Natural Eczema Relief: Triggers, Gut Health & Skincare That Supports Lasting Relief

 

 

At Nature Inspired, we know that true healing comes from supporting the whole body—not just treating skin symptoms. Eczema can feel relentless, but many people find lasting comfort through natural eczema relief: identifying triggers, reducing inflammation, and using gentle, nourishing products that promote real healing.

 

What is Eczema?

Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects over 31 million Americans, including babies, children, and adults. It causes dryness, redness, intense itching, and in some cases, cracking, bleeding, or weeping skin.

At its core, eczema is caused by a compromised skin barrier. Healthy skin locks in moisture and protects against irritants. With eczema, this barrier breaks down, making skin more reactive to triggers like soaps, stress, weather, and even certain foods.

 

How Eczema Affects Kids

Children are especially prone to eczema, with symptoms often starting in infancy or early childhood. For many, flare-ups appear on the cheeks, arms, legs, and behind the knees. Eczema in children can disrupt sleep, cause discomfort during play, and affect confidence as they grow. Because their skin barrier is still developing, kids are more sensitive to irritants, allergens, and inflammatory foods—making gentle, nourishing skincare and internal support essential.

Common signs include:

• Persistent itching (often worse at night)
• Dry, scaly patches on areas like hands, face, elbows, or behind the knees
• Flare-ups that come and go based on internal or external stressors

Eczema is not just a surface condition—it reflects what’s happening inside the body. Genetics, gut health, immune responses, stress, and environmental exposure all play a role. According to the NIH, eczema involves an overactive immune system that leads to chronic inflammation.
(Source – NIH.gov)

This is why many people now turn to natural eczema relief—healing the skin from the inside out with gentle, supportive care and non-toxic products.

 

Understanding What Triggers Eczema Flare-Ups=

Because eczema is a whole-body condition, managing it requires more than just treating symptoms—it means understanding and reducing the triggers that lead to flare-ups in the first place. These triggers vary from person to person, but many of them fall into a few common categories that we see time and time again. Below, we’ll walk through the most frequent contributors to eczema and how you can begin addressing them with a more natural, supportive approach.

 

1. Harsh Soaps, Detergents & Synthetic Irritants

Many so-called “eczema-friendly” products contain harsh chemicals like sulfates, preservatives, synthetic fragrances, and emulsifiers. These agents strip skin’s natural oils and damage the barrier.

Popular best-selling eczema products often include:

• Petrolatum
• Fragrance (parfum)
• Phenoxyethanol
• Ceteareth‑20 & PEGs
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
• Dimethicone

These ingredients may mask dryness temporarily but prolong sensitivity and damage. 

How to Avoid These Ingredients:

• Read ingredient labels carefully, even if a product says “for sensitive skin.”
• Avoid anything with “fragrance” or “parfum” listed, even if it’s unscented.
• Skip petroleum-based moisturizers, which trap heat and bacteria.
• Choose natural, minimal-ingredient products with ingredients you recognize and trust.

Nature Inspired uses only nourishing ingredients—like goat’s milk, shea butter, and castor oil—to support healing and protect the skin’s natural barrier long-term.

 

2. Stress and Emotional Overload

Stress often fuels eczema flare-ups by increasing cortisol levels, which inflames and weakens the skin barrier. Emotional stress doesn’t just affect your mood—it impacts your immune system and skin integrity too. Chronic stress can slow wound healing, make the skin more reactive, and increase the frequency and severity of flare-ups. For many people, learning to manage stress is one of the most powerful ways to calm eczema from the inside out.

Managing Stress the Nature-Inspired Way:

• Warm Epsom salt baths with calming music or candlelight
• 15 minutes outdoors daily—barefoot, breathing, grounded in nature
• Nightly reset rituals: herbal tea, deep breathing, journaling
• Gentle essential oil diffusing (lavender or chamomile) in open spaces
• A daily “digital sunset”: unplug and reconnect with your breath

These rhythms help reset the nervous system and foster natural eczema relief.

 

3. Dry Weather and Environmental Exposure

Cold air, dry heat, wind, and indoor heating strip moisture from the skin and crack the skin barrier. Sudden changes in temperature—like moving from a heated home into the cold outdoors—can further irritate eczema-prone skin. Urban pollution, pollen, mold spores, and even indoor allergens like dust mites and pet dander may worsen symptoms by stressing an already compromised skin barrier. Skin that’s already inflamed becomes more reactive to these invisible environmental elements, often resulting in an itchy, red flare-up.

