DIY Natural Eczema Relief

Very dry skin? Chapped skin? Eczema? These very uncomfortable and often unsightly skin issues can pop up at any time but particularly in the thick of the cold winter months. Anyone who suffers from any issues with extremely dry, chapped, flaky or itchy skin knows that it’s no joke. While my family doesn’t suffer from eczema (fortunately), we DO suffer from extremely dry, sensitive skin, which leads to severe chapped skin. I wanted to create a natural solution to help heal our skin, while not coating it in petroleum-based products with parabens, sulfates and the like. What I've created is very easy to make, so I thought I should share my all-natural, gentle, essential oil-infused recipe with anyone interested. We have found our EssentOil Wellness Eczema Blend to be very helpful for healing my family’s skin (we have even used it on minor abrasions as well as for diaper rash…and we used cloth diapers!).

First off, the right carrier oil for this job is not necessarily the fix-all coconut oil that everyone these days (including myself) slathers all over her body to cure any malady and spreads on toast for it’s internal benefits as well. For this particular blend, the magic ingredient is avocado oil! Avocado oil is a hidden treasure, which has yet to be discovered by many people for its great variety of health benefits. Among other things, avocado oil can be used as a beneficial skin care product, for special scalp treatments, medicinal purposes and in healthy cooking.

Some important nutrients in avocado oil:

▪    Protein and Fats. Avocado oil contains a high amount of proteins and unsaturated fats, both of which are strong skin agents. Avocado oil actually contains omega-3 fatty acids – those very same fatty acids as found in fish oil. Thus, not only can this oil be used as a beneficial lotion, but also as healthy cooking oil!

▪    Sterolin. Avocado oil is high in a substance called sterolin, which studies have shown to facilitate the softening of the skin and to reduce the incidence of age spots;

▪    Antioxidants. Avocado oil is rich in antioxidants, making it useful for healing sun-damaged skin. Antioxidants like vitamins A, D and E in avocado cause the skin to be suppler, and are thus particularly good for dry or aged skin.

▪    Lecithin and Potassium. Avocado oil contains lecithin and potassium, which are all highly beneficial for the skin as well as the hair;

More health benefits of avocado oil:

▪    Moisturize the Skin. Avocado oil applied topically helps relieve dry and itchy skin. Once applied, avocado oil is deeply absorbed by the skin, thus making it an ideal moisturizer and skin care agent.

▪    Boost Scalp Health. In addition to helping clear scaly skin, it can also relieve itchy scalp symptoms. Avocado oil, when regularly applied to the scalp, can stimulate hair growth.

▪    Increase Collagen Production. When applied, avocado oil increases the production of collagen, which helps keep the skin plump and decreases the effects of aging.

▪    Treat Skin Conditions. Avocado oil is useful in the treatment of a variety of skin conditions, including eczema and psoriasis.

▪    Others. Avocado oil facilitates the healing of wounds and burns to the skin. It also helps to relieve and heal diaper rash.

So, now that we’ve got all of that sorted, there are also a bunch of essential oils that are beneficial for skin and are also gentle enough to use on children and babies as well.  I have chosen four that I think compliment one another and work effectively to combat dryness, itching, inflammation, etc. Let’s learn a bit about the ones that I’ve decided to use in my dry skin/eczema blends & salves and why I chose them: Tea tree/Melaleuca, Geranium, Lavender and Frankincese essential oils.

 

What Is Tea Tree Oil?

Tea tree oil (TTO), also called melaleuca oil, is made from the leaves of the tea tree plant (Melaleuca alternifolia), a member of the myrtle tree family, which is native to Australia. The name was coined by British explorer Lieutenant James Cook in the 1770s, when he saw native Australians brewing tea using the leaves from the tree. Later on, he brewed his own batch of tea, and gave it to his crew to prevent scurvy.

The tea tree plant is highly prized by primitive Australian communities for its unique healing ability. According to the University of Sydney, numerous aboriginal communities along the east coast of Australia have a long historical use of tea tree as an antiseptic for skin conditions. They simply crushed the tea tree leaves and applied it to cuts, burns, and infections.

It was only in the 1920s, after Arthur Penfold, an Australian state government chemist, published a series of papers on tea tree oil's antiseptic properties that this oil's benefits became widely known. Through modern distillation methods, manufacturers are now able to produce tea tree oil with a clear to very pale golden or yellow color, and a fresh, camphor-like scent.

