At one point my skin was dry and cracked like leather, in a state of perpetual thirst for more moisture. It was the height of an autoimmune disorder called Eczema, brought about by allergies to food or environmental compounds. Eczema can be mild or severe, and you can experience dry, flaky, itchy, red, bumpy skin, or even open pores of pus. It comes and goes depending on the allergen in question.
My doctor usually prescribed me a steroid cream, and while that worked for every day that I used it, when I wanted to be steroid-free my eczema would come back with a vengeance. I had read about the issues with persistent steroid use, including cortisone, so I didn’t want to depend on a steroid cream for the rest of my life.
I tried using moisturizing soaps, extra-strength moisturizing creams, and avoided dishwashing detergent with rubber gloves. These all helped a little bit, but my dry skin still persisted. So I turned to alternative remedies, based on natural herbs and plants.
Soon I read about a little compound called Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, a detergent that foams especially well, that is used in pretty much every conventional personal and household cleaning product. Some natural healing sites were claiming that SLS was bad for your skin and hair and caused premature hair loss and dry skin, and was also a carcinogen. The research I read thereafter didn’t come out conclusive on its carcinogenic properties, but SLS is definitely a skin irritant. It turns out that SLS is the same compound as Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate, a common reagent that I’ve used in laboratory research to unfold proteins, which lead me to suspect this is how SLS causes dandruff and dry skin problems after long-term use. And so, I thought, the SLS and similar chemicals I saw in my shampoo, conditioner, soap, laundry, and dishwashing detergent could very likely be the culprit behind my eczema.
I wouldn’t know for sure unless I tried something. I decided to switch my regular soaps to all-natural bar soaps made with no Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or any synthetic chemicals. They made a difference right away – my hands were softer and a little less dry. But my dry skin didn’t stay soft long, and came back a month later.
So I decided to switch everything. Soap, shampoo, conditioner, laundry detergent, lotion, make-up. They all had to be SLS and paraben free. At this point, I was ready to be as purist as possible if it meant no more eczema.
I bought SLS and paraben-free botanical hair care products, switched to soapnuts for laundry, bought handmade soap and lotion, and went for the most non-toxic mineral makeup I could afford. I also bought herbal oils made especially to treat eczema and other skin conditions.
After changing everything, my dry skin receded. No more leathery dry hands to taunt me. But I can’t say my eczema is 100% gone. There are still problem spots here and there, but it’s a million times better than it was before. For the problem spots I now use herbal healing oils or healing creams, usually made by a talented Etsy seller.
I recently stumbled across this site, which tells the story of a woman who suffered from extremely severe eczema and tried desperately to find a magic solution. Her website provides a lot of great resources for people who suffer from eczema. She points to diet as the most important place to start controlling eczema.
It’s hard to pinpoint the cause of eczema, but it’s likely because there are too many chemicals in our everyday environment of which we don’t know the toxicity, and we eat too much processed food.
It was my eczema that really prompted me to look closer at the products I was buying, and forced me to get over my belief in our government and the FDA to thoroughly regulate Big Industry. Thankfully, it ultimately kickstarted my journey to sustainable living. Now I am constantly questioning the ingredients used to make the products on our store shelves today, and I always try to use the most naturally sourced products. Who is really keeping watch on these ingredients? And who is really testing their toxicity on our bodies in a way that reflects how we realistically use these products?
Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography
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Oh…..how I relate to your story. Read my post about Eczema. http://www.ecokaren.com/2010/01/eczema-and-foods/
It seemed like it was impossible to cure Eczema – ok, there is no real cure but there is light at the end of the tunnel. But you need intervention. Thanks for the post and the link to that woman’s site. Off to read it now.
Karen, I really enjoyed your post on eczema. Have you posted any updates on the diet situation? I’m quite curious. Now I’m thinking I might want to more seriously adjust my diet too [it's just one of the harder things to do...]
Hi Lynne,
Here is an update, one month later from the first post.
http://www.ecokaren.com/2010/02/eczema-and-foods-update/
You should read some of the comments too. I learned a few things from comments people left.
And there are some recipes that I used during that time on my blog.
I probably need to do another follow up post on Eczema…now that you reminded me.
Oh, here is a recipe and a small update.
http://www.ecokaren.com/2010/01/white-chili-2/
I have also Tweeted and shared on Facebook!
Thank you!
Really liked this post, thank you!
Sweet! I’m glad you liked it
Yup, we can’t trust that anyone is really looking out for us. God forbid the government step in and ban known toxins if it meant limiting the freedom of the ultra rich to make themselves even more rich by manufacturing products with cheap but deadly ingredients. Sorry for the angry rant, but it has to be said!
Right on!
Thanks for sharing your story Lynn. So many different ways to be thrown onto similar paths. One of my sons has had eczema for many years and I struggle daily with all the creams and ointments that were prescribed (we hardly use them). I’m going to take a look at Karen’t post- but what have you found that works?
Hi Lori,
I just recently bought this herbal oil http://www.etsy.com/listing/56717030/healing-composition-serum-for-rosacea And it’s working out really great! I had a couple eczema spots under my eyes, and I applied some oil on there daily for a few days and now it’s completely gone! I’ll be putting up a post of products that I’ve tried and have worked for me.
It’s interesting how many paths into sustainability there are. You’re giving me hope that a lot more people will embrace environmentalism for (initially, anyway) personal and health reasons. I’ve never had eczema (opposite problem — oily skin and acne), but I’m glad you’ve found some good solutions and a cause at the same time.
Did you know that you can totally DIY your own body butters (usually shea based)? I’ve been itching to try some of the oil and plant butter based recipes I’ve seen online. Oil based lotions don’t need preservatives the way water based ones do. Unlike my face, my hands are often dry because of the pottery habit. This might be the push I need to order from Mountain Rose Herbs today.
I do think personal health is a big reason people choose to care about the environment.
I’ve read about a shea butter tutorial, but haven’t tried it out myself yet. I bought a shea butter cream from Etsy, and it’s really amazing. Go make some and post a tutorial!
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Really interesting post. I always wondered how people pinpointed certain chemicals in products that they might find lethal. My friend’s niece has this issue and it sucks because she’s such a young girl. I hope to talk to you more about this subject.
Thanks, Jonathan! I’m working on that list of products to e-mail you!
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