My little Pitter Pat has suffered with eczema since she was a baby. And listen, folks, I don’t use the term “suffer” lightly. It has been the biggest source of physical pain and misery she has had in her five years. Her case is especially bad in the summer, though it can flare up in any season. Though the dry air in winter does make it flare, she also has a HUGE reaction to the sunscreen, bug spray, and pool water of summer. Even the sand and salt water of the beach bring on tears of pain, itching, and burning. We have had our fair share of screaming and inconsolability over her eczema, and until now, we haven’t had much of anything with which to treat it. Lotion is okay, but any kind of fragrance only makes it worse. Hydrocortisone clears it up for the moment, but it thins the skin, only making it easier to break out the next time. We’ve tried castor oil, baby oil, Vasoline, Aquaphor, and even Aveeno’s Eczema Therapy cream. They each work in varying degrees to provide a little comfort, but nothing works log-term. As you might imagine, I have done hours of research on the internet, talking to our pediatrician, taking to other parents, and tried each of the many ideas I have gotten from them. Still no real solution.
Until the other day.
I came across the archives of an old chat board for skin issues. It was a LONG archives, but I was desperate after yet another round of tears over burning legs. One entry caught my attention because it was something I’d never tried before.
The commenter was singing the praises of diluted apple cider vinegar for her child’s eczema. Her story sounded familiar to us, as she’d been through the same battles we have, but she vowed that apple cider vinegar not only treated her child’s eczema, but actually CURED it. Now, I can’t say yet whether it will cure eczema completely, but after trying it, I am also singing the praises of this treatment.
Here’s the deal: Dilute about 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar with about 3 cups of water. Saturate a cotton ball with the mixture, and apply it to the affected areas. If it is a fresh spot, it’s going to BURN LIKE CRAZY, so be ready to blow on it. However, patches that are a few days old shouldn’t be so bad. Apply it in the morning and again at night. Sure, you’ll smell like vinegar for a while (not too badly), but if you’ve ever dealt with eczema, you won’t care.
Please understand that I am not a medical professional, and this little blog certainly does not give out medical advise. However, I am a mom that has had a miserable child, and I would LOVE to pass on what what worked for us to any other mom out there who has lived with the effects of eczema in their kiddos. If you’ve dealt with this problem and my remedy works for you, I sure would love to hear about it. Just leave a comment or shoot me an email to let me know.
Want to see my treatment for the stomach virus? Check it out here.
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I myself have been suffering from eczema since I can remember (32 yrs) and have yet to come across the cure. My eczema cycles for about 8 weeks with 1 week no flare up. Really not long enough to heal any of the old marks from scratching. But for 1 solid week no intense burning, itching and feeling like your skin is crawling…well you can empathize. When I was little my grandfather (a veterinarian) rubbed some ointment on my patches before I had gone to bed one night that I spent by his home and it eased my pain until the next night which by then I was on the train going home. Now I couldn’t remember what it was and my parents never asked either. Last month though I was in Fleet Farm in the animal isle and came across Dr. Naylor Udder Balm. I opened the cover and it looked the same and smelled the same as what my grandfather had used on me 30 some years ago. Bought it, used it that same night on all of my patches (that cover more then 60% of my body) and the next day no intense itching, burning, bleeding and extreme pain. I have to warn you though it does say for “animal use only” “keep from reach of children”. I rotate every third night between Dr. Naylor Udder Balm, coconut oil and homemade brown sugar scrub with extra virgin olive oil. Just this past week I had an apt with derma and he recommended me to start light therapy once a week. This might not give you any hope for cure but treatment of eczema is so diverse with each individual. I wish you and your daughter all the luck and hope for the future and I pray that she grows out of it.
Hey Melanie,
I use a product that sounds similar to this one for my excema. It’s called “Vermont’s Original Bag Balm”, it comes in a green tin and you can buy it at Target. It’s very greasy but it is a miracle worker for me!
I have heard of this also, but haven’t tried it consistently. My daughter who struggles with eczema is 5 also, and has struggled off and on since she was a baby. Probably about 2 1/2 to 3 years ago, I decided to try the hazelwood necklaces from http://www.hazelaid.com, and they have made a world of difference for her! She wears them constantly and I usually have to buy a new one about once a year. Many types of eczema are caused by too much acid in the body and the hazelwood on this necklace absorbs acid from the body. It took a few weeks of wearing the necklace to start working, but my daughter has only had probably two mild breakouts since then, and I think it was when a necklace started to lose it’s effectiveness and needed to be replaced.
