Eczema is characterized by itchy, scaly, red patches, as well as tiny, fluid-filled blisters. Eczema may occur at any place on the body, but primarily on the ears, hands, feet and legs. Seborrheic dermatitis, or dandruff, is characterized by greasy, scaly and flaky skin on the scalp. Certain natural products can be effective alternative medicine treatments for eczema and seborrheic dermatitits.
Zinc
Children with eczema have been shown in research to have significantly lower blood levels of the trace mineral zinc than children without eczema. In addition, in 1984 the British Journal of Dermatology published research on adults showing a similar relationship, but oral supplementation with zinc rapidly reduced symptoms. Likewise, research published in a Hungarian scientific journal demonstrated that after oral treatment with zinc, eczema cleared up in children, too.
Gamma Linolenic Acid
The main dietary essential fatty acid is linoleic acid. It must be converted into another fatty acid called gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) to be fully utilized by the body. Unfortunately, an impaired ability to make this conversion exists in some people. Apparently, many people with eczema have this impaired ability. The result is that they not only lack GLA, but that lack is actually a major causative factor in eczema. Consequently, it is no surprise that a meta-analysis of research published in the British Journal of Dermatology in 1989 found that oral treatment with evening primrose oil (EPO), a natural source of GLA, was effectively able to treat eczema. Furthermore, in 1993 the British Journal of Dermatology also demonstrated that within one to three weeks the topical application of borage seed oil (another natural source of GLA) helped heal infantile seborrheic dermatitis.
Aloe Vera
The aloe vera plant is well known for its topical healing abilities, especially for burns. Topical application of aloe has also been shown to help seborrheic dermatitis. This was demonstrated in a six-week, double-blind study (the gold standard of scientific research) conducted by Israeli researchers and published in 1999 in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment, where 30 percent crude aloe emulsion or a placebo cream was applied twice daily to patients with seborrheic dermatitis. The result was that 62 percent of patients using aloe vera experienced improvements in scaling and itching, while only 25 percent of the patients in the placebo group experienced any benefit.
