Thanks to nbw for creating a great eczema treatment product and for providing a free sample to one of my readers!

Today they published a list of the 12 best Skin Disorder Blogs of 2012 and guess, what, eczemacontagius.net was included on the list! As quoted by Tracy Rosecrans,

“For eczema advice with a side dose of humor, you need look no further. Is Eczema Contagious? offers support, sarcasm, and a regular reminder that eczema treatment and healing is the common goal of eczema patients everywhere. This blogger reasons that the more people with eczema band together, the better their future will be.

Stop by for treatment advice, incisive reviews of the evidence behind suspected eczema causes and cures, and a healthy supply of wit. Kim Wilbur is out to make a difference, and her fabulous blog is an excellent start.”

How very exciting! It’s great to be recognized and I only hope that I can help other eczema sufferers out there deal with this terrible and frustrating skin disease. Thanks to Healthline.com and be sure to visit the complete listing of winners at http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/best-skin-disorder-blogs#1.

I have been using Natural Balance Wellness, aka nbw, Magic Marigold Body Butter for the past two weeks and have been very happy with the way it soothes my skin, eczema and all. The product is both paraben and petroleum free and is made with non-GMO ingredients and several of the components are also certified organic.

When I first opened the jar I was a bit hesitant. I usually am not a huge fan of using a thick cream or body butter during the summertime because usually they are very heavy and make me feel oily and weighed down. I live in the South, in North Carolina so our summers can be stupid hot and extremely humid and basically you sweat as soon as you walk out of the a/c.  Much to my surprise, after using the body butter I did not feel like I was slimy nor had an added layer or film on my skin as I have with other products. I applied the butter immediately after showering and left my skin slightly damp and was shocked how quickly it absorbed into my skin. It instantly softened my rough patches and soothed my eczema scarred areas.

The Marigold Body Butter also has a very light and fresh scent and kept my skin moisturized for the entire day. I applied it to my hand eczema several times through the day because as we all know, with constant washing and drying it is super easy to become quickly inflamed and end up with quite a rash. The body butter did a great job preventing any eczema flare ups and made my hands exceptionally soft and very happy!

Ingredient List

Aqua/Water, *Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) Seed oil infused with *Calendula officinalis (Organic Calendula), Emulsifying Wax NF (vegetable based), Cera Alba (unbleached beeswax), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Glycerine (vegetable), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, *Citrus sinensis (Organic Sweet Orange Essential oil) Phenoxyethanol (and) Caprylyl Glycol (as preserve), Matricaria recutita (Chamomile) Flower Extract

*denotes certified organic ingredient

As stated by nbw, “Marigold is another term for Calendula, a very healing herb. Our Marigold Magic butter contains organic Sweet Orange essential oil, and organic Calendula infusion. Sweet Orange is a skin softener. Calendula is skin healing.  Our Marigold Magic body butter is especially excellent for irritated and extra-dry skin.” I completely agree and the cream is excellent for not only eczema but for dry skin in general. My husband used it a few times at bedtime and was pleased with how the butter brought the moisture back to his hands.

Eczema treatment products and eczema creams are popping up like crazy these days so there is an overwhelming number to choose from. I would highly recommend this product to anyone with eczema symptoms and I would imagine that the other nbw products would be great to try as well. The Magic Marigold Body Butter is available for $19.50 plus shipping for a 215ml / 7.3 fl.oz jar. They offer a full line of bar soaps, body butters, body lotions, scrubs, body washes facial products, lip care and outdoor products and you can find them at http://www.nbw.ca.

Great news, nbw has agreed to provide a full size sample for free including to shipping to a lucky reader here in the US or Canada. The winner will be picked at random. In order to win, you must share this post via Facebook, Twitter or on your own blog. You must leave a comment below stating you have done so as well as list the worst place you get eczema on your body. The winner will be announced here on August 10^th so make sure to get entered right away! Don’t forget to subscribe to my RSS feed so that you can make sure to be notified that you’re the winner.

Thanks to nbw for creating a great eczema treatment product and for providing a free sample to one of my readers!

Going to the beach also has an added benefit for me since I have eczema. The salt water really helps to soothe my eczema and I swear it really helps to reduce the inflammation and the itch especially if I follow a couple important steps which I will discuss later.

