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Since my oldest son was born, he has dealt with eczema/psoriasis issues. Some cases/times of year are more severe than others. However, since moving to Florida two years ago, his skin has fallen in love with the Florida humidity and salty seasides. 
Since then his struggles have not been nearly as severe as they were in the cold, dry Illinois winters.
He turned ten years old this month, (still can’t believe that!) so we have been ’round the block many, many times with trial and error attempts at solving these skin issues. When his doctor noticed a couple small dry patches of skin at his recent well visit, I knew it was time to dive into my eczema list archives and deal with it before it could grow into another serious issue.
I keep an outline for myself of all the natural solutions that have been effective for us over the years as a resource to go back to when we come to that point again. It has been almost three years since his skin has really flared up and now when there is even a hint of eczema, we have a plethora of ideas to fall back on.
As my list is about eight pages long… I’m going to condense it for you into my top three tips today!
Winter Eczema Tips:
1. Water is your friend
You can’t be hydrated on the outside, if you’re not hydrating your inside! Drinking plenty of water removes toxins, balances ph levels, moves nutrients through our bodies and so much more. A salt water bath can bring quick healing and relief (or a dip in the ocean is even better!). Just add 1-2 cups of epsom salts to a warm (not hot) bath to remove toxins, exfoliate, reduce inflammation and increase blood circulation.
2. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize
Not all creams and lotions are created equal! In fact, many can do more harm than good. 
Unscented products with fewer ingredients are best. My favorites are Aquaphor, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil and topical Vitamin E. We make our own healing lotion bars that can be used daily for skin irritations, cuts, bug bites, burns and more.
3. Supplement
Just as we need water to moisturize from the inside out, certain supplements provide the essential fatty acids our bodies need to maintain moisture. Vitamin E is a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that also helps fight asthma and other allergy issues. Omega 3’s provide a natural emollient, reduce redness and swelling and repair skin cells. Probiotics and prebiotics help the body to retain nutrients/enzymes that hold water, can reduce itching and strengthen the immune system. We use this brand of supplements because of their guarantee of purity and potency!
These ideas are a great start towards healthy skin! Other things to consider are diet changes, using natural household cleaners, getting plenty of sleep, etc. There is always an answer and it’s different for each person. If you are struggling with eczema and psoriasis, there is hope and healing!
What are your best tips for healthy skin?
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I am so blessed to have been a part of Day2Day Joys for a whole year now! I enjoy getting to know you all through your comments and e-mails. Thank you for sharing your life with me!
For my first contributing post here, I had shared my love for Shea Butter with my Natural Shea Butter Suncreen recipe. My son has long struggled with eczema and psoriasis issues and most store bought sunscreens irritate his skin. Now we use Shea Butter in several other bath and body recipes in our home. One of which is a homemade lip balm recipe.
Tea Tree and Lemon Oil Lip Balm
2 ounces Shea Butter
2 ounces Cocoa Butter
(or use 4 ounces of one of the above)
4 ounces Coconut Oil
4 ounces Beeswax (pellets or block)
1 ounce Avocado Oil
1-2 ounces liquid Vitamin E
5-10 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
5-10 drops Lemon Essential Oil
Lip balm containers
Measure Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil and Beeswax into a crockpot. Melt on low for 1-2 hours. The beeswax takes the longest to melt. It you use pellets, it is much faster. When these ingredients have melted to a beautiful liquid gold, turn the crockpot down to warm. Add Avocado Oil, Vitamin E and Essential oils. Stir all ingredients together, then use a dropper to fill the tubes. I usually make 30-50 lip balms at a time and then use the rest for lotion bars. If you use chapstick tubes, you will get a little dent in the top as they cool. Just fill that in with another drop of the melted mixture.
I made these as a Mother’s Day gift this year, but they are a thoughtful and useful gift for any time of the year! Store them in the fridge or a cool place in your home until ready to use or giveaway.
Have you ever made any natural skincare products?
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Written by Kelly, Contributing Writer
Hi, Everyone! I am so very excited to be visiting with you at Day2Day Joys today! Thank you, Rachel!!
My name is Kelly and I blog over at Eyes on the Source.
Today, I wanted to share with you something relatively new to our family, but I am sure many of you have heard of or tried this product, already. We started using Shea Butter
I had heard of its super moisturizing qualities, but was uncertain of how it would react to his skin as he has a slight nut allergy. Shea butter is made from Shea (or Karite) tree nuts and I usually shy away from anything in the nut family for that reason.
Shea Butter is rich in vitamins A and E and fatty acids which helps the skin to retain elasticity, it also has antibacterial properties to speed healing. It encourages circulation and cellular restoration; it is rich in moisturizing nutrients the list goes on and on… So, hesitantly, we tried Shea Butter and it has worked wonders on my son’s skin!
And it turns out that Shea Butter has innumerable uses! Shea Butter has quickly become my family’s “go-to” remedy!
Here is a quick list of uses:
- Calm and heal eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis break outs
- Speed healing of sunburn and prevent peeling
- Stops itching from insect bites (also, antibacterial to protect from infection)
- Soften dry, cracked skin on heels and elbows
- Soothe and speed healing of cuts, scrapes and burns
- Soften cuticles
- Prevent and provide relief from diaper rash
- Fade stretch marks, skin blemishes and wrinkles
- Protects from windburn, razor burn and chapped skin
- Reduces joint pain and swelling
- Deep conditioning hair treatment and prevents dandruff when used on the scalp
- Natural sun protection of 4-5 SPF (from Vitamins E and F)
When I discovered the natural sun protection of Shea Butter, I couldn’t resist the idea of making my own sunscreen. My son’s skin is very irritated by regular over-the-counter sunscreen products and if you have done any research on sunscreen, you know that the chemicals on your skin are just as bad, if not worse, than getting sunburned. (check out the chemicals in any skin product here)
So, here is a simple recipe for Shea Butter Sunscreen!
The only difficult part of this recipe might be finding the ingredients! I had to order the Zinc Oxide online, but the rest of the ingredients I found at Walmart and the local health food store.
Shea Butter Sunscreen!
What you need:
- 1 C 100% pure Shea Butter
- 1/2 C Coconut Oil
- 4 ounces Beeswax (less if you want thinner lotion, but this if for water resistance)
- 1/2 C Olive Oil
- 2 t or more Liquid Vitamin E
- 3 T Zinc Oxide
Powder
What to do:
Combine all ingredients except the Zinc Oxide in crockpot. I highly recommend a crockpot liner for easy clean-up! Heat on high until all ingredients are completely melted. Will be a clear golden color. Then slowly, whisk in the three tablespoons of Zinc Oxide. Carefully, pour into Mason Jars or other heat safe containers and let sit uncovered until cooled. The SPF on this recipe is about 30, but adding more Zinc Oxide will make it higher.
**If you want to make a liquid sunscreen, try this natural homemade sunscreen oil recipe.
I am blessed to be with you all today! I’d love for you to connect with me on Facebook! Until next time~ Kelly@Eyes on the Source
What kind of sunscreen do you use? Have you ever made your own?
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