(Part 2) Best products from r/eczema

You need to acquire a kombucha scoby first. You can buy it online or grow one from a bottle. For me, what I did was get a bottle of original GT (the silver and blue bottle, it's unflavored. You must use original/unflavored) and pour everything out into a quart-sized jar. When purchasing, look for a bottle with the most amount of yeast strands inside. They are on the bottom of the bottle. The bigger the clump of strands, the better it is for brewing kombucha. Some people say you cannot brew kombucha with a regular bottle of GT since they changed the formulation a few years ago, but I did in Februrary. I like to think it's because I grabbed the one with the biggest/most yeast strands LOL. When growing the scoby, you can use a smaller cup than a quart-sized jar, but be mindful that the scoby will grow on the top so if you use a small cup, the scoby will be small. I kept it on the counter, covered with a tightly-woven cloth and rubber band for until it grew about 1/4" thick. Here's a video in case anyone is more visual

You will need a 1 gallon jar (or two gallon, but standard is 1 gallon), tea, and sugar. I use only plain green tea (no flavors since flavored might induce mold) and white sugar. Some people highly recommend organic sugar. RecipeMake sure the tea is COMPLETELY cool before adding it into the jar. If it is hot, it may kill your scoby. All tea + sugar that touches the scoby must be room temperature.

Keep the kombucha covered with a tightly-woven cloth (no lid) with rubber band and in the dark preferably away from chemicals. It takes about 10-15 days or longer to brew usually, but it can be as short as 5 days or as long as 3 weeks. It all depends on how strong the scoby is. If you want to taste it, get a straw and put it in to take a sip underneath the scoby. Don't be alarmed if the scoby falls down if you do this (it acts like a barrier) because it will either rise up again OR form a new scoby on top. If the brew tastes too sweet, it needs to ferment longer. If it tastes very watery, don't fret, it sometimes goes through a weird VERY watery stage during fermentation....it simply needs to ferment more.

The reason why I recommend a 2 gallon jar is if you intend to brew seriously (more than 6 months) as you brew, the scoby will get thicker and thicker. Each new batch will also lead to a formation of a new scoby on top. After a lot of research, I decided that it wouldn't be good for me to touch the scobies in fear of contamination so I leave all the scobies inside of the jar. As you can imagine, it takes up a sizable amount of room after a while (1/4 of my 1-gallon jar is scobies!). I do need to repot at least 1 in a scoby hotel in case anything happens, but that's just a backup if my kombucha gets moldy (very rare due to acidity levels).

I bought an auto-siphon for bottling. I highly recommend it. It keeps everything much more sanitary when bottling and is easy. For my first batch, I tried to pour the kombucha in my 1-gallon jar into a bottle using a funnel. It was a REAL pain. Would never do it again. Here's a link to the auto-siphon and a video so you can see how amazing it is. Autosiphon However.... if you want to save money and buy the exact SAME thing for slightly cheaper ($16.95 currently with free shipping), buy it here. You want to get the Size: Mini 3/8", No Clamp, and "Add 5." The Add 5 is 5 feet of tubing so when you get it, I recommend cutting it in half to be 2-2.5 feet of tubing.

For the 2nd fermentation to create carbonation, which isn't necessary but some prefer it, I buy swing-top bottles. I bought mines at TJ Maxx for about $2 each (1 Liter since that's all they had). It might seem difficult to open if you don't know how to, but once you know how, it's super easy.

Sorry if this seems a bit out of order, but I hope I explained a lot. Kombucha Kamp is a great resource and I do believe in not refrigerating scobies. If you take a break from brewing, just add some fresh tea + sugar (same ratio as making kombucha) and let it sit, checking up on it every so often to make sure it doesn't evaporate. I've done it personally for about 2 months and my kombucha was fine (took about 5 days longer to brew, but its fine). I wouldn't refrigerate the scoby because I heard it can grow mold if you do. By the way, mold is fuzzy, green, or black. If you have any concerns about it being moldy, please look at pictures online of kombucha scobies before throwing a batch out. When I first started, the early formations of scoby (blotchy on the surface) made me think it was molded, but it wasn't :)

You may get a dud batch or two taste-wise. If this happens, just remove about 50-75% of the liquid and put new tea+sugar water. Practice makes perfect, yet sometimes humidity/temperature levels can cause a dud (strong sulfur taste... thankfully it was just one batch).

