Here is an easy and super-quick recipe for homemade eczema cream that will treat the symptoms and help comfort your skin. I love to use essential oils to help issues with skin care or health.
Homemade Eczema Cream Recipe for Dry Winter Skin
My youngest has always had sensitive skin from the moment she was born. It seems as soon as the weather turns in October, her skin becomes red, itchy and irritated and no matter how much over-the-counter cream I put on her body, it just doesn’t go away. I’ve even tried straight out of the bottle jojoba oil but that doesn’t work either.
In worst cases, I’ve given her oatmeal baths, but as you can imagine, the cleanup from that is a nightmare unless you use something like this.
I love this homemade eczema cream because it’s so easy to make and actually works! I used to be putting creams and oils on my child twice a day and now she can go more than a day without putting more cream on.
When my 5 year old starts having eczema flare-ups, I can always tell because she is itching. Sometimes she itches so much that she ends up bleeding. Poor thing! So you can imagine as a mother I would do all my research and find something to help comfort my child.
What is Eczema?
There are several types of eczema: atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, dyshidrotic eczema, nummular eczema, seborrheic dermatitis and stasis dermatitis.
Eczema is very common – over 30 million Americans have some form of eczema. Eczema flares often show up on the backs of the knees
It’s most common for babies and children to develop eczema on their face (especially the cheeks and chin), but it can appear anywhere on the body and symptoms may be different from one child to the next.
Having eczema means your immune system is working too hard. Your immune system normally protects you from things like infections and diseases and for some reason, when you have eczema, your immune system goes haywire. That makes your skin get all itchy and rashy.
Triggers of Eczema
Avoiding the triggers of itching should be the first priority for people and kids with eczema. Clothing that can irritate the skin, such as wool, nylon, and other synthetic material should be avoided. Only cotton clothing should be worn and washed with a mild detergent and a double-rinse cycle. Don’t use fabric softeners! Always use all natural products on clothing and in the bath.
What are Eczema Symptoms?
According to the National Eczema Association, Eczema is usually itchy. For many people, the itch is usually only mild, or moderate. But in some cases it can become much worse and you might develop extremely inflamed skin.
Sometimes the itch gets so bad that people scratch it until it bleeds, which can make your eczema worse. This is called the “itch-scratch cycle.”
When to make some homemade eczema treatment:
- Dry, sensitive skin
- Red, inflamed skin
- Very bad itching
- Dark colored patches of skin
- Rough, leathery or scaly patches of skin
- Oozing or crusting
- Areas of swelling
What is in this homemade eczema lotion?
DIY homemade eczema cream is so crazy easy. You just need some oats, coconut oil, lavender oil (preferred but could use another oil like rosemary), and olive oil. That’s it!
Coconut Oil for Eczema
Coconut oil has so many anti-viral, antibacterial, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal properties it’s often found in beauty and personal care recipes. It can help soothe your skin when it’s itchy during a flare-up, and can also help reduce the inflammation. A 2014 study shows that applying virgin coconut oil to the skin for 8 weeks may improve skin hydration in children with eczema.
Lavender Oil for Eczema
Lavender essential oil helps heal the red, dry skin associated with eczema by reducing the inflammation. Lavender oil is extremely soothing for skin conditions that involve rashes, itching, inflammation and dryness.
Oats for Eczema
Organic oatmeal reduces inflammation and is thought to have an antihistamine effect. According to a 2012 study, colloidal oatmeal can protect skin and soothe the itching and irritation from eczema.
Olive Oil for Eczema
Olive oil will help soothe the inflamed skin by nourishing and moisturizing the skin without triggering any allergic reactions.
Homemade Eczema Cream Recipe
*Note – This recipe makes ONE 4oz jar of eczema cream.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup of organic oatmeal
- 3/4 cup of Coconut oil
- 10 drops Lavender essential oil (or rosemary)
- 1 tbsp of Olive oil
Directions
- Finely grind the oats to a powder/flour consistency in a blender or food processor and set aside.
- Over a low heat, melt the coconut oil in a pan until it has a liquid consistency.
- Add coconut oil to blender with the oats and let sit until the mixure is opaque and fairly cooled (not hot).
- Add the essential oil.
- Add the olive oil into the mixture and blend.
- Once all ingredients are mixed well, pour in to a small storage container.
- Let it harden for several hours.
Want to print this for future use? Click here to download the pdf recipe
What other natural eczema treatments have you tried? What has worked for you?
I am a New England mama of 3 kids, 3 kitties and 2 puppies! I grew up in the great state of NH and blog about all things healthy and natural near Nashua and Boston.
I think this is the most required post to deal with this dry winters specially for those with sensitive skin.
My daughter had eczema really bad when she was little. I wish I had this recipe then! Looks very soothing!
Could I use this recipe on a 6 month old baby?
I don’t see why not. The standard dilution for newborn babies is 1 drop essential oil per tablespoon of carrier oil. This recipe calls for 10 drops of lavender oil and there are 17 tablespoons of oil in total, between the coconut oil and olive oil.
How can I storage the cream and what is the expiration date of it .
Think you .
I made this recipe this morning and the oatmeal is sinking to the bottom. How do I keep it from separating?
Thanks
Hi Rhyland! Did you blend the coconut oil and ground oatmeal first and let it cool a bit until it’s opaque and not hot? Then you add the other ingredients and blend again and the oatmeal should be pretty set in the mixture. I hope this helps.
Eczema is a nightmare – I never thought to make my own cream when my daughter was small. I know how difficult it is trying to find something that will work. What I did find that worked well for her was an aloe vera based cream that also had other emolients. Honey is something else I used occasionally – do you think it would work along with some of the other ingredients here? I used to dab it on directly but was a bit messy expecially for smaller children.
My grandson has Eczema. We have found lavender essential oil helps tremendously. I’ll be Pinning your recipe for future use. Thanks for sharing.