Managing Eczema, The Pharmacist Way

Managing Eczema, The Pharmacist Way

If you are among the 32 million people suffering from eczema, the chances are you will try absolutely anything to get relief from the itchy, dry, inflamed, and rash-like appearance of your skin. You might have already tried many different oral and topical products.  Unfortunately, many of these products can make your skin even more irritated and drier. Although topical steroids can improve the condition for some time, they usually come with many unpleasant side effects. For example, thinning of the skin, spider veins, rosacea-like rashes.  Also, these products should not be used as a long-term cure, and if you suffer from chronic eczema, you might get into a cycle where you see improved skin while you are using the steroids and then back to square one as soon as you stop the usage. The best way to manage eczema is to use all-natural plant-based eczema salves packed with skin-loving oils and medicinal plants to keep your skin moisturized and cared for.

What Causes Eczema

Eczema is microscopic cracks on the outer skin layer, which strips the skin of the moisture it needs to protect from environmental allergens, contaminants, and stressors. Thus effective topical eczema formulations should contain ingredients to moisturize, protect and nourish the skin. Eczema is a common skin condition occurring when your skin's protective barrier is not as strong as it should be. The weak skin barrier makes it easier for moisture to escape and viruses and bacteria to enter the skin. This can lead to itchy and inflamed dry patches, worsening over time.

Eczema is essentially an umbrella term, and it can include several different skin problems acting individually or in combination to cause the characteristic symptoms of inflammation, redness, and dryness. The exact cause of eczema is not precisely known. It is considered that people suffering from eczema have an overactive immune system that leads to their skin becoming irritated, itchy, dry, and inflamed. Atopic dermatitis is a common type of eczema. While the exact underlying cause is unknown, eczema is often more prevalent in hay fever and asthma individuals.

How an All-Natural Salve Helps Eczema

Due to the many unpleasant side effects of steroidal treatments and prescription medications, many eczema patients gravitate towards the more gentle and natural remedies for treating their skin condition.  All-natural plant-based eczema salves have recently emerged as one of the most effective treatments.  Anti-eczema topical formulations naturally packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and fatty acids work gently on the damaged skin and help restore the skin's hydration and assist with skin repair while relieving the discomfort, itchiness, and irritation associated with the condition. Many all-natural herbal salves for eczema contain 100% active natural ingredients packed with omega fatty acids, fatty acids, vitamins A, E & K, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatories, which help alleviate many symptoms eczema and help moisturize the skin.

Another advancement is to infuse specific medicinal herbs (flowers or leaves) into an organic plant seed oil. This process extracts natural lipid-soluble species such as sterols and vitamins into the plant seed oil.  All-natural salves made with herbal infusions increase the benefits of the carrier oil by packing them with the therapeutic properties of these specific plants. All these all-natural ingredients help protect the damaged skin from irritants and restore the moisture barrier, preventing flare-ups. Applying all-natural herbal-infused salves throughout the day will help to keep your skin moisturized and cared for.  It is important to remember that many eczema treatments with added stabilizers, scents, preservatives, or other synthetic ingredients can irritate your skin and exacerbate your condition. Thus, always read labels carefully.

Let's look at some scientifically known ingredients that make herbal salves effective in managing eczema.

Shea Butter

Organic Shea butter has a texture like the natural sebum of your skin. Shea butter contains linoleic, palmitic, stearic, and oleic fatty acids, which balance oils in the skin.  Shea butter also possesses powerful antioxidants such as vitamin A & E; that promote circulation and healthy skin cell growth, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging characteristics that promote healing and help treat skin conditions like eczema.

Castor Oil

Castor oil extracted from castor beans has been used traditionally for several different medicinal purposes. Apart from being an excellent moisturizer, castor oil is also known to soothe inflammation, promote healing, and provide anti-microbial effects. Castor oil in a natural salve helps ease the frequent flare-ups associated with eczema. It also has an analgesic effect which helps relieve the irritation, discomfort, and itching that eczema patients commonly experience.

Sea Buckthorn Oil

Sea Buckthorn oil is hallowed for the incredible benefits for the skin. Sea Buckthorn Oil contains all four types of omega fatty acids – omega 3, -omega 6, -omega 7, and omega 9.  Sea Buckthorn Oil has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce swelling and redness associated with many skin conditions, including eczema.² This plant oil protects against transepidermal water loss to improve the skin's hydration levels.  Sea Buckthorn oil is an excellent helper to repair the skin barrier in an inflammatory state like eczema.

Herbal Infused Plant Oils

Flowers such as Calendula, Rose Petals, Chamomile, Helichrysum, and Plantain leaf can be infused into carrier plant oils.  The most beneficial carrier plant seed oils for skin are milk thistle seed oil, meadowfoam seed oil, sweet almond oil, and jojoba oil. These fantastic naturally moisturizing oils turn into potent herbal infusions where the plant oils have extracted the lipid-soluble therapeutic properties of the plant flowers or leaves will help calm irritated skin and relieve itchy rashes.  For example, Calendula adds beautiful golden color to the plant oil and antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antibacterial properties. Chamomile has a heavenly aroma and is calming to the skin by adding anti-itch properties.  Finally, Helichrysum possesses anti-inflammatory, antifungal, anti-microbial, and antibacterial properties. By infusing plant oils with specific herbs, the final infused plant oil imparts enhanced medicinal benefits to the final formula to target specific skin concerns, such as itchiness, redness, flaking, while helping to repair the skin.

Beeswax

Beeswax is added to an eczema salve as a firming agent as it helps preserve the structure and consistency of the product in warm climates. Organic beeswax is packed with natural healing properties which can do wonders for the irritating symptoms of eczema. Many environmental allergens and contaminants can flare up your eczema. Beeswax creates a thin coating on your skin, a natural barrier against these harmful agents. It also locks in moisture, protecting your skin from dryness and irritation. Beeswax is also a natural exfoliator, ideal for removing away dead skin cells, leaving your skin soft and hydrated.

The Takeaway

Eczema is a condition affecting millions of people. Eczema may seriously affect the skin but can be managed with all-natural herbal topical products. Applying all-natural plant-based topical salves throughout the day may keep your eczema calm, allowing you to bare your skin with confidence. All-natural herbal salves provide a safe and effective natural remedy for eczema. Loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, and fatty acids that work in combination on the skin to provide relief against itchiness, inflammation, and irritation. Always remember to read the label and the detailed product description. If the salve triggers any side effects or exacerbates your symptoms, stop using it and consult a doctor or a pharmacist for expert advice.