What to do for Ecsema?

A few years ago, our grandson began showing signs of eczema.  We formulated a cream to help his skin and it was helpful and soothing.  Over the next year, we believe we perfected the formula and began sharing it with customers.  We focused on using essential oils with the highest possible analgesic power.  We had to be careful combining constituents because when you blend essential oils, you change the therapeutic potential.  When blending, mixing a previously soothing oil can be compromised and turned into one that is an irritant. So, our calculations had to be correct.

We selected Rose Geranium for its geraniol content. A Pub-Med study back in 2013, was aimed at finding new anti-inflammatory agents for use in the pharmaceutical industry. Several laboratory studies referenced “paw edema” that improved by over 88% when using the oil.  This generated significant interest in Rose Geranium and it is being used in clinical trials. The primary constituents we sought were geraniol and linalool.

Making an Essential Oil Blend

Next, we decided to blend Rose G. with oil with analgesic properties, meaning an oil that would address pain. This choice was obvious…..pick the oil that has been highly documented for YEARS in the treatment of toothache and associated jaw pain and did not conflict with Rose Geranium.  The choice is Clove Bud, whose main constituent is eugenol.

We also needed a soothing addition, one that would cool the skin and have some light analgesic properties to compliment the rose geranium. The menthol provides a cooling sensation but it is very limited in the formulation because it is so powerful, and can lead to inflammation if overdone.

It is easy enough to blend oils, but having them work in concert on the skin often requires an agent that will “hold” them together.  We did not want to use a synthetic emulsifier.  We needed an ingredient that would protect the skin, like an invisible band-aid and allow the oils to work.  That is what makes the use of Dragonsblood Resin so special.

This blood-red resin is extracted from a variety of tree groups, call dragon trees.  The four types of dragon trees are Croton, Pterocarpus, Daemonorops, or Dracaena. It forms a protective layer over the skin, almost like a sealant or wax, reducing inflammation and redness.

EPI Cream

Many eczema sufferers often use multiple products in a round-robin routine. Often corticosteroids are one of the products, but many want to avoid using these. Also, a product may work for a period of time, then the effectiveness seems to level off.  This is reported by many people with this atopic dermatitis/eczema.  Since it seems to be an immune system issue, it is not surprising that different products at different times of the year seem to work best.

So, we offer EPI cream as a potential alternative to chemical and pharmaceutical treatments. The results for many people have been quite good, at least bringing them some comfort in their skin.  And that has always been our goal.