From a Holistic Nutritionist: 10 Ways to Heal Eczema

By Ashley Giordano (bio below)

When I was 19 years old, I developed chronic eczema on my face.  It started with the skin on my face turning completely red.  I went the traditional route using antibiotics and cortisone cream treatment, and the problem disappeared until I stopped taking them.  After the third round of antibiotics I wondered if I would be taking them for the rest of my life, with no real answer offered from the medical system.  Ultimately I decided to get to the bottom of my skin problems.  What I didn’t know was that this decision would change my life forever.

I consulted a naturopath, an acupuncturist, a homeopath and a dermatologist looking for answers.  After a couple of visits to the homeopath, I woke up one morning with an extremely scary reflection looking back at me.  My eyes were almost swollen shut and my whole face was swollen and looked twice its normal size.  I learned later that the homeopathic remedy (sulfur) was given to me prior to my body being ready for it, and it caused an extreme reaction.  This remedy aggravated all of my symptoms and resulted in open sores over my entire face, ears, down my neck and all over my torso.  The sores on my face would weep constantly and I would use Kleenex to blot them.  The itching was unbelievable.  I spent my nights in tears, throwing the blankets off and sitting outside in the winter air attempting to cool my boiling body.  The rest of my day was spent in the bathtub, soaking in Aveeno oatmeal and reading books.  I am so grateful that my mom was able to come and take care of me during those months.  I only left the house to go to the naturopath’s office.

I believe I went through this experience in order to share it and to help others.  I spent the past several years investigating and experimenting with my own health and I have made some amazing progress.  Right now I am eczema-free.  The eczema created crevasses in my skin that were so deep I feared they would never heal.  My skin hasn’t scarred,which I am so thankful for!  I lost some of my eyebrows from scabbing, but thankfully they grew back.

I am still on my healing journey and continue to progress.  I have hope that I will remain eczema-free and will have healthy, clear skin for the rest of my life.  My health journey inspired me to obtain my Registered Holistic Nutritionist designation from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition in Vancouver, B.C.  I am currently practicing as a holistic nutritionist specializing in skin problems.

I want to share with you what I have learned about eczema over the past seven years. My hope is that it will help some of you and perhaps provide you with some new approaches to your health challenges.  Eczema can be a complicated issue with a variety of underlying causes.

Here is a quick list of factors that contribute to skin problems in general.  I experienced and overcame all of the following items on my path to health.

  • Food allergies and/or sensitivities.  This one is fairly well known, the common triggers being wheat, dairy, peanuts, corn, chocolate, coffee, and shellfish.  Addressing food sensitivities involves a bit more than just removing the offending food items.  Often, an underlying aspect of toxicity and/or leaky gut (permeable intestinal tract) or yeast (candida) accompanies allergies and food sensitivities.  These problems need to be addressed before the allergies/sensitivities will go away.  If you attempt to remove the food item only, you will likely find that you react to more and more foods without resolution of your symptoms.
  • Essential fatty acid deficiency.  Our western diet doesn’t provide enough Omega 3 fatty acids.  Sources of Omega 3 fatty acids include fish and fish oils (salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies and sardines), flax, hemp, and chia seeds.  Animals that are treated properly and live in free-range and appropriate conditions (ie- healthy, fed grasses, etc.) produce eggs and meats that contain Omega 3’s.  These oils are excellent for decreasing inflammation, which is present with skin problems.
  • Overburdened liver.  The skin is the largest organ in the body, so sometimes when the liver is overburdened the body uses the skin as a pathway for eliminating toxicity.  This phenomenon is quite common given the toxic world we live in.  Traditional Chinese Medicine identifies the liver as the organ associated with anger.  Often strengthening the liver and eliminating toxicity will result in release, expression and/or healing of feelings of anger.
  • Candidiasis.  Otherwise known as candida, candidiasis is a type of yeast that can build up in the intestinal tract as a result of high sugar diets, many rounds of antibiotics, and insufficient beneficial intestinal flora.  This yeast can produce a permeable intestinal tract, allowing incompletely digested food to seep through the tract, resulting in food sensitivities and reactions.  This condition may also overload the immune system, rendering it more reactive. Note that candida can be passed from mother to baby through vaginal delivery and through breast milk.  This can upset the newborn’s intestinal flora, increasing their chances of developing allergies. Conversely, good gut bacteria can also be passed to the baby during birth.
  • Insufficient digestion.  This condition can also result in incompletely digested food, leading to food sensitivities and immune reactions.  Lack of proper or adequate chewing, lack of digestive enzymes and insufficient liver function can contribute to digestive difficulties.
  • Mental/emotional.  Obviously there is a huge connection between skin problems and self-esteem.  In some cases it can be a pre-existing condition.  I have done a lot of work with re-formulating beliefs about myself that I had created, many of which were falseOften, dealing with the physical body will help to create balance of the mind and vice versa.  In addition, adrenal stress can be connected to skin problems.

