Getting Rid of Eczema
As with losing weight, eczema is one of those conditions where there is a lot of money to be made by companies selling remedies and potions. Again, I think it’s important to do your research in a library and try everything to see what works for you.
My eczema disappeared when I was 17 as that is when I became a vegetarian, but in retrospect I think it wasn’t cutting out meat that stopped it but rather not being able to eat takeaway food anymore. The fats used in fast food are high in omega 6, which disrupts the balance and makes the skin break out.
I realised this when my eczema came back with a vengeance after my operation. It covered my arms and torso, and just plain did not respond to any creams. I found out two interesting things when I did a little research:
a) Cholesterol is what holds our skin cells together, so if the cholesterol in your body isn’t being converted into the ‘glue’ that holds the skin cells you can end up with high blood cholesterol levels AND very dry skin. Since dry skin cracks it’s not surprising eczema can arise, so a cholesterol test is a good idea.
b) Some types of moisturiser actually make things worse. The more expensive it is the worse it is for your skin. The ones that attract moisture to keep your skin looking smooth are actually drawing water OUT of your skin, and are especially drying if you have an air-conditioned office or home. So sticking with cocoa butter, shea butter, medical grade lanolin, Astral cream and very basic cold creams helped me a great deal. Aqueous cream is best used as a soap rather than a moisturiser.
So with a combination of cocoa and shea butter, low junk food intake (I was on the Pritikin diet) and taking a turmeric supplement to help the skin use the cholesterol properly (not sure if that worked but it made me feel better!) the eczema healed up and went away after about 4 months.