Healing Eczema: a continuous journey in caring for the mind, body, spirit & SKIN

Keeping skin hydrated during eczema episodes doesn't always have to be so stressful!

When I gave birth to my daughter, some 12 years ago, I thought she was the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. She was tiny, but I knew she was strong as her limbs pushed off the blankets that tightly covered her and she let out a cry that could be heard by her grandparents who were on the other side of the ward trying to rush through to greet her.

The first thing noticeable, other than that cry, was the white cheesy film that covered her body, called vernix (or Vernix Casoesa). This substance that is typically found on newborn babies is believed to protect the baby’s skin from the amniotic fluid in utero. Isn’t nature wonderful at what it does? How I wish I could have something like that to protect my baby’s skin throughout the years as she grew up.

The problem is, she was found to have eczema as the months flew by. At around 3 months of age, she developed red, dried spots which were localized mainly to her antecubital areas (the area in front of the elbows) and popliteal areas (behind the knees). When the dry winter months came, it spread to various areas of her body. As she was so young, she could not voice what she felt, but seemed okay. We covered her in thick creams and lotions as recommended, which seemed to do the job. However, she would have this all her life with periods of remission and exacerbation of the skin condition. Some treatments that worked were as mild as plain named brand creams or as harsh as steroidal creams.

According to the Merck Manual (2nd ed.), eczema falls under the category of dermatitis which is defined as “inflammation of the upper layers of the skin, causing itching, blisters, redness, swelling, and often oozing, scabbing, and scaling” (2003). The way eczema works is very shady. Some affect only certain parts of the body, while others are generalized. For sure, it is felt that this occurs in reaction to some type of foreign substance or allergen that causes irritation to the skin. It could be a reaction to something in the environment or something taken internally and additionally results from severe dryness and scratching as well.

At the moment, my daughter is recovering from the most severe case of eczema that she has ever experienced. For the past year, she was struggling to get her eczema under control to her antecubital areas. Because she is as old as she is, it is no longer easy to reinforce the use of the creams to keep the eczema under control. As a person who easily feels warm and has a tendency towards cooler weather, it is very uncomfortable for her to cover her entire body in thick creams. She was also reluctant to use any aromatherapy remedies that could help her, because it would be in a cream or oil. Then, I noticed some dry, reddened, irritation to her eyebrows and feared that eczema was beginning to develop on her face. She did not like putting creams on her face and insisted on using an over-the-counter product that commercials promise to result in “healthy, beautiful looking skin”. Her skin became itchy, increasingly dry, and of course, she had to scratch it which made it itchier, drier, and the cycle just kept continuing. Unfortunately, it spread- and this pre-teen was struggling to keep her skin and image intact. It was a cat fight every morning and every night as I pleaded, then argued with her to use the aromatherapy creams I had made for her or at least the thicker (store bought) creams used for eczema. However, she had difficulty complying. Oh, yes, this is definitely my strong baby I remember from 12 years ago!

To make matters worse, she soon developed a fever, then became very week and dehydrated. Her doctor had to admit her to the hospital for an infection in which they could not pinpoint the cause of. It’s a long story, but what we do know is that the IV antibiotics and fluids they administered worked and that her fever went away. However, her skin grew worse because she had an allergic type of reaction to the antibiotics! Her entire face became reddened and irritated with areas of dried spots. What was on her arms and legs spread. The doctor agreed that it was just her eczema acting up and so we just had to work hard to get rid of it. We didn’t want to use steroidal creams because her immune system had already been compromised from that infection she had. Plus, these creams have a tendency to thin out her skin and cause discoloration. So, it was time for aromatherapy. To help control the itchiness that would cause her to scratch during the night, we used an antihistamine (diphenhydramine) to calm her at bed time for a few days until that cycle subsided.

The first few weeks were aimed at controlling the inflammation and irritation that was noticeable. We used pure aloe vera and lavender hydrosol to gently cleanse her face. We also had washcloths soaked in aloe vera, lavender, and chamomile hydrosols in the fridge that she could use to cover her face when her skin felt irritated and itchy. A special cream was made using an organic base, thinned out with hydrosols so she wouldn’t have to deal with the thickness of creams (which she hates). I infused the cream with essential oils of lavender, t-tree, sweet orange, bergamot, german chamomile and vetiver for the purpose of wound/skin healing, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, broad spectrum anti-microbial, skin soothing, and emotional calming effect. We also used a skin salve made with yellow, pure, organic beeswax and rosehip seed, neem, and jojoba oils to serve as a humectant, to prevent further water loss and dryness of the areas that were most affected and worse. The treatment program was very intense and time consuming. When the treatment would run out, I would re-assess the program and make changes according to the skin healing process. And boy, it’s a process alright. As the aromatherapy treatments evolved, the skin began to change.

Patience was the main issue here, however. The essential oils and natural ingredients were doing their job according to the body’s needs. But, as with natural healing remedies, it takes time for something this severe to heal. There were many back-lashes from certain people, which subsequently contributed to further frustration and impatience on the part of my daughter and, to be honest, made me, at times, feel doubtful as well. As part of the healing process, my daughter’s face began to peel and turn white. But, we could see the under layers of the skin regenerating with new, fresh cells. Of course, in order for that to emerge, the old, damaged layers must peel away. This was very distressing for all to see, especially my pre-teen daughter who had to go to school looking like our geckos when they are in the process of shedding old skin. Poor daughter, she was starting to feel sad, doubtful, and frustrated because as soon as she could see a difference, someone would make a comment about how she should get medication for it. I offered to take her to the doctor, but she said that she could be patient enough to do it the right way. When we allow the skin to heal as it should, the emerging skin grows stronger and beautiful- but when we rush the process, the skin may be weak and thin which will make it more vulnerable to other diseases and conditions. So, knowing this, we kept reassuring each other that it would all be worth it at the end.

The skin was healing well, but her emotions were all over the place with periods of anger, frustration and negativity. Palmarosa was added to the blend, and bergamot and lavender were replaced with atlas cedar and patchouli aimed at healing her anxiety, doubts, and fears and giving her strength to remain focused. The skin responded well and she emotionally became more positive, strong and just overall joyful. With the cream change, she became a walking ball of sunshine.

The face healed first, and her skin was back to its beautiful self, maybe even better with no blemishes. There are still dry spots, but she continues to nurture it, being careful not to scratch. The rest of her body, however, still looked pretty harsh. The tiny bumps and rashes that may have been the allergic reaction was diminished, but the eczema parts looked awful. It looks like her body decided to heal her face first and make its way down which is strange to me because the skin is one whole big organ, but we shall not question it- just go with it. The really thick, dark, reddened eczema on her antecubital areas became soft, thinner, and her natural skin color is returning to those areas (although it is a little pale from the previous damage). Other parts are still red, but she says “don’t worry mom, I can see the difference and feel it too”. She points to the areas in which there are patches of normal skin that have emerged in between the reddened areas. “ It’s getting better, trust me” she says.

Today was picture day, whew! The spirit of the essential oils knew exactly what to do first and I’m thankful for that. She is happy and refuses to be swayed by any negativity that may come her way. Her classmates were also patient and understanding- offering help with some curiosity in between.

Now, we will be looking into dietary changes, getting into mild organic soaps, detergents, and shampoos and whatever else it takes. (Thanks for all the tips guys!)

As anyone who has experienced dealing with eczema knows, keeping it under control can be a challenge, much like trying to keep elephant skin hydrated at all times. The journey continues and as usual: a lesson in patience, natural healing, and continuity in nurturing the body, mind, and spirit!
Any hey, she has proven that even with elephant skin (or some parts that look like it), we can still be happy with what we have!