This is a DIY Homemade eczema cream. It’s an all natural moisturizer for anyone (even for children!) suffering with Eczema. Natural Remedies for eczema are hard to come by, especially those you can make yourself.
Love sharing images? Pin it!
As we know, making homemade skin creams can be ridiculously easy! When it comes to treating eczema, either for you child or yourself, a homemade lotion is always going to be your best option. A doctor may prescribe steroid creams (which just suppresses the eczema) and other so called ‘natural’ lotions can also contain harsh ingredients which may cause it to flame out; any eczema sufferer will have no doubt experienced this! It really depends how long you want to spend reading ingredients lists. If the answer is ‘not long’ then making your own homemade eczema lotion is the answer.
If you or your child suffer from very severe eczema, then I would highly suggest you check out our bigger post on homemade eczema treatments. It explores what causes eczema and why. Furthermore, it provides an action plan of attack.
This homemade eczema cream can really help sooth the skin and will reduce the severe irritation caused by eczema. It’s easy to make and you can make a large amount in bulk in one hit.
Homemade Eczema Cream: The Ingredients List
Coconut Oil: A personally favorite of mine for almost any homemade creams, lotion or body butter. Coconut oil truly works wonders as a moisturizer for all skin types, especially dry skin. Due to coconut oil’s anti-viral, antibacterial, anti-microbial, and even anti-fungal properties, you’ll find it present in 75% of eczema related beauty products. You’ll find it present in so many natural remedies for eczema.
Oats: Again, another ingredient you’ll find in a ton of natural remedies for eczema and a wives tale that mothers’ swear by. Oatmeal contains healthy fats and is also well known for its ability to sooth, especially fiery itchy skin, it’s why you’ll find it in most ‘store bought’ eczema marketed creams like this one. When they come into contact with your skin, they immediately begin to cool and soothe.
Shea Butter: One of my favorite ingredients, this is deeply conditioning for the skin and Shea mimics the natural moisturizer produce by the body and skin. Furthermore, it’s is super rich in Vitamin A.
Lavender Essential Oil: A tried and tested oil for skin health, lavender is great for soothing skin and relaxing muscles, that’s why it’s included in this homemade moisturizer for eczema. I use this fantastic essential oil:
Vitamin E Oil: A natural preservative and also really good for the skin. The health benefits of vitamin E for skin come from its antioxidant properties for age defying results.
All of these ingredients are safe for babies and young children, but this cream will work for adults, too!
Homemade Eczema Cream Method:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil (soft or melted) (like this organic one)
1/4 cup shea butter (like this one)
1/4 cup of Oats (from any store, organic is best)
2 tsp. Vitamin E Oil (like this one)
5 drops of Lavender Essential Oil (where to buy)
Note: Essential oils must be diluted when used on babies and children. You must not use the essential oil directly onto the skin. Everyone has a different opinion on what is an isn’t safe. I have personally used them on my children, however if you are in doubt, leave it out.
Directions:
1. Finely grind the oats to a powdery or flour consistency and set aside. To do this, I use my snazzy blender!
Update: We’ve had a lot of comments and feedback about the oats sinking to the bottom of the moisturizer. To avoid this you should put the mixture into the freezer for a few hours to quickly harden and so trap the oat particles suspended in the mixture. If this doesn’t work for you still, then you can simply use Avena Sativa Oil. This is a concentrated oat extract you find in products like Aveeno baby etc. Personally, we like the physical oats because they are incredibly gentle and soothing and they gradually seep out into the mixture. That’s why we regularly use oats in our oat bath for eczema.
2. On a very low heat, gently melt the coconut oil in a pan until it has a liquid consistency like so:
3. Add in the drops of Lavender oil and then add the shea butter. Make sure you mix the ingredients in really well. For this to be an effective homemade eczema cream, all the ingredients have to be well distributed. Natural remedies for eczema in stores usually have emulsifiers and other additives to ensure the solutions mix properly.
4. Add ground oats in the pan and mix until well blended.
5. Now, pour vitamin E oil evenly around the mixture and stir one last final time, still on the low heat.
6. Once all ingredients are mixed, remove from heat and pour in to a small storage container. I use these lovely little jars that you can get from amazon super cheap.
Let it harden for several hours. You can store this homemade eczema cream at room temperature, but if your home is warm (above 76 degrees) the coconut oil may melt. Just put it in the fridge to solidify it again.
Need something to put this lotion in?
I hope you enjoyed this homemade eczema cream, and please let us know how you got on!
12 Comments
Yumna
I have 100% colloidal oatmeal can I use this ?
Natural and Healthy Living
Of course you can!
evonne
I have a latex allergy and therefore cannot use shea butter (so disappointing! Im aware its a lovely product). Would almond oil or beeswax be a suitable substitute? I would appreciate your ideas as the recipe sounds good
Natural and Healthy Living
I would suggest almond oil would be best in this case, but adding beeswax will make it thicker, so both is ideal.
Stephanie
Wow, I didn’t know latex and shea butter were related! Don’t use almond oil Evonne; that’s a liquid oil and you need to substitute the shea with something solid. You can use cocoa butter; I would use refined cocoa butter unless you like a REALLY strong chocolate scent. My personal favorite is mango butter. It’s a bit more pricey, but it is a heavenly moisturizer!
Heather
What’s the shelf life of this?
Natural and Healthy Living
The eczema cream will last as long as the shelf life of the coconut oil, since that is the ingredient with the shortest shelf life, however, coconut oil rarely goes “bad”.
Bridget
My oatmeal is settling at the bottom. I used 1 batch of ground “old fashioned” oats and 1 batch of quick oats. Is this the norm.. And if it’s not, how do I fix it or keep it from happening again?
Patti
Do you think that whipping it up with a hand mixer would help keep the oats mixed in better? I haven’t tried this yet.
Kathy
In order to stop the oatmeal from sinking can’t you just whip it and make it more of a whipped cream instead? I’m going to give it a shot. 🙂
Stephanie
To keep the oats from sinking, allow the salve to cool to room temperature; then using a mixer or immersion blender, whip the lotion until it looks like vanilla frosting.