About three weeks ago our daughter (still so strange to say ‘daughter’ after 6 years of having only boys!) started developing eczema, just like our boys did as babies. Our oldest didn’t have it all that bad, just around his ankles and elbows, our second son had it much worse. He had it all over his face, arms and legs. I tried everything for him and what worked best was my homemade lotion. Strangely enough what cured his eczema for good was going to Kauai and taking him off cows milk during the trip. I had read that cows milk sometimes either causes eczema or worsens it and I’m sure the humidity of the Hawaiian islands helped a lot. Even though our Sonoma air is quite arid, his skin has remained clear. Now, though, the thought of taking a five hour flight with three kids just to cure my daughters poor skin condition seems a little excessive, so I turned back to lotions.
My homemade lotion hasn’t been helping her quite as much as it helped my son. The doctor suggested either Vaseline and hydrocortisone lotion for the worst parts. I don’t know, I wasn’t happy with either of those suggestions, so I searched for something more natural to slather her with. I have a jar of shea butter in the cupboard for my homemade deodorant, so I scraped some out, warmed it in my hands and put that on her poor little face. That seemed to really help, however it was a pain to warm up and spread on her. I searched for an easy to make and easy to spread Shea Butter lotion recipe and did some research on some eczema fighting ingredients and came up with the recipe below. While I can’t claim that it has cured her eczema, it certainly has helped her poor face, chest and arms. It also makes a great hand salve for me too during these cold, dry days.
How to Make Homemade Hand Salve (aka Eczema Fighting Lotion)
2 oz Shea Butter
.45 oz Avocado Oil
1/2 t. Vitamin E Oil
All three ingredients help with eczema, however you can also add a 1/2 t. of the wonderous Sea Buckthorn Oil in the recipe.
First, I measured out the shea butter and avocado oil on my digital scale then put them in my trusty Pyrex measuring cup. I put that into a pot of simmering water and let them melt together. When they were completely melted and mixed, I took them off the heat and added the Vitamin E, then I let it all cool to room temperature.
The next step is to whip it up into a meringue like consistency. I did this by putting the soon-to-be-lotion into a bigger bowl and setting that bowl into a bowl filled with ice water and blending it with a stick blender. It must be cool to be able to whip up correctly. I then finished it off with a hand whip until it looked like meringue.
I put that into an old lotion container and I store it in the fridge. When I need it, I pull it out and scrape off a bit with the back of my fingernail. It almost immediately melts with the heat of my hand and it’s so easy to spread on. I’ve been putting this on her about 2-3 times a day, sometimes alternating with my other lotion or with straight coconut oil. This recipe is indeed fussier than my homemade lotion recipe, however I think it’s worth it. The total cost for making it is only a few dollars per batch and it does such a nice job on her skin (and my hands) that for me it is worth the extra effort.
My new e-booklet is just out:
Simple Handcrafted Body Care.
If you like this recipe, you’re going to love the booklet!
This sounds really interesting. I have never tried making lotion before. I have to try this
I am going to try this my daughter suffers from and she says everything I put on her burns. I will let you know thanks,
Vivian
If your daughter says it burns, be careful with what you are putting on her skin. One of the best ways to sensitize skin to something is to put that ingredient onto active eczema. My mom used to put Vit E – either lotion or oil – on my eczema, and it burned like fire!! I am now sensitive to Vit E – if I put on a lotion that has it on my hands, my fingers swell to the point of looking like sausages, and the skin peels off, and it feels like I have been scalded. Same thing happened with tea tree oil, sigh.
Other then the Vit E, this lotion sounds great!
Try this if you have allergies to Vit. E or tea tree oil. If you you are not allergic to honey because this eczema and pimple remedy uses honey and cinnamon. Very natural and edible. I suggest you try this. Very easy to prepare: mix equal amounts of both ingredients until well blended then apply to affected area overnight or at least 8 to 10 hours during the day. Wash face with warm water afterwards. I’ve used it just twice and saw amazing results. I hope it will do the same to you.
I have 4 bottles of avocado oil and this recipe is exactly what I need to use it in.
It sounds like a great remedy for my winter hands….thanks for sharing!
Marilyn in NM
(knittinmar on Ravelry)
Do you think this would help severe psoriasis? My husband is plagued by that horris stuff??
Martie, I don’t know if it would help with psoriasis, however it surely can’t hurt it, so give it a try!
From personal experience, I can say that kukui nut oil works great on psoriasis. It’s important to apply it religiously once per day immediately after bathing. For maximum effectiveness, use straight kukui oil — rubbing it in well — then, if possible, top it with a balm made of kukui nut oil and beeswax*. Within 3 weeks of starting this protocol, I was able to clear two very large and stubborn patches of cracking, crusty, bleeding, itchy, painful psoriasis on the lower legs, which – aside from a few minor, temporary remissions from either topical steroids or from those out-of-the-blue remissions you sometimes get with psoriasis — had been there growing larger and larger for nearly 20 years. Before the kukui oil, the only thing that made it even remotely bearable was (ugh) vaseline. The psoriasis just laughed at anything and everything else under the sun (you name it — diet changes, prescription ointments and myraid botanical concoctions) that we tried on it.
This was 4 months ago, and still not even a single plaque, rough spot or sign of skin thickening. The skin looks like normal skin, except that it’s slightly darker and mottled than the rest of the skin. We’re still using the straight kukui oil, just to be safe. I don’t know whether this is necessary, but it’s a small price to pay for the unbelievable relief.
*The balm is a simple recipe and makes approx. 2.25 ounces, but you will need to find a container for it, as it is not “scoopable” but is the consistency of lip balm. An empty deodorant container works great for applying to larger areas of skin. Or you can use three of the .75 ounce large lip balm containers. Here’s the recipe:
Melt 3 level TBSP beeswax pastilles and 6 TBSP kukui nut oil over a double boiler, stirring occasionally to mix. (A spouted Pyrex measuring cup inside a pan of water works great, as does a wooden chopstick for stirring). As soon as the beeswax melts, turn off the heat and remove the measuring cup from the pan. To avoid contaminating the mixture with water, be sure to dry off any condensation from the outside of the cup before pouring. Then pour the mixture into the container(s), overfilling ever-so-slightly — just until the mixture forms a dome, yet not so much that it spills down the sides. As it cools, it will contract slightly. Cap when cooled. The shelf life is pretty good, at least a year.
I love using Kukui nut oil. I just use it like lotion.
The best cure for psoriasis is taking evening primrose capsules. it may take a few months to see results, but you will!
You can take fish oil capsules as well. Started working for me in just a few days.
Both pasteurized (not raw) milk products and low Vitamin D levels have been linked to skin problems. It could have been the sunshine (Vit. D) that cleared up your son’s condition.
These are the two things I’ve noticed affect my daughter’s eczema the most. We live near Seattle, so sunshine isn’t an option. We take significant doses of Vitamin D and I limit pasteurized milk consumption. Large increases in our raw milk consumption seems to have helped with the amount of pasteurized milk she can consume without an increase in skin problems.
Hi Mari,
Hope its okay to share with you what I did for my son (as a 7 mo. Infant covered in blood and scales eczema 90% of his little body!)
There where Many reasons for his condition but, the most was his extreme sensitivity to tomatoes, corn, soy, rbgh tainted dairy. Everything is made with at least one of them!
He was my youngest also, and more sensitive than the others too.
First, the easy part, stop eating groceries from the middle isles! :)Old style whole foods, not sprayed with poison, are extremely helpful in cleaning out eczema issues from the liver. Fresh fruits, lots of healing teas, lightly steamed veggies. Use clean fats, no processed oils. No sugar or alcohol. You get the idea.
