Be sure to supply skin with enough hydration by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Avoid consuming too much salty food, alcohol, caffeine or sugary drinks, which can aggravate and dry out the skin. Instead try alternatives like coconut water, green tea, and homemade smoothies or juices to increase fluid intake.
5. Use Healing Coconut and Essential Oils
Because real coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids, including lauric acid and capric acid, it has strong antiviral, antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Coconut oil applied to the skin has been shown to help reduce excess yeast, microbes and fungus that can lead to irritation, too much oiliness or dryness. Even better, use coconut oil on the skin along with soothing essential oils — like cedarwood oil, lemongrass, rosemary, tea tree and lavender.
To make a homemade treatment for scaling, itchy skin that you can keep at home to use several times, combine 8 drops cedarwood oil, 8 drops rosemary oil, 6 drops tea tree oil, 1 teaspoon local honey and 4 ounces coconut oil (or olive or almond oil). Massage into the affected area, including the scalp, leave on for about 15–20 minutes, and then gently rub or rinse off. These oils contain antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties, much like coconut oil. Plus they can reduce inflammation and treat infections.
6. Take a Zinc Supplement
It’s more common than you might think to have a zinc deficiency. Rash and skin irritation are two common signs of this deficiency. This is one reason dermatology rules sometimes suggest testing for low levels of zinc for those with these symptoms. (15)
Like I mentioned above, zinc is also included in some topical agents used to treat seborrheic dermatitis. However, more attention is now paid to the value of internal zinc supplements. For those who experience this condition related to zinc deficiency, supplementing with zinc can help to address some of the underlying problem. (16)
7. Avoid Irritating Beauty Products
Applying chemical-laden products to your skin on a regular basis is likely to make symptoms of dermatitis worse. Itching, picking and over-cleaning the skin might also make things worse. (17)
Use natural, organic products on your skin as much as possible. Be especially careful to avoid commercial shampoos with chemicals if you have dandruff. Most beauty products contain chemicals that are drying or harmful. Look for those made without ingredients like parabens, sodium laureth or lauryl sulfate. Instead, to clean, tone and hydrate the skin without irritation, turn to natural skin care products like apple cider vinegar, tea tree, witch hazel, shea butter and aloe vera gel. It’s also important to avoid other causes of contact dermatitis, including:
- Poison ivy or poison oak
- Fragrant soaps, detergents, shampoos, perfumes and lotions that might be on your clothes or household fabrics
- Latex (if you have an allergy)
- Specific natural products that might trigger an allergy, such as certain essential oils or active constituents if you’ve experienced rashes in the past
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