The second possibility is that you have a deficiency in essential fats, without which the skin will become dry and sensitive. It seems that eczema suffers have an especially high need for these essential fatty acids (EFAs), found mainly in coldwater fish and pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, flax and other seeds, and their oils. Seeds and fish are both natural anti-inflammatories, too, which helps to explain their effect on eczema, which is an inflammatory condition. So it' s a good idea to supplement EFAs - either GLA, found in evening primrose and borage or starflower oils (250mg daily), or EPA and DHA, found in most abundance in fish oils. You' ll need 400mg of EPA and DHA both a day. I' d recommend taking a supplement that contains all three. I' d also recommend a good optimum nutrition multivitamin because B vitamins, zinc and magnesium all help the body use essential fats to keep skin healthy.

Finally, you may be low on antioxidants, some of which also have anti-inflammatory properties. Quercetin (300mg before meals) or grape seed extract (50mgwithmeals),available from health-food shops, may help. Certain foods, particularly berries, are also very high in flavonoids that have been shown to help eczema. Meanwhile, there are certain drug-free creams worth trying. Try MSM (organic sulphur) cream or aloe vera gel, although be careful with these, as some people are sensitive to them, especially if the skin is broken.