[Pia Asa]

Pia Asa asked the Naked Scientists:

Hi there,

A friend said the other day that they were on a holiday up North in Australia and her busband spent the whole holiday swimming in the hotel salt water pool with the kids.  Apparently it cured his eczema!  Is there some scientific basis for this?  Should someone be manufacturing creams with salt in them?

Thanks, Pia.

What do you think?

[blaze]

I was diagnosed with eczema and later learned my eczema was an offshoot of several vector-borne infections (Lyme was one). So the salt water might have treated an underlying infection, not to mention the benefits he got from the sunlight, if he was outdoors.

[kdlynn]

there are all different causes of eczema, and i'm no doctor but i think they all need different treatment. my baby and i both have it, but when it shows up i just whip out my hydrocortisone cream and it's gone in a day or two. my dad has all kinds of perscriptions and it barely goes away...so i don't think that would work for everyone, but it might!

[Make it Lady]

Salt tends to have a drying effect on wounds. This should help to heal them. The problem with eczema is that the healing process has a habit of going too far thus damaging the healing it has just done and opening up the wound again. I can watch this happening with the eczema I have on my big toe knuckle. I doubt salt water on its own would cure it but certainly having it open to fresh air and sunshine (vit D) certainly helps. More zinc in the diet is also helpful so get eating your seeds. A lot of eczema is caused by diet. Dairy products in particular. I have contact eczema which is on the contact points on my body such as elbows, knees, tops of feet and toes. I did cure most of it with hydrocortisone in a high dose but still have flare ups in certain places. It went completely when I was pregnant because I was taking multivits and minerals. I am obviously short of something!

[sarah123]

u coudl try dead sea salt its awesome for eczema, we have been using it at home in the bath, it is great, stay in for 20 minutes and use at least 1KG in each bath we have friends with a swimming pool that is saline instead of chlorine and its also good but dead sea salt is much stronger.

[Ryan G]

There are many types of eczema & different eczema treatments for it. I am not a doctor but have a bit knowledge about it.



Mod edit - spam link removed and blacklisted.

[curechildeczema]

Salt water has not been identified to be a contraindication to eczema. Only pool water does because of the chlorine content that tends to keep the skin overly dry thus further exacerbates the symptoms.

[MartinTheK]

Eczema is a curious beastie. Some types are exacerbated by stress. Was it the vacation or the salt water pool, or something else? In your husband's case it worked...this time.

What does the dermatologist say? That's your best bet for a cure.

But if you want a fun treatment go to Window Rock, Arizona and see if you can get one of the Navajo singers to put on a "sing" for you. An "enemy way" or "blessing way" sing lasts several days and nights..sweat baths, sand painting, chants..by Godfrey, when it's over you'll know you got treated for something.

[Lor]

I've had eczema all my life-along with skin allergies.i cringe thinking about the times i was made to get in the water at the beach-or the epsom salt bathes i was subjected to as a kid.i think the salt was just for cleansing and drawing out the redness and keeping infection away. I found as i got older most of the soaps and lotions that were recommended for me all contained ingredients i was allergic to(lotions with lanolin or a lanolin derivative etc) and had been contributing to my skin rashes as a child.Lanolin comes from wool from what i understand and i was allergic to it yet the same doctor/allergist was giving my mother eucerin cream to slather all over me-it makes me mad to this day that most dermatoligists do not think to consider allergies before recommending health products.the only soap i have had luck with is basis soap.curel hypoallergenic lotion is pretty good; cornhuskers lotion and aquaphor also;

[5ingingwolf]

I started using Celtic sea salt baths on our son after reading a great article about sea salt eczema treatment here at [spammy link removed].

Essentially you combine Epsom salt and Celtic sea salt and it has done wonders for us. We have not tried dead sea salt but the composition looks similar - 1/3 of dead sea salt is Epsom salt. We do know you cannot use any sea salt - some can be quite burning  [!].

[BelleElida]

I have eczema on my leg and feet for which I have sought medical attention. I have tried a few prescription medications but had negative results. I read some positive feedback for SPAM and thought I'd give it a try. In just a few days I had relief, the itching is almost gone and my skin color is back to normal. I highly recommend SPAM, it's great!

[Yum yum - so glad to hear that your SPAM diet is working out for you. - ed]

[eczemaliving]

In the summer, kids want to swim. It’s a fact of growing up! But when you have an eczema kid, there are things you need to consider before letting your kid jump in the pool. Chlorine and other chemicals can be drying, and if your child has multiple chemical sensitivities, it might not be a viable idea. There is one other option… the beach! Salt-water is chemical free, thus reducing the risk of any allergic reactions. But is salt-water good for eczema, or could it just make things worse?

For breakouts: Saltwater has natural antiseptic drying agents (like sulfur) that is used in blemish treatments so if you’re prone to breakouts, a swim in the ocean can heal these up fast.

Pro tip for breakouts: Bring along a bottle to the beach and fill it up with saltwater. When at home, you can use this as a toner on your acne-prone skin after cleansing.
For skin rashes like eczema and psoriasis: Due to the slightly drying effects from the sodium found in saltwater, many find that red, irritated skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis can get improvement.

Pro tip for dry skin: It’s always a good practice for dry skin types to rinse off the saltwater after swimming and follow immediately with moisturizer. You can also protect skin dryness from occurring by using a water-resistant sunscreen prior to swimming.

Thanks,

[Aaliyah]

I suffer from severe hand eczema. I have been in pain for over 5 years. My hands have been extremely bad for the last 7 months. Over the years I have tried all types of creams, prescriptions and over the counter. Nothing has ever worked. I received <SPAMMY PRODUCT NAME WOZ ERE> on 08/21/2017 and I immediately put it on. I was pleasantly surprised at how it soothed my sore hands, even with this first application. On the second day, I was shocked at how my hands felt and the pain wasn't as bad, I can honestly say I saw a difference. It only gets better with each passing day. I have been using it now for 4 days and my hands haven't looked or felt this good in a very long time!!!!! This is going to be part of my everyday routine, I won't leave home without it!!!

[REgrettably it doesn't do anything for shameless website spamming habits...]

[Krystle Darneal]

I've had a really bad eczema break-out recently. It hurt to even open and close my hand without tearing my skin. All of my right fingers and part of my right hand is affected by eczema. After a few days of using <PRODUCT THAT MAKES ME SUSPICIOUS THIS IS A SPAM POST (we'll know if the OP never returns, won't we)>, I can definitely tell the difference, and my skin is getting much better. Just have to be consistent with it. I use it every night before I go to bed after a shower, and as needed throughout the day.