Where to start??
It is important to know what kind of eczema you have in order to treat it correctly. This page has a good summary of types of eczema or eczema-like skin conditions.
I’m learning about seborrheic dermatitis right now, which is a subtype of eczema that often affects the scalp, face, and neck. This page summarizes my findings on it so far. The treatment of it is much more specific and focuses on elimination of malassezia yeast, which is an important detail, as some eczema products feed this yeast, making the skin condition worse.
Beating eczema requires a combination of adding things to build yourself up and eliminating things that are breaking you down:
BUILDING UP
- There is a lot of evidence that supports vitamin D supplementation.
- Being careful to not take too much is critical as it is possible to overdose on vitamin D. Recommended supplementation right now is 600 IU per day, and up to 2000 IU is considered safe.
- Strengthen your microbiome. Try a basic probiotic. This book outlines the basics of gut health [pdf link] written by Drs. Justin Sonnenberg and Erica Sonnenberg
- Some have found that applying the probiotic topically can help, see this post and this post; Defensinis another option for topical probiotic
- L-Histidine supplementation works really well for some people, reference here
- I’m in the processes of confirming scientific evidence for other types of supplements. For now, I have simply made a list of what others have tried
- If you are in a dry climate, I highly recommend trying a humidifier
- Being mentally strong & reducing stress is critical
- Low histamine metabolism can affect eczema severity; this is a newer topic for me, and is summarized in part at the links below. I’ve recently started taking organ supplements that are supposedly designed to help.
- Histamine: Bridging Food and Atopic Dermatitis
- Histamine and Eczema: Why It’s Not Just About What You Eat
- DAO activity test
- Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis with a Low-histamine Diet
- Diamine oxidase deficiency implications for health, current management, and future directions in the treatment of histamine intolerance: A review
CLEARING POTENTIAL INFECTIONS
- Eczema affected skin is compromised and therefore vulnerable to being colonized by “bad” microorganisms. This is summarized at this website here and also here
- To heal, you absolutely must ensure that these are kept in check. I strongly suggest trying a hypochlorous acid product like SkinSmart
- zinc oxide creams can also help keep microorganisms in check; recommended brands are Sudocrem & Medline Remedy Essentials
- If you have an overwhelming case, review the NJoose protocol here
- please note: the post recommends the effective use of hibiclens antibacterial soap, which I have used for short periods of time (~2-3 days) for stubborn eczema. HOWEVER: bacteria can develop a resistance to hibiclens, so I recommend not using it more than necessary
- Some people have found that their eczema is infected with fungal pathogens. I think it is an angle worth considering nothing else is working. This is true in the case of seborrheic dermatitis, which is caused by malassezia yeast. See my post about it here.
ELIMINATING TRIGGERS
- Triggers can be either environmental or food
- This PAGE summarizes relevant r/eczema stories. I highly recommend looking at this summary of strategies that people have used to identify what is triggering their eczema
- Switching to hypoallergenic products is critical if you’re just starting out, especially soaps and detergents, including all laundry and hygiene products.
- consider switching to aleppo soap
- Vanicream is good for deodorant, shave cream, & shampoo
- switch to a laundry detergent cleared by the national eczema association & DO NOT USE DRYER SHEETS
- Some people have a lot of success identifying food triggers via elimination diets. This guide is excellent, especially page 16
- Using an air purifier is an excellent way to reduce environmental allergens
- Shower head filter is worth considering as well
MOISTURIZING
- Trying different topical products to find one that works for you is another potentially helpful strategy
- The list of products I’ve learned about is here
- Some people have reported that specifically using low pH products helps, such as SebaMed
- Note that some products contain colloidal oatmeal which can be a trigger for some
- Other product recs from reddit users are here
SUBS OF NOTE