I’ve been battling eczema for four years, and it has ranged from mildly inconvenient to excruciatingly painful, depending on the day. My fingers and hands are frequently cracked and even bleeding, and I often wake up in the middle of the night with itching hands and pain throughout my fingers.
I haven’t really shared about this struggle on the blog before, partly because it has been so frustrating to me to not have a solution.
I started reading The Eczema Cure by Emily Bartlett last week. This excellent book is already helping me figure out what could be causing my eczema and how to clear it up once and for all!
The tricky thing with eczema is trying to pinpoint a cause. There are so many possibilities as to what could be causing the eczema, from what you eat to what you wear to the soaps you use and much more.
I’ve have switched to all-natural, dye-free soaps and shampoos, we eat a mostly real-food diet, and I examine every single food I eat as a possible cause of the flare ups.
Some days are much worse than others, and it’s hard to know why! When my skin is broken down, even water irritates it.
Emily’s book has given me some really concrete ideas to try and I am starting to have hope that I will be able to heal from my eczema.
Cordelia and Jude also have eczema on their feet (Vera did when she was younger), and I am “experimenting” on myself first so that I will hopefully be able to help them get rid of their eczema as well.
One thing that I have found to be really helpful is switching to dye-free and natural soaps, shampoos, laundry detergents, and hand creams. My hands flare up less when I use natural products!
I really think I’ve pinpointed my #1 environmental eczema trigger, thanks to reading The Eczema Cure. I don’t want to say anything just yet in case that’s not it, but I think I’m on to something here! I also am making dietary changes as prescribed in the book and I’m praying that I start seeing improvement soon!
There is nothing “gimmicky” about this book – there is no “magical” food to eat that will suddenly cure your eczema, but all of the many suggestions in the book are rooted in studies and backed by evidence. It’s refreshing to read!
I definitely will write a follow-up post if/when I begin to see improvement in my eczema! (To be continued!)
Hi Aliesha! I have also struggled with eczema since I can remember. Thanks for sharing this post, I may have to look into this ebook purchase 🙂 Though it does not cure it, I have found that coconut oil really helps relieve the flare ups. I know the goal is to make lifestyle changes that nix the problem,but I just thought I would share.
Thanks for that tip! I just started using the Bee Silk Hard Lotion Bar from MadeOn (which contains coconut oil), and it’s helping. (This is a bundle freebie!)
I have one patch on my wedding ring finger that flares up a few times per year. It was especially hard when my kids were small like yours and I felt like I was washing my hands every ten minutes!
Yes! Having hands in water all the time isn’t helping at all!
I’m going through a flare up right now and recently tried doing one swipe of the Arbonne Genius facial pads I use on my face on the eczema followed by their rejuvenating creme. It’s really helped. I’m so glad because in the past I’ve tried everything and nothing helps the itchy dry patch to heal.
That’s so interesting! I wonder what the active ingredients are in those products. It seems like once the dry patches heal, the eczema “stays away” for a while! It’s just the process of GETTING it to heal! 🙂
Aliesha my sister makes all natural oils and soaps. She may have something that helps your flare ups.
That sounds great, Ronda! Send me her info and I’ll get in touch with her. 🙂