It is important to choose clean products for eczema – as the type of products you end up using to treat your eczema is incredibly significant because your skin will absorb 60% of the topical products that you put on it.
This means that if you use vaseline topically onto your body, (which is made from the residue of petroleum after most of it is distilled), you are essentially absorbing petroleum residue into your body. Mind you, not all of what you absorb will leave your body – but in many cases, it can be absorbed and pass through your blood-brain barrier.
For example, doctors have prescribed Aqueous Cream to millions of suffers (I was also one of them and have used it for many years) – promising that it can help eczema get better. However, it contains an ingredient called sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS).
Researchers found that aqueous cream increased water loss and reduced the thickness of healthy skin in volunteers by more than 10% in 4 weeks – which ultimately makes the eczema worse and causes more irritations. When I used it, I did not see any improvement and ultimately stopped using it. SLS is also capable of causing mutation by changing the genetic information found in cells, and unfortunately, can be carcinogenic.
Be very careful with the creams that doctors give you, and make sure to always check the label’s ingredients.
In shampoos, choose the most organic or natural – so it won’t irritate your scalp. Also watch out for 4 types of paraben that are most trendy; methy-, ethyl-, propyl- and butyp-paraben. These preservatives are linked to various types of cancers – such as breast cancer.
Watch out for creams that are “specifically” made for eczema – such as the Neosporin Eczema Essentials (which claims to be a “best seller” on Drugstore.com). The ingredients aren’t pretty – and can aggravate eczema. It contains petroleum, isopropyl palmitate (which is a skin irritant, and can cause acne and dermatitis).
Benzalkonium chloride is another ingredient used, and long term exposure to this chemical is associated with significant health risks, such as asthma, chronic dermatitis and other immune system disorders.
You’ll notice that many creams and shampoos actually contain ingredients that will cause more skin irritations.
Many people also told me to use the popular brand Cetaphil during my flare ups (which their company also advises). However, their ingredients contain propylene glycol (which the Environmental Working Group claims is linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive issues, allergies/immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and can cause skin irritations, even when the concentration is as low as 2%).
Their ingredients also include SLS and 3 trendy parabens that you should avoid: methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben.
The last product that I want to share with you is Glysomed. During my flare ups, I ended up using 1 jar of these a week (for at least 10 weeks!).
Little did I know, that this product contains fragrance and BHT, which can induce allergic reactions in the skin (according to David Suzuki). Long-term exposure to high doses of BHT is toxic in mice and rats, and can cause liver, thyroid and kidney problems.
Hopefully by now, you’ll notice that many of the “recommended” eczema products, which are meant to be good for skin, actually contain ingredients that are skin irritants and harmful to overall health. The key is to choose natural and organic products, such as the ones found here.
I used to put on cream every few minutes and still found that my skin was dry. The reason is that the skin is a reflection of how the body is doing internally.
The solution?
Nourish body from the inside out through nutrition, exercise, sleep, and remember to give yourself some self-love! 😉 I will set up an Eczema Treatment page soon where you can find more information about this.
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