I have seen, in my two eczema warriors, how the eczema itch can be relentless and simply destroys their spirit. The itch is not just skin-deep, in fact it can be described as bone-deep. In this article, we look briefly at why it itches so bad, and recommend the best eczema treatments to get relief from itching.
Why does eczema itch so bad?
Depending on the root cause of your eczema, whether it’s due to
- food allergies,
- environmental allergies,
- heavy metals and other toxins from vaccination,
- sluggish elimination organs like kidneys and liver,
- leaky gut, or even
- topical steroid withdrawal,
chances are there will be toxic and other undesirable substances circulating all around, in the blood and organs of any person suffering from eczema. Because the eczema warrior’s body system is heavily burdened with bad stuff, instead of further taxing the vital organs like kidneys which are already working overtime, the body chooses the safer way to push out the toxins – through the largest elimination organ that is the skin.
So I always try to encourage my eczema kids, when they are going through a crazy itch fest, that they have to hang in there because the body is doing its job. But of course it’s easier said than done. I’m sure they would swear at me if they knew how to.
Yes the itch really does get crazily intense. But I believe if the eczema warrior knows these reasons behind it, even though it’s really tough and no one should belittle the suffering that comes with the itch and how it can consume the warrior’s daily life, at least the warrior knows every itching episode is a step towards complete healing, and can stay strong while heading towards the light at the end of the tunnel.
Without this knowledge and hope, the persistent itch makes the suffering seem endless and senseless, and the exhaustion from the sleepless nights can really play tricks on the mind of the person who is so stressed out and emotionally drained.
6 best eczema treatments – for relief from eczema itching
Here are the best eczema treatments, most of which we have tried and tested, to help you find relief from eczema itching.
1. Ice
This does an instant job of reducing the itch, and is one of the home remedies for eczema itching that we always turn to. It costs nothing, and you have easy access to ice as long as you are at home (provided you remember to top up the ice cube tray each time it runs out).
Works for anywhere on the body, to disrupt the itch signals that the brain is getting, by replacing with the over-powering sensation of cold.
We take a small cloth handkerchief, wet it slightly, and simply wrap two ice cubes inside it. Then apply it directly on the itchy skin, it numbs and soothes instantly. There is further cooling as the wetness on the skin evaporates off.
2. Take a quick shower
A shower is another free and quick fix that works most of the time, for us. A cold shower would be best, to take away the inflammatory heat. With just plain water will do.
The reason a shower works great is because it washes off whatever toxins and other stuff that are being eliminated through the skin, so they do not continue to irritate. If nothing else, it also provides a great distraction, such that by the time you step out of the shower, chances are the itch fest has passed.
3. Calming bath
We have experienced the detoxifying effects of various natural and calming baths, you can read more about them in separate articles linked below:
- Apple cider vinegar – we found this to be very powerful in drawing out toxins. The evidence was right under our noses, as we emptied the bath water at the end of the bath, it literally smelled like sewage.
- Epsom salt bath – this too, has great detoxifying properties, plus the added benefit of calming the mind and relaxing the muscles for a more restful night’s sleep.
- Ginger bath – this leaves the skin feeling cool to the touch, and smooth too. We were surprised how calming it is for our eczema warriors’ itch.
4. Soothing cream
We have a basket of soothing creams, from which our young eczema warriors will help themselves before bed at night, or when they itch. I don’t exactly bother about which specific cream from the basket they use, as long as it makes them happy. This is because those creams had all gone through our very stringent selection criteria: whatever you won’t put into your mouth, don’t put onto your skin. So I know they are all safe.
Click the links below to read separate articles on their ingredients, company profile, etc.
- Green People Mum & Baby Rescue Balm: can be used as a regular moisturiser.
- Moogoo Irritable Skin Balm: can be used as a regular moisturiser.
- Moogoo Soothing MSM Cream: this contains organic sulphur, so do not use this if you are allergic to sulphur. It works great for my two eczema warriors’ itch, though I bought it with the intention of applying on their open wounds to help them heal faster.
5. Light tickling
This works fantastic too, every single time. It just takes some calm, patience, and practice to perfect the strokes. It also requires the caregiver to put aside everything and just focus on the eczema warrior for 5 minutes or so.
For both my son and daughter, the light stroking and tickling sensation somehow takes over the itch, and they feel soothed enough to not try to scratch at their skin and tear themselves apart.
This works particularly well at night before bedtime, and in the middle of the night when they get woken by the itch. I’m not going to herd them into the shower, so this is a convenient remedy for eczema itching, as I can do it while half asleep.
6. Homeopathy
Homeopathy has played a huge role in the eczema healing journey of my children. Read here about how it has helped my daughter detox from vaccination. For calming of itch, they were prescribed Bach flower, on top of their constitutional remedies which were unique to each of them, depending on their state of health, deficiencies, emotional needs, temperament, etc.
If you are considering homeopathy, it is advisable to work with a certified practitioner in your area.
Final thoughts
These remedies give my children immense relief from eczema itching, many of which are fast, effective, and come at no cost! Every person is different, you need to find something that ticks with the eczema warrior, and arm yourself with a few different strategies so that when one fails, you can still summon another. Do let us know what are your best eczema treatments for itch, and we will try to add them to this list.
I have used ice many times and it is my favorite way to deal with itches. I had not heard of the ginger bath however. I have used apple cider vinegar for other purposes but I have not tried it for eczema either. Thank you for these great, natural and easy solutions to the terrible itch of eczema! It is great to have home remedies in mind so you can always get relief no matter what.
Hi Jessica,
Yes natural is the only way to go for us now, we have learnt that nature already has all the medicines we ever need.