Salt water soaks are not a new treatment for reducing eczema symptoms. They have been used for decades and were once recommended as an eczema treatment before any prescription drugs were provided to sufferers. And I would say for good reason since most people would prefer the natural eczema treatment route rather than using steroid creams or lotions. A study performed back in 2005 published in the International Journal of Dermatology reported that people suffering from eczema experienced an almost immediate benefit from taking a dip into the ocean. Hallelujah and AMEN!! Just make sure that you don’t have any open wounds when diving in, stated Johannes Ring who wrote the Handbook of Atopic Eczema. He reported that the sea water is only effective when there are no open wounds on the body. I would imagine this would sting and probably have an adverse reaction.

Why is salt water a good eczema treatment? Well the exact reason is not quite clear but a couple of theories exist. Johannes Ring believes that it is not necessarily just the salt water but also the sun exposure as well. Others claim that the magnesium content in the water may lessen the dryness and soothe the skin. Do I really need to know WHY salt water helps treat eczema? Nope, as long as it helps and I firmly believe that it does. And if you are wondering what to do if a beach is not close to your zip code, well the answer is easy; create your own ocean. Pour a cup of Epsom salt into warm bath water and Voilà, it’s your own private ocean. (Just close your eyes and imagine the crash of the waves, the smell of the real salt air, the sun beating down on you, and the hotties running by). Well you get my drift and no it is not as great as being at the beach but hopefully your skin will feel better afterwords. My recommendation after the salt soak would be to rinse off with plain water and a mild soap, lightly pat your skin dry and liberally apply your favorite cream or lotion.

So if you do get to jump into the ocean and play in the waves, how do you make sure that the salt water remains beneficial in your eczema treatment? Simple answer and the most important step I always follow – rinse off! Now I usually do this only as I leave the beach not after every time I exit the ocean, but if you want to spend half your day in the public beach showers, by all means enjoy. Not sure if this would make the salt water any more effective but it could perhaps. Occasionally I don’t shower until after I get home from the beach and I haven’t noticed a big difference, but I would recommend getting the salt off sooner rather than later. And remember the quintessential eczema bathing rules: use a mild soap, pat dry and liberally apply a good cream or lotion to ensure your skin is well moisturized. This is my regular post beach routine and I personally swear by it. (But if it doesn’t work for you, I am very sorry!)

Now go hit the ocean/bathtub for some of you (sorry) and let me know if you notice any benefits or issues. Happy summer!

According to Wikipedia it is also called n-butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) or benzyl butyl phthalate, which is a phthalate, mostly used as a plasticizer for PVC and is considered to be a toxicant. BBzP is often used in vinyl flooring, artificial leather and other materials, and can be slowly released into the air in homes.

Buyer Beware of Faux Leather!

The study examined 407 African-American and Dominican-American women living in New York City who were in their third trimester of pregnancy. The amount of BBzP in the body is assessed by the concentration of monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) in the urine. The researchers found that over 99% of the samples contained MBzP and when the babies were at 24 months old, 30% had developed eczema.

The researchers were not clear how BBzP would induce eczema so they also looked at allergies as a possible variant in the equation. Children were tested for 3 common indoor allergens including cockroaches, dust mites and mice as well as Immunoglobulin E (IgE) which tests for additional antibodies that are associated with allergic reactions. (Hmm, didn’t even know cockroaches were an allergen!) They didn’t find any correlation between allergies and eczema in this particular study and this may be solely due to the BBzP exposure itself.

Other interesting facts mentioned in this study:

• Another interesting finding was that African-American mothers were twice as likely as the Dominican-American mothers to report that their child had developed eczema although both groups had similar exposure rates to BBzP.
• Previous research by this study’s co-author Robin M. Whyatt, D.Ph., Professor of Clinical Environmental Health Sciences and Co-Deputy Director of the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, found that exposure to BBzP and other phthalates was also linked to delayed motor skill development in young children and increased behavioral problems.
• Phthalates are also known to disrupt the body’s endocrine system which helps to regulate and maintain various body functions by making and releasing hormones which help with stress and injury, growth and development, absorption of nutrients, energy metabolism, water and electrolyte balance, reproduction, birth, and lactation.

Interesting information, and what did we learn? Stay away from vinyl flooring and faux leather for sure. I know for a fact, we had vinyl floors in our kitchen when my mom was pregnant with me…I also wonder why they only chose to study African-American and Dominican-American women. And what type of flooring/furniture etc. did they all have???

I am sure there will be additional research done on this subject and I look forward to reading more about it.