Then a healing oil of grapeseed oil and lavender essential oil for the skin. Apply as needed for pain or itch. Worked like a charm! I will warn you though, the oil stains the sheets. (the itch was usually worse in the middle of the night.)
Undiluted lavender essential oil is also great for burns.
He is 15 now and still uses this remedy from time to time.
Maybe it could work for your little one.
If you are not vegan and don’t mind the cost, emu oil is also amazing. Somehow supplys the damaged skin with the fatty acids it is missing. Incredible itch/pain management too. I have used this on my own unexpected allergy reaction to palm oils last winter.
Thanks for letting me share!
Holly
p.s. my daughter is very sensitive to other items as well. Girls hormones can have different reactions.
I would love your recipe for homemade deodorant!
Hi Gwen, I must have forgotten to link to it, look over to the right hand column and there is a link to it there. Meanwhile I’ll fix the link in this post.
One of our sons had bad exzema when he was little and the thing that finally helped was calendula cream. You’re so creative at making all kinds of things – maybe you can try some calendula cream;)
Ellie, you are going to laugh, I just made a recipe for calendula soap which called for making calendula infused oil. However we didn’t grow any calendula so I used lemon verbena…I’ll have to grow calendulas next summer just to make the soap and cream!
Did you make oil from your lemon verbena??? I tried, but it smelled icky.
this is so awesome, I’ve fought eczema problems all my life. You should sell this lotion!
Our 4-year old son has had the same syptomes as you mentioned. We stopped giving him cow milk (now it’s soy milk) and discovered that he is allergic to two sorts of dust mites. There with his body reacts to histamine (don’t know the translation of that word) that’s found in many fruits, vegetables and other products. Like pineapple, bananas, strawberries. But also E361, a flavor enhancer, who is found in a lot of products.
We’ve been prescribed a cream by the allergist, and now we dó see progress. But with the cold days? It’s sometimes hard to see he suffers from the eczema.. :o(
Good luck!
Greets from Holland
My son also has eczema and we have been through the allergy testing and did the shots for awhile but didn’t see any progress and did stop those. My concern with the medications that have been prescribed is that both Elidel and Protopic sport that nice little black box warning in regards to them possibly causing cancer. We also have a script for triamcinolone acetonide ~ a topical steroid ~ which isnt suppose to have any real side effects as i was told but hoonestly i hate using medicine. He uses Vaseline on his skin daily but with the big flare ups that occur when he comes into contact with an allergen I need something with some backbone to “fix” it. This lotion is hitting my “to make” list along with the “shampoo” and deoderant. I’m excited and can’t wait!
Monique~ I am curious what prescriptions you use with success.
I dont know how severe your sons eczema is but my daugher’s was pretty bad, and my doc told us to put hydricortizone cream and and eucerin aquaphor on her skin several times a day (i do it about 4 times) also to give her one dose, at night of children’s claritin, use free and clear detergents, as well as a quality skin cleanser made for eczema like aveeno for babies. This has worked extremely well for her, in just a few days it is almost gone.
Histimine is what is produced by your body in response to an allergy, it is not something that is in fruits.
I think that what Monique was probably trying to say is that the histamines in his system react to the proteins in the fruit.
@mariadaniels5: That’s not entirely true. Histamine-rich foods, such as tomatoes and eggplants, should be avoided by people with sensitivities.
I have fought psoriasis and eczema all my life starting with eczema at birth. Around 10 years old the psoriasis started. I used medicated vaseline for years until they quit making it. It worked wonders and I cried when they wouldn’t start making it again. Now for the severe psoriasis I use Psoriasin. It is similar to the medicated vaseline and for me it has worked miracles.
We usually just use shea butter as is for hand salve. Sometimes I use some olive or grape seed oil on my hands before applying for a super moisturizer. I love it leaves your hands slightly water proof for a while. I’ll have to mix up a batch of this and give it a go as I have all the ingredients on hand.
I bet adding some plantain oil or comfrey would help with chapped skin as well.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I will definitely give it a try as soon as I gather the ingredients! Have you had your children tested for food allergies? My older daughter was plagued with eczema for the first 6 months of her life until we discovered that she was allergic to eggs, dairy, and nuts, and completely eliminated that from her diet!
Best wishes and thanks again!
Hi Naomi, that’s a good suggestion. My oldest, who didn’t have much eczema, isn’t allergic to any foods, but my second who had it much worse has a peanut allergy and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a dairy allergy too. I wonder if I eliminated dairy from my diet if it would help her.
when you say to put the vitamin e in, are you talking about whole capsules or oil from capsules?
Have you ever given your daughter a infant probiotic? We use Solaray – that and Natren are the best two. I read it can be from missing enzymes in the stomach. I tried it and it really helped my son. We make our own lotion too!
Beth- I haven’t heard of infant probiotics, but I’ll look next time I go to the store! Thanks!
Definitely a good child’s probiotic is where we begin, then add evening primrose oil. Treating Internally is key, then treat the symptoms externally. We use Renew life’s Flora Bear chewables… kid approved. Flora Bears have FOS and L’ Glutamine… key!
Our good friends really struggled with eczema with their 4th child (a girl). They tried all sorts of things and finally found a homeopathic doctor in Colorado that was able to help them (they live in Missouri, so it was mainly via phone calls and lots of questions). The doctor came up with a remedy that worked for their daughter. I don’t know all that went in it, but Chamomile was a key ingredient. Hope that’s helpful.
Love these ideas for homemade, well, everything! :o)
I’ve been trying to fight my 8 year old’s naturally for years to no avail. Hers is bleeding and oozing and has left scars. Recently I bought Organic Coconut Oil and have been rubbing that on plain and it is healed up in less than a week! Plus it doesn’t “burn” even when the wounds were open. I hope that helps! I look forward to trying yours too!
I have something similar since I was 4 months old, however it was diagnosed differently when I was 4 (that was 50 years ago). I was put on steroid creams and used those for years and years! I was determined to get off of them. I used the shea butter for a little while and that helped a lot. I took myself off of all dairy products and that helped even more. When I began to use the Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, the difference was amazing! I can’t begin to tell you how it has changed my life and in so many ways! I am glad you have found this for your son at such an early age.
Great job! I’ve thought about whipping my salve. After seeing yours, I’d like to try it. I just started making a cream with coconut (infused with herbs), jojoba, & avocado oils and kokum and illipe butters. These butters are supposed to be very healing to the skin, especially with eczema. I get almost all my herbs and salve stuff at mountain rose herbs. I love them.
How many vitamin E capsules do you use? Do you cut them and squeeze out the liquid or melt the whole thing?
Obviously, I have never made lotion before. I’m excited to try it, though, because I can’t find my favorite body butter anymore. Thanks for the recipe!
Karen, Sorry I didn’t write how many capsules to use. I used 4. And yes, I used a sharp knife to poke a hole into it and squeezed out the oil.
I used to have eczema. I did a parasite cleanse and have never had it since.
I would luv luv luv to learn more about that!
I am planning on making this salve tonight! I do have one question, though. Does the salve have to be kept in the refrigerator or can it be stored at room temperature? Thanks so much for your wonderful blog and recipes!
Hi Caitlin, I think it probably is best to keep it in the fridge. However I’ve been leaving it out during the day and putting in the fridge at night and it’s held up just fine.
I can’t tell you how many people I’ve sent to your blog for your plain old lotion! I made a huge batch last year and gifted them to everyone I know! I’m getting requests for more now that everyone is running out. But this recipe sounds divine. I will try it soon. thanks so much. xoxo
Thanks SedonaMichelle! I’m so glad you and your friends love the lotion!
