Eczema Relief Lotion Bars

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Eczema Relief Lotion Bars Recipe
Wellness Mama » Blog » Beauty » Eczema Relief Lotion Bars

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:

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

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:

Ever made lotion bars? What kind did you make? Tell me below!

These eczema relief lotion bars combine nourishing mango butter with fermented cod liver oil and beeswax to coat and protect skin so it can heal.

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

149 responses to “Eczema Relief Lotion Bars”

  1. judy Avatar

    Hi Katie
    My daughter has a very severe eczema on her eyelid, the skin on the eyelid is broken, lesion, and puffy. Which recipe should I used to help her condition get better. You recommended the sea salt spray, is that going to heal the broken and lesion. Please advice. Thank you so much. Judy

  2. Marija Avatar

    Dear Katie,

    I am very willing to try this lotion bar on my daughter. I only have question about beeswax – since it can not be found in pastilles in my country, only in “block” form from the local honey producers, can you please tell me how many grams is in 3 tablespoons?
    Thank you so much in advance!!!
    Best regards,
    Marija

  3. Kim Avatar

    Hi Katie!

    Do you use Cinnamon flavored Cod Liver Oil or non-flavored? Your link goes to the Cinnamon one, but it seems like that might be irritating to the skin. TIA! Kim

  4. Bianca Avatar

    Hi Katie!

    My name is Bianca, I live in South Africa and it’s often tricky to find health shops that stock all of these ingredients. Thank you so much for this recipe. My little cousin suffers from eczema and is often teased about it. I want to try these for her. A few questions: Can I use coconut oil or grapeseed oil instead of mango/shea? And can I use mandarin EO instead of basil? Are there any other additions I can add to help her? Her skin scars so easily.

    Thank you so much!

    Bianca

  5. Erin Avatar

    Can I use the FCLO/Butter Oil Blend for this? I’m wondering if it will not only change the consistency, but also have any negative effects on the skin for someone with severe eczema? I prefer to take the blend as a supplement but cannot afford to buy both. Also, is there any danger in putting either recipe on eczema that has broken skin or lesions?

  6. Jay Avatar

    Hi my name is Jay and I absolutely love all your different recipes:)! My so has eczema and I’m searching to find a great soap recipe that I could make at home- I was wondering if you have a soap recipe with Shea butter, mango butter and coconut oil in it. I would love to have such a recipe to follow. I have never made soap before so I definitely need an exact recipe and links to buy the ingredients. It’s been so frustrating trying to keep my sons skin healthy. I saw your body cream and I’m gonna try to make that as well but I also need a similar soap. Does soap need lye in it or can you use glycerin instead..? Thank you so much. I hope you can email me a recipe if you have time. Thank you and have a blessed day. -Jay

  7. Bethany Avatar
    Bethany

    Hi Katie! I’m going to make these bars today and was hoping to use the essential oils I have on hand and not have to buy any new ones. Do you think lemon and lavender would work well or do you know of a reason not to use them? I also have peppermint. Most of my other oils are blends and not single oils. Also, I never saw in the instructions or comments how many drops of oil to use. Thank you so much for all your help! Blessings!

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar

      The essential oils are mostly for scent, so the number of drops to use is up to you. Your oils may have come with instructions to indicate how many drops might be appropriate in an application like this. Lavender and lemon would smell really good, I think. Just be cautious of applying and then going out in the sun: lemon can increase photosensitivity.

      1. Bethany Avatar
        Bethany

        Great! Thanks so much! I’m going to make a couple versions of your lotion bars and also deodorant. The eczema relief bars are mainly for my kids and I’m going to make some others for me and my husband. I’ve read that cedarwood is beneficial to the skin as well and since it has a woodsy scent, thought that would work for my husband’s deodorant. This is my first time making my own beauty products so thank you for the great direction!

  8. Jasleen Avatar
    Jasleen

    Is there a vegan version of this? (Not using cod liver oil)?

  9. Emma Avatar

    Any chance you can elaborate why coconut oil might be irritating to eczema affected skin? I have a 5-month old with eczema and going through lots of scratching and bleeding. Thanks!

  10. Vanessa Avatar
    Vanessa

    Hi! I’m interested in making these for my son’s eczema but he is allergic to all fish and shellfish — so no cod liver oil. Is there another recommended ingredient to sub this out? thank you!