What can you do to address any or all of these challenges?  Luckily, there are many things you can do to be proactive and to take charge of your own health.  I have personally utilized these tips in order to bring my own body back to homeostasis.

  1. Visit a naturopath and/or registered holistic nutritionist.  These practitioners are qualified to address skin issues and can do so through use of homeopathic remedies, herbs, dietary, and lifestyle recommendations.  I would recommend seeing a naturopath to assess any allergies or food sensitivities for temporary removal of trigger foods.
  2. Introduce more omega 3 fatty acids into your diet.  Try salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies and sardines, flax, hemp, and chia seeds.  Many people are sensitive to eggs, but if you can tolerate them, get free range and organic ones, preferably from your local farmer or farmer’s market.  The same goes for meats, non-medicated, no antibiotics, free range, happy animals that are grass-fed– will contain the best sources of omega 3 fatty acids.
  3. Introduce more liver-friendly foods into your diet.  These include brassica vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cauliflower), apples, lemon, lime, dandelion, kale, rhubarb, grapefruit and strawberries.  Emphasize green foods in your diet.  Turmeric is also a great spice for improving liver function.
  4. Avoid fast foods and poor-quality fats (deep-fried, high temperatures), decrease alcohol and intoxicants, increase purified water intake, and eliminate environmental toxins (cleaners, beauty products, detergents, etc.).  Check out the Environmental Working Group’s website and Deep Skin Database for further information.
  5. Castor oil packs: take a medium sized piece of flannel material, pour castor oil over it to soak in and place on the right-hand side of your body just under the right rib.  Cover with saran wrap and place a heating pad overtop.  The castor oil will soak through your skin and gently detoxify the liver.  Try 30 minutes first time and work up from there.  For children, start conservatively with 10 or 15 minutes.  I didn’t notice any side effects, but if symptoms of detoxification or healing crisis occur (headache, nausea) decrease the length of time.
  6. Drink warm water with lemon first thing in the morning to benefit the liver and stimulate the flow of bile, encouraging efficient digestion.  Another effective measure to improve digestion is to chew your food, and chew it well!  This practice will help your body to more easily absorb and utilize vitamins and nutrients, and will relieve strain on the digestive system.
  7. Release anger, impatience, frustration, resentment, aggression and stubbornness.  Talk to someone and share your frustrations and/or try the Emotional Freedom Technique.
  8. Decrease sugars in your diet – this includes all processed sugars.  Stick to unpasteurized honey, maple syrup, unsulphured molasses and coconut sugar.  Candida diets decrease yeasts in the body.  I would recommend consulting a health practitioner before undertaking the candida diet.  Coconut oil and millet are known to aid in elimination of candida from the body.  Probiotics are also a great way to build up positive intestinal flora and to support the immune system.  Studies have shown they are also safe for infants and children and can help re-establish healthy flora, which can decrease the risk of childhood allergies.
  9. Love and appreciate yourself.  Easier said than done, but this can be key to resolving skin problems.
  10. Decrease stressors in your life.  Take deep breaths, do yoga, meditate, hug trees, tend to a garden, walk barefoot, try massage therapy, acupuncture, essential oils, counselling, journaling, dance, sing, get pissed off – do whatever it takes to ease up strain on the adrenals and bring more joy into your life.  Try black current juice and/or maca powder, and limit your caffeine and alcohol intake.

