Household remedy for neurodermatitis

Introduction

Neurodermatitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin, which is associated with dry skin and eczema. Depending on the severity of the disease, various therapeutic measures are initiated. A mild form can also be treated well with home remedies. Above all, some household remedies are particularly moisturizing and protect the skin barrier. Other household remedies, on the other hand, alleviate itching and thus prevent the skin from scratching.

Overview of possible household remedies

• Salt envelopes – Salt envelopes are suitable for the treatment of atopic dermatitis attacks with itching. For this purpose, 0.9% saline solution from the pharmacy can be used or the saline solution can be prepared yourself. To prepare saline solution, 9 grams of common salt are added to 11 liters of boiled water.

  Then a clean cotton cloth or compresses available in the pharmacy can be soaked in the saline solution and then wrapped around the affected skin area. The compresses can be left in place for 10-15 minutes. After removing the compresses, it is important to apply sufficient cream to the affected skin areas.

  Salt envelopes are not suitable if the rash is very weeping, as the salt content can cause an unpleasant burning sensation.

• Black tea envelopes – Black tea envelopes are ideal for strongly weeping eczema spots. They have the advantage over saline compresses that they do not burn the skin. To make black tea envelopes, a strong black tea is brewed.

  After the tea has cooled down, a clean cloth or compress is soaked in the brew and placed on the affected areas of the skin. These compresses can also be left for 10-15 minutes. It is important to cream the skin after removing the envelopes to provide the skin with sufficient moisture and to protect it from drying out.

• Cleopatra Bath – Cleopatra Bath is the addition of milk and oil to a full bath.

  For this purpose, 1 liter of milk and 100 ml olive oil are added to the bath water. Some honey is also added to the classic Cleopatra bath, but this is not necessary as a household remedy for the treatment of neurodermatitis. After the full bath, the skin should only be gently dabbed.

• Sea salt bath – salty baths are a popular home remedy for the treatment of neurodermatitis.

  Neurodermatitis sufferers often report that their skin condition improves significantly during a vacation at the sea with regular bathing. In order to be able to fall back also at home to the effect of salt baths, sea salt can be purchased in drugstores or pharmacies to add it to the bath water. Exact information on the dosage is usually found on the outer packaging.

  It is important that the skin is thoroughly creamed after the sea salt bath to prevent it from drying out.

• Coconut oil – Many people with neurodermatitis have had positive experiences with the use of coconut oil. The oil alleviates neurodermitic complaints caused by dry skin.
• Evening primrose oil – Also evening primrose oil is said to have a positive effect on neurodermatitis. It contains many unsaturated fatty acids which contribute to the regeneration of the skin and make it more supple.

  Evening primrose oil can be applied directly to the skin, but more often creams containing evening primrose oil are used. As with all creams that are used as basic care for neurodermatitis, regularity of application is crucial for creams containing evening primrose oil.

Urea is one of the most frequently used ingredients in care products for dry skin. The reason for this is that urea has moisture-binding properties.

This means that when used regularly, it contributes to a better moisture regulation of the skin. This is crucial in the case of neurodermatitis, where the skin constantly loses moisture due to a barrier disorder and is therefore very dry. Daily basic care with moisturizing and refatting creams is therefore an essential therapy pillar.

For older children and adults, the addition of urea to the skin care creams has proven successful. For adults, the urea content in creams may be 5 to 10%, for older children it should not be more than 3%. For small children, the use of urea is not recommended as it can lead to burning and itching.Creams containing urea should therefore not be used even in acute episodes of highly inflamed eczema.

Evening primrose oil contains a high proportion of the unsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid. The oil is extracted from the seeds of the evening primrose and is added to numerous skin care creams. Linoleic acid stabilizes the disturbed skin barrier and thus counteracts the increased moisture loss of the skin.

The dry skin typical of neurodermatitis therefore becomes less dry and smoother with the regular use of evening primrose oil. Olive oil as a household remedy for neurodermatitis is primarily recommended as a bath additive for full baths. For example in combination with milk, then called Cleopatra bath.

However, it can also be used for direct skin care. Either pure or as an additive to creams or ointments. It can provide more suppleness especially for flaky skin. Unlike evening primrose oil, it has no repair mechanism on the skin barrier.