Here I am writing a year later! Never did get around to making this winter salve but its back on my to-do list! I just finished making the regular body/hand lotion. Our entire family uses it and really loves it.
My nephew has horrible eczema. They’re trying all kinds of things with his diet to see if that helps, but in the meantime, this might give a little relief! I didn’t have avocado oil {and I noticed someone else said that they use straight coconut oil, which I have on hand}, so I thought I’d try coconut oil in place of it. We’ll see how it works. If nothing else, it feels great on hands
I just ordered Tamanu Oil from Mountain Rose Herbs. I’ve heard nothing but good about it. My daughter has exzema. BTW, some call what you made whipped shea butter, and use it on hair also.
My daughter used to have severe eczema when she was younger. She literally looked like she got in a bar fight because her knuckles would be so torn up. I started giving her fish pills and she’s never had it since!!! She is now almost 16 and hasn’t had a problem. You can even break open the capsules and poor the oil on their food if they are too young to take capsules. It seriously works wonders!!!
Hi, just discovered your site and really love it. I am a seasoned crafter, etc and a grandmother. I just wanted to say that you might want to consider hempseed oil for excema. It’s one of the, if not the, highest amount of essential fatty acid of any vegetable oil and used both externally and internally to treat excema.
Thanks for posting this recepie, I too have eczema and have been fighting it since I was about 18 and have found straight shea butter to be a godsend. In addition to this I have also found that cutting caffiene and drinking whole-leave Oolong tea helps. My favorite store to order from is Adagio as you can get a sample for only $2. i would really suggest checking out the peach and almond Oolongs, they are really great.
Okay, this recipe rocks! I messed with it just a little, doing parts cause I don’t have a scale, and added lavender oil for some scent, but I love it!
I posted on my blog and linked to you too 😉 Thanks so much for sharing.
(on my blog: http://wayfaringartist.com/2011/02/19/hand-salve/)
Another wonderful way to deal with eczema and other skin conditions is Xango brand mangosteen juice. My neice soaked gause in it and wrappped her legs. It cleared it up even when all the steroidal creams from the doctors wouldn’t help. I love the idea of making your recipe amd will try it. Thanks for the great ideas
Hi. Love your recipes. I have a suggestion, which may sound weird, but it just might help. Ostrich oil and emu oil are very good at penetrating the skin and emolliening (sp) the skin deep down. But a much cheaper way is to use “schmaltz” or rendered chicken fat. It is almost as good, and has been used by European Jews for centuries. When ever I cut up a chicken for BBQ I always save some fat to render (before adding spices!). It works great on my hands. Combining it with some hemp oil (very rich in omega 3,6) and lavender or other essential oil, and the other parts of your recipe may give better results. Of course if you are vegan, or vegetarian, it wouldn’t fit your life style.
My 2 year old has had eczema since he was 2 months old. He did have skin prick testing at the allergist’s, which has helped tremendously in figuring out what causes his eczema. Food allergies cause it plus the dog and most sunscreens. The dog is a huge contributor to his eczema (keeping him in long sleeves, pants and socks helps prevent flairups). Two things that have helped tremendously with flairups: first, Protopic. It does not contain steroids. It has helped so much in clearing up his eczema. The second thing does not clear it up but does make it less aggravating. It was a suggestion by his allergist: soak in the bathtub until he crinkles like a raisin then slather his skin with Vaseline or something along that line (Crisco works too) to hold in the moisture. If you don’t soak first but put on Vaseline, you won’t have much change as Vaseline does not contain moisture and moisture is what helps eczema from drying, itching and cracking.
I allowed my son to use this too for a very short while and then read the medication guide and stopped ~ the cancer references were too scary!
You are so inspiring. Thank you for taking the time to maintain this blog. I am going to try the no-pooing for my daughter and myself. She is going through puberty and having break outs on her face, back, arms, and chest. The worst is around her hair line on her face. I bet it is irritated by the shampooing. Her hair has started getting oilier sooner after shampooing and the face breaks out around the hair line. Can’t wait to start.
Oh I am so excited about this! I have had eczema so bad my entire life–I’m 27 now. I live in Las Vegas which makes it much worse and I’ve never found anything that takes care of it completely. I hate using steroid creams and other medicines to take care of it but they have been the only thing to come close. So I suffer instead. I’m going to order some supplies today and get started on this!!
Thanks so much for this recipe!!
Sara
I made your homemade lotion (not this recipe, the other) to use on my legs after I shower and my eczema flared up so bad on my hands when applying it, I had little blisters even.
So I’m back on here, going to try this recipe. I wonder what I reacted to? I used Almond oil, Avocado oil, emulsifying wax, lavender and lemon essential oils and water. All from MRH. Any ideas? Maybe the wax?
Sorry Hilary! It could have been the essential oils. From other commentors, many people are sensitive to them. Again, so sorry!
I wondered about that! I am hoping it is the essential oils, because then I can just use the same recipe but different oils, right? Any suggestions? And no apologies…as you know, sensitive skin is always a gamble.
If you have a sensitivity or allergy to latex you should stay away from both almond and avocado oils (mellons and bananas too as they all have something in them very simmilar to the protien found in latex). You might want to try again with either olive or coconut oil. And leave out the essential oil. Hope you find something that works.
Lemon essential oil can be irritating to dry or sensitive skin. That is more than likely your problem. The best essential oils to use would be frankincense, jasmine, lavender, patchouli or sandalwood. All of these are supposed to be beneficial for eczema and are good for sensitive skin.
If you still have problems, you may be one of the lucky few who are allergic to all essential oils. Do make sure you’re using 100% but if you are and still have problems, consider leaving them out next time. I have to. I use olive oil during the night. And a pretty much scent free rice bran oil during day in my lotions. No essential oils.
Citrus oils are also photosensitive and should not be applied before going out into the sun. Some people are sensitive to essential oils but almost no one is actually allergic to 100% therapeutic grade oils. People are allergic to the protein molecules which are too big to be passed through the steam distillation process of pure oils. If you are allergic, you are probably using food grade or perfume grade oils which are adulterated. If the oils are cheap, they are not the grade you should be using. I have many clients who are allergic to trees -eucalyptus, fir etc, but can use the oils very effectively.
I think the lemon essential oils may be the culprit. After drinking quite a lot of lemon in hot water (to boost my ph level) my eczema started to flare really bad and I got burnt really easily. after some research I found out that it contains psoralen which induces sun sensitivity – so my precious, sensitive skin got burnt real quick. Lemon essential oil may have the same impact? Just a thought!
My 16 month old daughter has excema & it’s getting worse as she gets older. I’ve heard of eliminating cows milk from her diet for 3 months then switching to raw cows milk. My question is if I eliminate the milk do I have to remove it as a cooking ingredient as well? Say mashed potatoes or homemade mac n cheese.
Tina – I’m not an expert but I think you do have to take it out of baked goods too. We’ve had to take eggs out of everything too. Maybe try cooking with almond milk.
Has she been checked for other allergies? I would request a blood test for allergies. It is easier than trying to do an elimination diet on such a young child. Especially at a time in life that you want them trying a variety of foods. My children have multiple food allergies ranging from life-threatening to causing eczema. She could be reacting to dairy or soy or even your laundry detergent or perfume. And yes, if you eliminate dairy, it must be 100% for at least 2 weeks or you will never know if it is a cause.
