Antimonium crudum: People likely to respond to this remedy have
eczema with thick, cracked skin and are also prone to indigestion. They are
usually sensitive and sentimental, love to eat (craving pickles, vinegar, and
other sour things), and may be overweight. Children can be shy and irritable,
insisting that they not be touched or looked at. Itching is worse from warmth
and sun exposure. Antimonium crudum is often indicated for impetigo,
plantar warts, and calluses, as well as eczema.
Arsenicum album: People who need this remedy usually are anxious,
restless, and compulsively neat and orderly. The skin is dry, itches, and
burns intensely. Scratching can make the itching worse, and applying heat
will bring relief. Indigestion with burning pain and a general feeling of
chilliness are often seen when Arsenicum is indicated.
Arum triphyllum: This remedy can be useful when allergic skin
eruptions are focused on the lower part of the face, especially around the
mouth. The chin may look chapped and feel hot and irritated. The lips are
cracked (and usually raw from the person picking them) and the nostrils may
be sore. People who need this remedy are often inclined toward throat
irritation and hoarseness.
Calcarea carbonica: This remedy is suited to people who are chilly
with clammy hands and feet, and tend to develop eczema and cracking skin that
is worse in the wintertime. They are easily fatigued by exertion, and feel
anxious and overwhelmed if ill or overworked. Cravings for sweets and eggs, a
sluggish metabolism, and a tendency toward weight problems are other
indications for Calcarea.
Calendula: This remedy (in potentized homeopathic form) can be
helpful if the irritated skin has a tendency to get infected. Topical use of
the unpotentized herb in lotion, gel, or tincture form is soothing to
irritated skin, and can often ease inflammation and prevent infection without
artificially suppressing it.
Graphites: People likely to respond to this remedy have tough or
leathery skin with cracks and soreness, and often have a long-term history of
skin disorders (impetigo, herpes, etc.) The areas behind the ears, around the
mouth, or on the hands are often cracked, with a golden oozing discharge that
hardens into crusts. Itching is worse from getting warm in bed, and the
person will often scratch the irritated places till they bleed. Difficulty
concentrating, especially in the morning, is often seen in a person who needs
Graphites.
Hepar sulphuris calcareum: This remedy may be helpful to very
sensitive, chilly people whose eczema is extremely sore and becomes infected
easily. The skin, especially on the hands and feet, looks chapped and deeply
cracked and is very slow to heal. The person usually feels vulnerable and
irritable, with a low resistance to illness and infection.
Mezereum: A person who needs this remedy often has strong anxiety,
felt physically in the stomach. Intensely itching eruptions start as
blisters, then ooze and form thick crusts, and scratching can lead to
thickened skin. Cold applications often help the itch (although the person is
chilly in general). A craving for fat and a tendency to feel better in open
air are other indications for Mezereum.
Rhus toxicodendron: A person whose eczema has blister like eruptions
that look red and swollen, itch intensely, and are soothed by hot
applications may respond to this remedy. The person is restless from
discomfort and often is very irritable and anxious. Muscle stiffness,
relieved by warmth and motion, is also likely. A person who needs Rhus
tox often craves cold milk.
Petroleum: This remedy is indicated for individuals whose skin is
extremely dry and tends to crack, especially on the fingertips and palms.
Eczema is worse in winter, with deep, sore cracks that often bleed. The
person feels a cold sensation after scratching. Itching is worse at night and
from getting warm in bed. The skin is easily infected, and may get tough and
leathery from chronic irritation.
Sulphur: Intensely burning, itching, inflamed eruptions that are
worse from warmth and worse from bathing suggest a need for this remedy.
Affected areas may be red, with scaling or crusted skin. Eruptions can be
either dry or moist. This remedy is sometimes helpful to people who have
repeatedly used medications and ointments on their eczema without
success.
