Allergic reactions are a form of self-defense. Here are natural remedies that worked for our family.
1. Avoid Steroid Cream
Our dermatologist diagnosed our darkened, itchy, and irritated skin as eczema. I asked him to run an allergy test, but he chose to prescribe steroid creams. He instructed us to apply them liberally multiple times a day. Since the creams are well-known to mask the real problem, as well as damage and thin the skin over time, I knew I had to figure out remedies that would get to the root cause.
Avoiding steroid cream is an important step in making sure your skin heals properly and doesn't become addicted to another damaging product.
2. Stop Using Irritants
It took me over a year to discover our hair products were the triggers. As soon as I stopped using the products in our hair, our skin stopped breaking out.
I tried finding a common ingredient amongst the different products. Meaning, I wrote down the ingredients in each product to see if any of them were the same. I could not find one. However, as soon as I noticed a negative reaction (with any product) - we no longer used them.
3. Do Warm Salt Baths
Inflamed skin can be itchy, sensitive and painful. Warm salt baths immediately moistened our skin and provided temporary relief to the itch.
I took warm water and added a pinch of sea salt. After it dissolved, I soaked my hand, face or entire body in it.
If you're not sure which salt to use, we use this one. But both sea salt and epsom salt allegedly help the body get rid of toxins.
4. Liberally Apply Shea Butter
Shea butter has been our go-to for most skin problems. It can be applied liberally, multiple times a day with no real negative side effects (besides being uncomfortably thick and greasy). There are many videos online to show how to cut the shea butter with other oils to make it more pleasurable, but I think shea butter in its rawest form is best.
Shea also relieves the itch and helps the skin repair itself. Not a shea butter fan? This salve contains calendula, comfrey leaf, and burdock root. So it is slightly thinner, with similar healing properties.
Both (the salve and the shea butter) are family-friendly remedies -- which means they are safe for small children. While the salve is effective, it's also pretty expensive. So make sure you soak and clean the area first so that you are not wasting product.
5. Keep Skin Clean + Dry
I noticed sweat and fragranced lotions slowed the healing process. So we stuck to super gentle cleansers like bar soap and moisturized our skin with the shea butter or herbal salve.
When choosing a cleanser, you may want to consider a bar soap. They tend to be less drying and more moisturizing than liquid soaps. We use this one.
6. Stick To Products We Know
As a hair enthusiast, sometimes I get tempted to try new products. Because I do not know the exact ingredients we are allergic to, the discomfort and recovery process is not worth it to us. So, we stay loyal to the products that work for our hair.
7. Know Your Body
Our daughter has spring allergies and one of the symptoms is a full-body rash. During this time, her skin is extremely sensitive and easily irritated. While I do not have seasonal allergies, my skin is also super sensitive and easily irritated during certain seasons. Being super aware of our bodies makes me ingredient-conscious and keeps me super loyal to brands that work.
What treatments have you used to heal your skin from allergic reactions? If you want to see the products we are allergic to, you can check them out here.
Until next time...
Love The Journey,