I hope this helps! There are so many resources online and once you get it started, it's as easy as just refilling the 1 gallon (or 2 gallon) jar with more tea+sugar water and waiting for it to ferment.

---**edited to replace cheesecloth with tightly-woven cloth. Personally, I use a tea towel. A cheesecloth may have holes big enough to allow fruit flies to come in. Also added that all tea (tea+ sugar) that will be contact with the kombucha scoby must be cooled down to room temperature or it may kill the scoby.

GUYS. People with eczema tend to overexfoliate just from scratching. It's usually extremely unhelpful to exfoliate when you have active eczema. Keep in mind that just using a washcloth is exfoliation, and you don't have to be harsh with it. Taking more skin off is only hurting your ability to heal, not only getting rid of flakes. Those will mostly come off with just regular washing. This overexfoliation is so bad that my dermatologist specifically told me not to use AHAs (a type of chemical exfoliant) or any kind of scrubs. They only take you steps back in your skin's ability to heal and retain moisture.

Things that I've found really help:

Immediately (if you're about to walk into class or work) - Put an ointment or a salve on it. I like Albolene, Vaseline (unscented), Aquaphor, and this stuff(it does smell a bit botanical, though). I find Aquaphor to be the best because it lasts the longest, has moisturizing ingredients, and you can get it in a travel-friendly tube. Reapply as necessary. Go to the restroom after a couple hours and pat some water from the faucet into your skin. Cover with more. You will be shiny, but you won't be shedding on people.

Eczema is characterized by transdermal water loss ([Wikipedia])http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atopic_dermatitis)). That means that your skin is always losing water. I find that putting a good, thick, unscented cream on over drenched skin is the best. While it's "setting in," I pat more water into it. Many heavy creams nowadays have humectants and an ingredient called hyaluronic acid. These bond with the water in the skin, keeping it there. Our skin is so incredibly dry that these ingredients bond to whatever water is in our skin, and keep it there. We need to introduce more and more to make sure that we can stay properly hydrated.

How to know if you are properly hydrated: pat your skin. If you feel like some skin is sticking to your fingers, you are hydrated. If you pat your skin and it stays where it is (even if it is as smooth as marble), it is dehydrated.

I've found a lot of success with this Hada Labo (extremely popular in Japan) hyaluronic acid product that I use as a toner to hold moisture in and this Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Mask as a rich cream (says "mask," but that's just because most people can't tolerate that many emollients in a leave-on product).

If you really want to exfoliate, I've found some good success with Gold Bond CoQ10/Men's Essentials (same product, different packaging). It has urea in it, which is moisture-bonding as well as dead skin sloughing. In this product, it is strong enough to provide a sloughing effect while still being acceptable to our kind of skin, as well as having some great moisturizing ingredients.

Another way to safely exfoliate would be to cover your damp skin in a thick coat of Vaseline or Albolene, and after about a half hour, use thick paper/cardstock or an old credit card to scrape off the excess. It should be cloudy -- that's dead skin. Don't go too hard, and don't do it more than once a day. Make sure to moisturize super hard afterwards (plugging patting in more water between layers again!!).

Good luck! I know how embarrassing shedding can be. I almost didn't share a bed with my SO for the first time because I was scared that I would wake up and have covered the bed in white flecks. Good luck! Let me know how it turns out.

I got all my info from websites and podcasts for free. After being Paleo six months I bought Robb Wolf's book out of gratitude,.. as pretty much everything was free online.

Source I like;

http://robbwolf.com
and

http://chriskresser.com
and


http://www.marksdailyapple.com
probably good for recipes;

http://everydaypaleo.com

If you like podcasts - try the guys above and then also look into ThisWeekInPaleo. He has changed the name a few times but all the content is good.

You may need to show some of this to your mom if she is going to be cooking,.. mainly because she may still believe that saturated fat is good, grains are bad as the government has been telling us wrongly for so many decades.

Cooking is actually easy if you learn to simplify and trust your food.

Here is nearly every recipe you need to get started;

1. Buy good protein from a local farm if you can;
   grass fed beef, lamb, bison, find a local farm that sells real chicken (so good!)
   