I can’t wait to try this lotion, as the handlotion was a great success. i dont know if I am doing the wrong thing but I am using it on my face as a face cream and loving it!! Also the laundry detergent is a great hit. My “gray” towels got their color back. Si.nce I was a kid i struggled with eczema in my face and ears. my next step it to make the exzema lotion but i do not have a digital scale, can anybody tell me approximatley how much is .45 oz Avocado oil please? I would appreciate it so much. Thanks for a wonderful website with so much info.
Louise, I believe it is .45 oz by volume not weight.
It is by weight. If you scour through the comments, someone measured it out in tablespoons. I think it might be 2 TB, but look just to make sure.
Did you ever try the Sea Buckthorn Oil? Did it work?
Hannah, I did try it. It turns your skin orange and stains clothes and wasn’t a miracle cure, so I quickly stopped. I need to figure out what to do with the rest of my bottle!
Oh, I wish I had seen this before I went out and bought a $26 bottle of the Sea Buckthorn Oil. I really had my hopes pinned that it would be an extraordinary oil. Bummer!
Erin, look up taking the sea buckthorn oil as a suppliment. I think if you take it orally, it will also help with ezcema. I know they sell the oil in capsules, so you must be able to take the oil too, just not sure how much yet.
I was in Australia a few months ago and saw a television news report on a new approach to treating the symptoms of eczema with the application of Manuka honey, recommended as for its anti-inflammatory properties. Healthcare workers are having success with this type of honey, used straight with no additives, in reducing redness and irritation for eczema suffers. When I returned home to Hong Kong I developed allergies to multiple ingredients in cosmetics; not surprising as I have had Chronic Allergic Contact Dermatitis – what is now known as a “clothing allergy” for many years. During my reactions to cosmetics my face and head became inflamed and felt as if I had something crawling under the flesh. At first I used my steroid gel but I avoid over-use of this treatment if possible, so out came the jar of Manuka honey I had in the cupboard (not one of the expensive varieties) and I spread it on my face. My skin immediately lost the redness and became cool. During the process of finding out exactly what was causing my reactions I needed to resort to the honey jar many times! I can’t recommend this treatment highly enough, and while honey is a great moisturizer you’d still need a moisturizing cream after the “first aid” honey treatment. Manuka honey is also known to have antiviral and antibacterial properties. I now make my own moisturizers and that’s how I found this wonderful site!
HI Diane, I can relate to your manuka honey experience. However, I have been learning about our local honey here in northern California. Now, when I make the hand lotion on this site, I add 1 teaspoon of raw local honey to the oil/wax mix. Then the amount of distilled water that goes into this recipe which is 1 1/4 cups, I now use 3/4 cups distilled water and 3/4 cups pure aloe vera juice. Aloe vera is very soothing on dry chapped skin, really helps knock down the itch, Aloe and honey combined make up a very good mixture for dry skin.
My son SORT of has eczema. Why do I say that? Because he actually just has really dry skin and doesn’t take care of it properly (takes HOT showers, doesn’t put lotion on at all, and scratches ’til he bleeds sometimes). I decided to try your recipe just for the fact that it would cost me the same amount to buy the ingredients in bulk as it did in the past on a tiny tube of eczema cream! Made it, tried it, LOVED it! I myself have been trying to make my own natural bath and body items and will be playing with different oils as well! Thanks for posting this!
Hi,
This might be a bit of a silly question, but where do you get the jars from?
Thanks,
Bree
Bree, they are canning jars. You can find them easily now that it is summer in the grocery stores. They are fairly inexpensive and resuable, both for lotion and for jam
This is my second time making this, so I really need to comment! I love this recipe! It’s perfect for my normal to dry skin. I even use this on my face at night! My only additions were lemon and bergamont oils and some pearl mica for shimmer. This is a recipe I’ll be coming back to again and again!
I made this recipe, with slight variations, for a friend of mine. Her three year old son has eczema. She swears it’s the best thing she’s tried. Better than straight vitamin E oil, better than hydrocortizone creams. Thank you so much!
This is a great recipe. I used a similar recipe to cure my daughter from eczema while she was still in infancy. She had quite a bad case at 2 weeks old and was given three Rx from the doc (over 4 months period of time), but none worked. I made up a batch of specialty cream and within 6 weeks my daughter was free from eczema and it hasn’t returned. She is now 7 years old. I give most of the credit to the raw Shea butter which we still use daily. I encourage anyone with eczema to try this recipe. It can change your life… Best wishes.
This is great!
What is the shelf life on this cream?
Any recommendations in terms of how to make it last for about a year+, naturally?
Quick question, I do’t know if anyone asked you this question but do I have to keep it in the fridge? What is the life of the lotion?
I kept mine in the fridge and mine kept only for a couple of weeks because I used it up so fast it never went bad! I’m not sure what the shelf life is, but I’d give it a couple of months.
I have seen babies with eczema
would this cream be safe for a babies skin?
Love this recipe! I make it for all kinds of people now. They all love it too. Thanks.
I love how simple this recipe is! I am going to give it a try. Both of my boys have eczema, as well as myself and winters are always a battle for us. My oldest (Jayden) wasn’t as bad as my youngest (Sean), who I nursed longer than the first. Sean ended up having really bad eczema all over his face! What worked was when I stopped having dairy products. His eczema cleared right up. I think not all babies have that enzyme to break down lactose and it can cause flare-ups.
I have been doing a lot of research and there are many things that we consider weeds that are beneficial to us and can even help with eczema. Like burdock root, it’s these giant plants that I thought were rhubarb growing in my backyard but apparently not. I thought they were a nuisance but apparently their roots have a great medicinal value. And here is a recipe that I cannot wait to try out, I currently have the leaves in oil: https://herbanlifestyle.wordpress.com/2010/07/06/how-to-make-a-skin-nourishing-herbal-salve/
What is a good alternative to using shea butter? It is a nut based ingredient and my children and husband are allergic to nuts. My family cannot have dairy, coconut, peanuts, and treenuts. Soy can be used in small doses. I have been trying to find a natural lotion for my children that doesn’t contain those ingredients. Any suggestions? Thanks!
I wonder if mango butter would work?
How about using cocoa butter? I tried it and it worked well.
That is a great looking recipe, thanks. I will try this out tonight. I have been testing lots of oils individually to see what my skin reacts to. I have reacted to coconut oil and avocado oil. But I will replace the avocado oil with hemp oil which seems to be ok and is supposed to have great properties to help the skin. I will also try sunflower oil as that is good for sensitive skin I believe.
Thanks again for sharing…
I tried looking up lotion recipes using breast milk but couldn’t find any. I know that breast milk has wonderful healing properties and I wanted to make a lotion using pumped milk to treat my 7 month olds eczema. Do you have any suggestions as far as how to modify the recipe you have? At this point I have been just putting the milk on the affected areas, but something a bit thicker would help with applying it and keeping it in place.
Michelle, I’m not an expert, but I would do just as you have been doing. Rub the milk directly onto the affected areas. I would worry about the milk having an incredibly short shelf life (like a few hours) if you made a lotion out of it. I too have heard of it’s great healing abilities. Good luck with your little one!
I am looking forwarded to trying thus recipe. However, I would be careful about saying your son’s eczema is “cured”. Eczema is an INCURABLE autoimmune disease, where the body literally attacks itself. It’s great that your son has not had a flare up for a long time, buy there is Jo real cure. I once went nearly three years without a flare up, until I got preggo and then that was the end of that, lol.
Do you have to use a stick blender before whipping with the whisk? I don’t have a stick blender and my electric hand mixer kicked the bucket almost a year ago. All I have is a whisk and my kitchenaid mixer for mixing anything.
