Natural topical treatments for eczema, together with licorice root gel, St. John’s Wort cream, and emollients akin to coconut oil, mineral oil, and petroleum jelly, are put to the take a look at.
Despite the supply of medicine with confirmed efficacy for eczema, like topical steroids, many sufferers seek out pure options. Which plant, then, ought to be used for which pores and skin illness? In the case of eczema, two appeared to beat out placebo. One was licorice root. As you’ll be able to see at 0:24 in my video Eczema Treatment with Coconut Oil vs. Mineral Oil vs. Vaseline, smearing on a placebo gel didn’t seem to assist a lot with clearing redness or itchiness after one week or two weeks, however a 1 p.c licorice gel and particularly a 2 p.c gel did appear to clear the signs in most sufferers. The researchers concluded that licorice extracts could possibly be thought-about an efficient eczema remedy agent.
The different profitable trial was with a St. John’s wort cream, showing a discount in eczema severity scores week by week superior to that of placebo, as you’ll be able to see at 0:49 in my video. So, it really works higher than nothing, however does it work higher than medicine? Better than the topical steroids? That we don’t know. Sometimes, the medicine don’t work on so-called recalcitrant atopic dermatitis, so researchers in Japan requested sufferers to drink 4 cups of oolong tea day-after-day for a month. Most sufferers “showed marked to moderate improvement,” beginning after one or two weeks, after which most remained higher even 5 months after they stopped. The drawback is there was no management group, so we don’t know what number of would have gotten higher on their very own. But, since ingesting tea is wholesome anyway, why not give it a attempt?
Let’s get again to topical remedies. As you’ll be able to see at 1:43 in my video, a vitamin B12 cream showed higher outcomes than the identical cream with out vitamin B12. Most of the sufferers and medical doctors rated the outcomes of the B12 cream as “good,” which was higher than they scored the placebo cream.
Regardless of what topical agent you employ, steroid or in any other case, “first and foremost, it is essential that the skin barrier is protected and maintained with the use of emollients,” that means moisturizers, ideally a few times a day, particularly proper after showering, to lock within the moisture. Petroleum jelly, like Vaseline, is extremely efficient, nevertheless it “is greasy and can be messy,” so what about one thing like coconut oil, which is much less greasy? It was found to enhance pores and skin dryness, although no higher than mineral oil, which is cheaper. Is mineral oil secure, although?
Exposure to mineral oil was found to be related to rheumatoid arthritis, however that was occupational publicity to industrial mineral oils, like hydraulic fluid. The similar group of researchers subsequently found that beauty grade mineral oil didn’t appear to hold the identical danger. In normal, topically utilized mineral oil shouldn’t present any well being danger, however that doesn’t imply…you’ll be able to safely inject it into your penis, as that “may have devastating cosmetic and sexual function consequences.” There is, nevertheless, evidently one good use for mineral oil on the penis, and that’s for “penile zipper entrapment.” Skin of the penis “is susceptible to entrapment in the zipper of careless young boys, particularly those who fail to wear undergarments. Understandably, this mishap provokes distress in the unfortunate victim, in his parents, and ultimately in the health care provider charged with the task of liberating the organ.” A really helpful textbook strategy is surgical procedure, imagine it or not, however for those who merely dose liberally with some mineral oil, you’ll be able to simply slip the zipper off and “physical and psychologic trauma is minimized for all parties involved…”
But, simply because mineral oil works in addition to coconut oil for dry pores and skin, doesn’t imply it works as effectively for eczema. Head-to-head topical virgin coconut oil works higher than topical mineral oil at reducing eczema severity, with twice as many kids experiencing a wonderful response after two months remedy. Thus, amongst pediatric sufferers with gentle to reasonable eczema, topical utility of virgin coconut oil was superior to mineral oil, however what about in comparison with virgin olive oil? As you’ll be able to see at 4:19 in my video, olive oil worked, dropping eczema severity, however coconut oil labored higher.
As I mentioned beforehand in my video What about Coconuts, Coconut Milk, and Coconut Oil MCTs?, we all know that coconut oil has lots of saturated fats, so we don’t wish to devour it, however the saturated fats isn’t absorbed into your pores and skin except you’re a child, when your pores and skin is so skinny that you may truly absorb saturated coconut fats into your bloodstream. But, in older kids and adults, using coconut oil in your pores and skin or hair is taken into account secure.
What about treating eczema with simply plain Vaseline? People with eczema already know it may be costly to cope with. The common out-of-pocket prices might be $274 a month, which is greater than a 3rd of a typical household’s disposable revenue. In distinction, you’ll be able to rub a child from head to toe with petroleum jelly for about 4 cents, whereas coconut oil or a number of the fancier over-the-counter moisturizers might be many occasions costlier, although not as dangerous as some prescription moisturizers that may cost greater than 100 {dollars} per tube and work no higher than the over-the-counter stuff, as you’ll be able to see at 5:50 in my video. There is merely no proof “prescription device moisturizers” are superior to the normal, petroleum jelly-based over-the-counter merchandise that may be 65 occasions cheaper.
Doesn’t virgin coconut oil have energetic components, although, whereas petroleum jelly is simply inert? Vaseline has been round since 1872, nevertheless it took the scientific neighborhood 144 years to place it to the take a look at. We now know it isn’t inert in any respect, considerably upregulating genes that combat an infection, inducing the expression of genes that assist with barrier perform, rising the thickness of the protecting outer layer of pores and skin, and actively lowering irritation. Yes, however is it secure? Not… for those who inject it into your penis. (What is it with males injecting stuff into their penis?!) “In the less severe cases, the problem [this self-injection creates] could be solved by basic surgery. Otherwise, it may require major reconstruction. Evidently, “Vaseline self-injection of the penis” is done lots by prisoners, giving an entire new that means to the time period “Jailhouse Rock.” An unbelievable one in six inmates on the largest jail in Hungary admitted to “Vaseline self-injection.” Or how about precise rocks, the surgical implantation of stones within the penis, which has additionally been reported? What about injecting industrial silicone? (I’ll by no means have a look at silicone caulk the identical approach ever once more.) When males had been asked why they had been injecting cod liver oil, a fishy substance, into their penises, most defined it was as a result of they felt underendowed, as you’ll be able to see at 7:40 in my video, however one man said he “just want[ed] to try.” Um…okay. Why inject cod liver oil into your penis, although, when you’ll be able to simply inject the mercury straight and reduce out the middlefish?
Back to eczema! Based on 77 research of moisturizers for eczema, researchers “did not find reliable evidence that one moisturizer is better than another,” although a consensus of consultants concluded that petroleum jelly could also be greatest for pores and skin barrier perform safety.
What about consuming coconut oil? See Coconut Oil and the Boost in HDL “Good” Cholesterol and What About Coconuts, Coconut Milk, and Coconut Oil MCTs?.
What concerning the swallowing oil dietary supplements? That was the subject of my video, Eczema Treatment with Evening Primrose Oil vs. Borage Oil vs. Hempseed Oil.
I’ve extra on eczema arising, so ensure you’re subscribed so that you don’t miss something.
In well being,
Michael Greger, M.D.
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