My 5 Eczema Itch-Soothing Lifesavers

At the time of writing this blog, I have lived with eczema for over 35 years. From the time I quit topical steroids to now, I have achieved mostly full remission with the occasional rash that pops up here and there. Eczema has become more of an afterthought than what my entire day revolves around because I've learned about my patterns and which ingredients work well on my skin; I no longer need steroids to maintain and heal my rashes. And I can easily make a full recovery with what I've learned.

My Top 5 product picks for eczema rash care

Here are five products that I have found to be consistently good for me. I hope this list can at least offer some alternative ideas to topical steroids for eczema warriors looking for other options for their skincare and rashcare.

1. My Stupid Easy Anti-Itch Spray
   This is actually a DIY recipe I made and wrote for AtopicDermatitis.net. I honestly still use it for hot, itchy rashes, especially ones that ooze. It is basically two ingredients: filtered water (or I even find distilled aloe juice to be really good) and a few drops of organic tea tree oil. I love this product because it is simple, cheap, and lasts a long time. I also find it immediately effective for rashes that are hot, swollen, and oozing. Tea tree oil is antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal, helping keep the skin sanitized and protected against infection¹. I feel like the cooling scent and sensation of the diluted tea tree oil on my skin helps to cool down the temperature from rashes. It seems as if it also helps to calm down swelling in my experience.
2. Tea Tree Therapy's Antiseptic Lotion
   I really like this product again because of the tea tree content and the benefits mentioned above in the first product section. For me, it provides enough hydration and moisture without feeling overly heavy on the skin. It just creates a light cover of the product over the skin. Sometimes, I find with some of my dry, surface-level rashes, they just need some protection through a light product like a lotion and still room to breathe.
3. Earth Mama Organics Diaper Balm
   I serendipitously found this product one day while walking down the baby aisle of a local CVS store years ago. What caught my eye about this product was the emphasis on organic ingredients for sensitive skin. I love the calendula, chickweed, and plantain herbs that are in this specific formula because they are known in the herbalism community to be good for healing rashes. I figured if it was gentle enough for a baby’s bum, it was gentle enough for mine, too, haha! Or any part of my face or body that needed it and all of my skin takes very well to this product, including the eye area! Especially for rashes that are dry and flakey.
4. Creosote Bush Salve
   This product is made from the chaparral bush's leaves. This plant grows in the desert and has been used by Native American tribes to treat various skin disorders as well as for pain management. This is a great combo for eczema rash treatment and management in my opinion. I find this particular product to be excellent for super dry, dehydrated skin that has deep cuts, cracking, and flaking.
5. Boiron Calendula Cream
   This is marketed as a first aid cream, like an organic, herbal version of Neosporin. It is intended for cuts, scrapes, and sunburn. The thing about a sunburn is that it is a type of skin irritation and rash that is hot, which is basically what an eczema rash is like. I find this cream to be really nice for rashes that are dry and cracked because the formula is thicker. I think it's very light and soothing with no fragrance, and made with clean ingredients.

Healing in the modern era: You are not alone

While Eczema can be daunting, I would say that compared to the very few options I had in the 1990s, there are now a plethora of options with more and more products, services, and technologies to come. Trust me, it was a lot worse back then with no social media or way to easily find community and solidarity with other sensitive-skinned warriors. It was even a lot worse 20 years ago, when I was in my early 20s to find any options for my skin.

What products have been your go-to skin lifesavers? Have you tried any of the products above? Please share your experience with others in the community here so we can help each other out!