Harnessing the powerful remedies of Nature
Synergies for babies with Eczema
Natural Antimicrobiols, Body and Beauty

Essential Fatty Acids

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Essential fatty acids (EFAs) , some of them termed Omega3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 fatty acids cannot be manufactured by the body and must be consumed in the diet. They are utilized by the body in practically every biochemical function, including the production of sebum, the skin's natural oil. Applied topically, EFAs are quickly absorbed into the skin. These emollients mprove the absorption of moisturizers and conditioners, and also have antibacterial properties to protect the skin. They are found in many unprocessed oils and some of the oils we use are listed below with their EFAs

Olive Oil High in oleic acid and linoleic
Seabuckthorn oil - around 30% of linoleic (Omega 3)and 30% linolenic acids (Omega-6)- used to treat atopic eczema in Russia.
Macadamia nut oil - around 60% Oleic and 20% palmitoleic acids. Similar in composition to natural sebum
Apricot Kernel rich in GLA (Omga 6)
Avocado Pantothenic acid, Protein, lecithin
Evening Primrose GLA
Jojoba Myristic acid, similarity to sebum.
Kukui Nut high in linoleic acid, oleic acid
Rice Bran Oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid

Hemp seed oil, health or hype?
According to Proof! magazine, hempseed oil and hemp seeds have never been proven to benefit any health condition. True, hemp seeds are full of polyunsaturated fatty acids but they are not the richest source of this in the plant kingdom. Pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita pepo L.) have a higher essential fatty acid (EFA) content, as do many nuts, though these can also be high in saturated fats as well.

Where hemp seeds probably score is the particularly high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 and also contain GLA which, for those who cannot produce their own could be a useful way of getting some. However Borage (Borago officinalis L.), Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis L.) and Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) seeds have even more, and may be a better choice.
Because of its EFA content hemp seed oil can be considered a healthy fat, but it must be kept in mind that Western diets are already very high in omega-6 fatty acids. There is good evidence linking diets with an excess of omega-6 in relation to omega-3 to heart disease, cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Nowadays our diets are more likely to be deficient in omega-3, found in fish oils and flaxseed oils. Adding supplemental hemp seed oil to a diet already high in omega-6 may further increase the imbalance in relation to the omega-3 fatty acids. The two work in synergy in the body to promote health in ways that we don’t yet understand, but only when they are in balanced proportions in the diet.

Flaxseed or Linseed has a long tradition of use in folk medicine; internally flax was used as a cure for gastric disorders: indigestion, stomach and duodenal ulcers, and diarrhoea. Its laxative properties have been confirmed in well-controlled human trials

Flaxseed oil is used in the treatment of skin conditions, such as eczema, acne, and skin dryness, and is also used in skin cleansers and liquid soaps. Flaxseed oil was also used in folk medicine for burn treatment (mixed with calcium oxide).

A decade or so ago, SmithKline Beecham patented a cosmetic preparation based on flaxseed mucilage as a topical application for the skin or mucous membranes. They claim a very broad range of application, including use as artificial mucous and/or lubricant for the skin surface, the ocular, nasal, oral, vaginal, and anal cavities. The preparation may be used for treatment of dry-eye, xerostomia, and radiotherapy-induced secretory cell disorders.

When Ingesting linseed oil - make sure it’s fresh!

Linseed oil contains mainly Omega-3, and some Omega-6 and Omega-9 fatty acids. It is a rich natural source of the Omega-3 essential fatty acid alpha linolenic acid (ALA) which can, to a small extent, be converted by the body into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These are the Omega-3 polyunsaturates found in fish oils.

Flaxseed was used as a food by the Ancient Greeks and Romans. The Egyptians have consumed the oil in their traditional food from the time of the Pharaohs to the present day. The people of India consume flaxseed oil in cooking, and the people of China also consume flaxseed domestically in the diet - predominantly as oil. If all these ancient cultures have traditionally used flaxseed, why have the Europeans incorporated it less frequently into their diet?

Can the answer to this question lie in the varied additives used to hasten drying properties of flaxseed oil for industrial use and hence the seed’s guilt by association? Owing to the oil’s ability to bind with oxygen to form a hard film, it is called a ‘drying oil’, which makes it of use in paints, varnishes, printing inks, brake linings and linoleum (oil of lin)! Boiled linseed oil dries more quickly than the cold-pressed oil because boiling partially oxidises the oil.

This could, in the absence of comprehensive labelling, present a potential health hazard to the unwitting consumer.

However, despite the interest from the health foods market, there are significant difficulties associated with processing traditional flaxseed to obtain a high quality oil for human consumption. Although processing and bottling steps now minimise exposure of the purified oil to heat and oxygen, the rapid rate of oxidation and rancidity on storage at room temperature means that the consumer has to take special precautions to avoid intake of an elevated level of peroxides.

Linseed deteriorates much faster than other oils and, even when kept cool and tightly sealed, will lose its nutrients after four months. Light, air and high temperatures destroy its ALA very rapidly, and ideally linseed oil should be kept in the fridge and used within six weeks of opening. Ultimately, this problem will probably continue to restrict the market for bottled flaxseed oil but should not affect the use of encapsulated flaxseed oil by those choosing this product for health reasons.

.About Eczema

The term eczema is used for a variety of skin conditions characterised by epidermal inflammation. Sometimes dermatitis is used synonymously, although dermatitis may describe any skin inflammation.

Categorised as exogenous (of external origin) or endogenous (originating within a structure, organ, or organism) depending on the cause.
Examples of exogenous eczemas include allergic, irritant, and photosensitivity eczema.
Endogenous eczemas include atopic, discoid (coin-shaped), gravitational, and seborrhoeic eczema.
However, this classification is not always helpful, as there may be many different causes of eczema, both endogenous and exogenous in an individual patient.

While the areas of skin affected vary in different types, skin lesions share certain common features. In acute eczema the skin is typically red and inflamed with boils,papules and blisters. In chronic eczema the skin may show the same but be more scaly, pigmented and thickened. Two of the most common forms of eczema are atopic eczema and seborrhoeic dermatitis.

Atopic eczema predominantly affects infants and children although adults may also suffer. The skin is itchy and there is chronic or relapsing dermatitis in which the face and neck and flexures of the elbows and knees are involved most often and are excoriated and lichenified.

Cure of atopic eczema is said to be unrealistic, but good control can be achieved with proper management. The Surestop synergy gives relief upto 60-75%, sometimes even upto 90% where only slight flareups can be seen in future recurrences, but not a complete elimination.

Surestop also helps to reduce Seborrhoeic dermatitis, which is a common eczematous skin disorder in which erythematous pruritic patches of skin may become either scaly or exudative and crusted. Scaling lesions are the type most commonly observed. In some cases, known as seborrhoeic folliculitis, there may also be follicular papules or pustules.

Seborrhoeic dermatitis occurs in regions of the body where sebaceous glands are plentiful, such as the scalp, face, and chest, although the condition is not associated with increased sebum production. The cause of seborrhoeic dermatitis is unknown, although it might be related to overgrowth with Pityrosporum ovale, a normal commensal yeast.

Treatment is suppressive rather than curative. Dandruff due to normal shedding of scalp skin is treated similarly to seborrhoeic dermatitis of the scalp.

Echinacea preparations are used for the external treatment of hard-to-heal wounds, eczema, burns, psoriasis, herpes simplex, etc.