When a good friend of mine asked me if I had any advice about the eczema on her feet I wasn’t sure if I could help. I’m not a doctor, but I can share what helps me.
She knew about my topical steroid withdrawal journey and didn’t want to use the steroid creams.
The transformation in just a few weeks is amazing.
Mim’s foot eczema before
I met Mim a few years ago when I joined Chiltern Harriers. She is one my favourite people to run with and she has lovely skin, which just goes to show, eczema can strike at times of stress for people who have previously not had any problems.
She asked me in desperation what she could try. I could see how sore her feet were and really hoped I could give her some helpful advice
So I told her what worked for me. I suggested she try some Epsom salt baths for her feet and if it didn’t work, every runner can benefit from a salt bath for the joints! The salts would not go to waste.
We also chatted about what moisturisers she had already tried; Sudocrem was helping a bit but she felt her feet were just getting worse as they were so itchy and she couldn’t stop scratching them. Eurax anti itching cream wasn’t helping either.
I recommended Epaderm, which is one of the emollients I’ve found that works for me and I knew she’d be able to get hold it fairly easily.
I also have two favourite natural skincare brands; Balmonds and Lyonsleaf. Both are independent UK producers who make really lovely natural skincare products. I have a little parcel of natural skincare products for Mim to try, including Balmonds Rosehip oil that I’m finding really lovely on persistent eczema. Watch out for a delivery Mim!
So much healing in just a few weeks
We first chatted on the 11th April on Whatsapp so she has only been treating her feet with the salts and Epaderm for a few weeks.
I’m so thrilled with this healing.
Mim told me, “It started with two tiny patches where some new shoes rubbed and just gradually grew! It really would be nice to get on top of it before the summer sandal season. A couple of people had advised me to go to my GP for steroid creams but I have resisted the urge after seeing your problems. For some reason it’s the evening when it itches most.”
I’m so glad she didn’t get those steroids and this just makes me so proud and glad that I’ve been sharing my topical steroid withdrawal journey.
She just messaged me this morning with the picture above and it has made my day.
“Thought I would show you the improvement in my feet! I’ve been doing a soak in Epsom salts most days, plus the Epaderm 2 or 3 times daily. The itching has really lessened as they’ve improved, but it took great restraint at first not to scratch. The red thickened skin will take a while to go but that’s to be expected. But so much better! I no longer feel the urge to scratch madly until they bleed. Thanks so much for your recommendations, this is the best they have been in ages. How you cope with your poor skin I just do not know. You are amazing Ruth!“
I also suggested tubular bandages over her feet to help her avoid scratching. She used her compression socks, which for those who don’t know, are really tight socks!
Thanks Mim for letting me share your story.
I’m always really nervous when people ask me for advice. What works for me might not work for someone else and I don’t want people to buy something and then find it doesn’t help.
This last photo is me with my running chums. Cannot wait see all their smiling faces for real when we get let out again!
What are you favourite natural non steroid solutions to eczema?
Please also ask me for advice if you have any eczema questions!
And lets hear some love for Mim’s feet! May they continue to heal! Get them out in the sun Mim.
PS. Maybe your feet need some new sandals Mim! Those shoes have terrible peeling and look like they also have eczema themselves! 😉 I can’t fix shoes.
You may also find the following interesting
- Check out the It’s an Itchy little world blog and read, Is it food eczema or something else?
- Visit The Eczema Company for 5 natural eczema on feet treatments
- 30 tips to help you stop scratching
- 20 tips for coping with an eczema flare up
Eczema really looks alarming but It’s easy to cure. Thanks for sharing your healing. I got some helpful information whenever I experience this eczema. Well done!
It really does look awful doesn’t it, but it can be healed fairly easily and naturally. Thanks so much for your comment.
Hello, I’ve suffered with eczema in the inside of my leg (next to genitals) for nearly 10 years. It suddenly just started in 2011 and it was manageable for a couple of years. It then proceeded to spread and become ridiculously itchy.