Tip: Apply our Unscented Body Butter right after bathing. It seals in hydration and helps rebuild your skin’s protective layer.

 

4. Gut Health Imbalances

The gut and skin are more connected than most people realize. A growing body of research supports the idea of a “gut-skin axis”—a two-way relationship between digestive health and skin inflammation. When the lining of the gut becomes compromised (sometimes called “leaky gut”), inflammatory particles and toxins can enter the bloodstream and trigger immune responses that manifest as skin issues, including eczema.

One of the most impactful steps toward calming eczema from the inside out is improving gut health. Many people find that eliminating certain inflammatory foods can make a noticeable difference in their skin. This doesn’t have to happen all at once. Simply starting with a few changes—like removing gluten or dairy—may result in reduced itching, fewer flares, and overall calmer skin.

Common inflammatory foods that may aggravate eczema include:

• Dairy
• Gluten
• Refined sugar
• Processed seed oils (soy, canola, corn)
• Ultra-processed snacks and additives

Improving your gut health with nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods like bone broth, leafy greens, wild-caught fish, and colorful fruits and vegetables can support skin repair from within. Consider keeping a food journal to track your body’s response and work slowly toward a sustainable way of eating that supports your unique needs.

Healing the gut often translates directly to healthier skin.

 

Ashley’s Story: From Lifelong Struggle to Empowered Healing

“For most of my life, eczema felt like a battle I couldn’t win. From childhood through my 20s, my hands cracked, bled, and were often so raw I had to wear gloves at night. I tried product after product—thick creams, drugstore ‘eczema relief’ moisturizers that I now know were toxic, and even prescription steroid creams. Still, nothing brought lasting relief.

Everything changed when I stopped trying to mask the symptoms and started nurturing my body from the inside out. Healing didn’t happen overnight, but with small steps in the right direction, I finally started to see lasting results.

First, I addressed my gut health by removing inflammatory foods like dairy and gluten, eating more nourishing whole foods, and giving my digestive system time to heal. This made a visible difference in my flare-ups and helped calm inflammation from within.

Next, I focused on managing stress—something I had long overlooked. Epsom salt baths, gardening, and slowing down outdoors became daily rituals that grounded me and supported my nervous system. I realized my skin was responding to how I felt inside.

Finally, I committed to using only natural, non-toxic products on my skin. I chose ingredients that I could pronounce and that I knew were safe. That shift in my skincare routine gave my skin the chance to breathe, repair, and truly heal.

I still get occasional flare-ups, but they are less severe, shorter lived, and most importantly—they no longer control me. For the first time in my life, I feel peace and confidence in my skin.

That transformation is what inspired me to create Nature Inspired. I didn’t just want to make products—I wanted to share a purpose. And I wanted others to discover the same kind of gentle, lasting natural eczema relief that helped me reclaim my life.”

— Ashley Rutkowski, Owner & Founder

 

Why We Believe in Our Skincare

We craft every Nature Inspired product with your skin’s needs in mind:

Unscented Goat’s Milk Soap

Goat’s milk is one of the most skin-loving ingredients nature offers. It has a pH similar to human skin, which helps maintain the natural barrier and prevent dryness. It contains lactic acid (a gentle exfoliant), vitamin A, and minerals like selenium, which support healthy skin renewal and hydration. Our creamy, pH-balanced formula is ideal for anyone with eczema or extremely sensitive skin.

Unscented Body Butter

Our rich body butter is made from a blend of:

• Mango Butter – Helps soothe irritation and deeply moisturizes
• Shea Butter – Rich in anti-inflammatory compounds and nutrients
• Cocoa Butter – Adds long-lasting hydration and healing support
• Apricot Kernel Oil – Lightweight, nourishing, and gentle for sensitive skin
• Castor Oil – Seals in moisture and supports barrier repair
• Beeswax – Protects and locks in hydration naturally

This nourishing blend provides deep moisture without clogging pores or irritating fragile skin.

 

Relief Rooted in Nature

Eczema touches every aspect of daily life—but the journey to relief can feel gentle, empowering, and whole. At Nature Inspired, we don’t sell miracles. We share what truly works: supportive routines, nourishing foods, and pure, intentional skincare.

We created this approach because we’ve lived it—and we hope to guide you toward natural eczema relief that restores your skin and your sense of confidence.

Ready to reclaim your skin?
Try our Unscented Goat’s Milk Soap and Unscented Body Butter today—handmade with care.