I cant wait to try this recipe! I have really bad dry skinand Ive tryed everything. Can someone tell me where I can get 100%, real natural Shea Butter? I looked on Amazon but they say its “fake.” If you could, please email me at britmh7@yahoo.com. Thank you!
Brittini, there is a link to buying it on Mountain Rose Herbs on this post. I get all my beauty care and spices from them, they’re the best!
Hi, I just tried to make this and I went wrong somewhere. After you whipped your Shea butter your picture shows a white, creamy consistency and it looks like whipped cream but when I did it mine went from being liquid (due to heating) back to Shea butter’s original mode (stiff/hard to spread). What did I do wrong?
Mine went hard too. Whipped, but hard. However, the difference is that it melts a lot faster in your hand, almost immediately, than original shea butter does. Give it a try!
You’re right, after using it today I see that it’s not as stiff as it’s original state and it does melt/spread easier. It just didn’t have that whipped look to it as yours does. Maybe I didn’t continue to whip it enough, I saw that it was getting hard and stopped thinking I had ruined it. Thanks.
I’m so thrilled to try your lotion recipes! My oldest son, now 5, started with eczema at a few months old and after 3 yrs of sleepless nights, tantrums and awful skin, we found a holistic pediatrician who prescribed cod liver oil and extra vitamins (vit D and B-6 in particular). Nothing has worked as great as cod liver oil and I’m guessing the vit D as well. A clean diet doesn’t hurt either! It takes about a week for the cod liver oil to take effect and his skin is so smooth now. We use Nordic Naturals (highest quality out there) and he takes 2 tsp/day of the strawberry flavored one. Just don’t spill it…almost impossible to get the smell out!
Can I use olive oil or almond oil instead of avocado, because those are what I have….
I used kukui nut oil from MRH (because it works really great for eczema) so I’m sure you could use any oil:)
Hi! I’m making this as I write this and just wondering how you made it all for $2? My Shea butter alone cost $2.50 for 2 oz from mountain rose herbs. I’m wondering if I did something wrong? Thanks!
Where did you find the avocado oil? I also wonder about adding fish oil because i Hera that was good for eczema also
Heather- I get the avocado oil at Whole Foods!
Hi there
Not sure if you are still answering this post but I am from Australia so we use the metric system and I just wondered if the avocado oil is measured in fluid ounces or normal?
Thanks!
Also can I heat the Shea butter and avocado oil in the microwave? I bought a Pyrex jug and it says I can’t use in a broiler!
What type of kukui oil did you use? (canarypapers) I looked on amazon and from the comments you have to get the right one. The one that has the best ratings is Kukui oil from Oils of Aloha.
My 5 year old has been an eczema suffered since birth. Of course, he’s been prescribed cream and lotions as well but to no avail. I started doing eczema research, started creating herbal infused oils and whipping those into various butters (soy, mango, shea, sunflower). I also started him on children probiotics as well when I started the ‘natural’ remedies. His eczema has cleared so I keep my “kitchen” creations on hand just in case he has a flare up and have continued the probiotics.
hello, I am new to making lotion. Where do you get the basics in making it. I see recipes & want to try them but wanted to know if there is another source? I have psoriasis & want to try making it myself.
hello, do you puncture the vit e tablets to add to the recipe? or do you include the whole capsule?
thanks!
I’m wondering if anyone has tried healing oils with Gamma Linolic Acids like Borage Oil or Evening Primrose Oil for eczema? I took EPO orally and it helped so much. I have seen lotions for psoriasis with EPO in it too. It might make a nice addition to this lovely balm and speed healing. I have found that soaks in Dead Sea Salts or any natural hot spring with high magnesium content can clear eczema in 1-3 days. Add in a 15-30 minute sun bath in the morning light (7:30-11 am) for a few days can heal my eczema quickly.
I am making this for my dad tonight, I am using dandilion infused olive oil. It helps with eczema. I am so excited.I made a comfrey salve and he has been using that and it worked great. I ran out and am making some as soon as the infused oil is ready(3 weeks). In the mean time I rememebered this off your site:) so add that to his stocking! Thanks.
Have you ever added something that would repel bugs to this recipe? If so, did it work? I would like to make something “natural” for my children to use this spring/summer. Thanks!
Hi,
I just recently found your website. Thank you for your time and effort in what you’re doing…it’s a blessing!
I made this today for my child that has eczema and this is the first time I’ve ever made anything like this. I tried this lotion myself and it feels very nice & soothing, so I really hope it works for him. I have a couple of questions about the ingredients. I used a bottle of Vitamin E Oil 5000 IU instead of the tablets that are called for in the recipe and I noticed that there are other ingredients in the bottle as well, such as, Sunflower Seed Oil, Safflower Oil, etc. Nothing that is synthetic…at least I don’t think so. Anyway, are the tablets more pure than what I used? Is it supposed to be *just* Vitamin E and nothing else?
Thank you kindly,
Becky
Becky, I don’t have my Vit. E in front of me, but what you used it just fine. Those other ingredients are just carrier oils and both are good for your skin too. In fact I was just reading about how good sunflower oil was for your skin last night. I hope it helps your little one’s skin!
I’ve never made lotion before but I’ve been wanting to try your recipes for a while now. I just ordered a bunch of Coconut Oil on sale from Amazon, do you think that would work in place of the avocado oil? Also, this may be kind of a silly question, but I guess this recipe makes 2.5 oz of lotion seeing as that’s how much of the ingredients you put in?
Hannah, you can use the coconut oil, but it will have a slightly different texture than what I got (as avocado oil is liquid at room temp and coconut oil is semi solid). Since you whip the lotion, it fills with air and makes it larger, by volume, than the 2.5oz. Have fun making it!
This is an interesting post I would like to make this as a hand salve for myself. However, my children have all had some eczema and it took a while to figure out the triggers for each of them. It’s not always cows milk. My oldest has an allergy to oranges. Not any other citrus, just orange. When she would drink or eat something with orange in it she would break out with eczema all over. With my 2nd daughter, it is strawberries. with my son who is just a year old, he breaks out wit eczema when he gets sick. I hated using all of the steroid creams on them and since my family is dealing with cancer in a teenage cousin right now, the cancer warnings just scared me too much. A friend told me to use Lanolin on my little boy’s eczema and it worked. It has worked miracles where nothing else has helped.
My son has eczema and I have found that using a beeswax based non-petrolium vaseline has worked wonders. Whenever he gets a flair up I slather this on him. The flair up is usually substantially gone within 12 hours. Here’s my recipe:
-1 part beeswax
-4 parts oil (whatever you have that works best for you–olive, almond, sunflower, etc)
-some vitamin e (I use liquid but it would probably be about 4 capsules)
-optional-essential oil (I use a few drops of rosemary)
melt together beeswax and oil, remove from heat, stir in vit e and essential oil, pour into a small container that you can scoop out of.
the only thing that has helped me? aquaphor. hands down. I’ve tried all of the ingredients you’ve put in the shea butter and they didn’t do a thing for me… so if anyone is reading this and nothing is working for them. go to walmart or your closest grocery/drug store. get some aquaphor (in the skin care isle), go home and take a warm shower, then put some on your skin where you have exema and just wear it while you’re at home. it’s kind of the consistency of vaseline, so it won’t soak into the skin like lotion, but it’s worth having this messy stuff on your skin for all the good it does
My son also had a reaction to cow’s milk. We kept him on goat’s milk until he outgrew his allergy. His only reaction was a “spotty” diaper area, which I kept clean and well-lubricated (he’s now 24, so of course I hadn’t encountered your wonderful lotion recipes yet). Every few weeks I would test him with a little cow’s milk. If he grew spotty, we kept him away from it. Gradually he was less reactive, and now has no trouble at all. I realize your little girl has probably outgrown hers by now also, but if any other readers have a similar problem, do try a different kind of milk — treating internally as well as externally!
