Eczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the epidermis. The word 'eczema' comes from Greek word that means 'to boil over'. Dermatitis comes from the Greek word for skin and both terms refer to exactly the same skin condition.
The term eczema is generally applied to a range of persistent skin conditions. These include redness, skin edema (swelling), itching and dryness, crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, oozing, or bleeding. Areas of temporary skin discoloration may appear and are sometimes due to healed injuries. Scratching open a healing lesion may result in scarring and may enlarge the rash.

Different types of Eczema:

Eczema severity ranges from hot, dry and itchy skin to open, broken, and bleeding sores. The two main types of eczema are 1) atopic eczema and, 2) infantile seborrhoeic eczema.
Atopic eczema also known as atopic dermatitis is one of the most common forms of eczema. This type of eczema causes overall skin dryness, redness, inflammation, and a strong, sometimes unbearable itch.
Infantile seborrhoeic eczema affects infants under one year of age. It usually starts on the scalp area. Although, the scaly, flakes and dryness look terrible, this type of eczema is not sore or itchy and does not cause discomfort to the baby. Most cases of infant eczema will go away within just a few months. Other known eczema types are Nummular eczema (coin shaped eczema -round patches of eczema), Dyshidrosis (blistering hand eczema on the hands and/or feet. Irritant eczema (dishwater hands) and allergic contact eczema (poison ivy).

What causes Eczema?

Eczema or dermatitis is commonly said to be an inherited skin sensitivity that can be easily irritated by many factors that include stress, water, some foods, irritants like soap and chemicals, allergic reactions, cats, wool, infections and many other factors. Eczema patients are also found vulnerable to get severe reactions from bee stings, some drugs like penicillin and some foods.
The causes of eczema also vary according to the type of eczema. The cause of atopic dermatitis or atopic eczema is largely unknown though it is thought that heredity is the largest factor. There are studies that show a link between certain ceramide and lipid deficiencies in the skin and atopic eczema. It is also proposed that those with atopic eczema are sensitive to allergens in the air that other people are immune to. The immune system then overreacts to these allergens and causes inflamed, irritated, or sore skin.
Allergic contact dermatitis is caused when individuals become allergic to substances that come in contact with their skin - such as poison ivy. Nummular eczema occurs in round circles on the skin and many be mistaken for ring worm. Its cause is unknown.
Other types of eczema are caused by irritants such as chemicals and detergents, allergens such as nickel, and yeast growths. In later years eczema can be caused by blood circulatory problems in the legs. The causes of certain types of eczema remain to be explained, though links with environmental factors and stress are being explored.

Cure for eczema:

There is no known cure for eczema. Treatments thus aim to control the symptoms by reducing inflammation and relieving itching. Moisturizing creams are found to be one of the most important self-care treatments for eczema. Keeping the affected area moistened promote skin healing and relief of symptoms. Soaps and harsh detergents should not be used on affected skin because they can strip natural skin oils and lead to excessive dryness.
Moistening agents used in creams are called emollients. In general, it is best to match thicker ointments to the driest, flakiest skin. Light emollients may not have any effect on severely dry skin. Generally, twice-daily applications of emollients work best. Ointments, with less water content, stay on the skin longer and need fewer applications, but they can be greasy and inconvenient. This treatment regimen can also help prevent the skin from cracking, as well as put a stop to the itch cycle. The end result is reduced lichenification (the roughening of skin from repeated scratching). Steroids may also be mixed in with ointments. Recently, ceramides, which are the major lipid constituent of the stratum corneum, have been used in the treatment of eczema. These lipids are successfully produced synthetically in the laboratory and are contemporarily added as one of the essential constituents in moisturizing creams.

Coconut Balm:

The eczema treatment cream manufactured by Coconut Balm is one of the best skin suitable cream for eczema sufferers. Different clinical tests, sponsored by different personal product companies tout it as the most skin-friendly based on specific properties of this product. Coconut Balm cream is hypoallergenic that means it is not problematic for any skin type.