Atopic dermatitis or eczema are very common today, together with allergic reaction in contact dermatitis. Distinguish between these, find which are the symptoms and natural ways to help ease the itching and heal the eruption.

What is Eczema?

Atopic Dermatitis or Eczema – is an inflammation of the epidermis, the outer layer of the skin, causing common skin rashes. Symptoms of eczema are characterized by dryness and skin rash, redness, itching, blistering, cracking of the skin, oozing and bleeding. Rash diagnosis is made based on these aspects by a dermatologist.

Infant eczema is very common and appears, in general, in the skin folds and face. Studies show that over 70 percent of children with severe eczema develop asthma, months or years, later. Medications for eczema are generally corticosteroids that are highly effective in suppressing the symptoms but they also have tremendous side effects. Other medication includes topical and system immune-suppressants, antihistamine and anti-itch drugs.

Eczema can get easily infected once the skin barrier is broken and bacteria can enter under the skin. In this case, topical or oral antibiotics will be necessary.

What is Contact Dermatitis?

Another type of dermatitis is contact dermatitis and is caused by an allergic reaction. Here the immune system is involved when, after you touch something, your immune system overreacts by producing antibodies to fight the invaders. Allergic reaction triggers can be poison ivy, nettle, poison oak, latex, different fruits and nuts, cosmetics, topical medications, etc. Irritant contact dermatitis have the tendency to be more painful than itchy. Skin may blister and raised red patches may appear.

Natural Treatments in Eczema

Our suggestions to relief itching and heal eczema are:

• use oatmeal baths – 4 cups oatmeal in a fine net in the bath or blend the oatmeal in a food processor until you have a very fine powder that can be sprinkle in the tub; you can also add 1 cup of baking soda or Epsom salt to a tub of lukewarm water.
• use pharmaceutical grade Epsom salt and Natural Rock Salt baths. Epsom salt is highly hydroscopic and together with the other rock salt properties, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial, heal the wounds and relieve the itching.
• use Rock Salt Scrub with coconut, avocados, basil oils to gently exfoliate and sooth the skin
• salt aerosol created by Saltair device also helps in eczema; first, the salt particles deposits on the body parts exposed to air, during the night sleep; second, breathing the salt aerosol during the night sleep, increase the blood oxygenation and heals from inside out;
• there is a very good topical cream to substitute for chemical steroids, made from plants, PhytoCort (glycerine, borage oil, vit E, vit A, vit C, bioflavonoids, calendula, chamomile, viola tricolor, tea tree oil, echinacea, sorbin acid)
• cold compress of basil tea will help to relief the itching; basil contain high amounts of eugenol, that is a topical anaesthetic and act on the nerves endings relieving itching;
• use cold pressed virgin coconut oil.

For contact dermatitis, wash your skin with a mild soap and cold water and apply cold compresses; tea tree oil applied on the skin rash will calm the pain and promotes healing. Calamine mixture is also very good to calm itching. It is also a mild antiseptic and astringent, preventing infections and helping in healing.