I suffered from eczema as a child. I was taken off of cow’s milk and that seemed to help. It cleared on its own around the age of 8 or 9. But now in my 40s it has returned. I have been working for a year to determine what will clear my skin as the only remedies that dermatologists have for me are various strengths of steroid creams which do not seem to work well for clearing my skin they do however take the itch away nicely. I have gone off of all steroids and my skin flared—but I started taking Evening Primrose Oil orally and that took the itch away within a few days. My dosage is 6g per day. I based this off of the Mayo Clinic web site where dosages up to 8g per day are noted for treatment of eczema. (as a side note they also rate the clinical studies for EPO effectiveness in treating eczema at a B on a A-F scale, pretty good for a natural alternative to steroids) However, the red skin remains. I have experimented with many different lotions and oils topically in the past few months. (borage oil, olive oil, aloe vera, stone crop oil) What seems to be working the best is just putting EPO on topically. It takes the red down quite quickly….I don’t know why I didn’t start here first) The only problem is it takes the redness away but oddly leaves the skin with a dry yet smooth feel. I believe that adding EPO to this recipe in place of the avocado may be just the right balance for my skin. Also I should mention that even though the borage oil appears to be perhaps a better alternative to the EPO because it has a higher amount of GLA (the essential fatty acid MDs believe is part of the reason the remedy works) it irritates my skin and actually makes the rash more inflamed before settling down to a still red but smooth state. I’ll report back after I make this with the EPO and let you know the results on my skin. Very hopeful.
Can you tell me why Avocado oil is better then Olive oil, seasame oil, coconut oil, etc. Also, what would you recommend if the dry skin is on the face? I tried this today with makeshift items because I am impatient and couldn’t find the ingredients with olive oil and shea butter with the least amount of added “stuff” I could find. It looks like the 100% Shea butter will need to be ordered online?
Thank you for your feed back, I am having so much fun with your site so far
Thank you for this. I just made this for my daughter’s eczema today. I put it on and thought it would be oily at first but it rubbed right in. I even ended up making extra batches for friends and family.
Great recipe! If you use Grapeseed oil vs. Avocodo, you wouldn’t have to add extra E. May be a bit cheaper too. Go you!
i am curious as to whether anyone has tried this on a combination of acne and exzema?
just wondered where you get your beautiful jars for the hand lotion
Hi there!
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I’m about to make it & was wondering if it has to be stored in the fridge? None of the ingredients say they need to be store in the fridge, so I’m wondering if it’s ok to leave out at room temp. I’m guessing putting in the fridge extends shelf life?? How long do you think the product is good for? Both refrigerated & not.
Thanks!!
I am in love with your site! I’ve been trying to figure out how to make my own lotions because my skin is so sensitive! Now my son ( 4 months) has eczema and I don’t like the idea of putting any unnatural lotions on him because of the chemicals. Thank you so much for sharing your ideas!!!
Hi, I just found your site by googling homemade lotion recipes. As for eczema, I’ve had it for years and recently learned that intestinal inflamation is usually the cause, most frequently caused by gluten. After learning this, I had myself and my kids tested for Celiac and most of us tested positive. I haven’t eaten gluten for about a month now and the eczema is almost gone. My doctor didn’t think I needed to be tested for Celiac because I didn’t have the “classic” symptoms, but most doctors don’t know much about it. Celiac and gluten sensitivity is much more prevalent than most people realize. For anyone with eczema, I recommend getting tested!
I love the beeswax lotion, I made it for the teachers at my daughters childcare center for Christmas gifts. They wash their hands so often they are always complaining how dry they get. One used it as chap stick too! Well I have been using this on myself and my children but have noticed that my daughter has some really dry patches and I might have to try this on her too. My son was dry as a child but some baby oil and right into some footie jammies worked for him but she seems to have drier skin. Thanks for all the wonderful homemade recipes!!!
Our eczema disappeared after cutting refined sugar out of our diet. We have also cut way back on refined flour, so perhaps it was the gluten.
First, thank you for these recipes! How long did you whip it for? I can not get mine to turn out like meringue. Thanks.
people dont realize it but eczema, esp in children, is a symptom of essential oil deficiency in the diet. 3 tbsp of hemp seed or 1 tsp of hemp seed oil provides more than the necessary amount of omega fats, and they are already in the perfect ratio for human consumption. topical lotions are great but they dont treat the source of the problem. Still a great recipe thanks!
Hi Jim,
can the hemp seed or oil be added to food (can it be cooked)? or should it be added after cooking? thanks for the info.
My four year old daughter’s eczema flares up with gluten. I tried to invent a homemade treatment out of oatmeal and coconut oil… This was messy to put on with the flakes of oatmeal though. Here is a great natural remedy post on eczema I use. I am going to add this recipe to our “eczema therapy” routine. Although we know what causes it, we still splurge now and then with our gluten free diet and need remedies that sooth the skin while we recover!
http://www.mommyser.com/myblog/everyday-remedies-eczema-natural-ways-stop-itch-and-discomfort
OMG. My daughter has terrible ezcema and the doctors also recommended healing ointment and it’s not doing anything at all. It’s gotten so bad she’s got two really ugly looking scabs on her cheeks that she’s always constantly scratching so it never heals
I hope this works for her and if it does, I may just try to send you a bouquet of roses!
I am just wondering if you have tried any substitutions to your recipe. I have cocao butter, olive oil, and vitamin E oil. I am wondering if you think using these ingredients would work to make a lotion/salve/body butter? I have so many allergies to food ingredients including nuts so shea butter is out of the question as is coconut oil. I currently slather on just olive oil but it does not absorb into my hands quite as well as I would like. I also make a brown sugar scrub which helps…it is brown sugar and olive oil. It helps to get rid of the dead skin cells and replenishes the moisture in the skin but I am looking for something that I can put into a small container and bring with me when I go out. Oil looks weird and can be messy. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Wendy, I substitute all the time, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Why don’t you half the recipe and give it a try?
I made this two months ago and cannot live without it now! My husband has eczema and uses it on his face and scalp to not only help his skin but shape his hair. I also decided to use it on my face after using my husband as a test! hehe! No break-outs just wonderful feeling, smooth skin! Thank you for this and I cannot wait to make more
p.s I used olive oil but just purchased avocado oil after researching it. I also used some essential oil (one mint and one men’s scent)
i have eczema on my hands, and being a mother of 5 it flares up all the time. i have tried many different creams, all the doctors prescribed ones and then some. nothing works long term. a new cream will do the trick for a bout a week. looking forward to trying this one!
Great recipe! I made something similar for my son and it worked really well. Raw, unrefined shea butter is so great!
Thanks for sharing this – I just posted it to FB and Pinterest for my eczema parents to see. Great stuff.
I’m having a contest to come up with a slogan to write on children’s eczema clothing. Maybe you have a good idea having been down the eczema road with several of your children? http://itchylittleworld.wordpress.com/2012/03/06/contest-slogan-for-new-organic-cotton-eczema-clothing-for-children/
Jennifer
itchylittleworld.wordpress.com
My daughter, now 11, since about 6 months old has suffered from severe eczema. Was so bad for a few years she would scratch herself raw in her sleep and was prone to staph infections. She does use triamcinolon, but we have found salt water baths (that too could have helped with your hawaii trip, the saltwater air!) and oatmeal baths. Plantain leaves (the weed, not the fruit) also works wonders for her! Grind a fresh leaf up a bit with a mortar and pestle and hold right on severe spots. I love shea butter though and I will certainly be trying this lotion as we all know scents and dyes are eczemas worst enemy! Thank you for sharing!
