Tips for Eczema and Dry Skin Conditions
When buying skin care products and toiletries it is best to use plant based products with as few additives, perfumes and petrochemical products as possible. Water often can cause aggravations in dry skin and eczema. Water and heat in baths can strip the skin of its natural oils. Consider a bath every second day instead of every day. Only use bubble baths from natural ranges such as Green People or Faith in Nature. For adult skin Dr Hauschka skin care range is excellent.
Use organic olive oil on the skin before a bath. For very dry skin use natural products with added jojoba or avocado oil.
I have just discovered Enniskerry Essentials who sell pure creams and oils by mail order from Co. Wicklow. These products should be perfect for dry skin and also an alternative for those with eczema. www.enniskerryessentials.ie I am trying out some tester pots and so far I really like the creams. Definitely worth visiting the website to see for yourself.
For patches of eczema which are becoming cracked or infected use Helios Calendula cream or Helios Graphites and Calendula cream.
Use oatmeal in the bath to wash with. Oats are soothing for the skin . Put porridge oats in a muslin bag and hang under the tap when pouring the bath.
Make sure that you are drinking lots of water as this is needed to detox the body. It is also important to have healthy bowels. If you are constipated then toxins will not be cleared from the body and your skin will suffer.
Diet – make sure that you are getting plenty of essential fatty acids (EFA’s) in the diet. Eat sunflower, sesame (also a great source of calcium) and pumpkin seeds. You will also find EFA’s in fish oils, hemp and sunflower oils. These need to be cold pressed however which makes them more expensive. EFA’s are destroyed by heating.
Milk and wheat in the diet are often implicated in skin problems so it is worth checking for intolerance by either getting tested or by cutting out both foods from your diet and after a number of weeks reintroducing them gradually and seeing what happens. There are many alternatives to wheat and these are usually widely available. If you are worried about your calcium intake then increase your intake of alternative sources – green leafy veg, sesame seeds and black strap molasses are all good sources.