Favorite Home Remedies: Dozens of amazing treatments for over 45 common health conditions. With drug costs through the roof, why not give a home remedy a try? Only $12.95 +s/h
Guide to Home Remedies: Learn to make your own low-cost remedies at home for only $2
Print this page
Email a friend
Did this remedy work?
(0 votes)What do you think? Click "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" to vote!
If you have more to say, post a comment below!
Q. I have been plagued with nummular eczema for years. It does not respond to Benadryl, prednisone or any kind of topical cortisone ointment.
I read in your column about some doctors in Japan who had people with eczema drink oolong tea to help their symptoms. So the last time I had an outbreak, I tried oolong tea and the results were amazing. Within twenty-four hours, the itching and inflammation were gone. It took a couple of days, but the lesions disappeared and didn't leave scars.
Why does oolong tea work so well? It is the best treatment for this awful skin condition I've ever seen!
A. Nummular eczema consists of coin-shaped itchy red patches on the skin. Nobody knows what causes it, but the condition is aggravated by dry skin, stress, detergent and cold weather.
A study (Arch. Dermatol. Jan. 2001) of more than 100 patients with a different kind of eczema (atopic dermatitis) showed that drinking a liter of oolong tea daily could markedly improve inflammation and itching. The researchers speculated that antioxidant polyphenols in tea have anti-allergic properties and calm the overactive immune response. Some people have reported that their eczema improved when they took borage or flax seed oil orally. These dietary supplements are high in omega-3 fatty acids which also have anti-inflammatory activity.
I had weeping, oozing eczema that responded to nothing until I tried Tea Tree Oil (melaluca) mixed in vaseline. I mixed 5-10 drops in a very small container with vaseline. I kept applying it night and day. It cured it within a few weeks, but gave immediate relief from the itching.
I have experienced remarkable relief from intermittent atopic dermatitis with the application of PROTOPIC ointment.
After reading about the success of oolong tea with eczema, I decided to give it a try. It was amazing to actually watch the red itchy spot disappear. The dermatologist had given me a cortizone cream to use which helped the itching, but never completely did away with the spot. The website I saw suggested drinking at least 1 liter in a 24-hr. period. Just to be sure, I drank almost all of a 64 oz. pitcher of tea. It's been almost a year and it's never returned.
I was dealing with severe atopic dermatitis during the summer for a couple of years until trying oolong tea and vitamin B12 - It works every time - I get the tea online from The English Tea Store (loose leaf) and make it in the coffee maker by the pot.
I, too, have tried the oolong tea for my nummular eczema. After having daily battles for about six years which left scars, I have been eczema-free since January 2009. This has been the best thing I've ever found for nummular eczema.
My mom is now trying it for her external scleroderma and it has given her relief from the itching, too.
As a long-time tea drinker the best suggestion I can give is get good tea - not what is usually found in teabags.
I've been trying oolong tea for the past one month and so far it has not helped my oozing eczema. I drink two tea bags a day in 4 mugs.