My battle with Eczema

Some folks might say it’s psycho-somatic, but I never really had a problem with eczema before last Fall. I’ve had very minor bouts with it before—after discovering I’m allergic to gold, to costume jewelry, and to synthetic perfumed hand lotions. Yet, last Fall, I developed a serious case of it. Coincidentally, I was also asked to be one of my now, sister-in-law’s Bridesmaids, and the dress I would be wearing wasn’t my cup of tea—in terms of style. Having also dealt with acne my entire adult life, and I mean adult—since I really didn’t have much of a problem as an adolescent or teen—I don’t wear anything too exposing because of the scars. This dress was low-cut and semi-backless. I broke out in a cold sweat, followed by hives, followed by eczema. Needless to say, I wore the dress, and it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I got lots of compliments—but I did wear a shawl, more for comfort than to cover up, because the shawl was ditched along with the heels after the ceremony.

However, even though the wedding’s come and gone, the eczema still kicks back. I was able to pinpoint 4 triggers: stress, dairy products, red meat, and certain dietary supplements, in my case zinc. I’m sure hormones also play into the scenario. BUT, through dietary change and using the following remedies, I was able to alleviate many of my symptoms. Usually zinc will help skin ailments, like eczema and acne, but some folks have an opposite reaction, and I think I was getting enough zinc from my diet at the time, so the supplements were overload. I’ve since gone back to taking zinc, but as the fall has kicked in, I’m not eating as many zinc-rich foods—strawberries and watermelon primarily.

 As I write, I have had a flare-up, but only because I broke my vegetarianism to have Cinchronizadas carnitas from the local Taqueria. (That’s better than a quesadilla, made with—I’m sorry—pork bits). I’m seriously paying for it now. With the exception of the occasional egg, some dairy (in the form of occasional butter, cheese, and chocolate), I will be going much more vegetarian. I’ve switched from organic, grass-fed milk in my tea to unsweetened, non-GMO soymilk, almond milk and coconut milk. I also have a routine of kombucha, homemade juices, smoothies, and tea, with the occasional coffee or roasted dandelion root ‘coffee substitute.’ I got the dandelion root because Anthony wanted to cut back on coffee and desired that bitter flavor, but started drinking it for its detoxing properties. It’s number 1 on many lists when dealing with eczema and issues processing animal protein.

As we note with our disclaimer and with all our herbal recipes—the following is NOT intended as a substitute for medical information. This is not a cure and any herbal use should be embarked upon with knowledge—and should be discussed with your health care provider. You should NOT use any of these remedies if you suffer from High Blood Pressure, Cardiac issues, are under the age of 18, or take any medication stronger than an aspirin. Use common sense—and remember many current pharmaceuticals come from ‘herbal medicine.’ But without using common sense, many herbs—and pharmaceuticals—can cause grievous bodily harm if taken unscrupulously.

Base Oil for Eczema preparations

This base oil is an essential ingredient in our topical “Green and Growing’s Wax On Wax Off Non-Kung-Fu Blend for Eczema.” It’s also excellent if you wish to make an eczema salve or balm. It’s also nice to use as a body oil, or body moisturizer, right out of the bath or shower.

Use only dried organic herbs, organic essential oils, and organic carrier oils. And, when you can get your mitts on it, use organic olive oil too. I haven’t been able to afford it for personal use, yet—but everything else is organic or tested free of pesticide residue. I do, however, only use extra virgin, cold-pressed olive oil—anything less would be uncivilized. 

1. Into a heavy bottom sauce pan combine:
   • ¼ cup patchouli
   • 4 tbsp rosemary
   • 4 tbsp tulsi
   • ½ cup rose
   • ½ cup cornflower
   • ¼ cup hibiscus
   • ½ cup chamomile
   • Cover with 1-2 cups of olive oil.
2. Simmer until fragrant (about 10 minutes). Do NOT walk away from this pot because as soon as you do, it’ll burn. If it smells like toast, literally like toasted bread, it’s burned and unusable. If the oil darkens much past a golden hue, it’s dusted and needs to be redone. You want to smell the herbs, but nothing charred. No more than 10 minutes. I usually let it simmer very gently for about 6-7 minutes, then cover it, allowing the residual heat to carry over for another few minutes before removing it entirely from the heat.
3. Leave it covered, and allow to steep for 20-30 minutes before straining carefully through a fine mesh sieve, muslin, or cheesecloth.
4. Pour into an airtight, opaque glass bottle or jar. Cover tightly, and store in a cool place out of direct sunlight.
5. Oil stored under the above conditions should keep for 3-6 months, except during serious summer heat. If you live in hot conditions, think about refrigerating it or adding ¼ tsp of Vitamin E as a preservative.

Eczema ‘Tea’—but not for drinking

This is another base ingredient I use to make a soothing eczema wash (mix equal parts of the tea with witch hazel), add to splashes or to a wash rag for a quick cool down, or add to a mud mask mix (like our “Goopify, the Baby Scaring Rejuvenating Mask”) instead of just wetting the mix with water.

Into a large, heat-proof non-reactive container, combine:

• ¼ cup hibiscus
• ¼ cup chamomile
• 4 tbsp rosemary
• 4 tbsp lemon balm
• 4 tbsp patchouli
• ¼ cup rose
• 2 tbsp tulsi
• 4 tbsp cornflower
  1. Steep the herbs in 2 cups of freshly boiled water for 15-20 minutes before carefully straining.
  2. Store the tea in an airtight, opaque glass bottle or jar out of direct sunlight. Use within 2 weeks, or refrigerate for longer storage, up to and NOT exceeding 4 weeks. I suppose you could freeze it, but I’ve never done that, so I wouldn’t know if the cold would affect the herbal properties.
  3. If you don't use it within 2 weeks, or don't plan to-- you can mix the tea and witch hazel in a 3:1 ratio (3 parts tea to 1 part witch hazel). I've been using a bottle of this, unrefrigerated for more than 4 weeks with no ill effects. However, store in a brown or some opaque glass bottle-- NOT PLASTIC.