   
2. Buy local veggies from a local farm market.
   
   
3. Get a slow cooker. This is the first one that came up in google don't know if it is a good one.
   
   
   
4. Place meat and veggies in slow cooker, add salt, add water or broth, turn on, go to work/school.
   
   
5. Come home, eat.
   
   
   Here is every other recipie you need to get started;
   
6. Buy good protein from a local farm if you can; grass fed beef, lamb, bison, find a local farm that sells real chicken (so good!)
   
   
7. Buy local veggies from a local farm market.
   
   
8. Buy good butter (or if not using dairy) buy coconut oil.
   
   
9. Put butter and meat in iron pan on low-ish heat until it is pretty much cooked. (your mom has an old one she no longer uses on a high shelf. ;)
   
   
10. Add veggies for a bit.
    
    
11. Eat.
    
    

• The morale is that people think cooking is hard because we think it is complicated. But once you are cooking simple paleo foods - every recipie (until you decide to experiment) is basically; combine Meat, Veg, Fat and Heat - then Eat.
  
  If this experiment works for you let me know if you think of it. Or if anything works. Luckily my skin issues are minor compared to most people - but I would love to find ways to improve them without drug/steroid interventions.

A few years ago I moved to Southern California to live on the beach so that I'd have stable weather. Even though about 75% of my symptoms have cleared up (Success story w/ helpful info here https://www.reddit.com/r/eczema/comments/5ahk4z/at_30_years_of_age_i_was_finally_able_to_find_a/) once and a while I still have flare ups.

I just got back from a trip in the mountains where the temperature dropped down to below -20c at night. It was very dry extreme conditions. I survived for about 5 days, just barely. I've taken a photo just out of the shower where you can see my skin is starting to become very red (no steroid use either). I want to show all the other guys that have similar problems how I make it through a flare up without having the embarrassment of an extremely red face and neck. The light in the photo somewhat exaggerates the "tan" color on my face. A second application of the moisturizer detailed below would smooth over those areas that are still red and flaky.

I've tried many other products to try to calm my face or to try and hide the redness. None have worked. To hide the red face many products try to use green tint to neutralize the color, but it ends up turning your face into a ghostly white color that you probably will get many more comments on than a red face that most people assume is from too much sun.

I use bareMinerals tinted moisturizer cream. It is sold as a "complexion rescue". It sells for $25-35 (http://amzn.to/2jrKSOt) in the USA and one bottle with daily use is good for about 3-6 months. They have different levels of tint depending on your skin tone. I'm somewhat fair skinned so I use "02 vanilla" which seems to be fairly popular. http://i.imgur.com/d8oEdko.jpg

As you can see in the picture you can use a smoothing brush ($20-30 http://amzn.to/2jrQGI0) to help apply the moisturizer. You put a few drops on your hand. http://i.imgur.com/nyXhMbE.jpg

Then you dab the brush in the moisturizer and make a swirling motion to apply it. I noticed that I use much less of the moisturizer when using the brush because it spreads it out into a smooth thin layer on top of my skin.

I would suggest you going to a bareminerals store, or go to the bareminerals website and find out which stores sell their products (they are sold worldwide). If you go to a bareminerals store they will help you find the correct shade of tint. They can also supply you with a 1-2 week sample that you can take home so you can try the product to make sure your skin will not have a reaction.

I have very sensitive skin, but I wouldn't classify my skin as the most sensitive. The moisturizer really doesn't moisturize the skin that much, so it is best if you take a shower, apply your moisturizer, and then let that sink in for a few minutes before applying. The tinted moisturizer in my opinion is very light weight and does not sting.

You will noticed in the photo that after applying there are still some red spots. After the tinted moisturizer has dried I put some Aquaphor on those areas and mix in some of the tinted moisturizer. With the finishing brush I can also get my ears, neck, and a bit more into my beard. If you see my face in natural daylight it is very hard to tell unless you are within a few feet that I might have anything on my skin. The light in my bathroom does seem to make it look more than that it is. I could probably use a second thin coating of moisturizer to help smooth out the colors. One application typically lasts for about 6-8 hours before you need to reapply.

If anyone asks I just tell them I have a tinted sunscreen that I use because I get burned easily and it hides my sunburns and/or it gives me a little color.

Hey there! I have eczema on my hands, arms, neck, and legs and I have found that regular soap irritates my hands because it dries out my skin so bad to the point of cracking. So I make it a point to never use soap that is offered in public bathrooms. I bring my own soap.

