Organic Eczema Salve

Horsetail, Equisetum arvense, is very high in silica, a component of skin and bones. It is anti-inflammatory, and may increase collagen production, thereby promoting skin healing. It is antimicrobial, and may accelerate the healing of small burns and wounds. The anti-inflammatory constituents in horsetail help treat the underlying causes of eczema.¹

Eastern white cedar, Thuja occidentalis, is antimicrobial against a long list of common pathogens. Cedar leaf has traditionally been used to address the redness, itching, and inflammation associated with eczema by decreasing inflammatory cytokines.²

Cleavers, Gallium aparine. In traditional medicine cleavers have been used as a poultice for burns, eczema, psoriasis, bites, and stings. Studies have shown that Galium aparine has good antioxidant potential. Its secondary metabolites are coumarins, iridoids, and flavonoids. It shows antimicrobial activity against microorganisms and especially high antifungal activity.

Neem, Azadirachta indica, is antiseptic, moisturizing, and anti-inflammatory and is used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for eczema. Neem and its constituents have proven anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, anti-malarial, antifungal, immune-modulator, anti-hyperglycaemic, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-mutagenic and anti-carcinogenic activities. It may calm the redness and itching of eczema.³

Olive oil is non-comedogenic and rich in fatty acids, which hydrate and moisturize. It contains antioxidants, such as vitamin E and polyphenols, which help to protect the skin from free radical damage. It is anti-inflammatory and can help soothe and calm irritated skin, reducing redness and swelling. Olive oil promotes wound healing by stimulating collagen production and reducing inflammation.

Vitamin E is a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It has photoprotective qualities that are very beneficial for skin that is exposed to the elements. It helps keep the oils in salves fresh by preventing oxidization.

Beeswax is an excellent moisturizer and protectant that helps balance the natural flora of the skin.

¹Jeong, Se Yun, Hyung-Seok Yu, Moon-Jin Ra, Sang-Mi Jung, Jeong-Nam Yu, Jin-Chul Kim, and Ki Hyun Kim. 2023. "Phytochemical Investigation of Equisetum arvense and Evaluation of Their Anti-Inflammatory Potential in TNFα/INFγ-Stimulated Keratinocytes" Pharmaceuticals 16, no. 10: 1478. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16101478

²Thuja Occidentalis: an Unexplored Phytomedicine with Therapeutic Applications Running title: Thuja Occidentalis as a Therapeutic Approach Ankit Srivastava1, Bimal Prasad Jit2, Rutumbara Dash3, Rishi Srivastava4, Sameer Srivastava1 1Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad-211004, India.

³Poonam Arora, Bhatia Shiveena, Madhukar Garg, Sapna Kumari, Anju Goyal, Curative Potency of Medicinal Plants in Management of Eczema: A Conservative Approach, Phytomedicine Plus, Volume 2, Issue 2, 2022, 100256, ISSN 2667-0313, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phyplu.2022.100256. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667031322000422)