What To Do with Dry, Itchy Skin?

Skin care during the winter season has become a multibillion dollar industry, yet most of these products contain drugs or harsh chemical that often do little to improve the root cause of skin conditions, and in some cases may actually worsen the problem. Effective treatment for skin conditions, therefore, must include both internal and external approaches. However strong steroid-based cream or lotion one would  apply, unless internal conditions are addressed, it will be short-lived and recurring once the medication stops.

Internal Approach

1. Strengthen the lungs. The best and most effective way of fortifying the lungs is deep breathing, or abdomen-breathing. Conscious slow-breathing techniques work as well.
2. Massage the Lung Source Point (Lung 9, Taiyuan, Great Abyss–located at the wrist joint) for 3-5 minutes every day. This point is particularly effective in treating asthma. 

 

 

 

 

3. Massage Large Intestine 11(LI 11, QuChi, on the outside of elbow) to clear “heat” in the body.

 

 

4. Remove Dampness caused by water retention, and insufficient flushing of water and toxins. Constipation is a real killer here.

5.Eat “white-colored” food that strengthens the lungs, e.g., Asian pears, white peaches, white beans, cauliflower, garlic, artichokes, onions, parsnips, potatoes, shallots, turnips, etc. Pork is considered a white meat in Chinese medicine. White-colored fishes such as sea bass, halibut should be good also. Stay away from white sugar, white flour, or white rice—these are really bad “white” foods.

External Approach

1. Epsom Salt Bath–Take relaxing, stress-relieving epsom salt baths as often as you can by adding 2-4 cups of ultra epsom salt (no fragrance) to a warm bath water and soak for at least 15 minutes. In water, epsom salt is broken down to magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen. It has numerous health benefits, and it moistens the skin while removing the toxins.

2. Apply grated potatoes on the distressed skin areas (You can also drink raw potato juice by grating potatoes and extracting its juice). Raw potatoes are very good in fighting infections, relieving pains, and healing the wounds.

 

 

3. Apply infrared or far infrared heat directly on the affected skin areas for 10-15 minutes a day.

 

 

 

 

4. For itchiness, try apple cider vinegar, salt water, or witch hazel. Extreme itchiness can be relieved by applying Desitin–a baby diaper rash cream

 

5. Protect the skin with oil. Among all oils, emu oil is touted to be the best in dealing with dry, itchy skin. The aboriginal people of Australia have long used emu oil to treat inflammation, wounds, and musculoskeletal pain.

There could be other issues such as metal toxicity or hormonal imbalance that can wreak havoc on skin conditions, however, the above items will produce significant relief for severely dry, and itchy skin conditions during the winter.