I use a vegetable glycerin soap that I buy off Amazon and I put some in a small travel size bottle and take it with me everywhere. It is completely natural and unscented and doesn't have SLS or SLES in it. See the link below

Clearly Natural Liquid Hand Soap, Unscented, 3 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FU1ZAJK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_buC6yb3F2G70E

When I first switched to it I automatically noticed a difference. When I use it to wash my hands my hands feel like they retained some moisture and doesn't feel like my skin will break/crack. It doesn't foam and you don't need to use very much of it either.

If I ever forget my soap and am stuck with using public bathroom soap I always make sure to moisturize right after. I find going for the heavier stuff works better. Some stuff you can try are: Shea Butter, Waxelene (natural alternative to Vaseline), Cocoa butter, etc. However, I understand the annoyance with using such heavy things because this stuff gets everywhere you touch Lol. So I usually use CeraVe Moisturizing Cream right after. Its heavy, but not as heavy as the stuff I listed before, it also doesn't get everywhere and soaks into the skin quite nicely. I don't ever recommend Lotions just because they just aren't moisturizing enough to penetrate deep into the skin.

Also, even with my glycerin soap I make it a habit to moisturize right after. That's basically the key.

Another tip is to use CeraVe Cream during the day (multiple times if needed) and at night shower right before you sleep and immediately put Vitamin E oil (essential skin vitamin) on and then Shea Butter on top of that. I would recommend brushing your teeth before you shower so that the oil and butter don't get everywhere.

This has basically been my regimen since I stopped using my steroid creams and I feel like the vitamin E at night is what helps the most on top of layering the different oils/moisturizers. It will also help heal your eczema albeit kinda slow since its not a steroid cream. Also, you will probably be sick of hearing this, but try really hard to not scratch/itch.

This was probably a long post and I may have given you way more info than you needed. I typed all this on my phone so I hope it makes sense and that it can be helpful to you. Feel free to PM me if you need me to clarify anything. Have fun on your trip! :)

The sticker chart is definitely something that worked really well for me and my younger sister who also suffers from eczema. Its a great skill builder!

I'll have to call my mom to get specific amounts, but I'm pretty sure the answer is 'add more until it works' we used to call it 'myname oatmeal' because it always smelled like breakfast oatmeal in my bath. :p About 1 cup of plain oatmeal dumped into a regular bath (half full tub, ish) and 1/2 cup to a full cup of powdered milk. More or less, depending on if I had a breakout, and how severe it was. On the topic of oats, Aveeno has a colloidial (collodial??) oatmeal moisturizer (the one with the pink pumpcap) that works AMAZING for soothing my eczema, especially on my back. [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Aveeno-Eczema-Therapy-Treatment-Count/dp/B001E96LBI) also works really well!

If you can't get ahold of powdered milk, whole milk or goat milk with do as well, just make sure the water is cool enough not to curdle it.

Make sure you use a drain catcher for an oat bath, coz thats a goopy mess for the drains, for sure.

Check to see what kinds of treatment is in the pools - bromide and chlorine have always reacted horribly for me, but saltwater was fine, as were lakes and natural water.

You can make a Bath Bag to float around in the tub, using cheesecloth or cotton fabric - might be a more fun way to give an oatmeal bath. All you do is pour some oatmeal, powdered milk and epsom salt (if thats something you want to try) into the center of a square piece of fabric, then draw the four corners together and tied them off to make a baggie. (You can also scent these with essential oil like lavendar or other smelly goodness)

It's called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). Searching /r/skincareaddiction for PIH gives heaps of hits, and then it's just a case of excluding advice which includes potential irritants.

The most regularly recommended products are sunscreen (to prevent further darkening - sunlight will not help) and alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). AHA isn't suitable for use on active inflammation. I have rosacea so I can't use it, even though I'd love to. I have a very pale skin with both rosacea and eczema. I have PIH AND post-inflammmatory erythema (PIE). I've had success with hyper-moisturisation and year-round daily sunscreen use. I am taking tips from /r/asianbeauty. Today my face is super moist and pale, after using:

PM (yesterday)

• Mineral oil cleanse - Apply mineral oil, wipe off with tissue
  
• Snowbang Essence by Holy Snails - Essence containing ceramides. Squirt a little on hands and wipe across face.
  
• Shark Sauce by Holy Snails - Distribute all over face, just a small amount is required. Super humectant. Contains niacinamide and N-Acetyl Glucosamine to fight PIH. Doesn't contain sharks.
  