I imagine that is why the apple cider vinegar works also, since it balances the acidity of the body. So glad you have found something to help your daughter. I will keep it in my file for future use also! Thanks for sharing!
My daughter has always suffered, as you are describing. Last year I bought a grain mill and now I mill all of our flour and make all of our bread products (loaf bread, rolls, tortillas, etc) and that cured it within 48 hours. Nearly a year of NO excema at all!
I will have to try this! Crabtree & Evelyn gardeners cream works amazing you should try it!
I will try this right away, thank you for sharing. I find coconut oil helps too, of course only for the day, but it does feel better for that time. Thanks again.
I tried your suggestion and it worked! THANK YOU! Was so nice to be at work and not itching. I’ve passed this info onto everyone I could. Anyone who suffers from Eczema should know about this simple cheap treatment. Bye bye steroid ointment.
So happy for you, Carolyn!
For how long is this mixture usable or do I need to make a fresh one every time? Thanks for this tip I just started using it on my daughter!
I don’t know how long it will last, but we use it until it’s gone. No need to make a fresh solution every time.
I would love to get your input on this! My daughter will be 2 next month, and has all of a sudden broke out with eczema on both butt cheeks. It is a horrible place to have it, with her diaper rubbing all the time. We have been to numerous doctors, tried a ton of steroid creams, and even antibiotics….and nothing has worked. Do you thing this vinegar would be okay to try on her bottom? I would love to give it a try and for it to work!! Thanks!
Jesse, I am a mom and not a doctor. I can’t give you medical advice. However, if it was my child, I would stop the steroid creams, as they thin the skin and make it easier for rashes to break out. I would also try the apple cider vinegar trick – just make sure you dilute with water enough that it doesn’t burn. That’s a bad place to feel the burn. Let me know how it works.
I have suffered from eczema for the longest time. And when you say “suffering”, believe me I UNDESTAND. I am 21 years old and am so self conscious because of this annoying condition. I have tried everything like you said and yes they all work some degree. The only thing that has worked for me is prednisone, which is a prescribed steroid! It is awful for your bones and causes them to break down. I am only prescribed it when my eczema is at it’s worse…which sadly happens too often ( i think). So, with that being said I am SOOOO excited to try this and am praying on all the lucky stars it works. Just the other day a girl in class asked me if it was contagious ( how rude) and I wanted to scream. Finally someone understands this pain, even if i’ll never meet you! Thank you thank you thank you. Hope it works for me!
I pray that it works well for you. It has been great for us.
I am 22 and have also suffered from severe eczema since I was very young, primarily on my legs and hands. I too am very self conscious about it and struggle to find alternatives to wearing shorts on hot summer days. I will certainly try this remedy and thank you both for sharing. It is nice to know that I am not alone although I often feel like it. Also, I must recommend a gluten-free diet. I was told 8 years ago that what I believed had always been “sever eczema” was actually dermatitis herpetiformus…pretty much an allergic reaction to gluten. Going gluten-free has cleared up about 50% of my eczema, although it is definitely not gone (possible due to false gluten-free labels and poor food regulations, my skin conditions have always been the best whilst abroad). I would still recommend going gluten free to anyone with eczema but will try this remedy for what is still leaving me hiding beneath my jeans in the summertime. Praying for healing. Thanks again for sharing
My Seven year old has has excema since he was a baby so I have tried EVERYTHING. We have tried all the oils and creams suggested by docs, and nothing helps. About a year ago my mother in law was babysitting and tried some stuff called bee bar she used in her cracked feet. It worked better than anything (even steroid creams). I order it online from honey house naturals. It’s a bar u rub on the affected area so its easy, and its completely natural! I’m going to try the apple cider vinegar also. Seems like it may help a lot with the itching. Good luck!!
My 7 month old has had eczema for a couple months. After trying all the creams under the sun I decided to cut things out of my diet (since I’m breast feeding) dairy, gluten and eggs specifically. After 4 days the eczema was almost gone!!! I was shocked. I don’t know yet which of the foods is the culprit but it might be both the dairy and gluten. I also started drinking ACV daily. I highly suggest trying diet change.
(also not a doctor, “just” a mom also of an allergic kid) This sounds more like treating yeast, and maybe stripping the skin of the soaps and oils that have landed on her skin, trapping the allergens in her own oils. An excematic child is prone to yeast and bacterial infections, which makes it hard to heal from a flare up even when the allergen is no longer on the skin. Vinegar sounds like it 1) eliminates the allergen 2) eliminates the yeasts/bacteria that are growing on the damaged spots, and 3) heals the skin to build resistance against those yeasts etc.. Sounds like apple cider is a great solution, if your child is willing to go through the stinging pain, I wonder if the cider would be therapeutic enough at an even lower amount per cup of water? There were some creams that my son would scream when we put it on. So we basically did antibacterial ointment which did not sting, and after a couple days, the mometasone or triamsinolone would not burn so much…wonder if he would endure the cider better esp if we diluted it more at first until it wasn’t so stingy…food for thought! thank you!
