Eczema is a topic that hits close to home for me—born and raised with arms and legs smothered in steroid creams and endless itch. My mother had no choice at the time; few alternative treatments were offered. I remember the stinging, the scratching until I bled, especially during every sports season when shin guards and sweat made my legs erupt in pain. As I entered adulthood, the frequency of flare-ups eased, but the condition quietly lingered. It wasn’t until college—when my
Eczema, or more precisely atopic dermatitis , is more than just dry, itchy skin—it’s a chronic inflammatory condition that often reflects what’s happening inside the body. Characterized by itching, redness, dryness, and sometimes thickened or oozing skin, eczema is conventionally understood as a multifactorial condition influenced by genetics, immune dysregulation, and environmental triggers. From a naturopathic perspective, however, the skin acts as a mirror of the internal.