• Hada Labo Gokujyun Moisturising Lotion - Distribute all over face. Allow to dry a bit so it won't wipe off when applying cream
  
• La Roche Posay Lipikar AP+ - High in niacinamide, super moisturising. Mildly sticky after application but does mostly dry. I've learned to sleep on my back instead of my face, haha.
  
  AM
  
  
• Wash face with water, gently
  
• Hada Labo Gokujyun as above
  
• La Roche Posay Lipikar AP+ but only a small amount. Allow to soak in for a min or so
  
• Invisible Zinc Environmental Skin Protector (cosdna) - Three pumps for face and neck, including ears. If it's still white, keep rubbing it in gently. Dries to a nice matte finish for makeup application. Physical sunscreen only, no chemical filters.
  
  My skin has never looked better, and I am so happy I found out a little about skin science and skin food. It's helpful to know which ingredients are working to improve my skin.
  
  EDIT: Switched Shark Sauce and Snowbang Essense to be before Gokujyun, because that's actually the way I apply it.

Thanks a million for your comment, /u/slowbrofl. I read a lot of the posts to this subreddit the night before posting my own, and stumbled upon these comments of yours from five months ago.

I subscribe to such subreddits as /r/GetDisciplined in an attempt to live a lifestyle such as yours, and not because of my eczema. To think that it may improve my eczema is additional motivation.

I'm not going to reply to every point in your comment individually because there are so many. Rather, I wish to tell you that I'm extremely grateful for your having included so many, and for having taken the time to try to help me.

You seem like a psychonaut, so it seems fitting to tell you about this book: Shedding the Layers: How Ayahuasca Saved More Than My Skin. I've yet to read it, but it's about a fellow who uses ayahuasca to treat his eczema.

Again, thanks a million for your comment, /u/slowbrofl. I wish you the very best.

Allow me to hopefully assist you since I've had this exact problem in the past (and not just on my hands). I'm by no means a doctor, but for the past few months after I started my homeopathic treatment my condition has improved drastically. Education and diet is your best weapon.

I feel you, this is by far one of the worst eczema symptoms possible. I have had this type of severe eczema on my hands for years. It intensifies during the summer and with periods of stress. Steroid creams rarely help on your hands, but I will show you in point 2 which ones have helped me in the past. Proper treatment consists of looking for triggers and helping the problem resolve itself naturally. Eczema is an indicator that something is wrong inside of your body. The problem won't go away overnight so don't expect a miracle cure in this post. I will however give you some valuable suggestions:

1. Look at what has changed in your diet and life. A period of stress? Find a way to fix this on the long term. Meditation and sleep helps me a lot. Now look at your diet. You said yourself that the blisters come from underneath. Have you been eating certain foods more often than usual? I am a firm believer that diet plays one of the biggest roles in eczema. Take a look at this book (I obtained a pdf online). To summarize, you must find out what foods trigger your eczema, and take them out of your diet. It takes up to 4 days for your digestive system to clear, so you need to work carefully to spot your problem foods. The most common foods tend to be wheat, eggs, tomato, milk, potatoes, alcohol, and chocolate. Depending on how serious you are about treating your condition, start cutting those foods out of your diet to start fixing the problem from the inside. You will notice a difference. Get an allergy test, if you haven't already. While it's not 100% accurate, it still might give you a more accurate guideline than the foods I've listed.
   
   
2. Moisturize. If you have recently changed shampoo and soaps in the house, switch back to whatever worked for you. Don't let your skin dry out, so find a moisturizer that works for you. When my condition was bad, I would use various Aveeno baby products (less flour base in the baby variants). You can also take a look at CeraVe and Cetaphil. The steroid creams will offer you a quick fix but these damage your skin and thin it out. Second, when your body absorbs the cortisone it will start to crave it like a drug and you will need to apply higher doses. The creams that have worked the best for this purpose on my part are Clobetasol and Betaderm 0.5%~1%. Dangerous stuff. I recommend you find a natural cream that works best for you. I know that means experimenting. I currently apply a bit of coconut oil to my hands if they get dry after a shower or bath.
   
   
3. Baths and more stuff. See what works for you. Many people report sea salt baths reduce inflammation. I currently take tea tree oil baths. I don't feel like retyping a lot of information so if you're more interested on the matter check my previous post. Hopefully that should get you started.
   