I also suffered terribly with eczema for years. My dermatologists through the years gave me creams and ointments, but it never really went away until one day when I was in my early 30s I was treated with a steroid pack for poison ivy. Like a miracle, not only the poison ivy went away, but all traces of the eczema. The great part is I am in my mid fifties now and it has never returned!
My fiancée has had horrible eczema all his life, and he’s had that same problem with lotions working for a quick fix, but not long term. I’ll definitely be telling him about this so he can give it a shot.
My son has had eczema since he was 6 weeks old and he is now 3. His eczema is from the top of his head down to his toes. I also have tried all kinds of different creams/lotions and soaps and nothing had worked. I was told about hazelwood necklaces so I bought one for him and one for his little sister who also has eczema. I have noticed great improvement in both of them and he even says his owies are gone! They have only had their necklaces for two weeks
Just started trying this, did you use lotion afterwards or no?
Yes, Brooke. I usually do the Aveeno eczema cream afterward.
I am 23 years old and have had eczema my whole life. I find that when the eczema gets weepy (wet) it is a yeast over growth. Apple cider does work, it also works great for dandruff. ( one gallon of water, two cups apple cider vinegar. rinse hair in solution and you will see how much dandruff loosens up and sinks to the bottom)
I will be trying to take probiotics to help balance the yeast growth on my skin. Coconut oil is also a great source to kill yeast overgrowth. Thanks for the post!
I just tried your tip on my 2 year old daughter. She has eczema ever since she was able to eat more solid foods. Ive heard great things from people who use probiotic powder, omega 3 oil and stay away from gluten or wheat. Its been very hard for me to stay away from wheat though as i find its in alot of foods and my daughter loves her bread! I think im going to try gluten free breads and try to stay away from wheat products though. My daughter used to suffer from dry itchy red eyes recently for the past few months. My cousins daughter suffered from the same thing and it went away within in a WEEK of changing our laundry detergent. We use Tide Free and Gentle now and i cant believe how amazing her eyes look now! Never would have thought it was her detergent but glad we found out. God bless everyone. I hope we can all find a cure!
I’ve been trying this, but didn’t realize you were supposed to dilute it (duh!) so the eczema totally scaled over and is now dry and patchy and make-up resistant. I look terrible!
One thing that’s always worked well for me in the past is lanolin. You can buy Lanisoh brand, which is marketed as a nipple cream for nursing mothers. Warning – it is messy and sticky. This is definitely a bedtime ritual, unless you don’t mind going out with a sheen on your face! Anytime I’ve used it in the past, it clears everything up within a week. I picked some up to combat the dryness after the apple cider vinegar mishap. I slather it onto the spots at night, and they are MUCH calmer by morning.
I think the ACV works well to “kill” the eczema patch, and the lanolin works really well for clearing up the burning, itchy dryness afterwards, and does NOT sting at all!
Interesting. Both of my boys suffer from it, the way it sounds your daughter does. We’ve been using the eucerin and hydrocortisone for really bad flare ups. Like you said, it isn’t a long lasting fix. We have learned that if we apply the eucerin right after they have a warm bath, it works the best for the next 24 hours, because their skin is more absorbent. So, have you noticed if you apply the vinegar after a warm bath it is more effective? I might have to try this out! A miracle would be great! Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi, Kelli! Yes, we always apply our Aveeno cream right after a warm bath, as the bath itself seems to be a trigger for my daughter. I apply the ACV first and then the Aveeno. However, I apply the ACV at other times as well, and it seems to be just as effective.
Eczema can be a very uncomfortable condition to have. We have been investing a lot of time understanding the link between fast food and junk food. We recommend you read it :
http://clinidirect.co.uk/knowledge-center/45/eczema-and-asthma-the-link-to-junk-food/0/13/wound-care
It may help prevent flair ups
my son hs eczema on his face since last yr. he hs patches on his face which really make him miserable. he scratces himself most of the time. i am going to try the apple cider vinegar for it. thank u for sharing your experience with me. i hope it will help my son too.
Was just wondering how long did it take using this before you saw results or any clearing up of the eczema or any relief? I’ve tried it on my 3 yr old but it seems to be drying it up and making it worse. Just wondering if that was common. If you could email me back that would be great. Thank you