My 13 year old son has severe eczema… the patches on his legs are the size of grapefruits, fire-engine red, and they ooze like crazy, causing his socks to stick to his sores. We have an appointment with the dermatologist today, but I know (from past experience) that they will put him on HIGH doses of oral steroids again (yikes) and then start over with trying out all kinds of prescription topical agents. These are NOT cheap and when they don’t work, it’s $$$ down the drain! This recipe is definitely worth a shot…will try it and let you know! Wish me luck!
Try lye soap, you can find it on Amazon . Or u
You can make it yourself.
When most people think of lye soap think of the gritty and abrasive homemade soap their Grandmother made in the sink that burned their skin if they didn’t wash it off quick enough. Soap making is actually a fine art now, however, most people just have a bad memory of lye and therefore think that soap couldn’t be made with lye without burning.
This if false. All soap is lye soap. I repeat: all soap has lye in it. Or more specifically it was made with lye by adding it to some kind of oil in a process of saponification . If it is not made with lye then it is not actually soap but actually just a moisturizer bar.
With that being said the best type of soap for someone with eczema would be an all natural soap bar made from a trustworthy company like Kind Soap out of Webster Groves MO: http://www.kindsoap.com. A natural product of lye mixed with an oil is glycerin which makes the soap more moisturizing; however, when big companies make soap they not only strip the glycerin away using it for other products, but they then add in tons of other unnecessary and harmful chemicals which is horrible for our skin.
Buying soap from a trustworthy company like KIND, or DR. Bronners, is the way to go. Not only do they leave the glycerin in, they don’t add poisonous chemicals to it. In fact they make it super moisturized by a process called super-fating. All the while while using all natural ingredients.
Hi do you have a recipe for a Psoriasis problem?
Thank you
I have had eczema pretty much since I was born. I am now 24, and the best thing I have found are oatmeal baths, oatmeal masks, steam for facials. Also if you take a cool damp cloth and place it on the affected area for 15 to 30 mins, keeping the cloth cool, after you have removed the cloth, apply aveeno lotion. I have also had acupuncture done and the person told me that any dairy, such as milks cheeses,etc, are bad for anyone with eczema because it’s like drinking dirty water. Hope this helps.
I saw your recipe for ezcema lotion on pinterest. I too developed ezcema to the point where my elbows are scarred and my hands are super sensitive to any detergents and scents and peel often in the winter. After years of trying different lotions and oils I developed a new symptom….intestinal distress. To make a long story short, I found I have gluten intolerance. Yes, it took several months to see results for my skin, but I got immediate results for the GI symptom. It took me so long to find the answers, I just wanted to give you something to try. Good luck
Cindy Gray
This is a great suggestion. We use the Arbonne ABC (Arbonne Baby Care) oil mixed with their lotion, when there is an outbreak. It has always turned it around in 24 hours or so. Worth checking out for the mom that likes prepackaged herbal/botanical products.
Reblogged this on Doiwantitbadenough's Blog.
WOW! This has been a wealth of information for me. My son suffers from eczema on his hands now extremely badly, which leads me to believe its contact related. He has been tested for allergies and is allergic to eggs, nuts (peanuts, pistachios and cashews) as well as milk and all dairy. He was born with some issues with inflammation that were exacerbated by my breast feeding him and unknowingly eating the things he was allergic too. His allergists suggested that I incorporate some of the egg or dairy in baked goods, but I think it’s causing more harm than good. Because his poor little hands are cracking and painful. I also tried to get his pediatrician to test him for GI issues because all illness starts there, but he said it wasn’t necessary because of the allergy diagnosis. I think I am going to look for the avocado oil but use coconut oil instead of shea because of his nut allergy. (He isn’t allergic to coconut – go figure!) I am unsure of the kukui oil either because of his allergies…
This could be worth a try for me as well. My daughter suffers from excema but it isn’t due to the cold air, diet or any of the previously mentioned. She’s breaks out from her own sweat. She’s very athletic and when the sweat dries on her skin she breaks out. So far we haven’t been able to find anything that works 100%. I’m willing to give this recipe a try.
If you guys are strictly into nature’s ingredients you may not like my suggestion, but it works. Mazon ointment is what I used, per doctor’s orders, for the eczema on my eyelids and on my little girl (who is now 45)..how did that happen??? , who had it on her face. It contains coal tar, I think, forgotten exactly, and it has a medicinal smell for sure…but it works. We didn’t have to keep putting it on day after day either. A few uses and the clearing up began. That was forty years ago and no one suffered ill effects from the ointment…it is actually a smooth creme that soaks into the skin and doesn’t leave a greasy film. That’s my two bits. Good luck everyone.
Something that helps my eczema is diluted apple cider vinegar. It helps so much with the itch, you do have to continue applying throughout the day, maybe every hour or two. It worked when prescription cortisone wouldn’t. When I used it the itching stopped in about 3 days as opposed to about a week without it. The red spots stick around for a while but I think they also fade faster than without ACV. Ice packs also help me, but only stop the itch as long as they’re in contact with the skin.
Thank you so much for all your great homemade lotion recipes. Ever since I developed eczema 1.5 years ago (at 25 mind you, I was so mad at my body :P) I’ve been meaning to get more natural with products coming into contact with my skin since I don’t know what causes the outbreaks. And your recipes seem so easy, I can’t wait to get the ingredients and try them out.
My son also has eczema. One of the triggers for him is acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits. We’ve tried a plethora of remedies, with varying results. I’m excited to try your recipe. Have you ever added aloe vera to it?
Reblogged this on kabukiprincess.
If your kids all have eczema you should look in to their diets, there’s a big chance they have food sensitivities. If the skin is not happy something’s wrong. Good luck and thanks for your great recipe.
I had eczema on my knees and the back of my neck, but what helped me was a prescription cream from my doctor, and whenever I swam in the ocean during the summer, it cleared out a lot.
Reblogged this on sorayaasfari and commented:
Wow.
How do I e-mail this to others?
For eczema , try adding rawgoats milk to the hand creams. Goats milk is excellent for all skin problems specially eczema and psorasis. I am not sure how long you can kee creas with. Milk though. I will try a recipe when i have a second. I am looking for something that will repair my weathered skin. I have heard that comfrey oil is good for healing as it is full of vitamin b12. If anyone has a recipe or has tried this i would love to hear. I have been making olive oil, beeswax, coconut oil and everyone loves it. When my newborn gives me a minute i will be making more.
cutting out all cow dairy was what cured my severe eczema
This sounds very soothing and I definitely want to try it for my son. My question is, does it have to be refrigerated?
No it doesn’t need to be refrigerated, however it would keep longer if you did!
I make lotion for friends and family that have eczema. I make my own essential oil using the calendula flower or johny jump up flower. Both really are and easy addition to the lotion bar and help alot.
I’ve had eczema since I was a baby and as I was older it turned into eczematic dermatitis/neurodermatitis. I was told by my endocrinologist that eczema is actually an autoimmune disease. I also have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (immune system kills off your thyroid gland) and have to take thyroid replacement hormone for life, and Type 1 diabetes (I am on the insulin pump as my pancreatic cells can’t make insulin to keep me alive any longer…my immune system got them too. Just passing this info along. I now have eczematic dermatitis only on the backs of my hands and tops of my feet and it’s because those areas of skin produce no oil, so finding a good homemade lotion recipe to use on my hands and feet every day is great. I am going to try your homemade beeswax lotion on this site.
