Five Natural Remedies To Treat Eczema
Many products these days contain synthetic chemicals or other toxic ingredients. For this reason more and more people are turning to natural remedies for eczema. Natural remedies are from ingredients obtained from natural sources such as plants, flowers, herbs and foods. Natural remedies are very useful for treating eczema because they don’t contain harmful chemicals, making them less likely to irritate the skin and cause flare ups.
There are so many natural remedies available that can help with eczema that it can be a daunting task to choose which ones to try. The best way to know is to experiment with some of them and find a solution that works for you. To help you along, below are five natural remedies that you can try at home. These are inexpensive, chemical-free and easily available.
Echinacea
Echinacea is currently one of the most researched herbs. It is widely used for keeping colds, flu and infections at bay because of its general immune-boosting effects. However, echinacea has also been found to have anti-inflammatory properties. This makes it helpful in relieving inflammatory skin conditions like eczema. You can take this as a tincture to help boost your immune system or apply it as a cream directly to your skin.
Calendula
Calendula is commonly known as English marigold. It is a member of the daisy family. It is traditionally used for the treatment of burns and abrasions, but is also useful for inflammatory skin conditions like eczema. Calendula is available in tincture and cream form.
Evening Primrose Oil
There has been a lot of debate as to whether evening primrose oil can actually help with eczema. It continues to be a controversial subject. However, many studies have shown that taking evening primrose oil orally significantly reduced inflammation, dryness and scaling of the skin. This is because the oil is high in certain essential fatty acids which make hormone-like substances called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins regulate inflammation and swelling as well as improve digestion and maintain generally healthy skin. Evening primrose oil can be found easily in most health foods shops in capsule form.
Aloe Vera
The many benefits of Aloe Vera have long been documented, generally in the treatment of burns, wounds and digestive problems. Aloe Vera contains many powerful natural substances that help to boost the immune system and repair skin tissue. You can take Aloe Vera as a drink, or apply it directly to the skin as a cream or lotion.
Probiotics
Probiotics contain bacteria that are friendly to our organism and which are essential for good intestinal health. Things like antibiotics, exposure to pollutants, poor nutrition, and stress are all factors which can reduce the level of these beneficial bacteria in the intestines. Even though the role of probiotics in preventing allergies remains unclear, studies have shown that they can protect against eczema. Many yogurt products have these friendly bacteria added to them. This is a great way of taking probiotics. However, if you are allergic to milk products, yogurt would be a bad choice. In this case, you can easily find probiotics in capsule form at health food stores. Other foods that contain natural probiotics are fermented foods such as miso, tempeh and sauerkraut.
If you decide to try using natural remedies to treat your eczema you will find any of these five natural remedies to be beneficial as part of your regimen.
One final note. It is important to always inform your doctor if natural remedies are being taken in conjunction with prescribed medication in order to avoid any possible conflicts.
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