Dermatitis, also known as eczema, is a common disease among Americans. It’s estimated that nearly 35 million people suffer from it every year.
It’s mostly found in 10-20% of children and 1-3% of adults. More than 70% of cases that occur are in children younger than 5 years old.
If your child, a close relative, or a friend is ever affected by dermatitis, you will need some quick remedies.
For dermatitis remedies, natural treatments can work pretty well. So, here are 7 of the best natural dermatitis treatments.
What Is Dermatitis?
Dermatitis is an umbrella term for conditions that describe skin irritation. It’s very common and affects millions every year.
The symptoms are itchy or dry skin, rashes, or swollen, reddened skin. The condition may cause your skin to blister, ooze, and even flake off.
While the condition isn’t contagious, it does make people feel self-conscious and uncomfortable, especially in public places.
A great way to offset it is to moisturize your skin regularly and apply medical ointments. However, as highlighted above, for dermatitis remedies, some natural treatments may offer relief.
Natural Treatments For Dermatitis
1. Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe vera gel has been used for centuries to cure skin ailments. Researchers have reported that it has anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and wound healing properties.
It can also boost immune system function.
This is why it’s recommended to fend off skin infections and irritations. Aloe vera’s wound healing properties soothe broken skin and promote healing.
Applying aloe vera gel directly to the skin can work wonders for irritated skin. However, make sure that you choose one with low alcohol content.
Alcohol can dry out your skin and make the symptoms worse.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
According to the National Eczema Association (NEA), apple cider vinegar can help with dermatitis. However, they do recommend using it with caution.
Vinegar’s acids can be harmful to skin tissue if applied excessively.
Apple cider vinegar can balance the skin’s acidity levels. Our skin is naturally acidic, however, dermatitis tends to lower skin acidity.
This is why the application of soap and detergents to the skin is not encouraged during dermatitis breakouts.
They are alkaline; hence, they can lower the acidity of the skin even more if applied excessively.
With apple cider vinegar, you can bring that level back up to normalcy. However, you should handle it with care and dilute it with water.
3. Bleach In Bath
Bathing too many times a day can worsen the condition, but bathing once a day is mandatory for treatment.
You should limit bathing to 10-15 minutes and avoid scrubbing the skin obsessively. You should get rid of soap altogether and use body scrubs instead.
Taking shorter showers and moisturizing afterward can help alleviate dermatitis symptoms.
Using bleach in your bath can also do wonders for dermatitis. Doctors recommend it for its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
Remember to use regular strength bleach (6%) and add just 1 teaspoon per gallon of water. Soak yourself for 5-10 minutes and rinse with warm water.
Remember to pat the skin dry instead of rubbing off any water with a towel.
4. Oatmeal
Colloidal oatmeal has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
For dermatitis, it can moisturize dry skin, reduce scaling and roughness, as well as reduce itching. You can use colloidal oatmeal by mixing it in with a warm bath.
Make sure the oatmeal you use only contains oats as a product and nothing else. Other ingredients may irritate your skin.
You can also purchase creams with colloidal oatmeal in them to apply directly to the irritated area.
5. Coconut Oil
There are loads of healthy fatty acids in coconut oil. They can add moisture to the skin and help fend off irritations that occur due to dry skin.
Virgin coconut oil also can protect skin by combating inflammation. It can improve the health of the skin barrier that protects it against infections.
Many randomized clinical trials have looked at virgin coconut oil’s effects on children’s skin.
The results show that applying the oil for about 8 weeks resulted in improvement regarding dermatitis symptoms.
The application should be done several times a day, preferably after the area of the skin has been washed.
Usage before bed helps to keep the skin moisturized overnight.
6. Honey
Honey is great for your mind and body. People should even substitute honey for sugar in their lives for a healthier diet.
It is a great anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory agent and people have been using it to heal wounds for centuries.
Honey actually helps to boost the immune system function and helps the body fight off infections as well.
Hence, it can do great things for your dermatitis. Since it’s so good at treating wounds and burns, it can do wonders for dry and inflamed skin.
Its anti-bacterial capacity will make sure that the condition doesn’t recur if applied consistently.
If you apply it directly to the area of the skin that is affected by dermatitis, you may prevent infections too.
Dab a little honey into the area and leave it there for about half an hour. It generally absorbs into the skin easily.
You can choose Manuka honey for the skin since it’s designed to treat wounds and relieve skin irritations.
However, any honey from the drug store or grocery store will do.
7. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is often recommended to people for skin problems. Hence, dermatitis is the perfect condition to remedy it.
Tea tree oil has been found to exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and wound healing properties. It can relieve skin dryness and itching and prevent infections.
Just remember to dilute the tea tree oil before use like any essential oils. Mix it with a carrier oil like almond oil or olive oil and then apply the solution.
Using these remedies, you can get rid of or alleviate the symptoms of dermatitis partially or completely.
This account is run by a team of writers, researches, and more who simply love contributing to the site.