Clearing your eczema naturally is possible. It is also very kind to your skin and the results will surprise you.
Bear in mind that I had four serious flare-ups from 2012-2016, the worst one being in 2016. Each flare-up started with something that I reacted to, whether dry heat caused by central heating, medication that I was on, or just plain bread or even woolly clothing. I would begin to scratch and not stop until my skin was red and inflamed.
I am sure you are getting the picture. Here is what the back of my head looked like in January 2016…My clothes irritated my neck as well – all I could wear was cotton or linen. Even in winter! I had continually scratched away my hair for more than 2 years and the result was not pretty…
I coined a mantra for myself that I said every day — “Drastic results require drastic action”. So I went raw vegan in February 2016 for 4 months and only used shea butter and coconut oil for my arms and legs. I had Dead Sea Salt baths and moisturised my hair and scalp with shea butter.
I drank 2 litres of vegetable juice for breakfast daily and also had avocado smoothies. By August I re-introduced chicken and oily fish into my diet which I cooked by steaming or stewing. Being naturally slim I lost 14lb (1 stone) so introduced cooked food from July 2016.
Raw Vegan? Yes, it was necessary and stopped the itch-scratch-itch cycle within 24 hours. What a relief! Here is what I looked like in December 2016 -The good thing was though, that I was an expert on clearing my skin by then.
As you can see in the picture, my skin looked red and blotchy. It was extremely sensitive and ultra parched.
My skin also felt like paper and was thin even though I had not been using any steroid creams. My face took longer to heal than my body – perhaps due to exposure to the elements like wind, rain and sun, which I tried my best to stay out of.
Fast-forward to now, my skin especially on my face is like a baby’s – silky to touch. My hair, side burns and eyebrows have also grown back which I am very pleased about. As a woman I need to look expressive and I did not know how much I would miss them when they (the eyebrows) did not grow for four years.
Now I can even wear a little make up, although I am now used to the natural look.
I am living proof that your skin – no matter how badly damaged by eczema – can repair itself given the right care and nutrition.
There are 4 natural regimes that will help bring your skin back to normal and they are:
- Food Regime
- Bowel Cleansing Regime
- Moisturising Regime
- Bathing Regime
Of all of these regimes, the bowel cleansing is one of the most important and will definitely kickstart the healing process.
Bowel Cleansing Regime
There are two ways of doing this: Colonic irrigation where a qualified person has a clinic with sterilised stainless steel tubing and what looks like a massage bed. You get on it and a tube is gently inserted into your rectum. Sterilised water is sent through the tubing and goes into your colon. Any impacted faeces is loosened from the sides of your colon and is sent down another tube.
The process takes about 45 minutes. You may normally want to go to the toilet to be totally empty of spare water.
You are given some probiotics to reset the good bacteria in your colon.
The cons of this procedure is mainly the price – at £70 each visit, it doesn’t come cheap.
I have done this 3 times i n 10 years….Very comfortable, but pricey.
The second method is cheaper and takes longer. Herbal capsules or powder that contain ingredients like psyllium husk, wormwood, aloe vera leaf, etc are taken in the morning. Just 2 capsules morning and evening at least an hour away from eating food. The brand I use is called First Cleanse by Renew Life. First Cleanse is for sensitive stomachs and lasts for 15 days.
NB. First Cleanse products have been taken off the market due to the company being bought out. Instead, you can make a P&B shake – Psyllium and Bentonite Clay shake. It also contains activated charcoal and chia seeds. You can find out more in another of my posts – on Bowel Cleansing…
You will find that your bowel movements are pleasant yet more seems to go into the toilet bowl. It may also be rather smelly. However as time goes on, the odour will lessen. Depending on what you have eaten in the past, there may or may not be worms in your stool.
You will find as a result of doing this bowel cleanse, your complexion gets clearer and your stomach gets flatter. You will also have a sense of wellbeing.
This bowel cleansing method lasts for 2-3 months and should be done at least twice a year. At the change of season.
Food Regime
One thing to learn is that food is your medicine and can help your body to heal itself.
I will start with the foods that you shouldn’t have, then proceed to tell you about what you can eat.
It is very simple; Cut out all processed foods. Also foods that contain dairy, flour, sugar, caffeine and alcohol. You will cook all your meals from the start. It will be quite handy to get one or two recipe books.
You will be making soups, casseroles, curries, juices and smoothies.
Food Shopping List
- Extra Virgin Olive oil
- Cold Pressed, Virgin Coconut oil
- Palm oil
- Almonds x 1 500g pack
- Walnuts x I 250g pack
- Flaxseeds x 1 500g pack
- Dried Beans (different kinds) x 4
- Parsley 2 bunches
- Coriander 2 bunches
- Carrots 12 kilos
- Avocadoes x 4
- Oily fish x7
- Cucumber x 6
- Tomatoes x 20
- Ginger x 1 large
- Garlic x 1 pack
- Green apples 15
- Fresh Aloe vera leaf x 1
- Onions
- Brown rice x 1 500g pack
- Yam
- Plantain x 6
- Bananas
You can substitute some of the vegetable items with vegetables of your choice.
How To Cook Your Food – No Frying Allowed
The way you cook your food is important. When making soups and curries, minerals from your food leach into the liquid of the food you are cooking. This water is full of flavour and should not be boiled until it evaporates. Also you do not want to cook your veg until they are mush. They should be cooked through but firm.
Do not fry your food as you bump up the calorie value of any food that you fry. Especially carbs like potatoes and yams. Fried food is also an inflammatory causing your skin to blister and swell up.
You can make interesting sauces to go with yams and potatoes that you have baked or boiled instead.
Apple Smoothie Recipe
You will need 1 fresh aloe vera leaf, 2 chopped green apples and 1 chopped cucumber
Method:
1. Slice one inch of the aloe vera leaf and cut off the rind.
2. Put this in a blender then add chopped apples and cucumber.
3. Simply blend together and enjoy!
Please note; the blender I recommend is the Vitamix Total Nutrition Centre retailed between £459-475. What you are paying for is a very powerful blender that has a 7-year warranty on it, in case it needs to be repaired. This blender can even blend tough seeds like flaxseeds and basically any food that you chop up and put in it. All the fibre is included in the smoothies and soups you can make. I also like making almond milk and cashew nut butter in my Vitamix.
At the moment, my juicer is broken, hence me using my blender to make a 2 litre smoothie at least 4 times a week.
More to Come…
I don’t want to overwhelm you with information, however, you will find that it is almost an art to go from scaly eczematous skin to clear smooth skin. The one important thing I must add is that once your skin is clear, you will need to maintain eating a balanced diet and keep your colon clear of toxins and debris, otherwise the eczema comes back.
If you have any comments or questions, do feel free to leave them here below as I know the skin clearing journey can be tough for some of you.