How to Find YOUR Best Eczema Treatment
Is there really such a thing as THE BEST eczema treatment?
That’s easy. No, there is not. There is no one single product or therapy that is the best eczema treatment for every single person. Don’t we all wish there was? Why can’t there be a simple fix or a miracle treatment for all? It’s because all of our bodies are so different and our triggers really vary from person to person, therefore no one product or therapy will be effective for everyone. And treatments are great when you find one that works for you, but it’s still just treating the symptoms of your eczema and not curing your eczema by getting to the root cause. So, while we’ll talk about some wonderful products today, keep in mind that they only treat the symptoms and when the eczema is chronic, it’s best to treat the skin topically while also looking inside the body at your overall health to determine why your eczema continues to be a problem.
Since we know there are no eczema treatments that are best for everyone, let’s talk instead about products and therapies helpful for many in treating the symptoms associated with eczema. Maybe one of these options will be the answer to finding your best eczema treatment.
Wet Wrap Therapy
This is one I usually recommend right away for moderate to severe cases because quick results can often be seen. Wet wraps are essentially damp garments wrapped around heavily moisturized skin for long periods of time. This type of treatment is a great at-home treatment that can really help relieve itching, redness, and inflammation. While it can be very effective for soothing eczema, it may be difficult to treat small children. The only way I was able to get my three-year-old son to sit for hours at a time during the day, covered in damp clothing was to let him watch a movie. (More about our experiences with wet wrapping can be found in this post Our Eczema Trials: Wet Wrap Therapy. And learn about distraction techniques for children that work well when wet wrapping.) An alternative would be to let your children sleep overnight in the wet wraps – just make sure the garments remain damp, otherwise the treatment could have the opposite effect and dry out the skin. That’s definitely not the goal here.
Learn more: What is Wet Wrapping?
Acupressure
Acupressure is effective in reducing the itch! It’s true! When applying pressure to LI11 (large intestine 11) study participants found they were much less itchy than those who did not apply pressure. Don’t you just love it when natural therapies work?! Granted, this was a small study, but you can read more about it in this review by Dr. Lee and Dr. Lio.
Learn more: Acupressure for Eczema: A Home Remedy for Itchy Skin.
Bathing
Taking a bleach bath is very commonly recommended by dermatologists for itch relief and to reduce bacteria levels on the skin, but is a bleach bath the best eczema treatment for those concerned with toxic ingredients? Um, no. Thankfully, apple cider vinegar is a great natural alternative and very easy to use.
Learn more: Finding Eczema Relief: Bleach Bath Alternatives.
Skin Care Products
Keeping the skin well moisturized is still one of the very best things you can do to treat your eczema. A well maintained skin barrier is less open to itching and infection, so it’s the most essential part in eczema management. Not to mention, many of the natural eczema creams and balms contain wonderful, healing herbs that can reduce many common eczema symptoms, such as; itching, redness, inflammation, weeping/oozing, thickness, and scaling. Although most products sound lovely on paper, not all of them will be right for you. And unfortunately finding the best product for you is a matter of trial and error and this can get costly. Just remember to read labels thoroughly and look for moisturizing products that are free of your known allergens or triggers and always do a small patch test on your skin before covering yourself with a new product. The following are products with great results based on three different types of eczema. Try one or more of them and maybe you’ll find the relief you’ve been searching for.
What have you found to be the best eczema treatment for your skin?
FROM: Eczema
Removing food triggers from my daughter’s diet almost cleared it up completely. During flares we wet wrap, it’s amazing how simple but effective it is. The only time she has been completely eczema free in her 5 short years is when we went on holiday to Iceland. We aren’t sure why, we think it’s a combo of their amazing water and lack of flora as pollen is one of her triggers.
That’s so wonderful! We saw the same improvements with our son and dietary changes. I’m thrilled to hear your child’s eczema improved so much too. Isn’t wet wrapping amazing in how fast it works to provide relief and healing?