Natural Solutions For Eczema That Actually Work
Most people don’t realize, but eczema actually begins in the gut! In fact, many skin conditions are directly related to diet. Knowing how to eat to maintain a healthy gut flora is essential to happy, healthy skin. In this blog, we’ll teach you how a good diet can be a natural solution for eczema and other skin concerns.
What is Eczema?
Eczema, or atopic dermatitis is a widespread skin condition causing dry, itchy patches on the skins surface. Atopic dermatitis is the most common type of chronic eczema that flares up over periods of time, but there are many types of eczema, all varying in severity. Eczema can affect any one at any time of the year and has many causes, from pet or food allergies to irritating chemicals and soaps. Luckily, eczema’s severest symptoms can usually be avoided.
As previously mentioned, eczema is commonly caused by a food allergy, or an imbalanced diet. One of the best and quickest ways to find out if you have a food allergy is to go see your local allergist. Allergies to things like dairy or gluten can cause hormonal imbalances and therefore skin imbalances. Having a healthy gut microbiome (a healthy concentration of good bacteria throughout the human body) is essential to keeping a healthy glow!
What Does Diet Have To Do With Your Skin?
Diet is a major factor in almost everything related to the way your body functions. From skin health, to bone health, and even hormonal balances, your diet can affect them all. For limiting the severity of eczema, experts suggest avoiding:
- that dairy
- whole grains
- red meat
- flour
- processed sugars
Focus Your Diet on More Vegetables and Fish
Fish oils contain Omega-3 fatty acids which are essential for reducing leukotriene B4, an inflammatory substance that plays a role in eczema. Fresh vegetables (the more local, the better) contain a wide range of vitamins that your skin will love! Green veggies like broccoli contain Vitamin A & C, Zinc, and like seaweed, are known for having high concentrations of lutein. This is a natural carotenoid that works like beta carotene to reduce dryness and wrinkles. Keep your gut happy and eat your greens!
We’ve already mentioned your microbiome, but how do you maintain that healthy, balanced gut? Keeping those good bacteria happy is important for many bodily functions (and even aging). A good start to keeping your microbiome healthy is eating fermented foods, instead of processed foods. Processed foods contain harmful chemicals that will negatively affect the good bacteria living with your body. Make sure to eat your vegetables and cut back on the red meat to help that healthy gut flora thrive.
If you’re looking for an extra boost of all those good vitamins, try adding seaweed to your diet! Once or twice a week in a salad or sprinkled with your favorite seasoning, and seaweed will boost your dose of vitamins and minerals to give those good bacteria all they need to keep you healthy.
Heal and Help
If you have eczema, should you be applying anything to your skin? Yes! Moisturizers are always a good idea for anyone with dry, irritated skin. With eczema, make sure you find one suitable for damaged or sensitive skin. Try to keep away from prescription hydrocortisone creams and other steroid based creams. Why? your skin can become dependent on the steroids in the formulations and when coming off the cream, become even more irritated. Using a natural cure – like seaweed! – can help heal an ongoing outbreak, and help prevent and manage further ones. Seaweed is an amazing natural moisturizer containing loads of vitamins and minerals essential to rebuilding skin cells.
