Susan Clark's Beat Eczema

Hi There, Edmund Here.

There are many home remedies for eczema that you can use to alleviate your eczema symptoms. Most importantly, they are usually of natural means and you can obtain them easily from your local grocery store.

What is really cool about such remedies is that you do not have to spend a dime on some of them as you will find out in the preceding paragraphs.

Hence, in this article, I am going to share with you some easy to prepare remedies that you can use to keep your eczema symptoms at bay.

 1. Use Essential Oils

Essential oils are extracted by various means from the petals, leaves, stalk, roots, seeds, nuts and even the bark of plants. Aromatherapy is based on the theory that when scents released from essential oils are inhaled, they affect the hypothalamus.

This is the part of the brain that governs the glands and hormones, altering mood and lowering stress. When used in baths, massage and compresses, the oils are also absorbed through the bloodstream and transported to the organs and glands, which benefit from their healing effects.

A couple of studies have suggested that essential oils such as neroli, valerian and lavender can aid relaxation and induce calm. Since eczema is often linked to emotional stress, aromatherapy may be worth trying, both as a preventative measure and during a flare-up. Oils may also have anti-inflammatory, moisturizing or healing properties.

Patricia Davis, author of Aromatherapy: An A-Z, recommends blending essential oils with an aqueous cream or non-perfumed lotion. The reason being that carrier oils such as almonds or wheatgerm can sometimes exacerbate skin conditions.

With most essential oils, use a 1% dilution – this equates to one drop per teaspoon of aqueous cream or lotion. Never apply aromatherapy oils to broken skin.

2. Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is the next remedy in our arsenal of useful home remedies for eczema. It is very simple to learn and does not require any money.

Simple self hypnosis

Most people can learn safe and simple self-hypnosis techniques. The following steps will take you through a basic self-hypnosis, which could aid relaxation and positive thinking. This could possibly help to ease eczema symptoms.

Step 1: Lie or sit comfortably in a quiet place, where you are unlikely to be disturbed.

Step 2: Focus on your breathing – breathe slowly and deeply.

Step 3: Start counting backwards from 300. If your mind starts to drift away, simply start counting backwards again.

Step 4: At the same time, start relaxing each part of your body. Allow the muscles in your face to relax, then those in your neck and shoulders, back, arms and legs and finally your feet.

Step 5: Now repeat affirmations – positive statements about yourself -  as though they are already true, e.g. ‘My skin is smooth and healthy’ or ‘I am getting better and better everyday in every way’.

Step 6: When you are ready to come out of your trance, start counting to ten, telling yourself ‘When I reach five, I will start to awaken; when I reach ten, I will wake up, feeling calm and relaxed.’

Here’s a really nice hypnotherapy relaxation & stress relief video to help you relax:

Visualize Healthy Skin

Visualization involves using your imagination to create a picture in your mind of situation you want to achieve. It is claimed that the more senses you use in your visualization, the more effective it is likely to be. Using visualization during self-hypnosis appears to improve its success and is called hypnotic imaging.

Follow the self-hypnosis techniques outlined above. As you make an affirmation, experience it in your subconscious, as though it’s happening now, by conjuring up a scene in which you have already achieved your goal.

For example, if your affirmation is ‘My skin is clear and healthy’, see, hear and feel it.  Picture your skin glowing and healthy, hear your friends and family commenting on how good your skin looks. Feel its softness and smoothness.

3. Enjoy A Massage

One study showed that massage for 20 minutes each day improved the symptoms of children with atopic eczema and reduced anxiety. Since anxiety has been shown to exacerbate eczema symptoms in some people, any improvement is likely due to the relaxing effects of massage.

Massage involves touch, which can ease away tensions. It seems to work by stimulating the release of endorphins – the body’s own painkillers – plus serotonin, a brain chemical implicated in relaxation. It also decreases the level of stress hormones in the blood and improves blood circulation.

Mix your own massage oil by combining a few drops of your favourite aromatherapy oil (such as lavender, chamomile or ylang-ylang) into a carrier oil such as almond or grapeseed, or an unperfumed lotion or aqueous cream if the area to be massaged is affected by eczema.

An easy way to benefit from massage is for you and a partner to massage each other’s back, neck and shoulders, using the basic techniques outlined below:

• Stroking/Effleurage – slide both hands over the skin in rhythmic fanning or circular motions.
• Kneading/Petrisage – using alternate hands, squeeze and release flesh between the fingers and thumbs, as though you are kneading dough.
• Friction – using your thumbs, apply even pressure to static points, or make small circles on both sides of the spine.
• Hacking – relax your hands then, using the sides, speedily and alternately give short, sharp taps all over.

Be sure to watch this video if you are unsure about what to do:

Hint: Playing some relaxing music in the background can enhance the feelings of relaxation.

4. Flower Remedies

Another unexplored home remedies for eczema include flower essences. Flower essences have been used for their healing properties for thousands of years, but it was Dr. Edward Bach, a Harley Street doctor, bacteriologist and homeopath, who developed their use in the UK in the twentieth century.

Although the remedies are believed to counteract stress and negative emotions such as despair, fear and uncertainty, there is only anecdotal evidence to their effectiveness. Today, they are widely available in pharmacies in 10 to 20 ml phials that are convenient for carrying.

The remedies are taken by diluting 2 drops in a glass of water, or they can be dropped directly onto the tongue. If you suspect that your emotions are implicated in your eczema, you may find that one of the following remedies help.

• Impatiens

This remedy is recommended if your eczema makes you feel irritable and self-conscious.

• Mimulus

Indicated for skin that is hypersensitive, especially if you think your eczema is linked to anxiety.

• Agrimony

This flower essence is useful if you think your eczema might be linked to bottled-up feelings.

Now that you have found out what are the home remedies for eczema you can use, what are you waiting for? It is time to put them into action.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a step-by-step natural eczema treatment strategy to eliminate your eczema symptoms once and for all, I would highly recommend the Beat Eczema guide by Susan Clark. This guide is written by Susan Clark, a past eczema sufferer.

In this guide, she will reveal a systematic approach to beat eczema using natural ingredients that you can easily buy from the grocery store.

I have bought a copy of the guide and written a very thorough review on it. You can read more about it at my Beat Eczema Review.

Last Updated: 28 March 2012

References

1. Wendy Green. 50 things you can do today to manage eczema. 2009. UK, West Sussex: Summersdale Publishers Ltd