MasonGarden

A beautiful day like today with a slight breeze, fluffy clouds and sun are healing my winter tired self. The pollen, the kids on spring break, mountains of paper work and doctors appointments not so much. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sweat shirt and pants person all the way and would take winter over the hell’s of summer any day but today is extra lovely.

The doctors appointment this morning reminded me of how much the medical world has failed so many of us. I’ve struggled with itchy contact dermatitis or dyshidrotic eczema for the last 5 years. If I touch the outside of a shipping box my first 3 fingers will break out in itchy blister like bubbles. It oddly showed up just before COVID arrived and continues to get worse at a slow rate. It also reacts the same to Lysol products. So, at this morning’s appointment, I mustered up the courage to ask the medical provider if there were any creams or medications that could speed up the healing process. But, to my dismay, his only suggestion was CeraVe lotion, as apparently, the expensive prescriptions weren’t really cutting it. At least he gave me his honest option instead of false hope but it was disappointing to hear.

Here my own experiences and along with the other 4 in my family all with their own allergies, cue Google search. Nine years ago, my second baby was born with a lot of food allergies that showed up with his first formula, first baby cereal, and almost everything else he tried eating. It was heartbreaking to watch each reaction show up on his poor oozing and itchy body. After his pediatrician, rather unhelpfully, suggested we could dip him in a tub of cortisone cream daily, I went to the internet for help.

Back then there wasn’t as much out about essential oils as there are now but many others were also dealing with eczema or other skin issues and when you are desperate you look for all options. Oat’s are commonly recommended but were not allergy safe for our son. Cortisone helped a little but he was still miserable and I hated putting it on his tiny baby face and body several times a day. The internet suggested bleach in the bath water which gave me nightmares so I kept looking. Then, someone in a Facebook group recommended using Frankincense essential oil mixed with coconut oil. Honestly, it was the first time since hearing about Frankincense in in the Bible that I thought this stuff could be of some value. I already had a small bottle for aroma therapy purposes and coconut oil from making my own bath products. The Frankincense oil combo had some success but a small bottle didn’t last long and wasn’t providing as much relief as I had hoped so the search continued.

My search continued until I stumbled on the doTERRA Balance Essential Oil Grounding Blend that includes Spruce, Ho Wood, Frankincense, and Blue Tansy essential oils. It was the key that brought relief to my little one and now my own skin struggles. A side squirrel, for days when my skin is a mess I heavily rely on hydrocolloid bandaids. These are my favorite ones but the acne pimple patches without medication work just as well.

Now days there is more information out there on essential oils related to eczema but even the top Google article as of this moment doesn’t mention the best things that actually worked for us so I’m putting this out there for others needing another option. Keep in mind I am not a doctor or licensed in any medical treatments so this is just what worked for our family back then and we still use it for breakouts 9 years later.

FYI: I’m not receiving any compensation from the links in this post.