I get a lot of emails about eczema, and I know many people who struggle with it personally. I’ve talked before about how there is often a connection to a dietary problem for those struggling with eczema and while it is definitely important to address diet, there are some topical solutions that can help offer relief. These eczema relief lotion bars are one of the best options I’ve found for topically helping eczema.
Books like Gut and Psychology Syndrome and Deep Nutrition offer great guidelines on a healing diet that can help with eczema and other skin issues (as well as behavior problems), and I would recommend looking into those books.
Lotion Bars for Eczema
The ingredients in basic lotion bars make them helpful for eczema in many cases. Mango Butter, Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter have a natural SPF and nourish the skin while beeswax helps coat the skin and protect it from drying out.
For those with eczema, I’ve found that another ingredient can offer additional benefit: fermented cod liver oil.
Fermented cod liver oil has fat soluble vitamins and Omega-3 fatty acids to help the skin heal and to nourish it from the outside-in when the digestive system may not be functioning optimally to facilitate nutrient absorption from food.
These lotion bars are gentle enough for a baby and are excellent at soothing and nourishing skin. I especially like to use them after a colloidal oatmeal bath, which are great for eczema as well.
Where to Get The Ingredients
I typically order most of my ingredients in bulk, and for this recipe, I order:
I order in at least 5 pound quantities which makes these ingredients much cheaper, but only about 4 ounces of each is needed for this recipe. If you don’t live close, MRH shipping can be expensive. I’ve found that there are now also good options on Amazon for all of the ingredients so for this recipe, I order:
- Unrefined Shea Butter or Cocoa Butter
- Beeswax Pastilles
- 5-Pack plastic deodorant containers
- Fermented Cod Liver Oil Liquid (see note below)
- essential oils: I like Grapefruit and Basil
NOTE: I’ve ordered Fermented Cod Liver Oil on Amazon because the shipping is so inexpensive with Amazon Prime, but it is much less expensive overall to order from Radiant Life Company and they also offer bulk discounts. I order the plain fermented cod liver oil liquid for this recipe and one bottle lasts for months and months. I use Fermented Cod Liver oil in place of Coconut oil in this recipe since coconut oil can be irritating to some people with eczema.
How to Make Lotion Bar Sticks
Equipment and Tools
- A double boiler or a glass mason jar sitting on a wash cloth in the bottom of a small saucepan
- a plastic or wooden spoon for mixing
- Plastic deodorant containers – You can reuse deodorant containers, but some of them are not solid on the bottom and it will leak through so check this before you start. I used these and they worked really well but if I’d seen them, I would have ordered these since they come with cute labels.
- Paper towels, old newspaper or rags that can be thrown away (to clean out pan/jar- see instructions below recipe)
Lotion Bar Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Mango Butter (shea butter and cocoa butter work too)
- 3 Tablespoons beeswax pastilles (measured dry)
- 1/4 cup fermented cod liver oil
- Essential oils of choice
Lotion Bar Instructions
Combine the butters and beeswax pastilles in the top of the double boiler or in a mason jar sitting on a wash cloth in a small saucepan.
Put about an inch of water in the bottom of the double boiler or in the saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and stir the top mixture carefully until all ingredients have melted. NOTE: Be careful not to get any water into the butters/oil mixture as it can ruin the bars.
Once all ingredients have melted, remove from heat and add essential oils and fermented cod liver oil.
Stir and quickly and carefully pour into the plastic deodorant molds. If possible, transfer to the refrigerator to harden or let sit on the counter for 4-6 hours or until completely cooled.
Important Note
Do not put the pan or jar in the sink as is or attempt to wash as you would regular dishes. Wipe out the double boiler or pan as much as possible with paper towels, old newspaper or rags that can be thrown away and the wash in hot soapy water as soon as possible.
How to Use Lotion Bars
Use lotion bars on dry skin only. They are not meant to be used in the bath or shower. Rub a thin layer over skin as often as needed.
These lotion bars are not sunscreen but they do have a natural SPF of about 5 and are great for mild sun exposure.
The tubes make this easy to apply to children or babies.
Helpful Resource:
I vividly remember how terrible it was to watch my son suffer through his eczema and I know the pain of not being able to take away the pain/itching a child experiences. The book The Eczema Cure is a very thorough resource and provides answers when it feels like you’ve tried everything else. Use the code WMAMA20 at this link for 20% off.
Lotion Bar Variations
My original lotion bars recipe is one of my more popular recipes and I’ve shared several variations of the basic recipe:
- Bug-Off Lotion Bars
- Pure Silk (Sensitive Skin)
- Pain Relief Lotion Bars Recipe
- Bronzing Lotion Bars
- Simple Lotion Bar Sticks
Ever made lotion bars? What kind did you make? Tell me below!
This may be a really dumb question but I cannot get my kids to take the fermented cod liver oil and high butter – they are 4 and 2. They taste it in everything! Are they able to absorb it through their skin and get all the nutrients?
Erin,
Anything you put on your skin you should be willing to eat! Goodluck! Hope this helps.
🙂
Hello. Can you replace the beeswax with something else?
Instead of beeswax you can also use Candelilla Wax.
You can purchase it here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGVFHG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005UGVFHG&linkCode=as2&tag=wellnessmama-20&linkId=XNDPIMYMRPABALWW
I just Love your recipes Katie!.
Hi Katie…
We have been switching over to all natural products as a family. I’ve been trying to make most of them, and your blog has been the most helpful! THANK YOU!