Uses of Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil has been long valued for its antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. In the 1920s, it was used in dentistry and surgery to clean wounds and prevent infections. Surgeons believed that it is more effective than carbolic acid, the commonly used antiseptic at that time.

Tea tree oil's has become more popular within the last few years, and it is now added to soaps, shampoos, lotions, and other personal care products. Tea tree oil has many uses around the home, too.  

Benefits of Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil has gained a reputation for being an all-around remedy, from removing makeup to treating warts. Numerous studies have been conducted to prove the potential benefits of tea tree oil for health ailments, such as:

▪    Acne - A comparative study published in the Medical Journal of Australia found that TTO and benzoyl peroxide both had a significant effect in ameliorating patients' acne. Although the onset of action in tea tree oil was slower, it caused fewer side effects than benzoyl peroxide.

▪    Fungal infections - A study published in the journal Tropical Medicine and International Health found that treating toenail onychomycosis with 2% butenafine and 5% TTO in cream cured 80 percent of patients.

▪    Bacterial infections – A 2004 study funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) found that TTO may be used as an adjunctive treatment for wounds, and may even help treat severe infections like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, large, well-designed clinical trials are lacking, and the jury is still out on whether tea tree oil really has this potential.

Next Up - Geranium Essential Oil:

Geranium oil (Pelargonium graveolens) is commonly used as an element in aromatherapy for its many health benefits. It’s used as a holistic treatment to improve your physical, mental and emotional health. Used by the Egyptians for promoting beautiful and radiant skin, geranium oil is now used to treat acne, reduce inflammation, alleviate anxiety and balance hormones. This sweet-smelling oil can also uplift your mood, lessen fatigue and promote emotional wellness.

Geranium oil is nontoxic, nonirritant and generally non-sensitizing — and the therapeutic properties of include being an antidepressant, an antiseptic and wound-healing. Geranium oil may also be one of the best oils for such diverse dermatological problems as oily or congested skin, eczema, and dermatitis.

Geranium oil is extracted through steam distillation of stems and leaves of the geranium plant. The main components of this oil include alpha pinene, myrcene, limonene, menthone, linalool, geranyl acetate, citronellol, geraniol and geranyl butyrate.

Some Benefits of Geranium Oil:

§  Healing Helper – Geranium oil helps to speed up the healing process of cuts, wounds and incisions. It also helps in fading the look of scars and other spots on the skin quickly. Because geranium oil has powerful cicatrisant properties, it increases blood circulation right below the surface of the skin — this helps with the healing of spots caused by acne, cuts or wounds, surgical incisions or skin irritations.

§  Blood Clot Inducer – Geranium oil causes the contraction of blood vessels and, therefore, helps to stop blood flow; it also speeds up the formation of blood clots. This helps in the healing of wounds or incisions, and it keeps toxins from entering the body. This health benefits will even help to prevent hemorrhoids. Try adding one drop of geranium oil to ice cream or frozen soy milk. You can also add the oil to a teaspoon of wheat germ or flaxseeds.

§  Skin Enhancer – Geranium oil helps in the treatment of acne, dermatitis and skin diseases. Try mixing a teaspoon of coconut oil with five drops of geranium oil, then rub the mixture onto the infected area twice a day until you see results. You can also add two drops of geranium oil to your daily face or body wash.

§  Anti-inflammatory Agent – Inflammation has been found to be associated with just about every health condition, and researchers are furiously investigating chronic inflammation’s effects on health and possible preventive medical applications. Research shows that geranium essential oil has significant potential for the development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs with improved safety profile.

§  Geranium oil inhibits the inflammatory responses in the skin; this helps your body to fight many health issues. Arthritis, for example, is inflammation of the joints, and heart disease is inflammation of the arteries. Instead of taking a medication to reduce joint pain or lower cholesterol, reducing inflammation in the body is vital.

§  A 2013 study found that geranium oil is a safer and more effective ingredient for anti-inflammatory medication. Data supports that geranium oil reduces inflammation in the body, and there are fewer side effects from this essential oil than cholesterol and joint pain medications.

§  Insect Repellant and Bug Bite Healer – Geranium oil is used as a natural bug repellant. To make your own bug repellant, mix geranium oil with water and spray it on your body – this is much safer than sprays that are filled with chemicals. You can also add baking soda to this mixture to boost the effects. It also heals insect bites and stops itching; use it as a massage oil on itchy or irritated spots for relief.  