For your additional reading pleasure feel free to read the below:

http://www.pennmedicine.org/health_info/body_guide/reftext/html/endo_sys_fin.html

http://www.mailman.columbia.edu/news/prenatal-exposure-common-household-chemical-increases-risk-childhood-eczema

http://www.pri-med.com/pmo/MedicalNewsDetail.aspx?id=5716

According to the National Eczema Society, chlorine is a potential irritant to those with eczema but if the correct precautions are taken, they should be able to enjoy the pool as much as anyone else. No comment, but really, potential irritant? There are different schools of thought on this of course, some people believe that chlorine, similar to bleach, can be an eczema treatment because it kills skin bacteria. You might have already noticed but  I disagree (no offense to anyone).

The National Eczema Society advises that anyone who wants to take the “chlorine pool plunge”, to follow the below:

1. Before getting in the pool, apply a barrier product such as Vaseline.

**I would advise that you purchase a large jar as you should probably apply it all over your body, not just the places where you usually get your rashes and you should probably apply it after you apply sunscreen. Otherwise your sunscreen will not adhere well and you will probably fry like a french fry, and that’s no fun.

2. Shower with regular water immediately after getting out of the pool.

**Good advice for everyone, chlorine isn’t really good for the skin even without eczema.

3. Pat yourself dry and apply a good cream or emollient.

**I would suggest applying sunscreen instead if you plan on remaining in the great outdoors. Find a good hypoallergenic one and lather up.

(4) My personal tip for [trying to enjoy] pool time is to limit the time in the pool. Think of it more of a way to cool off rather than playing in it. The more chlorine you subject your sensitive skin to, the more pain you will be in later.

(5) The best advice I could give you would be to skip the pool and hit the ocean instead, I firmly believe it’s actually a great eczema treatment! If you can’t do that consider a blow up pool that you can fill up with water from the hose. You won’t be able to swim most likely but at least you can cool off, which is the goal isn’t it?

Whatever you choose, don’t let your eczema get you down, have fun and enjoy summer!

A Brief Explanation of Eczema

Eczema is a pretty broad term for several types of skin conditions that cause irritation, inflammation and sometimes very itchy skin rashes. Eczema is most commonly associated with atopic dermatitis which is commonly found in persons with families that have a history of allergies or asthma. It appears as very dry, scaly and thickened skin and is usually very itchy. The rashes most commonly appear on the bends of the knees and elbows, wrists, hands, feet and the face but it can appear in other areas as well. It affects over 30 million Americans and 65% are diagnosed before age one, and 90% of patients experience it before age five. In a majority of cases, symptoms fade during childhood but some will have symptoms their entire life. There is no exact cause of eczema but it’s thought to be caused by an overactive response to an irritant by the body’s’ immune system. There is no cure for eczema currently, although there are a plethora of treatments available and no, eczema is not contagious.

Alivea Cream as an Eczema Treatment

My eczema is most prevalent on my hands, neck, back, around my ear lobes, on my eyelids, outer sides of my arms and spotty all over my legs. I do my best to control it with creams and lotions that I slather on everyday immediately after my showers, and I use my Fluocinonide Cream, which is a prescription corticosteroid, for my flare ups.

At the time I received my sample of the Alivea Cream, I had a bit of eczema on my eyelids and some recovering spots on my neck, arms and legs. What I mean by recovering spots is that usually when I have a flare up, I HAVE to use my prescription Fluocinonide cream to stop the itch and pain and make sure it doesn’t get worse. I use it once or twice and usually that “kills it” or at least reduces the redness and irritation, and then it becomes a dry patch of skin. From this point on I continue to apply a regular cream or lotion to the spot until it goes away. Unfortunately one of the side effects of using the prescription corticosteroid is that it thins the skin and also discolors it so I have lovely white spots all over my body. Are polka dots in style this year?

So at bedtime I applied the Alivea cream to these spots and found that for my eyelids especially it was easy to apply and was a great consistency. So many times I apply a cream to my eyelids and it somehow gets into my eyes causing them to burn and become quite irritated. With the Alivea Cream, because it only contains three ingredients which are olive oil, beeswax and water, it is more of a wax type product. I was able to apply just the right amount and didn’t have any irritation to my eyes. I would think that even if I did get some of it in my eyes it probably wouldn’t do any damage since it is all-natural. I haven’t tested that theory and will try not to!

After 2 weeks of applying the cream to my eyelids, the eczema has subsided drastically and it is not as itchy or inflamed as it once was. NOTE: Before using the Alivea Cream I tried a prescription medication (just for the eye area) for over 2 months, on and off, and it never went away. Both the Alivea and the prescription ointment kept the eczema from worsening but the Alivea worked faster and reduced the itch and redness more so than the ointment. I would much prefer to use an all-natural product over a prescription medication at all costs, particularly around my eyes and especially if they produce similar results.