Soothing Bath Soak for Eczema

When you have eczema that gets really bad and you need to literally bathe it, you can run yourself a lukewarm bath, or make a localized soak for the afflicted appendage. I opt for the relaxation of a bath. Personally, I think the steam opening the pores allows the herbs to penetrate, clear out, detox, and generally do their magic. If it wasn’t 4 in the morning and if cleaning the bathroom wasn’t on tomorrow’s agenda, I’d go prepare a bath right now just for the relaxation alone. Not to be confused with “Green and Growing’s Chillaximifier No…You Won’t Shrivel Soak,” this is specific for eczema and psoriasis.

Into a large muslin bag, combine:

• ¼ cup hibiscus
• ½ cup calendula
• ¼ cup chamomile
• 2 tbsp patchouli
• 2 tbsp tulsi
• ¼ cup rose
• 2 tbsp lemon balm

Tie the bag firmly and place into a 2 quart, non-reactive, heat proof container. Cover with 8 cups of freshly boiled water. Allow to steep for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare your bath. If you’re using a soak, just get a massive stock pot. I have a 16 quart goliath we use for foot soaks. Yes, it gets washed with bleach and disinfected afterwards.

Into a lukewarm tub, add:

• 1 cup Epsom salts
• ¼ cup “Green and Growing’s Grit 4 Yer Parts”
• 2 tbsp organic Kukui Nut oil
• The contents of 1 punctured capsule of Evening Primrose oil (1000-1500mg)
• 10 drops of organic lavender essential oil
• 2 drops of organic myrrh essential oil
• 2 drops of organic hyssop essential oil
• 5 drops of organic rosemary essential oil

Add your 2 quart container of tea WITH the muslin bag full of herbs.

Get in and soak til pruney.

Soothing Mask for Eczema or Dry Skin

This mask can’t be stored, so use it as great all-over body moisturizer just before getting in the shower. You can use it everywhere from your nose to your toes. Just make sure you put your hair up before using, it contains honey—so you don’t want to become a sticky mess.

Into a small bowl, add:

• 1 to 1 and ½ tbsp honey
• ¼ tsp organic kukui nut oil
• The contents of 1 punctured capsule of Evening Primrose oil (1000-1500mg)
• The contents of 2 punctured capsules of Vitamin E (400 iu)
• 1 drop of organic myrrh essential oil
• 1 drop of organic hyssop essential oil
• 2 drops of organic rosemary essential oil
• 3 drops of organic lavender essential oil

Blend well, and apply. This is enough for the face, neck, chest, arms, and back of an average sized person. If you want to get kinky, slather the leftover on your mate. Just don’t get too exuberant in your kink: do NOT lick it off, wash it off. You don’t want to be ingesting the oils, now do you?

Leave it on for 10-20 minutes and wash off in the shower. Pay special attention to the crevices. Once I left it on for a little too long, took a leisurely shower, got out, and still had some mask just behind my ear. It’s sticky stuff, but worth it. After you get out, be sure to moisturize with the above Eczema oil or with one of our “Wax On Wax Off Non-Kung-Fu Blends.” Since I stopped using over-the-counter or even doctor prescribed lotions, my acne has been radically reduced—and on the whole is much more manageable, the scarring is almost non-existent, and I don’t have the same dry skin issues—with the exception of the eczema, which, as I’ve noted above, is kept pretty much under control.

And what to do with all those damned scars—which, you’ll find out, tend to stick around as you get older. By far the BEST remedy for dealing with scars, and even some spot treatment of eczema: Vitamin E capsules. Puncture a capsule—or just squeeze it ‘til it bursts in your hand (you’ll get rather adept at this)—and dab the oily Vitamin E directly on the area. Don’t use bottled Vit. E, as it’s usually too gelatinous, or it tends to go rancid quicker. The capsule will remain fresher longer, and one capsule is good for about a palm-sized area. Vit. E also helps promote skin healing, and I’ve used it to help the final stage of wound healing. It tends to be sticky, so I don’t use it before going out. It’s a before bed or, when lounging around the house, treatment. Usually it’s absorbed into the skin in anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours—depending on how dry your skin is. It’s also good for old scars, though tends to work better on more recent ones.

A few final words on eczema. Make sure you’re eating a healthful diet and be aware that the more toxins—I consider eating a bag of Doritos to be toxic, good but toxic—in your diet the worse of a time you’ll have with eczema or other skin issues. I’m not suggesting becoming Vegan—just try to shift away from the veggie-as-side-dish mentality our culture thrives on. If you do eat animal protein, make sure your body can break it down. Mine can’t . Make sure you know your triggers. Take plenty of a good, sublingual or liquid Vitamin B complex, daily. Eczema is a symptom of Vitamin B deficiency, or just that your body doesn’t have enough. You may not show deficiency in bloodwork, but you may have lower levels. Make sure you have enough Vitamin D, and if you’re able, research other supplements that will help in the healing. Carry a good healing salve with you to use as a spot-treatment at the first signs of a flare up. My husband hates using salve when at work, or when out, because of the ‘greasy’ feeling. But, the tin of homemade salve that I carry around has saved me from some major flare-ups.

Now, I just have to stay away from those damned Cinchronizadas.