Let’s not forget about the King of all essential oils: Frankincense! Frankincense has a significant meaning in Christianity, and is believed to be one of the gifts offered by the three wise men to the newborn Jesus. Today, this fragrant resin is transformed into an essential oil that’s valued not only in religious practice, but also in aromatherapy and natural health. Read on to learn more about frankincense oil. 

What Is Frankincense Oil?

 Frankincense, also known as olibanum, comes from the Boswellia genustrees, particularly Boswellia sacra and Boswellia carteri. The milky white sap is extracted from the tree bark, allowed to harden into a gum resin for several days, and then scraped off in tear-shaped droplets.

Boswellia trees grow in African and Arabian regions, including Yemen, Oman, Somalia, and Ethiopia. Oman is the best-known and most ancient source of frankincense, where it’s been traded and shipped to other places like the Mediterranean, India, and China for thousands of years.

The highest-quality frankincense is clear and silvery, but with a slight green tinge. Brown-yellow varieties are the cheapest and most readily available. In Oman, the best frankincense is usually reserved for the sultan and is rarely shipped out of the country.

Frankincense is traditionally burned as incense, and was charred and ground into a powder to produce the heavy kohl eyeliner used by Egyptian women. Today, this resin is steam-distilled to produce an aromatic essential oil with many benefits.

Frankincense oil has a woody, earthy, spicy, and slightly fruity aroma, which is calming and relaxing. It’s said to be sweeter, fresher, and cleaner than frankincense resin.  

Uses of Frankincense Oil

Frankincense oil has long been revered in the Middle East, where it’s been used in religious ceremonies as an anointing oil for thousands of years. It is also a popular ingredient in cosmetics, and has even been found in the remains of Anglo-Saxons and ancient Egyptians.

I believe that frankincense oil is one of the top essential oils you can use for your health. It’s known for its comforting properties, and is useful for visualizing, improving one’s spiritual connection, and helping overcome stress and despair.

 In aromatherapy, frankincense oil is either inhaled or diffused via a vaporizer – a very effective sedative that induces a feeling of mental peace, relaxation, and satisfaction, and helps relieve anxiety, anger, and stress. 

Frankincense oil promotes healthy cell regeneration and keeps existing cells and tissues healthy. It’s useful for skin health, and can help treat dry skin, reverse signs of aging, and reduce the appearance of stretch marks and scars. Frankincense oil’s astringent properties help:

▪    Strengthen gums and hair roots

▪    Stop wounds from bleeding

▪    Speed up the healing of cuts, acne, insect bites, and boils

Benefits of Frankincense Oil

The health benefits of frankincense oil are mostly attributed to its anti-inflammatory, astringent, antiseptic, disinfectant, digestive, diuretic, and expectorant properties. It also has cicatrisant, carminative, cytophylactic, emenagogue, uterine, and vulnerary effects.

Frankincense oil is considered a tonic, as it benefits all the systems operating in the body, including the digestive, respiratory, nervous, and excretory systems. It also aids the absorption of nutrients and strengthens your immune system.

Frankincense is also being studied for its potential to treat cancer. Scientists have observed that there’s an agent in this oil that not only stops cancer from spreading, but also induces cancerous cells to close themselves down.

Last but certainly not least – the mother of all essential oils: Lavender. A whiff of lavender oil can trigger various sensations, and its sweet fragrance brings to mind rows and rows of beautiful blue-violet flowers under the summer sky. But if you look beyond lavender oil's aroma, you'll find that there's more to it than meets the eye – or your sense of smell.

What Is Lavender?

Lavender oil comes from lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), an easy-to-grow, evergreen shrub that produces clumps of beautiful, scented flowers above green or silvery-gray foliage. The plant is native to northern Africa and the mountainous Mediterranean regions, and thrives best in sunny, stony habitats. Today, it grows throughout southern Europe, the United States, and Australia.

Lavender has been used for over 2,500 years. Ancient Persians, Greeks, and Romans added the flowers to their bathwater to help wash and purify their skin. In fact, the word "lavender" comes from the Latin word "lavare," which means "to wash."

Phoenicians, Arabians, and Egyptians used lavender as a perfume, as well as for mummification – mummies were wrapped in lavender-dipped garments. In Greece and Rome, it was used as an all-around cure, while in Medieval and Renaissance Europe, it was scattered all over stone castle floors as a natural disinfectant and deodorant. Lavender was even used during the Great Plague of London in the 17th century. People fastened lavender flowers around their waists, believing it will protect them from the Black Death.

High-quality lavender oil has a sweet, floral, herbaceous, and slightly woody scent. Its color can range from pale yellow to yellow-green, but it can also be colorless.