I also applied the Alivea Cream to the recovering spots on my neck, arms and legs for the past 2 weeks only after showering and they have definitely improved. I think it would be beneficial if I applied it more frequently and I bet it would heal them completely. Note to Alivea: Create a travel size that can be stored and carried in a purse!

I will continue to use the Alivea Cream on these spots and on others that develop in the future since I really like the feel of the cream as well as the natural scent of it. Overall I give the Alivea team kudos for making such an effective product using only 3, all-natural ingredients. They made a fan out of me and I look forward to them developing other products in the future. For more information and to purchase the cream, please visit http://aliveacream.com/.

A couple weeks ago I happened to be doing some research on the computer and came across and article about an all-natural product that was developed by a family which they have been using for the last 100 years. Alivea Cream, which is only composed of three ingredients which are olive oil, beeswax and water, was created to solve an array of skin care issues including chronic dry skin, calluses, eczema and it also helps to promote younger looking skin by fighting against free radicals that cause wrinkles and age spots. The cream company founder, Monique Predovan, stated in the article that the product also reduces the redness and pain associated with sunburn faster than most other products. She was offering free samples to bloggers because she was very confident that others would agree with her and she wanted to get the word out.

I immediately contacted Monique about this as I am always in search of the latest and greatest products that alleviate eczema symptoms and told her I would test the cream on its’ efficacy with eczema rather than how it “cured” a sunburn. She politely agreed and sent me a sample of the product. I received the sample about a week later and get this; I had visited the beach in the meantime and picked up a good case of sunburn, lucky me. Now I needed a product for sunburn relief! FYI, this is not something I am proud of as I am a huge supporter of sunscreen and wouldn’t wish skin cancer on my greatest enemy. Not only do I bathe myself in SPF 50 before I leave the house, I reapply it every 2 hours or more frequently if I am in the ocean a lot. I was shocked that I got burnt and not very happy with myself. Now on to my comments about the product…

Not me by the way...

Just so I am clear, I did receive a FREE sample of the Alivea product and was asked to give an honest review, so that is what I am going to provide.

Alivea for Sunburn

I “received” my sunburn on Memorial Day which was a Monday and the sample arrived the next day. I was burned pretty badly on my upper back, chest and stomach (nicely done Kim, almost 100% of your skin was fried). Tuesday night before bed I applied the cream to my chest and stomach and asked my husband to apply it to my back which happened to be the worst of the burns. The cream is sold in a jar and is accompanied by a small spatula housed inside.

Product Feel- As you might imagine, with the 3 ingredients which are again olive oil, beeswax and water, that the product is not so much a cream as more of a wax. I was very nervous when I scooped a small amount in my hand as I thought I may have some pain as I rubbed it into my burnt skin. Much to my surprise after rubbing it into my hands first, it softened up and was painless to apply, kind of like slapping a pat of butter onto a piece of hot toast.  When my husband was applying the cream to my back, he commented that if it wasn’t rubbed in all the way it would leave waxy bits on the skin. My wisecrack reply, “Well then make sure you rub it all the way in tough guy”.

Product Smell – Since there are no unnecessary ingredients like fragrance added, there was not much of a smell to it at all. If anything I would say it smelled “natural” which I liked very much.  We are so overloaded with smelly stuff in soaps, lotions, detergents, fabric softeners, household products, room deodorizers etc.,  and having eczema I know to avoid these items as much as humanly possible.

Product Feel on Skin – I could definitely feel the product on my skin but I have to say, it felt like a nice barrier between my burn and the air. It wasn’t greasy but slightly filmy but I really didn’t mind it at all.  I don’t much remember if it instantaneously helped with the pain of the burn since I fell right asleep, but I will take that as a definite good sign!

SIDENOTE: The product I used in the past to treat sunburn was Banana Boat Soothing Aloe After Sun Gel which is composed of the below:

Water, SD Alcohol 40, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Juice, Fragrance, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Benzophenone 4, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090).

What are all of these ingredients??? I have to say I thought that Aloe Vera was higher on the list but seeing as it was the eighth ingredient, there wasn’t probably a large amount of it in there, not to mention it’s listed as “leaf juice” which probably means it’s mixed with water too. I guess because the product appears as a green gel in the see-through bottle, you would assume that it is mainly composed of aloe vera. (Smart marketing Banana Boat!)These days I know better and actually read the ingredient list, but like I said, I don’t burn often and have had this product for quite some time now. Yes, excuses excuses….I digress.

