7 Soothing Herbs For Eczema Enduring Royals

Let me start with, I am not a doctor nor dermatologist by any means. I’ve just lived with eczema my entire life. For me, it is visible on my legs, bottoms of my feet & hands. Some days all is chill and my skin is the best it can be, other days, not so much. When my skin flares up certain areas get extremely dry, to the point the skin will crack & tear. The crack’s within a day begin to bleed while the dry skin around it starts to peel off & get caught on fabrics, shed & basically feel like sandpaper when rubbed against another’s skin. At times it has been super depressing because aside from it looking crazy – it hurts – really bad. Over my childhood, I used at least a dozen different steroid creams & lotions and when my eczema came back in adulthood, I was prescribed oral steroids for a short time due to their internal effects over time.

My journey with eczema has led me to tears & then to start Taila.Made, because I believe in the magic of plants. While my eczema still shows its face in the form of flare-ups, I’m better able to manage the symptoms & heal the skin faster with my self-care staples. Keeping my anxiety levels down helps to keep flare ups to a minimum, which is why I practice yoga & meditation daily. The mind, body & spirit – it’s all connected, once I started caring for myself on a holistic level, I started to see results.  My journey with herbs and energy healing has improved my quality of life as well as allowed me to live with my eczema without steroid dependency.

Eczema Explained

Eczema, also referred to as atopic dermatitis and a handful of other names. is a condition that can cause the skin to become extremely dry, cracked, inflamed, and itchy.  A lot of people experience it during their childhood, but many have their first encounter in adulthood.  I was told it is related to an autoimmune deficiency and can be exacerbated by a number of environmental & stress-related triggers.   It’s a pretty common issue, you or someone you know is very likely to have heard or lived with it.  In my experience, it doesn’t seem as though anyone really understands eczema, so they give you general advice and over time you start to notice triggers that are most common for you.

My flare-ups, are about 5 stages long, each stage taking a couple of days up to a week to cycle through. Stage 1. Begins with extremely dry skin that begins to itch and itch & itch some more. No matter how hard I seem to scratch I can’t quite get the itching to stop. That’s when I enter stage 2. The skin is feeling sensitive from scratching it raw in stage one, so I try to add lotion or something to calm it. Adding a moisturizer will help for a while but the skin will continue to dry out, eventually getting so dry it begins to crack. Stage 3. A bad flare up at this stage will be so dry it begins to bleed & maybe still itch, bothered is an understatement, but there isn’t much you do. Stage 4. The skin begins to scab and eventually peel off, it rips when it is rubbed against fabric or rough surfaces. Stage 5. The skin begins to heal itself as a new layer forms, it may feel a little raw for a few more days but soon after it will heal and be chill until a new flare-up comes on.  

Herbs for Eczema

A handful of herbs have come to the rescue when it comes to my flare ups. I’ve listed them below.

1.Aloe -suitable for all skin types this succulent provides soothing humectant properties to skin that is sunburned, flared up, or sensitive.

2.Lavender -is a well-known aromatic staple in skincare, this gentle antioxidant is calming to the spirit and inflamed skin, a great option for moisturizing when used as a soap, butter, or body oil.  

3.Calendula – an anti- inflammatory & overall great herb for wound healing, eczema, and pretty much any skin condition that needs a little TLC, most commonly used as an oil, butter, soap, or salve.

4.Chickweed – can be used internally & externally as an anti-inflammatory & astringent, this herb is hydrating to the skin when applied topically.

5.Rosemary– an anti-inflammatory & antioxidant herb that has pain relieving and  skin moisturizing qualities.

6.Jasmine -gentle & hydrating this herb adds moisture to the driest skin while giving the skin a youthful appearance.

7.Rose-beautiful in appearance and skin enhancing properties, this moisture rich herb is a favorite for all skin types, try incorporating into your skincare routine with a toner, soap, or body oil.

After you choose an herb that interests you, the next step is deciding how you will use it, I recommend brewing a tea with the herb & filtered water & adding it to your bath, or infusing the herb in oil & adding it to a topical preparation like a body butter or salve. The Sea moss soaps in the shop are infused with the herbs mentioned above because they are the ones that have helped me & my tribe the most. Have you worked with herbs for skincare solutions? If so, I’d love to hear what’s worked for you below or on IG under the same photo as this blog post.