Ayurvedic Treatment for Eczema

Ayurveda has a long tradition of describing skin disease, and eczema-like conditions appear in it. This is an interpretive framework. Evidence from good trials for most Ayurvedic eczema treatments is limited, so it should work alongside, and not instead of, proven skin care.

How the classics describe it

Skin disease is grouped under kushtha, covered in the Charaka Samhita (Nidana and Chikitsa Sthana, with the main treatment chapter in Chikitsa Sthana chapter 7), the Sushruta Samhita (Nidana Sthana chapter 5) and the Ashtanga Hridaya. Minor skin disease (kshudra kushtha) includes names such as vicharchika (itchy, oozing, dark lesions), pama (small itchy eruptions) and kitibha (dry, thick, dark patches). These loosely resemble forms of eczema. The texts relate them to Kapha, Pitta and Vata disturbance and to food and lifestyle causes such as incompatible foods and suppressed natural urges.

Ideas in the classics that fit modern advice

• Avoid known triggers and irritants.
• Keep skin moisturised. Classical texts use oils and medicated ghee externally.
• Avoid very heavy, incompatible or fermented foods if they clearly flare your skin.
• Manage stress and sleep.

Cautions

• Herbal creams and oils can cause contact allergy and make eczema worse. Do a patch test on a small area first.
• Some "herbal" skin creams sold in markets contain hidden steroids. Long use can thin the skin. Buy only from reliable sources and ask what is in a product.
• Do not use strong purification therapies (panchakarma) on children or when skin is broken or infected without medical advice.
• Do not stop prescribed treatment because a practitioner says a diet or herb will cure eczema. No treatment is known to cure it.

Use it wisely. A qualified vaidya can advise diet, routine and gentle external care as an adjunct, while you continue moisturisers and any doctor-prescribed cream.