Product Efficacy – I continued to apply the Alivea cream to my sunburn for the next several days both morning and night and it was the only product I used on my burnt areas. I have to say I was very impressed with the product. It soothed the pain, the burn went away fast (within 3 days), and I had NO blistering which I was most happy with since it didn’t then turn into a “peel-a-thon” like usual.

Product Value – The item can be purchased through the company website currently http://aliveacream.com/products/  and will be available through additional retailers soon. They sell a 100ml jar for $25.00 and a 200ml jar for $45.00 plus shipping. I used about a quarter of the 100ml jar but I was also using it on my eczema and dry skin spots as well. Considering I was buying the Banana Boat Gel for about $5.00 this is more expensive but definitely worth the extra cost since it sped up the recovery time and I didn’t peel. All-natural products do have a tendency to be more expensive in the marketplace and I believe that it is for good reason.

I really like this product and would highly recommend it as a great after sun product. If you are interested in finding out more about the product or the company, please visit http://aliveacream.com/. I will be doing another review of the Alivea Cream and how it worked with my eczema shortly so stay tuned!

So my be all, end all eczema treatment lotion that I take with me everywhere is Dermarest Eczema  Medicated Lotion. I use it on my hands or anywhere a flare up decides to pop up and it is great because it is very light and easy to apply. It is not greasy nor does it leave a film like some lotions do. As soon as I apply it, it soothes the itch and sting from the eczema. It is really great to throw in your purse (sorry guys) and have with you at all times.

The ingredient list is as follows:

Active ingredients : Hydrocortisone 1%

Inactive ingredients: Purified water, propylene glycol, glycerin, cetyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearate, dimenthicone, aleurites moluccana seed oil, Zinc PCA, panthenol, carthamus tinctorius (safflower) flower extract, camellia sinensis leaf extract, rheum palmatum root/stalk extract, cyclohexasiloxane, cyclopentasiloxane, xanthan gum, disodium edetate, sodium hydroxide, diazolidinyl urea, methylparaben, propylparaben.

Directions for use: Adults and children 2 years of age and over Children under 2 years of age.  Apply to affected area not more than 3 to 4 times daily.

FYI, I am not paid to write these product reviews and I purchase and test each product for at least 1 month before I post my comments.

Over the past 10 years we have been hearing how terrible tanning beds are and the devastating health issues that have been caused by them including melanoma and skin cancer. The amazing thing is that people continue to use them and use them a lot, apparently. Consider, well, YOU KNOW WHO, and the example she is teaching her five children. Don’t get me started on that though….what an idiot.

Is Tanning Smart?

A somewhat common treatment for eczema is phototherapy which consists of exposing an individual to daylight or to specific wavelengths of light using lasers, light-emitting diodes, fluorescent lamps, dichroic lamps or very bright, full-spectrum light. The light is administered for a prescribed amount of time and, in some cases, at a specific time of day in order to treat specific conditions including those related to skin conditions, sleep disorders and some psychiatric disorders.

There is a HUGE difference between using a tanning bed and phototherapy, primarily due to the fact that tanning beds emit harmful UVA rays and phototherapy emits UVB rays (although phototherapy can use a combination of the two, but this is in a controlled setting). People considering phototherapy need to consult their dermatologists to discuss whether this would be an optimal eczema treatment for them or not. Phototherapy carries many risks and should be performed under close medical supervision and it is not recommended to be performed at home. It can cause burning and blistering of the skin (like sunburn due to natural sunlight), skin damage and aging in the form of freckles, sunspots and wrinkles, skin cancer, eye problems such as cataracts or side effects from the medication provided with the light therapy.

There is still debate as to whether phototherapy should be used as a treatment for eczema as discussed in The Dark and the Sunny Sides of UVR-Induced Immunosuppression: Photoimmunology Revisited. The author discusses how being exposed to low levels of sunlight (only 30–50% as high as what is required to cause barely detectable sunburn), can reduce the activation or efficacy of the immune system. WOW, that is surprising, I thought minimal exposure was supposed to be good for us.  He also mentions that being exposed to the same amount of light can actually decrease bacterial superinfections (new infections complicating the course of antimicrobial therapy of an existing infection, due to proliferation of bacteria or fungi resistant to the drug(s) in use.) Obviously more research needs to be done but for now we can conclude:

Tanning bed = BAD for everyone, DO NOT USE!

Phototherapy = MAYBE GOOD but depends on the individual and should be discussed with a physician and only performed under a physicians’ supervision.

If you have any comments or experiences with using phototherapy, please let me know as I would love to hear about them, good, bad or ugly….