I had a question: What do you use as a body wash? Do you use a microfiber clothe on your body or a body wash? Also, what do you use for kids for a body wash?
I usually use natural homemade soap and microfiber cloth and I use that for the kids as well 🙂
hi,
i was just wondering do you have to use fermented cod liver oil ???
I have psoriasis on my scalp. Do you have any recommendations on what to use to treat/get rid of it?
Question about the recipe: Do we add the Cod Liver Oil after the other ingredients are melted? Or does it go in the double boiler too?
I added once the other ingredients were melted
Excellent. Thanks!
The only thing I’ve found to keep my eczema at bay is Emu Oil. There’s a local rancher in my area who raises the birds and makes it himself, 100% Emu Oil and nothing else. It’s also been amazing for treating my cooking burns (it moisturizes, heals, and prevents scars) and surgery scars (my surgeon recommends it to all of his patients).
I know your pain when it comes to relieving eczema. I’ve suffered from it all my life and I cannot even begin to imagine the amount of money we’ve wasted on products that simply provide no relief. I’ve never tried emu oil, but we have a jar at home I’ll keep in mind for next winter.
What do you know about Molluscum contagious in children? My 3 year old has it for almost 2 years. And I feel at a loss at this point what to do for her?
I ask this question, but I don’t know where to look if you reply…? I would love your insight if you have any in this area!
Try the boo boo juice from alma naturals. It’s very anti viral and I know 2 people that got rid of shingles with it. Plus it helps the itching.
Hi. I am not sure I can help or not. My son (he is 6) had one Molluscum spot on his upper cheek for a couple years. I asked about it at his last appointment with his allergist. He told me what it was and that they are common with kids with allergies and that it is in the herpes virus family (that part freaked me out a little). He told me that many times they will go away on their own by age 7-9 when the immune system is better. He said they are common around the eyes and private areas. If they are bad they can be removed by a dermatoligist but he prefers to wait on the immune to system to take care of it. For several years my son has been taking fish oil by Nortic Naturals and now he also takes Elderberry Immune for kids by Nature’s Sunshine. This past month his completely went away! He has milk, peanut and some environmental allergies and those two supplements (along with some probiotics) seem to help him a lot. I don’t know if they would help your child or not but this has been my experience. Oh and the doctor said that they are contagious but usually only on the child that has them. Rubbing and scratching and then touching other parts of the body can cause it to spread.
Hi, A little late chiming in here, but if this is a type of herpes virus… This may help. I suffered since I was a child with cold sores on my lips. It was awful. To make matters worse my mom would put this purple crap on it, that looked like a pen leaked on my lip. Anyhow… many years later (they appeared less and less as I grew up) I found something online that advised to take a lysine supplement. And you know what? It works.
I just purchase it from GNC. I rarely get them now. They appear when my immune system is weakened (after recovering from a cold) or when I over eat. As soon as I feel that itch, I take two tablets (500 mg each). Then a few hours later, another two. And it stops it dead in its tracks. When I don’t notice the itch, and my lip starts swelling, I still take two and it stops it dead in its tracks, and recovery is much, much faster.
Recently my daughter started getting one 🙁 So I gave her a tablet (I broke it in half for easier swallowing) and in a few hours the bump disappeared!
The trick for lysine to work is to take it on an empty stomach, an hour before a meal or in between meals, and to take enough of it. (When I originally started taking the lysine, I felt that it didn’t work. One, I wasn’t taking enough and Two, I took it with food.)
Some people don’t believe in supplements, I didn’t use to either. But the trick for them to work is to take large doses. We have a lysine rich diet and it still isn’t enough to prevent cold sores. So I am a firm believer in supplements (Vitamin C changed our lives).
Anyhow, hope this helps!
My 7 yr old son had Molluscum and I took him to a dermatologist where they scraped the bumps off (they butchered him!). A couple weeks later, he still had severe bruising and new bumps reappeared. The prescription cream did not work so I ended up trying essential oils as a last resort. I put melaleuca on the bumps (diluted 50:50 with FCO) and layered lavender (also diluted 50:50) over it. I applied Frankincense to the bruising on his arm. To treat the virus, I applied oregano (diluted to 1%) and OnGuard (diluted to 1%) on the bottoms of his feet every night. In less than a week, the new spots were gone AND within 2 weeks the bruising was much less noticeable. I have since stopped applying the melaleuca and lavender. I only apply the Frankincense on his bruising 2X a week. I also stopped using the oregano after 2 weeks and apply the OnGuard a few times a week at night. This was my first experience with essential oils and it turned a skeptic into a believer!
Boo boo juice from alma naturals is amazing on eczema. Even works on shingles!
What is boo boo juice?. For eczema
Kim,
From what I’ve read it looks like “Boo boo juice” is a blend of aloe vera juice or jelly with essential oils.
Hope this helps! 🙂
Love your site, Mama, use it often…….can I use regular cod liver oil? I can’t quite afford the one you recommend, but I do have bad eczema and would like to try making this!
Yes. Might not be quite as effective but should still help a lot
I was wondering the same thing. Is cod liver oil itself essential to this or can we use coconut oil? I can afford cod liver oil, but not the fermented stuff.
The cod liver oil is an active ingredient. You could try making it with regular cod liver oil, though.
Lissa,
Have you made the lotion bars with the non-fermented cod fish liver oil? If so, what do you think? Are you getting good results? My son has eczema and I really want to make these for him but the fermented cod liver oil is so expensive.
Thanks,
Ivonne