I’ve been given so many lotion and potions by Dr’s and searching endlessly every night for a new solution.
I’m desperate to relieve the itching so I can help it heal.
I scratch during the night and I don’t even know I’ve done it I take 2 benadryls to help me drift off and I sleep right through but I still scratch in my sleep.
Any advice please?
I’m enjoying reading your posts, it gives me hope ❤️
Leanne it’s so hard, eczema is such a tricky condition. What works for one person doesn’t always work for another. What I’ve been doing is looking at the products I use, the food I eat, how I clean my house and removing all the things that might put a strain on my body. It’s like there a million and one things you could look at, change, tweak to make tiny changes to your lifestyle and life to help your skin. For me too, loving my skin and learning to accept what’s happen, to reduce my anxiety about it all has helped but it’s taken me years. Stress and anxiety played a huge part for me in healing. I’ll have to write a book 😉
Cod liver oil capsules, zinc, vit B and vit D have immensly helped me. Also, improving liver function helps get rid of the toxins which might be a reason for eczema. I take diluted apple cider vinegar for liver function but there are other remedies for that too. Elimination diet seems to help but only for a little while apparently. But do look into it. In Auyerveda, there is a concept of some foods causing excessive body heat which leads to eczema. Avoiding these foods has helped me too. I am still not 100% eczema free but flare ups are far less frequent and less intense. Good luck!
Hi Fatima, thanks so much for sharing this. It gives me so much hope for the future with ‘just’ eczema as I heal. I cannot wait to work out what really works for my skin. I’m taking magnesium, calcium and vitamin D at the moment. I try to get my vitamins and minerals from food. I was taking a Dr Morse liver function tincture for a while but taking a break now. There are sooo many tiny things that all go together to make a difference to skin health. I think eczema is more about management and maybe we should let go of chasing perfection. Thanks so much for your comment.
About a year and a half ago I broke my foot . I noticed a small rash on top of that one foot. It was getting inflamed a little . I went to a foot doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital. She did surgery on my toe and noticed the rash she said I know what that is . Athletes foot I said I don’t think so I been scratching it touching my body and it hasn’t spread. She said nope your wrong I said ok whatever. I took her cure for a month it got more itchy to the point I lost a lot of sleep. In my 40yrs on the planet I been to war and not taken my wet boots off for days at a time maybe even a week. I never want to be caught off guard. Anyway I used there stuff tinactin all of there medications I can’t have distractions like that because I’m going to Lithuania to train young men to fight in the Ukraine. I will order this asap . Oh yeah only one thing would calm it down a little bit so I could get a little sleep hydrogen peroxide spray it felt better dry with no itch it’s not a solution but it kept my sanity
Hi Tommy, thanks so much for your comment. Firstly I’m not a doctor and couldn’t tell you what was going on with your feet! However I find what helps me, and the lady mentioned in this blog, was dead sea salt baths, and keeping the rash moisturised. If it is red, raw and itchy, you could also try other things like bathing the feed in apple cider vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and tea tree oil (a few drops) to help with any viral or infections. If it is athletes’ food that is harder to shift. I have got rid of it with tea tree oil. You may be sensitive to it so with any essential oils, test a patch first. It can also help to get shoes with leather insoles and that don’t make your feet sweat. Same with the socks you wear, got 100% cotton or bamboo and your feel will sweat less and that should also help. It would need a different cream perhaps if it were eczema as opposed to athletes foot and I’m probably not the best person to advise on that. Good luck! and thanks again for the comment.
Hi Ruth, I just want to ask where I can get the epaderm emollient.I have ezcema really bad and I hope this will help me.
Hi Haziel, You can get it on Amazon, but it’s not cheap. You should be able to get it on prescription. I would recommend you also try Obvs skincare – they do a balm that’s petroleum and paraffin free. Also check out Balmonds and lyonsleaf as these natural alternatives may also help.