katherinecroftonEczema is a common skin condition that affects 35 million Americans. Many of these people have issues treating it because there are so many eczema causes. However, a homemade eczema cream may be just what they need.
Many eczema creams come with steroids and other harmful ingredients. Most of them are made to treat eczema symptoms and not the root cause of the problem. Thus, many people turn to natural eczema remedies. This homemade eczema cream might be just what people need to treat the root causes of eczema.
Homemade Eczema Cream With Lavender and Tea Tree Oil
The base of this homemade eczema cream is shea butter, coconut oil, and raw local honey. Shea butter is a fantastic natural moisturizer. Many people with eczema have dry skin, and shea butter fixes that problem fast.
Coconut oil is also a strong moisturizer and it has antibacterial properties. Some eczema is triggered by bacteria on the skin. Coconut oil will fix that problem.
Local, raw honey should be in everyone’s home. It is a powerful superfood that heals the skin and protects it from outside influences. It is also antibacterial which makes it perfect for killing any bacteria that may be causing an eczema flare up.
Many people might worry about using essential oils in a homemade eczema cream. However, when combined with a carrier oil, essential oils are perfect for treating many skin conditions.
Lavender essential oil is antibacterial, anti-fungal, and it fights inflammation. This makes it a perfect counter to anyone’s eczema symptoms. It is also a gentle essential oil and can be used safely on children over the age of 2.
Tea tree oil is a powerful anti-inflammatory which makes it great for treating eczema and psoriasis. Any flare up can be calmed with the right ratio of tea tree oil and carrier oil. However, tea tree oil can be a bit strong for some people’s skin. It is best to start with less drops a tea tree when beginning to use it on one’s skin.
Optional essential oils to add include geranium oil and myrrh oil. Geranium oil fights infections and inflammation. This makes it perfect for eczema flare ups. Myrrh oil does the same. These two oils are perfect for any homemade eczema cream. However, myrrh and geranium may be a bit too strong to use on children.
Homemade Eczema Cream Recipe
This simple eczema cream recipe can serve the whole family with minor modifications. Geranium and myrrh oil should be researched before using on children. However, lavender and tea tree oil are safe for use on children over the age of two.
What You Need:
- 1/2 cup raw shea butter
- 1/2 cup organic coconut oil (you can also use almond or olive oil)
- 1 tablespoon organic, local honey
- 20 drops lavender essential oil
- 8 drops tea tree oil
- optional: 5 drops geranium essential oil and/or 5 drops myrrh essential oil
Directions:
- Heat the coconut oil and shea butter until they are mixed together.
- Add honey to the mixture and stir until well mixed.
- Add the essential oils to the mixture and let it cool.
- While the mixture is cooling, stir the mixture until is has a lotion like consistency.
- Store in a cool try area and apply the mixture once or twice a day to the affected area.
Precautions
As with all new essential oil treatments, it is best to perform a spot test. Some essential oils can cause allergic reactions which would cause an eczema flare up instead of prevent it. Also, contact a health care professional if you plan to use this cream with a prescribed eczema cream. There could be an adverse reaction.