  11. Stella Avatar

    I have a couple of questions, but before that I want to tell you that I admire what you do, so many natural stuff you make for you and your family… amazing! Like we say in my country (Colombia) “Me quito el sombrero”. You are an amazing woman.
    Is this lotion to use only when the skin is irritated? I’ve had eczema for many years and about 2 months ago I decided to go natural by just using natural oils, including coconut oil. But it did not go well for me. My skin got super irritated so I had to go back to the lotion I’ve been using for years and to hydrocortisone to relief the itching and keep it under control, but I still want to stop using that stuff and use natural things.
    I’ve heard that some times when your body is improving the condition seems worse for a while and then it gets better. I don’t know if that’s my case or if I just need to use something different. I have been using Olive oil, almond oil, coconut oil and essential oils like lavander, chamomille and tea tree. I just use them randomly, not all together.
    Is there a recipe you’d recommend for me?
    Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar

      Honestly, the lotion bars are great for skin even if it’s not irritated. The ingredients are soothing to irritated skin, of course, but they are also nourishing and moisturizing if you are just using them as a normal lotion. If you have the ingredients, it’s probably worth an experiment.

  12. Kira L Avatar

    Thanks for this! I made some of these (but used coconut oil instead of fish oil) and within 12 hours the eczema spot I had on my hand is almost gone!

  13. Kristin Simmons Avatar
    Kristin Simmons

    could you please tell me what oils you use and how many drops???

  14. juliana Avatar

    Just wanted to share what helps us with eczema.
    Chamomile flowers. (I buy mine in Tesco £4 but if you can buy organic, much better)
    Purify some water (you can find videos of this on you tube but please avoid plastic)
    You don’t need much water, about 1liter.
    As you put your fireproof dish in the water add about 2 tablespoons of the chamomile flowers and let it brew there as the water is boiling.
    You will only need about half a cup of the purified water-chamomile liquid because you want the liquid to be strong.
    Let the flowers brew for about 20 minutes altogether then put it through a sieve and apply to the skin as needed. Start using it when it has cooled down pop a cotton bud in to wipe the skin or use your clean hands on a bigger area.
    I use this on my 2 year old. I think it does sting her a bit as she does cry sometimes(but so do some of the creams we put on them) and it only lasts for a few seconds afterwards she calms down and stops scratching.
    It will dry the skin but heal it at the same time. Use your usual moisturiser after it has dried up or while still wet.
    I find this especially useful when she scratches so bad that she bleeds. I wipe over it , she stops scratching, it quickly dries up then I apply moisturiser.
    I also have cut out sugar yeast wheat and milk from her diet in case she has candida imbalance in her guts.

  15. Rachael Avatar

    Hi,
    I know this was asked but I didn’t see the answer. How much essential oil should you use for the above recipe?

  16. Tara Avatar

    Can you use the fermented skate liver oil in place of the cod liver oil??

    Thank you!!

  17. Monica Avatar

    Dear Katie (sorry I misspelled your name previously) maybe you are tired of all the thanks but I can’t but say it over and over again. THANK YOU so much, I have started to improve my cooking habits, less carbohydrates, I did for the first time in my life chicken broth (shame on me) with your recipe and even my kids love it ! All your recipes for body creams and bars have done wonders to my poor skin. The itchiness has gone for good with this special lotion bar and the change in diet. I made some eczema lotion bar for my niece (she is 23) who got a severe allergic reaction to some medication. She told me that it helps reduce the itchiness. Again THANK you for having given me the opportunity to help someone in my family. I’m very very grateful.

  18. Joyce Barnes Avatar
    Joyce Barnes

    I love all these DIY recipes and comments . Just wondering , I have a friend who works as a cosmetologist and her hands are very dry cracked and irritated any suggestions on what DIY hand lotion would work for her ? Thanks

  19. Anna Avatar

    Hi Katie,

    Thanks for an incredible blog! My husband and I feel so much better after incorporating many of your recipes and healthy habits into our daily routines, and we are so grateful to you.

    I have eczema and seem to react a bit to coconut oil, with some itchiness but mostly just drying out. What would be a good alternative? I dislike the texture of lotion bars, and have tried your organic homemade lotion, but still my hands, especially my fingertips and cuticles, are dry and slightly cracked. I’m up for anything I can make that will have the soft texture of lotion or cream!

      1. Anna Avatar

        Fantastic! Improvement already! I blended the shea butter with some almond oil and lavender essential oil and the texture is quite luxurious. 🙂

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