermatitis have less beneficial bacteria in their digestive systems as opposed to children with allergies.

Supplementation of lactobacilli bacteria can modulate the immune system and inhibit the development of Atopic Dermatitis in genetically predisposed children. Existing Atopic Dermatitis has also been successfully reduced through the use of probiotics.

Eat Your Good Fats

If your body is deficient in good fats in particular the GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid) converted from Omega 6 (Linoleic Acid) then your skin will become more prone to water loss as well as dry scaly skin.

Fats make up a vital part of the skin barrier, so if the structure of this skin barrier is altered through a deficiency then your skin will become more permeable to bacteria/viruses and outside allergens.

In studies connecting the link between this deficiency and Atopic Dermatitis, it has been detected that not only may there be a lack of Omega 6, but there also could be a dysfunction in the way your body converts Linoleic Acid to Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA).

A reduced activity in the conversion rate of Linoleic acid to Gamma Linolenic acid has been detected in Atopic Dermatitis individuals.

Supplementing with direct sources like Evening Primrose oil, Borage Oil and Blackcurrant Oil can be beneficial in Atopic Dermatitis by providing the GLA needed for proper skin barrier function.

Controlling Your Eczema Is Possible

Chemical based creams do not have to be the only answer to relieving your eczema. There are many other alternative routes that you can take that are much safer and will support your body to heal your skin.

I hope that the several connections to the causes of eczema that I have covered has opened up your horizons and given you further insights to treating this frustrating skin condition.

References

1. Y.M, D., Boguniewicz, M., Howell, M.D., Nomura, I., Qutayba, A.H. New Sights into Atopic Dermatitis, J. Clin. Invest. 2004; 113(5):651

2. Sampson, H., McCaskill, C. Food hypersensitivity and atopic dermatitis: Evaluation of 113 patients. The Journal of Pediatrics, Volume 107, Issue 5, Pages 669-675

3. Kalliomaki, M., Salminen, S., Arvilommi, H., et al. Probiotics in primary prevention of atopic disease: a randomised placebo-controlled trial
The Lancet, Volume 357, Issue 9262, Pages 1076-1079

4. Isolauri, E., et al. Probiotics in the management of atopic eczema. Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 2000, Volume 30, Pages 1604-1610

5. Schäfer, L and Kragballe, K. Supplementation with evening primrose oil in atopic dermatitis: Effect on fatty acids in neutrophils and epidermis. Lipids, 1991, Volume 26, Pages 557-560.