 

Bio: Ashley’s interest and passion in holistic health developed from a personal experience with chronic and widespread eczema for more than seven years. After receiving advice from a Naturopathic Doctor, she was keen to learn more about the inner workings of the body and their connection to nutrition, supplementation, and the mind/body/ spirit connection. During this journey she decided to obtain her Registered Holistic Nutritionist designation from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition in Vancouver. She complements her love for nutrition with an interest in cooking and gardening.

 

11 Comments

  1. brista on August 18, 2012 at 4:47 pm

    This is very helpful! I know there’s a connection between skin and diet but usually when I read about it, it gets too complicated and I get overwhelmed. You are a good explainer. 🙂

  2. Salcura on August 20, 2012 at 7:31 am

    Great post and wonderful reading – I think these kinds of things are massively important for those people still in the throes of the worst of their skin complaints..it gives hope and inspires as well as some really useful tips! thanks for sharing 🙂

  3. Little Tiny Victories | eczemaexcellence on January 19, 2013 at 8:56 pm

    […] a slight cold this weekend so I am going to wait a few days until I am 100% better. I found an interesting post on Jennifer’s blog that spoke right to me in regards to candida, specifically the […]

  4. lianhua on April 27, 2013 at 9:10 am

    Thank you for this great post……full of priceless gems. Like you , I have Eczema for over 25 years, having consulted 3 Dermothologists in these years but to no great sucess . Now I am on a Holistic approach with Herbal therapy and Acupuncture . Being doing Oil Pulling and also consuming Kombucha. Also just started on taking Moringa Oleifera…apart from consuming fresh smoothies for breakfast.
    So as you can imagine , I am now undergoing a healing crisis. Fortunately, am able to undergo this phase…..no doubt can be very frightening to those uninformed.
    I have great confidence my Eczema will be cured ….as what the Prof and TCM Doc assured me. Healing from within……using the Chinese method in EICWO Acupuncture plus Herbal Therapy.
    Just one question…… is Virgin Coconut Oil advisable for topical application during a healing crisis? Will it clog the pores or expediate the healing process of the skin?
    Thanking you in anticipation, Ashley.

    Regards,
    Lianhua

    • Jennifer on April 30, 2013 at 10:02 am

      Hi Lianhua – So happy to hear you’re on your way to healing – wish you a quick recovery from eczema! As far as virgin coconut oil – it’s really different for everyone. For some it’s really beneficial and for others, not so much. Give it a try for a few days and you’ll know if it’s right for you.

      • lianhua on May 19, 2013 at 11:05 am

        Thank you Ashley, for the reply. Sorry for not acknowledging it as I did not visit your blog until now.
        Am now having a healing crisis as I unevitably consumed some ‘heaty’ herbal tea, made up of ginger, anise seeds, black peppercorn etc plus just a little of beef soup …..and now more reactions.
        Beef is one of the potent foods to avoid, according to TCM.
        So , have to really be careful with what I consumed.
        CHEERS!!!

  5. Gav on June 11, 2014 at 7:16 pm

    Thanks for this brilliant post Ashley. The link between eczema, the liver, candida and a leaky gut is not made by western medicine. It is really helpful to come across this holistic (systems theory) perspective. I’ve had eczema for a year, only in the creases of my eyes tho. Hopefully, it’ll be all gone soon with this new found knowledge : )

    • Jennifer on June 17, 2014 at 10:35 am

      HI Gav – I do hope you find the answer too! Best of luck to you. Jennifer

  6. Lauren on February 14, 2015 at 4:33 pm

    Hello,
    I’ve struggled with eczema most of my life and have just recently seen a homeopath and I am experiencing the same reaction to the homeopathic remedy, sulfur, that you did. In the long run was this healing crisis worthwhile and did it help you progress? Trying to stay strong here 🙂

    • Jennifer Roberge on February 16, 2015 at 10:40 am

      Hi Lauren – We ended up taking my son off the sulfur and found more healing through food intolerance testing and eliminating food intolerances. Jennifer

  7. Lena on May 1, 2021 at 1:13 am

    I’m Lena, I have been suffering from eczema since 2015, I started treatment in 2016 , the dermatologist didn’t tell what to eat or not to eat, now I know. I have scars in my body because of it but they are fading away little by little. I’m searching for a right diet for eczema. Thank you so much, I know now what to not eat because of this platform.

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