   
4. I have started taking more oil supplements, and it seems to help even more. Moisturizing from the inside out is the best way to combat dry skin. 2 tablespoons of Fish Oil in the morning and 2 Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil tablespoons in the evening. I am also taking 2x Olive Leaf extract capsules daily. I read that PH levels are linked to eczema activity so I drink 2 cups of a apple cider vinegar mixture (morning and night) which consist of 1 tablespoon vinegar and one teaspoon of natural raw honey dissolved in water. The taste sucks so I plug my nose and chase it with filtered water.
   
   Right now I do everything I can (refer to my previous post if you haven't looked already) so feel free to copy any of my methods and see what works for you. Change your diet right away, and if you don't see immediate relief in a week PM me to say I'm a fool. Do try everything else though, you should see changes. I know this subreddit isn't a wealth of information but hopefully my input with the help of other redditors can give you advice that works for you. There is no "one cure" that if effective for everyone. There is a deficiency or toxicity issue in your body which is causing the eczema. I am always looking out for new information on here and in my literature so PM me anytime if you need help. Living with eczema is tough, and after 20 years of suffering I only decided recently to start taking it seriously. There is no "cure" but you can definitely reduce or eliminate some or all of your symptoms. Listen to what your body is telling you and don't forget to drink lots of water!
   
   Best of luck to you.

>When you say those treatments (bleach baths, uv...etc) didn't help long term, do you mean that you used those treatments consistently and they stopped being effective? Like your skin got tolerant or something?

Exactly like that. I now have everything on rotation. When my skin flares, I go through an ever growing list of interventions that I try. I add a new 'something' every few months or so.

>I feel for your mom to try and keep searching for the answer. It's what a mom does...we want the best for our kids and I believe our search for answers and cures is how they come to be.

I feel for her, too, especially now that I'm an adult. Her intentions were always good. But that doesn't translate well to a child and definitely not to a teenager! I think she bore just as much of a burden, if not more, than I did. She is of the mindset that if something isn't going your way, it is because you, personally, are not trying hard enough/being good enough. (I don't know, maybe its a Catholic thing.) Don't internalize this. You only have control over the interventions, not the actual condition of your daughter's skin.

Here are some random things that I have found to help, in case you'd like to give them a try (though, your post makes it seem like your daughter is quite young, so some of these might not help):

• Swimming was a great sport for me, growing up. It was hard being athletic when sweating would send me into an itching frenzy. The chlorine from the pool acted like a bleach bath, the sweat was instantly washed away, and it is fantastic exercise.
  
  
• Don't forget about 'natural' medicine. Coconut and almond oil are a godsend. If you don't mind yellow-dyed skin, so is turmeric (but it burns, fair warning). Local, unpasteurized honey can help inoculate her against allergens present in her environment when eaten regularly. Calendula has also helped me. And tea tree oil! (Also burns, though.)
  
  
• Foods that contain glycoalkaloids tend to give me a hard time. These are nightshades... Tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, raw potato (peeling potatoes does horrible things to my hands), goji berries, etc.
  
  
• This is one of my favorite recent discoveries: https://www.amazon.com/LEE-PHARMACEUTICAL-CO-Petersons-Ointment/dp/B000V7VZ7O It has an anti-itch, a numbing agent, and an antiseptic. It stings, though, so might not be suitable for a young child.
  
  
• Where I currently live, the water that comes out of the faucet does horrible things to my skin. This wasn't the case growing up, but now I have a filter on my shower head and it has made a world of difference. So that is something you could consider.
  
  
• I take Benadryl. Zyrtec/Claritin are not strong enough to do any good.
  
  
• Animal products never did my skin any favors. I don't eat meat and rarely dairy. (Can't seem to give up eggs, though.) Anything I can eliminate that stresses my body, I do.
  
  
• I drink a ton of water and keep the humidity in my house at about 60% (any higher and it creates an ideal environment for mold and dust mites).
  
  

My son's hospital-based allergy clinic "double wraps".

Follow the bath advice already given here, then moisturize.

Edit: Below I talk about Tubifast products (here in .au). The Wrap E Soothe suits look (visually) similar ( http://www.amazon.com/Wrap-E-Soothe-Top-4-Years/dp/B00H0G7AYG ) -- Tubifast: http://www.molnlycke.co.uk/dermatology-scar-treatment/tubifast-garments/#confirm

Follow that with two layers of wrapping. The first layer should be wet - soak your wrappings and then wring them out tightly and apply. Over the top apply a second layer of wrappings which are dry. The wet layer helps keep the moisturizer on the skin and absorb better. The dry layer helps keep the bed, the couch, the ... everything from getting wet.