Good Morning! I’m delighted with your bodycare recipies. I do have a suggestion as well. I started making my own hand lotion per your recipe. Now I’m anxious to try the eczema lotion. Since I’ve been sharing much of my lotion with others, I have found that many people out there are fighting eczema. This last summer I made my hand lotion with Hemp Seed Oil because it has a natural spf of about 6. This Hemp Seed Oil would also be super good in the eczema recipe. It’s just stuffed with nutrition, and supremely good for our skin. fyi
I made this a few months ago and mine wasn’t creamy looking like yours and was rather hard (I used raw gold shea butter). I am planning to make it again for myself and my dad and father in law. .45 liquid ounces (3tbsp) of avocado oil doesn’t seem like very much – should I use more this time?
just made it again with white shea butter and this time it worked soooo much better – I also weighed the avocado oil instead of trying to convert it to mL or cups. After leaving it at room temperature for an hour, I started to whip it, but nothing happened, so I took some advice from rawmazing.com and I refrigerated it for about 1/2hr and then whipped it and it is wonderful!
I’m having trouble whipping this! I kept trying, but in the end the water got in and i have to restart now
help please?
Maki, try taking it out of the water bath when you mix so you don’t get any water in. However a little splash of water shouldn’t hurt it. Just keep mixing!
Have you ever tried diatomaceous earth? It has helped with my skin problems. It is used as an organic pesticide because it dries little critters out. Dust mites etc. are history with just a little powder in the sheets, on the mattress etc.
Hello,
I’m sure you’ve heard this already, but in case you haven’t there is a strong link between sulfate based products e.g. soaps and shampoo’s and eczema and psoriasis. I used to suffer from eczema on my scalp (lots of scaling, itchiness and redness), however, once I switched to sulfate free shampoo’s and soaps I have not had any problems. There is also sometimes a link between gluten allergies and skin conditions. Hope this helps
I was looking around for different hskin healing salves and dogund this one. Like the idea of whipping the igredients. You all should look into hemp oil, comfrey, and calendula for putting into salves to treat excema. Google search passionate homemaking calendula salve for a great recipe! Hope this helps.
I’m wondering why this needs refrigerated?? I’m going to try it on my son’s legs tonight. I do think dairy is the culprit for him….but so hard to avoid for the rest of the family. I notice a difference when he has eaten too much pasturized dairy :(…. need this for flare ups.
Does anyone have any ideas for eczema/ psoriasis (itchy) in the ear canal? I have tried all sorts of creams, from steriods, garlic oil, eczema lotion (recipe as originally posted), homemade and store bought creams. What has worked best is lanolin cream on my face but is way thick and greasy. Has not helped in ears. I eat little to no dairy.
My son has pretty severe eczema and the cortisone and steroid ointments that they give him don’t work for much longer than a couple weeks. Recently I started using a mixture of raw honey and coconut oil as a pre shower “mask” on his problem areas. That works wonders. After his shower I spray the areas with apple cider vinegar and water mix. Then I lotion him up with coconut oil. So far this seems to be working better than anything the doctor has prescribed and its been over a month.
I love your recipes for your lotions as they don’t call for any beeswax, which I happen to be allergic too. Can I use the preservative you mentioned in your lotion recipe in with the body butter recipe? If so, what would be a good measurement? If not, I read that rosemary seed extract can be used as a preservative too but probably not to extend the shelf life to 3 months; is this accurate?
I am making my second batch. The only thing I do different is I dissolve MSM powder in a tiny bit of water and add to the mix. I have had eczema that covers the palms of both of my hands for 4 years straight. It is now in the process of clearing up and is almost gone! I have tried EVERYTHING. But finally I started taking MSM orally building up to a pretty high dose. Then I started scrubbing my hands with a paste mixture of baking soda and avocado oil 3 times a day. After I do that, I cut a piece of aloe vera and smear that on. And then I use this cream recipe. I also got gel nails put on my nails so that I couldn’t scratch/pick. It has taken about 3 months for this process to show improvement but thank goodness, I can sleep at night. I expect for my hands to completely heal because they are very close now.
In addition to Aquaphor I gave my son Borage Oil and that seemed to help immensely.
Currently looking for easy gifts to make for christmas, this sounds great
It is hard to buy some things here in Aus that seem readily available in other parts of the world. I only got half way through the comments on here – but wanted to say, some kids who have a low or no tolerence to salicylates benefit from natural skin remedies as thesedays many options given to kids with skin problems acyually contain along with other chemicals, salicylates!
I have extreme hand eczema and some other the counter creams work for awhile, but then I have to switch products because one will stop working. I use O’Keefe’s Working Hands which isn’t too expensive, but then have to switch to a Burt’s Bees product which are expensive. I found this site awhile back and bought the needed supplies from Mountain Rose,but never made the cream. Then, at a local craft fair I tried a cream that had hemp oil in it, and it worked really well, so I bought some of that to try instead of the avocado oil. My grand-daughter and I whipped up your cream yesterday with the hemp oil and I am truly amazed. One large crack in my skin that I’ve been trying to heal for days has literally healed overnight! This will be the first winter in a long time that I won’t be dealing with the pain of sore, cracked hands.
yet another easy and cool recipe. I have very dry skin and add glycerine to my butters and creams. Try is it 100% natural and very mousterising. Thank you for this awesome share:o)
What does the glycerine do for you? I would think it just makes it sticky.
Glycerine is sticky esppecially if you use add alot to your cream, but if you just add a little bit like 5 drops it is extremly moisturising and not sticky at all
My daughter has also had eczema since she was born. She complains that lotions always sting so I stopped using them and was getting very frustrated at finding something that works. Believe it or not when the flu season was here a few years ago and the schools were pushing the sanitizing of hands so often her skin cleared up on her hands and between her fingers. I asked the school janitor what brand it was and she told me it was ‘soapopular’ hand sanitizer-it is an alcohol free one. Something else that works for her is a hazel wood necklace. It is suppose to draw toxins from the body and you change it out every few months. They are available at my local medical supply store and also the natural hemp store
Wow that was odd. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but after I
clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr…
well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say
excellent blog!
HEY! I just made this, but had to use grapeseed oil instead of avacado since that’s all I had. Is there a reason you store it in the fridge as opposed to room temp?
Hi Shelly, you can store it at room temperature…did I say fridge? I’ll have to revise that, you can leave it out
I think your kids both have food allergies. My youngest son had the most chapped skin and nothing solved the problem, even from dermatologist. I eliminated all synthetic products and made my own laundry soap, soap, shampoo, &lotions, which only helped a little. A trip to the allergist changed our lives! He was allergic to dairy, eggs, almonds, and peanuts. What I ate breastfeeding was even affecting him. After he and I started eating allergy free, it cleared up completely within about a month. (I noticed a difference in about a week.) He’s now 5 1/2 with perfect baby soft skin.
Hope this helps!
Hi, great recipe. I make mine using coconut oil, wheat germ oil (Vitamin E oil) and lavender essential oil.
We also had 3 with extreme eczema. What really helped was . When you do laundry let load finish then put it on another final rinse with a quarter cup of vinegar. No Downey etc. It could take 2 months to get all the soap residue out of clothes. It does work the eczema is a whole lot better. Our oldest takes her own sheets pillow cases etc with her when she visits any one as most people use fabric softener.