Eczema makes the skin dry, itchy and inflamed, with flares that come and go. It cannot be caught from someone
else. Daily moisturising and avoiding triggers prevent most flares, and medical treatment calms the rest.
Ayurveda describes a closely matching condition, Vicharchika, and treats it with diet, blood-purifying
herbs and soothing oils.
What is eczema?
Healthy skin has a barrier — like bricks and mortar — that keeps moisture in and irritants out. In eczema this
barrier is weaker, so the skin loses water, dries out and reacts strongly to soaps, sweat, allergens and germs.
The result is itching; scratching damages the barrier further, creating an itch–scratch cycle. Eczema often
starts in childhood and frequently runs in families with asthma and hay fever.
Intense itching, often worse at night
Dry, rough, red or darker patches; on brown skin, eczema may look greyish or purple rather than red
Oozing and crusting during flares; thickened, leathery skin where it has been scratched for a long time
Turmeric, neem and other herbs are widely used in Ayurvedic skin care. Patch-test anything you apply, and buy only licensed products.
Types
Atopic dermatitis — the most common; face and limbs in infants, skin folds of elbows and knees in older children and adults
Contact dermatitis — a reaction to something touching the skin: nickel (buckles, jewellery), hair dye, cement, detergents, rubber gloves
Hand eczema — common in homemakers, cooks, nurses and cleaners due to frequent wet work
Seborrhoeic dermatitis — greasy scaling on the scalp (dandruff), eyebrows and sides of the nose
Discoid (nummular) and stasis eczema — coin-shaped patches, or eczema on the lower legs with varicose veins
Causes & triggers
Harsh soaps, detergents, antiseptic liquids and very hot water
Heat, sweat and humidity — or dry, cold winter air
Wool and synthetic fabrics; fragranced products
House-dust mites, pollen and pet dander
Stress and poor sleep
Skin infections; in some young children, specific foods (confirm with a doctor before cutting foods out)
Daily skin care
Soak and seal: a short, lukewarm bath (5–10 minutes), pat dry, and apply a thick, fragrance-free
moisturiser within 3 minutes — every day, even when the skin looks clear.
Use a mild, soap-free cleanser; avoid scrubbing and loofahs.
Moisturise generously — adults may need a full 250 g tub every week or two during flares.
Wear loose cotton clothing; rinse off detergent well; wash new clothes before wearing.
Keep nails short; wear cotton gloves at night for children who scratch in their sleep.
Wear cotton-lined rubber gloves for wet work and washing up.
Medical treatment
Flares are calmed with anti-inflammatory creams (topical steroids of the right strength, or calcineurin
inhibitors) used exactly as prescribed; antihistamines may help sleep. Severe eczema may need phototherapy,
tablets or newer injectable treatments.
Beware of mixed or “fairness” creams bought over the counter. Many contain strong steroids
mixed with antifungals and antibiotics. Used unsupervised, they thin the skin, cause stretch marks and make
eczema and fungal infections worse. Some “herbal” eczema creams have also been found to contain hidden steroids.
Vicharchika is one of the Kshudra Kushtha (minor skin diseases) described in the classical
texts: itchy eruptions with dark discolouration and much discharge — a close match for eczema. It arises from
Kapha dominance with Pitta and Vata, affecting the skin, blood, lymph and muscle tissue,
often triggered by incompatible food combinations (viruddha ahara), suppressed natural urges and stress.
Treatment includes blood-purifying bitter herbs, medicated ghee such as Mahatiktaka ghrita, soothing
external oils and pastes, and, in chronic cases, supervised purification (shodhana).
External: coconut oil, Karanja or Neem oil preparations and Jatyadi taila on the practitioner's advice — never on raw, weeping or infected skin
Diet & lifestyle
Eat freshly cooked, simple meals; plenty of vegetables, including bitter ones like bitter gourd and neem flowers in season.
Ayurveda advises avoiding incompatible combinations such as fish with milk, and curd at night.
Limit very spicy, sour, fermented and fried food, which can aggravate itching during flares.
Do not restrict foods broadly without testing — unnecessary diets can cause poor nutrition, especially in children.
Manage stress with yoga, meditation or slow breathing; sleep well.
Home remedies
Moisturiser
Virgin coconut oil
Applied to damp skin after bathing, it moisturises and has shown benefit in atopic eczema in trials.
Itch relief
Oatmeal soak
Finely powdered oats in a lukewarm bath or as a paste soothe itching. Moisturise afterwards.
Cooling
Cool compress
A clean, damp cotton cloth over itchy patches for 10 minutes calms an itch attack better than scratching.
Patch-test anything new on a small area first. Avoid lemon, vinegar, raw garlic and camphor on eczema — they burn damaged skin.
When to seek care
Urgent: painful clusters of small blisters or punched-out sores with fever — this can be eczema herpeticum, a herpes infection that needs same-day treatment
Yellow crusts, pus, spreading redness or fever (bacterial infection)
Eczema that disturbs sleep, school or work, or does not improve with regular moisturising
Rashes in infants, or eczema that is widespread
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