Healthcare can get expensive in a hurry. If you are suffering from eczema or atopic dermatitis, you may be eager to find an effective and efficient treatment, but are not too eager at the prospect of having to break the bank to do so. Luckily, there are some eczema treatments that are affordable on a slim budget, allowing you to get relief from eczema without having to pay a ton of money.
1. Bleach Baths
A bath with a little bit of bleach in the water can help to combat the symptoms of eczema. A bleach bath kills the bacteria on your skin, helping to reduce redness, scaling, and itching. Add a ½ cup of bleach to a normal bath, and soak from the neck down for 10 minutes.
2. Crisco Shortening
Crisco is a great home remedy for eczema, helping to ease the discomfort caused by the rash. Simply apply Crisco after a bath or shower, making sure to use semi-solid shortening, not the Crisco oil.
3. Dawn Dishwashing Soap
While Dawn is more expensive than some other household brand, it is far cheaper than medicated shampoos and nothing gets scale and crud out of hair and the scalp like Dawn does! It can’t be just any dishwashing liquid, it has got to be Dawn.
4. Moisturizer
Don’t get fooled by using a pricey moisturizer. Just get a cheap, standard moisturizer, as you will need to use a lot of moisturizer to treat your eczema. Better to have a lot of a cheap moisturizer than a little bit of expensive moisturizer.
5. Petrolatum
Petrolatum like Vaseline is a great method to get relief from eczema and to moisturize the skin. However, be careful because petrolatum can be quite slippery and you could be at the risk of falling.
6. Gel Socks
Get yourself a pair of gel socks so you can moisturize your feet and cracked soles. Gel socks allow you to moisturize without a fear of slipping and falling.
7. Super Glue
Super glue is a cyanoacrylate adhesive, with some versions of the glue used in ER and walk-in clinics to repair small lacerations. If you get cracks in your fingers or on the skin at the corners of your nails, super glue works great to close up those cracks and make the area less sensitive. Be careful though, as super glue is very strong!
8. Cool Compress
Create a custom cool compress in a few easy steps. Find an old t-shirt and cut it into a few squares. Next, soak the squares in a glass of tap water mixed with a teaspoon of vinegar. Wring out the cloth until it is damp, then lie down on the couch and put the cloth over the area that itches, allowing the cloth to evaporate or dry out. Take the cloth off and wash it for next time and, afterward, put on your favorite moisturizer. You will feel cool, relaxing relief!
10. Sunlight
Dermatologists have a love/hate relationship with sunlight. While we advise everyone to wear sunscreen and stay out of the sun, certain diseases are clearly improved with “phototherapy” from the sun. You can use sunlight to your benefit if you have eczema, but if sweating makes you itch a lot, this also may not be for you. Make your time in the sun short, between 10 and 15 minutes of sun is plenty. Start slowly with maybe just 5 minutes the first time and increase your time out there over a few weeks. Wear shorts and a tank top and go outside around noon for maximum benefit, and if it starts to make you itch then stop or reduce the time you are out there.
11. Clinical Trials
Clinical trials offer the best treatments for eczema, and best of all is completely free! Sign up for eczema or atopic dermatitis clinical trials and get cutting-edge treatment free of cost.
Eczema Clinical Trials at California Dermatology and Clinical Research
California Dermatology and Clinical Research Institute offers eczema clinical research studies, providing you with easy and affordable eczema treatment. Located in San Diego, CDCRI is at the forefront of eczema treatment. To learn more or to see if you qualify to join a study, give us a call at (760) 203-3839.