Uses of Lavender Oil

Both lavender and lavender oil are valued for their fragrance and versatility. The flowers are used in potpourris, crafting, and home décor, while the essential oil is added to bath and body care products, such as soaps, perfumes, household cleaners, and laundry detergent.

Lavender oil is known for its anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antidepressant, antiseptic, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties. It also has antispasmodic, analgesic, detoxifying, hypotensive, and sedative effects. Lavender oil is one of the most well-known essential oils in aromatherapy, and can be:

▪    Added to your bath or shower to relieve aching muscles and stress.

▪    Massaged on your skin as a relief for muscle or joint pain, as well as for skin conditions like burns, acne, and wounds. Make sure to dilute it with a carrier oil.

▪    Inhaled or vaporized. You can use an oil burner or add a few drops to a bowl of hot water, and then breathe in the steam.

▪    Added to your hand or foot soak. Add a drop to a bowl of warm water before soaking your hands or feet.

▪    Used as a compress by soaking a towel in a bowl of water infused with a few drops of lavender oil. Apply this to sprains or muscle injuries.

Benefits of Lavender Oil

Lavender oil is known for its calming and relaxing  properties, and has been used for alleviating insomnia, anxiety, depression, restlessness, dental anxiety, and stress. It has also been proven effective for nearly all kinds of ailments, from pain to infections.

I am particularly fascinated by lavender oil's potential in fighting antifungal-resistant skin and nail infections. Scientists from the University of Coimbra found that lavender oil is lethal to skin-pathogenic strains known as dermatophytes, as well as various Candida species. The study, published in Journal of Medical Microbiology,found that lavender oil kills fungi by damaging their cell walls (a mechanism that I believe could apply to bacteria and viruses as well). The best part is that this oil does not cause resistance, unlike antibiotics.

Lavender oil can help ward off mosquitoes and moths. It is actually used as an ingredient in some mosquito repellents.

How Does Lavender Oil Work?

 Lavender oil's effectiveness is said to be brought on by the psychological effects of its soothing and relaxing fragrance, combined with the physiological effects of its volatile oils on your limbic system.

Whew! That was a lot of information to throw at you, but I think it’s important to know why/how I made my decision for the ingredients that I use in my very lovely-smelling, effective Eczema/Dry Skin Blend. It’s also equally important to make sure that you are getting quality ingredients – I always make sure to use 100% pure, undiluted, unadulterated therapeutic grade essential oils and strive for pure, organic carrier oils as well. Please feel free to contact me, if you are interested in which companies I have found that sell responsibly sourced, wild crafted essential oils and carrier ingredients. But enough is enough! Let’s get to the Eczema/Dry Skin Blend recipe, already.

EssentOil Wellness Eczema/Dry Skin Blend

What you'll need:

• 10mL glass vial with rollerball top and cap
• Glass or plastic pipettes to add ingredients to vial (optional)
• Label (so that you can keep all of your rollerball blends clearly marked)
• Pure Avocado Oil (if you don't have/want to purchase Avocado oil, Neem Oil, Fractionated Coconut Oil or even Pure Olive Oil can be wonderful substitutes)
• 15 drops Tea tree/Melaleuca Essential oil
• 5-6 drops Geranium Essential oil
• 6 drops Frankincense Essential oil
• 5-6 drops Lavender Essential oil

Instructions:Take your pre-labeled 10mL glass vial and fill it about halfway with avocado oil. Next, add 15 drops tea tree oil, 5 drops geranium oil, 5 drops lavender oil and 6 drops frankincense oil. Shake gently to mix ingredients, then fill the rest of the way with avocado oil and place rollerball pushing it in the opening of the vial completely and shake well. That's it! Your blend is ready to use immediately and can be rolled directly onto your trouble spots as frequently as your symptoms persist. Discontinue use immediately if discomfort, itching or blistering occurs. Please not that while this blend is gentle and the essential oils are safe for children and even infants, you may choose to use a higher dilution (add 1/3-2/3 amount of the essential oils listed) - don't worry: it's still be very effective! Less is more with essential oils, after all.

If you are new to essential oils and don't have all of the necessary ingredients on hand, never fear! EssentOil Wellness offers this very Eczema/Dry Skin Blend in our Etsy shop, which you can find right here. Thanks for your interest and please stay tuned for my next blog, which will feature the directions for how to make my Eczema & Dry Skin Salve: the basics for making ANY salve, really (including how to make infused oil!). Happy DIY'ing!