This is what we have been doing for over a year with our son and the difference was life-changing for him. He used to be covered in eczema head to toe all the time, now his skin is generally in good condition with just the baths every day and moisturising and tight fit cotton pyjamas. When his skin does flare we apply the wet and dry wraps. The difference in one night for him is remarkable.

The children's hospital supplies us with Epaderm ointment to use as his moisturiser. Because it is very thick, we generally use Cetaphil lotion for day to day when his skin is under control and then go to the Epaderm when his skin needs assistance.

The hospital also supplies Tubifast products for the wraps. We use a long sleeve "vest" and "leggings" that are basically stretchy bandages sewn to the shape of regular clothes. We use one layer wet, then a second pair dry over the top, then cotton pyjamas over the top of that. Because we are in a hot and humid climate most of the year, we usually use just the wet layer and then the pyjamas as the three layers is too hot.

The hospital also supplies Tubifast roll bandages that we cut to the length of his arms and legs and roll them on dry over the wet vest and leggings. This is amazingly effective at clearing eczema quickly, but after the first few weeks of the hospital's treatment plan, we have found it unnecessary since his eczema is dramatically better all-year-round.

To be clear, we put him to bed with wet wraps and pyjamas. It doesn't bother him at all. The vest and pants nature of the tubifast garments means its very difficult for him to cause any damage to his skin during the night with unaware scratching.

At the very beginning the baths and wraps were twice a day. Morning bath, wraps all day, bath at night, wraps at night.

Of course as someone already mentioned, you have to be certain of the root cause of the eczema, for which proper allergy testing is required. Find the cause and minimize or avoid it where possible and things should get better.

For us it turned out to be some foods and (primarily) dust mites, the main problem being the bed he sleeps in and the carpets at school. The bed we dealt with by using special matress covers and at school he never sits on the carpet any more.

If any of what I've mentioned is interesting to you, poke around on my past comment history.

I hope things get better for your daughter.

[these ones are pink but I have seen white ones too](Clean Ones Pure Comfort Latex Free Vinyl Gloves - Medium 6pr https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009H8GAWI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_YFXRybBG66DPB)

They usually have some at Walmart and other stores. The "Clean Ones" brand tends to be the cheapest that I can find, around $2-$4 for a pair. They last me several months before I feel like I want to replace them.

Edit: I don't think that link is working. They are Clean Ones latex free, they come in small medium and large.

I've had great luck with this Alba Botanica Maximum dry skin lotion. Pretty much what you're looking for. Works pretty well except for my really rough spots (I use Aquaphor for that) and, more importantly to me, doesn't feel gross to use like Eucerin or Cerave Cream.

> Citric acid

This is a pretty odd sensitivity (in my opinion). Are you sure he flares up more when he has anything citrus-y?

I have a similar problem and my husband has been very supportive. If he sees me scratching he will take my hands and hold them. He also draws oatmeals baths for me and sits with me while I soak.

I've used a lot of products over the years that did not help with my itching but I will recommend these two as excellent and worth a try:

Aveeno Bath Oatmeal

Goldbond Eczema Relief Lotion

The Goldbond is the best eczema lotion I have ever used and does not have steroid in it.

Make sure she sees a doctor as soon as she can to find out her triggers and eliminate them from her environment. Mine turned out to be animal dander, cleaning chemicals, and perfumes/fragrances in soaps. It required quite a lifestyle change but now I only have rate flare ups that I can usually nip in the bus by not scratching. Good luck.

There's a Vice documentary and also the Wim Hof book Becoming the Iceman. Both are decent resources but lean a bit towards inspiration / self-help more than the specific method; I found both pretty useful. Wim Hof has also done quite a few interviews which aren't hard to find. The Joe Rogan show did a good interview. There's also a decent subreddit /r/becomingtheiceman but it's not too active.

If you're just interested in the technique, this video does a decent job explaining the breathing method. There's also a decent explanation on Wim's website here.

For me, I went semi-paleo. I hike at least once a week (each one minimum 8 miles roundtrip), so on those days, there's absolutely no way to avoid eating carbs (or else I'd collapse halfway through the hike).

