This common inflammatory skin condition affects adults, children, and babies. Itchy rashes can pop up anywhere and seemingly at any time. Dermatologists and doctors aren’t always quite certain what causes it. However, your diet, environment, and stress can aggravate and cause symptoms.
Atopic and contact dermatitis are the most common types of eczema. No matter your type, the foods you eat can worsen your symptoms or lead to a flare-up. It’s best to learn your triggers, especially if they aren’t on our list. Every person is different, and some of us have hidden food allergies and intolerances that can cause flares too.
WHAT CAUSES FLARES?
• Food allergy and intolerances
• Allergies—seasonal, environmental, and pet allergies
• Medicines
• Stress—mental, physical, and immune system
• Chemicals
• Fabric
• Breast milk
• Unknown cause
The foods you eat can cause flares or aggravate your symptoms. They can also make a current episode worse. However, some people with atopic and contact dermatitis consume these foods without issue. It’s important to know your body, take notes in a diary of what you ate and anything you came into contact with after a flare occurs. This assists you in ruling out foods as well as environmental causes.
12 FOODS THAT CAN TRIGGER AN ECZEMA FLARE
1. Dairy Milk
2. Milk products, including butter, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream
3. Eggs
4. Soy
5. Gluten
6. Nuts
7. Fish
8. Shellfish
9. Grapes
10. Oranges
11. Tomatoes
12. Processed Foods, including bacon, sausage, and lunchmeat.
ECZEMA HOME REMEDIES
Before you begin self-treating at home, you should identify your triggers. Food is only one way. Stress, sweat, environmental chemical exposure, and other allergies can also cause a flare-up.
Keep a food diary and note your flares. Don’t forget to jot down stress levels, your clothing, and any new soaps or perfumes. This information can assist you and your doctor at determining causes and aggravators.
CONSIDER WORKING WITH AN ALLERGIST
An allergist will perform a skin test. Positive results allow you to determine what foods you’re allergic to, but the tests aren’t always conclusive for intolerances. Food intolerances can affect your body in numerous ways.
Here is an example, which is a personal experience. After consuming dairy, a lactose intolerant person can have digestive symptoms one time, then have digestive issues and a flare the next. During an active flare, a person’s symptoms worsen when consuming a trigger food
ECZEMA FRIENDLY DIETS
Eczema home remedies should start with your diet. This enables you to root out culprits quickly. Some people prefer a standard elimination diet and later modify their current eating habits based on the results.
THE STANDARD ELIMINATION DIET
Elimination diets take time, and yes, you’ll greatly restrict the foods you can eat. Most people can do this safely at home without a doctor; however, if you suspect a food allergy, you’ll need the guidance of your doctor because of increased anaphylaxis risk.
Some elimination diets remove foods one at a time. Other diets will remove all suspected foods for about three weeks, then slowly add back each food. The idea here is to let your body heal and reset for that small period. This allows you to better judge your symptoms.
If you do remove all foods and your symptoms don’t clear, food is most likely not your culprit. However, several studies support elimination diets for alleviating symptoms. Other studies have found a direct correlation to food intolerances, food allergies, and eczema. In both cases, symptoms disappeared or were greatly reduced.
OTHER ELIMINATION DIETS
• Modified low carb—Paleo, Atkins, and Keto
• Low-FODMAPS
• Fasting Elimination Diet—only under the guidance of a doctor
• Gluten Free
• Sugar Free
• Lactose Free
The major concern will be finding a balance between your nutritional needs and your food lifestyle choice. Elimination diets aren’t always easy, and they can pose challenges and bring new symptoms.
PLANT-BASED DIETS
Vegans and vegetarians can try a modified diet, but again, you’ll need to remove the common culprit foods and still meet your nutritional requirements. Soy, including whole soy foods, can be triggers. Other legumes can be too.
If you prefer a plant-based diet, speak with a nutritionist, doctor, or naturopath before you begin. Even though diet’s one of many eczema home remedies, their guidance can help you succeed without compromising your health. This is especially important with children and infants.
VITAMIN AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS
Vitamins and minerals nourish your skin, and they assist in healing inside and out. If you haven’t looked into supplements, you might benefit from some or all listed below. Whole food sources help too.
VITAMINS, MINERALS, AND SUPPLEMENTS
• Vitamin B complex
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin C
• Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) or Omega-6 fatty acids
• Probiotics
• Omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish or flaxseed oil if not a trigger
COLLOIDAL OATMEAL BATH
Colloidal oatmeal is a fancy way of saying finely ground oatmeal. One reason doctors and dermatologists recommend this treatment is because it does provide relief. It’s not always convenient to use, but it’s natural and safe for use on children and babies too.
You can purchase readymade packets or grind your own. You’ll need about 1-cup per bath, and you simply add it to your lukewarm water as you fill the tub. Soak for about 10 minutes.
ANTIHISTAMINE
For severe cases, you might consider taking an antihistamine. These medications can quickly calm itchy rashes and reduce inflammation. However, antihistamines are an unnatural treatment that takes time to work. Long-term use can lead to resistance too.
ESSENTIAL OILS
Many of the listed essential oils contain antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. You can us these in a diffuser, but a topical application with a carrier oil might provide more benefits. Eczema home remedies that use topical essential oils can reduce your symptoms and irritation. The infused carrier oil pulls the healing properties of essential oils into your skin through absorption.
ESSENTIAL OILS
• Tea tree oil
• Lavender
• Chamomile
• Thyme
• Frankincense
• Basil
• Rose Geranium
• Bergamot
• Eucalyptus
CARRIER OILS TO NOURISH SKIN
• Coconut oil
• Olive Oil
• Avocado
• Shea Butter
• Jojoba
• Vitamin E oil
• Rosehip oil
• Sweet Almond oil
Carrier oils make excellent moisturizers on their own. Of course, you can add essential oils to scent them too. With any product, oils included, perform a patch test with oils you haven’t previously used.