I have searched online (Google) several times looking for natural remedies for eczema. I have had eczema my entire life (41 - gasp - years) and I have had to resort to steroid creams time and time again. It hadn't occurred to me until fairly recently that there might be other options. So I researched. Time and time again I found reference to Bergamot essential oil. I bought some.
In order to keep my skin from become so itchy it was impossible not to scratch, especially during the night, that I was using my prescription steroid cream every night before bed. I never used a lot, but I applied it every day, without exception. If I forgot it when traveling, I was in a panic.
About six weeks ago (a guess, but it's something like that) I decided to give Bergamot essential oil a trial run. Being fairly new to essential oils, I am always cautious about using them without a carrier (mild, blending) oil. I mixed several drops of Bergamot oil in with an ounce or two of sweet almond oil. (Sweet almond oil is very mild. It is often recommended for use on children.) I began to apply the mix to all of my patchy areas. (I have many...sighs....) I have not used ANY steroid since. Not once! People who suffer with chronic eczema know how amazing this can be. About a week (maybe a bit more) ago I stopped using the blend, as I thought it might be making me sneeze. I did continue to use sweet almond oil as lotion. About a week after discontinuing the Bergamot, my skin informed me that it was unhappy. Afraid of what that could result in, I started using the Bergamot oil blend again. My skin immediately calmed down, and has started to heal. Mind you, I've never, ever been eczema-free, and I don't imagine I ever will be. But I have been six weeks without a prescription cream, and I am overjoyed. Of course, I always use my other cautions and am careful about what I handle, and I put oil on after washing my hands, and so forth. But wow. =)
How to: sew a bento bag
5 years ago
Great to know! My daughter (2yrs) has a little and so did my son (now 4yrs) when he was this young and evded up going away in time. But we have removed dairy from her diet, see a chiroprator and an allergy specialist. Our water softner broke and has since made it worse. I am happy to have ready and I will be truing it with her. Thanks!! ~Jeniece HMN member in CA
ReplyDeleteJeniece,
ReplyDeleteAlways be sure to check if essential oils are ok for kids. Many of them are not recommended for children. I have the book Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child. They have several recommendations for eczema in children, including oat bag baths and a calamine lotion mix. There is an oil MIX with contains a bit of Bergamot, but it is a small percentage compared to other oils in the blend. They do list essential oils that help with eczema in children, and they are Camomile German (which I have used with good success), Yarrow, Lavender, Elemi, Ho-wood and Palmarosa.
=) Dais
cool! I'm going to look into this for Onaleigh!
ReplyDeleteSent to me on Facebook from my friend Suzanne (see my post hats Off To Suzanne for more on her):
ReplyDeleteyou are more than welcome to copy my post, but I would spell out Young Living. I would suggest copying as follows:
"just read your blog. please point out that not all essential oils are the same and only those that are theraputic grade 100% pure are recommended for use on the body. I would ONLY recommend Young Living oils. And if your friends are interested in the them, as a distributor, you can either buy for them, or you can talk to them (or have them reach out to me) about signing up to get their own discount with the company."
From Dais: *While I would be happy to help anyone in purchasing Young Living essential oils, it is not the goal of my blog or in my sharing information about essential oils to gain customers.