Emu oil is gaining a lot of popularity as a natural treatment option for eczema. To get more information on this eczema cure, you must read this article.
Eczema is a common skin disorder that causes skin inflammation. It makes the skin extremely dry and itchy and cracks tend to develop on them. Eczema rashes also appear as red swollen bumps with dry, thick scales. Too much of scratching can make these rashes weep and the skin surface feels damp all the time. It is not a contagious disease but its symptoms cause a lot of discomfort. It mostly affects small children and infants. Those who get eczema in childhood may have to suffer from it even when they grow up into adults. In most cases, the eczema cause is not known. In some patients, it has been found to be hereditary. However, it can be triggered by a number of other factors like exposure to environmental irritants, food allergies, cold weather condition, etc.
What is Emu Oil?
Emu oil is obtained from the fat of Emu birds found in Australia. The benefits of emu oil were known to the Australian Aborigines for thousands of years. It is only in recent times that the research studies have proved that emu oil has some excellent medicinal values. Almost 70% of this oil consists of unsaturated fatty acids. It has a good amount of oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fatty acid that happens to be a great skin moisturizer. It also contains vitamins A and E, which are essential nutrients that provide protection to the skin from any kind of damage.
Benefits of Emu Oil for Eczema
There are many different forms of eczema like atopic eczema, allergic contact eczema, irritant contact eczema, seborrhoeic eczema, etc. Emu oil is equally effective for all of them. The natural properties of this oil are highly beneficial for curing eczema symptoms. The main aim of treatment is to reduce the skin inflammation and moisturize the dry, cracked skin. Emu oil has amazing anti-inflammatory properties that helps to bring down the skin inflammation. It readily penetrates deep into the skin and locks the moisture within the skin pores and thus, hydrates the dry skin. It also has a soothing effect on skin irritation.
Emu oil acts as a topical analgesic and helps in eczema pain relief. The skin suffers a lot of damage because of the skin disorder. Emu oil supplies high amount of essential nutrients to the damaged skin and nourishes it well to make it healthy. it is a bacteriostatic agent, which means that it does not allow bacterial growth on it. Thus, application of emu oil prevents secondary bacterial infections on the eczema afflicted skin.
The structure of the fat components of emu oil has got a lot of similarity with fats of human body. So, the oil is easily absorbed into the skin and you do not get any greasy feeling on its surface after applying it. For this reason, more and more people prefer to use this oil over any other creams or lotions that are used for the treatment of this disease.
How to Use Emu Oil
The method of application is pretty simple. You have to apply it after taking a shower or cleaning up the area with soap and water. This will remove all dust or dirt from the skin surface. Rub the oil directly on the eczema affected skin with a gentle hand. If you want, you can cover the area with a gauze cloth after application. Some people immerse bandages in emu oil and use it to cover up the affected part of the skin. This will keep the oil on the skin for a long duration. In case the symptoms are severe, then the oil has to be applied three times in a day. Most people have found significant improvement in eczema condition within the first three weeks of treatment.
Besides its beneficial effects, there are a number of other advantages of using emu oil for eczema. Firstly, it does not have any side effects. As it is hypoallergenic in nature, it can be safely used on an extremely sensitive skin. So, you need not worry about any adverse skin reaction. Moreover, this treatment is not going to cost you much as it is not a very expensive oil and everyone can afford it. And as always, it is advisable that you ask your doctor once, before using this treatment.