eczma...

klarity started this discussion · 7/14/2010

Hi everyone, I've never had eczma before , or in my case, contact dermatitis. I tried this new cream as a sample I got from Sephora and ended up with a delayed sensitivity reaction. At first it was really bad on my face, then after I stopped the product (figuring out thats what it was since it was the only new product i used) the severity lessened a lot! However, I'm still getting flare-ups here and there on my face (nowhere else).nowhere near to the intial one though.. It''s like my skin is in hypersensitive mode to everything! I did see a dermatologist who told me to just wait, adn that the body can be on alarm for awhile after the initial allergen was introduced. Has anyone had somethings similiar happen to them and if so how long did this dermatitis persist for? It's very irritating and depressing. I feel so ugly! (I guess this is my karma for being vain..lol)

5 replies

Jessilee · 7/14/2010
Hey! I get eczma when I am under stress. I never had it until I was I think 22 or 23..I am now 29. I don't have problems all the time, but it's irritating 😠 ...Anyway I really like coconut oil..You can use it on your face. I have never gotten eczma on my face normally its arms or back of my legs. You can get coconut oil at whole foods. I use it externally and sometime I will add it to a smoothie. I also will use tamanu oil it's a nut oil like shea. I like to use natural stuff because the steroid creams I have been prescribed scare me, but I will use them if it gets bad enough. Hope you get it under control!
evennotodd · 7/15/2010
I've suffered from ecezma for about six years, mostly in my college years and two years after that. It was mostly caused by stress and dry, cold weather conditions. I did see a doctor the first time it happened and I was given powerful steroids because it was only on the left side of my neck. After that prescription ran out, I started using over-the-counter Cortizone 10 whenever it would flare up. It took longer to clear up, but it worked. The bad part of using steroids/Cortizone is that they're known for stripping the skin away. That's why you shouldn't use them on your face. What I have discovered that works without that effect is using pure cocoa butter and other natural products. I don't get the eczema flare-ups anymore and my skin feels smoother and appears more even. I recommend the Cocoa Butter Body Butter from The Body Shop: http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/body-butter/prod4010024. It's a bit pricey, but you will only need very little to solve any problem. I've had my 7-ounce container for years. And sometimes Target will have a version of this stuff for a fraction of the price. Besides the neck, I also get eczema breakouts underneath my eyes. I have huge bags under my eyes, and the eczema likes to hide under those folds. For that I use Burt's Bees Radiance Eye Cream with Royal Jelly: http://global.burtsbees.com/natural-products/face-eye-cr%C3%A8me/radiance-eye-creme.html. Clears it up and you only have to use it once a day. Again, a bit pricey but worth it.
Maria-Elena Kadala · 7/15/2010
Try removing refined products from your diet. Also, add ginger, wonderful anti-inflammatory, has made the world of difference for arthritis. You can steep fresh grated ginger in your tea, I grate it into my morning smoothies (keep it frozen for easier grating). Also, try organic coconut oil --- great moisturizer, no irritants, and has healing properties.
Vendy · 7/16/2010
As a naturopath, I have seen Eczema presented in many ways. When your body has an allergic reaction to specific external stimuli, it activates particular cells in your bodies to attack this foreign matter in which your body has developed a sensitivity to and thus it causes inflammation (the dry skin, the redness, the rash, the itchiness etc). Eczema is one of these allergic/ hypersensitive reactions that can occur due to a variety of factors. Whether or not it is dietary or just contact related, it is important to try and focus on the way your body is reacting to the allergen itself. Stress as mentioned above plays a huge role in the way your body goes through these pathways. I will probably suggest a really good Multivitamin or Vitamin B Complex to help deal with stress as your body uses up a lot of these basic nutrients through its stress cycles. Secondly, diet plays a major role in the way your body deals with stress. Too much refined foods (white foods - white sugar, white bread, pastas etc; dairy, margarine etc) increase inflammation in your system via various pathways again, so avoiding these foods espcially after having a severe reaction is recommended. Thirdly, to address your immune system and the way it reacts to allergens I would probably recommend a good Vitamin C supplement. Vitamin C is often overlooked, but it is one of the essential vitamins needed to improve your immune response and also is fantastic for energy production. 2g - 3g a day is ideal. Note however, there are some different forms of Vitamin C. Ascorbic acid is well used, but those who are sensitive to acidity should use Calcium ascorbate or sodium ascorbate instead. There are many other herbal and nutritional supplements available, but these are the basics that don't interact with any medications or other conditions. If you want to find out more infomation - go see your local naturopath/nutritionist etc. Feel free to PM me as well.
klarity · 7/20/2010
Thanks so much everyone! I have tried a little of everything each one of you have mentioned on here including watching the diet and stress. I'm happy to say that its practically disappeared! Thanks so much for your help and support 🙂