Apr

8

pH of Eczema Skin

Filed Under Eczema Treatment | 3 Comments

It is important that you gain an understanding about the pH of your eczema skin, so that you can better choose the appropriate type of products to apply on your body.

The average or normal pH value of human skin is between 4 and 6.5, although this may vary to the area of skin on the body. The term pH expresses the hydrogen ion activity of a solution, or the power of hydrogen. The pH value of normal skin implies that at physiological pH, the surface of the skin is negatively charged and is acidic.

This acidic surface has been termed the “acid mantle” and it appears that an acid skin surface provides a better barrier against microbial incursions. The acid mantle and your outermost layer of skin (the epidermis, also called the stratum corneum) make the skin less permeable to water, thereby preventing invasion by microorganisms. Microbes have difficulty surviving in an acid environment.

More recent discoveries indicate that high skin pH (or alkaline skin) is associated with reduced surface lipid concentrations and higher trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) values. This means your skin loses more water and becomes drier.

The pH of eczema skin has been shown to have higher than normal values. Diseases associated with higher skin surface pH include eczema, contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, and dry skin. Acute eczema can elevate skin surface pH to 7.3-7.4. The higher ph of eczema skin allows Staphylococcus aureus to proliferate on the skin, which can lead to development of discoid eczema and some forms of dermatitis.

Damage to the acid mantle and epidermis tends to increase skin PH and thus renders the skin vulnerable to infections and other diseases. For example, hand washing three times a day with cleansing agents alters the acid mantle for several hours, and additional damage occurs with each subsequent washing. Skin pH that is too low also damages the skin, and many superficial chemical peels lower skin pH to 2.5, maintaining it for at least 2 hours. To keep the pH of eczema skin as near normal as possible, the patient must avoid agents that alter the acid mantle and damage the skin.

When you buy skin care products, it is wise to check the packaging information. You’ll want those that have pH values 4.0 to 6.5, or that state the product is ‘pH balanced.’ To balance your internal with your external pH, you may have to make appropriate adjustments in your diet. An acidic internal pH can be addressed by increasing fruits and vegetables intake; whilst too much alkalinity will require more proteins and carbohydrates. This attention to internal and external pH should help you stabilize the ph of eczema skin.

Apr

6

Affirmations To Heal Eczema

Filed Under Eczema Treatment, Eczema Causes, Eczema Mind Power | 1 Comment

I’ve just finished reading this book on “You Can Heal Your Life” by Louis Hay. In her book, she recommends the idea that poor health or just about any symptoms that you are experiencing can often be linked to a low self esteem or lack of self love. Her solution is to practise saying self affirmations as often as possible throughout the day, to change your negative self talk. When you change your thoughts, you start to change your belief system and to love yourself more. Healing is then experienced at all fronts.

Wait a minute….You may be tempted to scoff at the possibility of curing yourself with the use of affirmations. However, look at it this way: if Louis can heal herself from terminal cancer, applying the power of positive belief through the use of affirmations, what makes you think it is not possible for eczema?

Louis Hay documented a long list of health conditions and the affirmations to say for each of them. Here, I’ve listed down, from her book, those that apply to various skin symptoms and diseases:

Eczema
Probable Cause: Breath-taking antagonism. Mental eruptions.
Affirmation: “Harmony and peace, love and joy surround me and indwell me. I am safe and secure.”

Skin Problems
Probable Cause: Anxiety, fear. Old, buried guck. I am being threatened.
Affirmation: “I lovingly protect myself with thoughts of joy and peace. The past is forgiven and forgotten. I am free in this moment.”

Scabies
Probable Cause: Infected thinking. Allowing others to get under your skin.
Affirmation: “I am the living, loving, joyous experssion of life. I am my own person.”

Hives (Urticaria)
Probable Cause:Small, hidden fears. Mountains out of molehills.
Affirmation: “I bring peace to every corner of my life.”

Herpes Simplex (Herpes Labialis)
Probable Cause:Burning to bitch. Bitter words left unspoken.
Affirmation: “I think and speak only words of love. I am at peace with life.”

Cold Sores (Fever Blisters)
Probable Cause: Festering angry words and fear of expressing them.
Affirmation: “I only create peaceful experiences because I love myself. All is well.”

Itching (Pruiritis)
Probable Cause: Desires that go against the grain. Unsatisfied. Remorse. Itching to get out or get away.
Affirmation: “I am at peace just where I am. I accept my good, knowing all my needs and desires will be fulfilled.”

Rash
Probable Cause: Irritation over delays. Babyish way to get attention.
Affirmation: “I love and approve of myself. I am at peace with the process of life.”

Ringworm
Probable Cause: Allowing others to get under your skin. Not feeling good enough or clean enough.
Affirmation: “I love and approve of myself. No person, place or thing has any power over me. I am free.”

Psoriasis
Probable Cause: Fear of being hurt. Deadening the senses of the self. Refusing to accept responsibility for our own feeling.
Affirmation: “I am alive to the joys of living. I deserve and accept the very best in life. I love and approve of myself.”

Of course, Louis also managed to cure herself of cancer not just with words alone. She took actions that supported her new empowering beliefs about herself and her health. She did detoxification, yoga, watched her diet, eliminated unhealthy foods from her diet, meditate, amongst others. This being the case, I would think that my Eczema Diet Secrets will be a perfect companion book to hers.

“You can Heal Your Life” by Louis Hay is certainly a good one to read. It recommends an alternative angle to healing yourself from eczema. If you are interested to find out what affirmations to use for other health conditions and how they are related to your emotions, do check her book out.

If affirmations have worked for you in relation to eczema, do also share your success stories!

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