Aside from the hiking days where I load up on breakfast burritos and sandwiches, my meals are typically:

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Guacamole. Decaf coffee with blackstrap molasses as the sweetener.
Lunch: Chicken or Beef with a huge serving of Broccoli sautéed with onions and mushrooms
Dinner: Huge serving of sautéed spinach and smoked salmon (or salmon sashimi)
Snacks: Sunflower Seeds. Pistachos. Carrots. Cucumbers. Hummus. Roasted yams/sweet potatoes.

A few notes:
It's not coffee itself that will flare up the eczema, it's caffeine. Coffee is wonderfully nutritious, so just grab the decaf. If you exercise 4-5 days out of the week, your energy levels will be just fine and you won't need caffeinated beverages to keep you awake.

I typically will bbq the chicken or beef, and I'll switch between a simple dry rub (salt, pepper, cayenne) and coating it in sunflower oil. When I'm lazy, I'll grab the rotisserie whole chicken from Costco for $5 and split it up into 2-3 meals.

Spinach shrinks like no other when it's cooked, so I usually sauté those pre-washed 1lbs bags, which is just enough for one serving. For the broccoli, the 1 lbs bags are usually good for 2-3 servings.

I've spent alot of time figuring out what I can and shouldn't eat. When I first started my new diet, my first week consisted of roasted chicken or some kind of fish with broccoli or spinach. Breakfast, lunch, dinner was just some combination of those 4 items. Then I threw in decaf coffee. Ok, solid, nothing bad after a few days. Threw in green tea. Again, nothing bad after a few days. Eggs - cool. Then I just kept adding things and played the elimination game until I had general categories of what I could eat fine and what I could eat that would cause flare-ups.

Although, I will admit, I do cheat ALOT (cheesecake, for example, is my kryptonite even though the dairy and excess sugar flare me up pretty bad). And my typical menu looks limited, but it's really because I'm cheap and lazy. I also love going to all you can eat Indian buffets where I'll load up on the spinach daal, curried cauliflower and carrots, and the tandoori chicken -- no flare ups, and I can pig out on the cheap!

You'll also want to look up "black strap molasses" and how naturally nutritious it is. Acne and Eczema sufferers have reported some good results, and I'm happy to say that it hasn't had any negative side effects for me. I also have gone a bit hippie and drink Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar everyday (plenty of blogs and threads here on Reddit about that).

Edit: Another thing, I'm so lazy when it comes to cooking. I use this pan, and the lid is perfect for steaming/sautéing the veggies. Then throw in half of the store-bought rotisserie chicken, and I've got the lazy man's lunch/dinner. I like paying a bit more for sashimi-grade salmon/ahi tuna because I can eat it raw and not have to cook it! Eggs are also really fast to cook, and I buy the pre-made guac.

Looks like my lip eczema. When you run your tongue on it, is it bumpy? Does it sometimes get thick enough to peel off in a big scab? If so, it’s like mine. try this:
Dr. Dans CortiBalm Lip Balm Patented Formula 0.14 Ounces (3-Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EXPRM7C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_RPmzCbD0KV6B4

I know I sound like a commercial, but it’s the first and only thing that nips it in the bud for me. I keep one at work, one in my purse, and one in my medicine cabinet. When I feel the patch starting, I start using it and it stops it within a day and a half (once in the morning and once at night). My dermatologist told me about it and I’m in love with it. I would buy stock in it if I could.

You can consider using a shower filter, which also works well for my hair. I have used this product and it is still in use. It works well.

https://www.amazon.com/Output-Universal-Replaceable-Multi-Stage-Cartridge/dp/B07G53XQBR/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1536285292&sr=8-12&keywords=skywee

I buy it from Amazon, I've never noticed it in a store. Although I just googled it and it looks like riteaid and Wal-Mart carry it. I buy this one with the pump on it: https://www.amazon.com/Vanicream-Skin-Cream-Pump-Dispenser/dp/B000NWGCZ2

I have pretty severe eye eczema and recently my dermatologist suggested Vanicream. Glycerin is a common facial skin allergy for people with eczema, and it looks like it’s in the Cetaphil gel.

Gold bond also makes one, but I've never tried it.

https://www.amazon.com/Gold-Bond-Ultimate-Eczema-Protectant/dp/B00GIHMOGW