Ice is our hot favourite too! Do give ginger bath and apple cider vinegar a try if you have the chance, you’ll be amazed at how effective they are.
My daughter’s friend suffers terribly with eczema, and I am so grateful to you for all the great information you continually provide on this website. You are always giving great ideas on how to quell the itch associated with eczema, and I am passing the info along to my daughter for her friend. I gave her the link to your website, so she can read all the great ideas, simple things like apple cider vinegar, and ice! Simple tricks to calm things down. It’s great, because her doctor just prescribes stuff that doesn’t work and never gives her natural easy remedies like this. Thank you so much!
Hi Babsie,
It’s great to see you here again! I’d be so delighted if your daughter’s friend could get relief from his or her eczema, which can be a debilitating condition if it gets severe, like for my two children. It literally consumes their lives, the incessant itch. So we keep looking for whatever that can help, just no steroid creams.
This is great! I suffered from eczema from birth – my mother was told it would go when I was two but I had it until I cut out dairy just before my wedding at 26! I love all these ways to stop the itch – I was given a cortisone cream that didn’t always work. I also remember scratching in my sleep it was that bad. I love the ice idea. I wish I’d known that when my son suffered from eczema when he was little – I cut out dairy and his went away too, but he also grew out of it as he can now have dairy without trouble. But he does get heat rashes so I will be trying the ice method for that and cold baths.
Hi Lara,
I’m so happy for you and your son that removing dairy from your diet works! This happens to many people, dairy allergy that they will grow out of.
Yes, do give the ice method a try, it’s simple and effective.
I had a friend I knew at primary school who had eczema. I can’t imagine how irritating and stressful it is with having to itch all the time. But your six best eczema treatments looks like they really help your children and this will help whoever is visiting this article. I didn’t know that each itching episode is a step towards full healing. I congratulate you for writing about a very important topic, it will help other eczema sufferers greatly, in their time of need.
Hi Eden,
Thank you for dropping by and for your kind words. I do hope the information here can help a lot more people alleviate their suffering from the intense itch of eczema.
Your kids are lucky to have you as their mom and caregiver! You are so knowledgeable about this disease and you throw yourself into finding the right things to make them feel better.
This list of ways to help the itch is fantastic. Good work compiling it, and you can tell that you know these things from experience.
Hi Holly,
Thank you for your kind words. I do this only because the pain of watching them suffer from severe eczema is too great for me to bear…
It’s great to see some natural advice for eczema sufferers instead of expensive lotions and potions. I never actually thought of vinegar, but that actually makes sense, as using vinegar immediately takes the sting out of a bee sting.
Ginger is another one I wouldn’t have known about but ginger has a whole list of medicinal uses.
My husband suffers from eczema on his forearms and he finds that ice helps him a lot with the itching.
Hi Michel,
I’m sorry that your husband has to deal with eczema. Ice certainly soothes right away. Do try out ginger and apple cider vinegar as well, you’d be amazed at the effects.
Hi Joo,
Let me just start with saying I really like the title of your site, “Eczema Warriors”. That is a perfect way to describe this hideous condition. Our kids have never suffered with eczema, however, one does have a peanut allergy along with strawberries and wheat. So, I know how stressful this kind of thing can be. Your article is very dsecriptive and well written. I’m sure many others will find this information important for the treatment of their loved ones. Very nice job!
Hi Calvin,
Thank you for your kind words. Peanut allergy is no fun, the same goes for strawberries and wheat, so many things to avoid when it comes to wheat. But I’m sure your kid will do well under your close watch, scrutinising every label before he or she takes the food.
I developed allergic rhinitis when I was assigned in a place known to have high pollutants but never experienced skin itching. However, since I adopted two kittens I noticed that I started to itch on my arms, legs and back. I tried applying moisturizing and deep hydrating lotions but my itching has not gotten better.
I wonder if this can be classified as eczema. I was looking into the causes of and treatment for skin itching and rashes when I was directed to a site that talks about eczema as a skin problem. You mentioned environmental allergies as one of the root causes of eczema, are pets included under this category? If so, then maybe I can use your recommended treatments.
Hi Alice,
I’m afraid it sounds like you have some allergy to the kittens, or at least your skin is sensitive to them. Sad to say (I love cats too), you need to remove the allergen if you want your skin to stop itching. Because you can apply any lotion or cream, but those just serve to alleviate the surface itch. The allergen, as long as it is present, will still trigger your body into inflammation.
To be sure about the allergy, you could get your doctor to do a prick test, with the cat hair. Or, you could try staying away from your home to see if the itch alleviates, if it does, then it is even more likely that you’re reacting to the kittens.
Hi, This is a very interesting website and I will certainly pass the website to my son-in-law. He suffers from eczema and currently is receiving medical treatment. Not sure which treatment but some days are better than others. I also have a a nephew (well he is really my godchild’s husband) he also suffers from eczema.
I think the natural approach would be better. So I will send them both your website via email since one lives in Australia and the other lives in Alabama.
So many articles, and such a well designed and layout website. Easy to navigate and interesting articles all in the same subject but with plenty of great information.
My experience with eczema is with my two family members and they both use medication and a medical approach. i sure hope that once they read these articles in your website, that they would try some of the great suggestions and ideas that may help them to handle and care for the skin condition.
Thank you for letting me read some of your article and for finding information that can help my two family members.
I can see that your website and passion will bring visitors and success.
Hi Lady Esther,
Thank you for all your encouraging words, I’m glad you like my website. I really do hope your son-in-law and nephew will be able to find some relief for their eczema, through natural means.