Update: I forgot about Aloe Vera. I find this very soothing read below:
What causes Itchy Skin?
Parasites
Over production of a yeast called Candida Albicans
Lack of nutrients that help the nerves
Poor Immune System
Poor gut nutrition
Poor liver function
Topical ingredients I have used for Itchy Skin.
(for the method see below)
Natural bristle brush for skin brushing
Olive Oil
Tea tree essential oil
Dead Sea salts
Colloidal Silver
Lavender essential oil
Eucalyptus essential oil
Aloe Vera gel and Olive oil with tea-tree and lavender
Stretching
Supplements or ingredients for Itchy Skin
Olive Leaf extract – helps kill parasites
Cammomile Tea – helps induce sleep, muscle relaxant
Milk Thistle to help cleanse the liver
Betaine hydroxide supplements – natural stomach acid aids digestion
Foods to eat to help Itchy Skin
You want to find foods rich in B vitamins and zinc
Rice Bran
Wholegrain rice
Wholegrains in general
Beetroot or red meat (for Vitamin B12)
Brazil nuts
Foods to avoid
Red Wine
Sugar
Biscuits made with refined flours
Bread made with refined flours
Pastries made with refined flours
Snacks/crisps/corn crackers made with refined flours or potatoes without their skins.
Corn flour while an alternative to wheat for some people is generally refined making it a poor source of nutrition. Refined corn and all refined grains are mainly starch which convert to glucose that is stored in the liver or around the body as fat. This then overworks the liver and is a source of fat with very few nutrients.
To gain important nutrients the skin of grains, vegetables and fruit should always be eaten where possible.
Method for the Topical Ingredients
Natural bristle brush for skin brushing
Before a shower, cover the body with Olive Oil and while under the shower brush all over with the bristle brush. Using sweeping movements towards the heart.
Olive Oil
Use as above for skin brushing. Also use as a shower cleanser, mix 10 mls of oil with 2 drops of tea-tree and 2 drops of lavender and while under the running shower, smooth all over the body. Use a rough sponge to massage into the skin and slough off the dead skin and debris.
Tea tree
Use as a shower cleanse. After showering neat tea-tree can be applied on the itchy areas – test first by applying neat tea-tree to the crook of the elbow if there is any reaction – do not use tea-tree neat.
Dead Sea salts
Put two handfuls of the salts into a warm/hot bath. Soak for about 10 minutes or more if you can stand it. CFS/ME people may find this too long and that they will feel exhausted afterwards, so wrap in warm towel and go to bed to rest. Dead sea salts induce sweating and so will help the body eliminate toxins. I put tea-tree or eucalyptus in the bath to aid detoxification and lavender to induce calm but the effect may be too much for some people.
Colloidal Silver
Use as a spray to help ward off ills. Can be used to spray inside the ears and throat. I have also used it on itchy areas which helps for a short while. I have also used it in my eye to no ill effect or stinging and it helped cure an infected tear duct. Please consult your doctor before using in vulnerable areas.
Lavender
Use in the bath as mentioned above or in the Olive Oil cleanse to calm the skin.
Eucalyptus
Mix 10 mls olive oil with 4 drops of eucalyptus and massage into chest and back muscles to aid lymphatic drainage. Eucalyptus is very good at killing viruses too so always use if you have a cold or flu symptoms. Eucalyptus helps to open up tubes and vessels which is why it helps coughs and colds. It is also a great unsticker so it helps with thickened mucus. (it can also be used in the home to get rid of stubborn sticky patches)
Aloe Vera gel and Olive Oil
Mix equal parts of aloe vera gel and olive oil that has been previously blended with lavender and tea-tree. (10 mls olive oil and 2 drops of lavender and 2 drops of tea-tree) Smooth over the itchy areas. Very soothing.
Stretching
Everyone should stretch everyday. It should be compulsory. Stretching helps keep the body flexible. As far as itchy skin is concerned stretching helps the bodily fluids (lymph) to drain. If muscles are shortened and tight they restrict the flow of fluid from the tissues to the various glands; with the muscles longer the vessels whether they are veins, arteries or lymphatics are more readily available to work.
Foods to help itchy skin
Rice bran helps cleanse the colon and flush it out. Rice bran also has many nutrients including B vitamins that the gut needs to be healthy. Cholesterol binds itself to bran so bran helps reduce cholesterol levels. Just as there are vitamins and minerals in urine which is flushed out of the body when we wee, so there are nutrients in faeces and it is bran that helps flush the nutrients out. So as with everything we eat and do, eat bran in moderation. Just enough to help – about a dessert-spoonful cooked with wholegrain rice flakes for breakfast does the trick!
Please also note that itchy skin is a symptom of liver cyrrhosis and if the itch does not abate within a few days, advice from your GP should be found.