Vitamin D for Eczema: A Review

Posted by Selina on January 25, 2014 · 51 Comments 

Have you ever noticed a significant improvement of your eczema status when you are exposed to the sun for prolonged periods, for example when you’re on holiday or in the summer? I have, and the symptoms also worsen in the winter when I spend even less time outside in the dismal UK sunshine.

Ever since I was 16 and went through no steroid phases, the main time my eczema ever eased on my face and neck to a comfortable state was when I went abroad (I live in the UK!) for a sunny holiday. The eczema would clear dramatically within days of walking in the sun and it was amazing! Long awaited relief after months of itching, chronic redness and flaking and rough skin. Has this happened to you? The minute I got off that plane back in the UK, the eczema would creep back within a week and I’d wish for another holiday….Does this sound familiar ? (if so, read on!).

Now in general, I have darker skin and darker skin can take longer for vitamin D to absorb from sun exposure so this may be why sun in the UK doesn’t work as well for me and if I’m honest I hardly spend as much time outside as I probably should. I would generally need longer exposure than lighter skin individuals to gain the benefits of sun exposure and vitamin D and this may be why I only feel the benefits on sun exposure abroad when I have long hours of exposure… With work, most of my time is spent indoors, travelling in the car or relaxing at home unlike holidays where I enjoy the time spent outdoors. If you have type 1 or 2 skin (fair white skin), your skin is able to absorb the vitamin D from sun exposure quicker and therefore small periods of exposure can be more effective. However, what do we do when we lack vitamin D or aren’t getting enough?

Now, I’m not saying that Vitamin D can completely cure eczema, not at all. I believe that good diet, skincare and state of mind are important too, but Vitamin D can have great impact on skin and for me personally, it has been one of the most effective supplements at keeping the eczema from wreaking havoc after I stopped steroid use this New year just passed. I have to say a special thank you to one of my readers (Manfred!) who has been raving about Vitamin d3 for months and months and must’ve thought why did I not listen as vitamin d3 helped to clear his eczema too….And I guess when I heard the word ‘cure’I freaked out because well supposed ‘cures’ on the internet are everywhere in sight as money making schemes….But I have to say Vitamin d3 is not, and I am not advertising any specific form of vitamin D. The only advice I would give is please opt for Vitamin d3 over vitamin d2. D3 absorbs quicker and has quicker and more rapid benefits (just search the internet for others views).

If you have noticed that prolonged sun exposure helps ease your eczema symptoms, then Vitamin d3 supplements are really worth a trial at least, what do you really have to lose?

You can even be tested for vitamin D deficiency so you can check with your doctor to get the right supplementation advice. Here is a review of someone on the National eczema site: http://nationaleczema.org/living-with-eczema/scratch-pad/improvement-vitamin-supplements/

The Scientific Evidence…

Now for those of you who like to see the evidence here is some great breakdowns of full randomised control trials in medicine to test the benefits of Vitamin d3 for eczema (atopic dermatitis). Now these trials compare no vitamin D supplementation to vitamin D and can therefore help to show the impact of just adding Vitamin d3 alone to your routine. (One of these has also used vitamin E and I will be purchasing this to try in February since both combined were shown to be even more beneficial.)

http://update-sbs.update.co.uk/gd4/ShowDocument.php?trialID=314

http://update-sbs.update.co.uk/gd4/ShowDocument.php?trialID=289

My Personal Review

After looking into Vitamin d3, I decided to purchase these supplements:

Healthy Origins Vitamin D3 Gels 5, 000 IU 360 capsules

Now there are alot of toxicity warnings with Vitamin d3 which make me reluctant to take too high a dose for a prolonged period of time. It can lead to liver and kidney problems, so please be cautious when supplementing with Vitamin d3. Check recommended daily allowance recommending by your local health body and listen to your body, if you get any side effects THINK. Even better, get the advice from a doctor if you feel wary of taking vitamin d3 but make them give you a deficiency test before ruling out that it won’t help! However as you can see from Amazon (Healthy Origins Vitamin D3 Gels 5, 000 IU 360 capsules) the reviews are extremely positive and this product is a #1 Best Seller hence I chose this one. 5000IU is the highest recomended dose so I take these. I began taking two a day adding up to 10000IU and in 3 weeks, my eczema is greatly improved (look at my previous before and after post) which I have to say is from before and after Vitamin d3 supplementation as well as a natural skincare routine and a better diet (recuded and limited refined sugar, more fruit and dark greens, no red meat and less caffeine).

Due to my worries with overdoing the vitamin d3 I am now cautious of the high doses though my skins improvement is great and I cannot thank vitamin d3 enough!

So what has 3 weeks of Vitamin d3 done?: My skin is smoother, less red and natural colour is definitely there! The inflammation has gone down and though I will reduce my dose to a more recommended dose, I will continue to supplement with Vitamin d3. I itch less, but the main thing is the redness and rough texture has gone, the scarring on my arms is less noticeable and even if I do itch, my skin hasn’t flared with avengence just yet just from a 10 second itching frenzy which is great, the guilt I get is bad enough without the flare up as a reminder of my itching…! My skin is feeling less dry, I can put on cream on my neck and not moisturise for hours (yes hours!) and this is not something I have been able to do without steroids before so this is great! I usually get dry flakes within an hour of moisturising so it really has helped (i’m also using HYALURONIC ACID though and will review shortly as this helps with moisture retention ability of the skin too). I stopped using steroids just before I began taking vitamin d3. Now usually, the minute I stop the steorids, the eczema creeps back within a week and I have to say that this is the first time that hasn’t happened AT ALL. My eczema hasn’t gotten worse after stopping the steroids, it has only improved and funnily enough it has improved better without the steorids than with! Whilst using steorids, my neck reached a ‘peak’ and this peak was still rough and itchy no matter if I applied more steroid creams and the inflammation remained underneath the surface like I knew that if I put the steroids down the eczema would be back… I don’t feel the inflammation is just waiting to crop up right now and this feeling is great. By that I mean, that feeling you get when you know that the eczema is beginning to flare and you’re dreading when it rears its head as a flae up isn’t ever pretty! I don’t feel like that at the moment. No my skin isn’t perfect but it is less dry, smoother and definitely a lot more comfortable. Vitamin d3 is the only supplement which seems to stop a flare up for me (like a sunny holiday I guess!) as omega 3 is something I have used long term and though it is good for skin it never stopped a flare up coming like vitamin d3 seems to have. I have even had an assignment due which I definitely felt stressed about and my skin didn’t flare. This is great because I always have a fear the eczema will go back to how it was in my final year of uni so the fact that stress over my assignment didn’t affect my skin at all is definitely an improvement. (I also used Headspace meditation daily).

If you are worried your skin will flare after you stop the steroids, start taking vitamin d3 and then give up the steroids after a few weeks for peace of mind. If sun exposure eases your skin, DEFINTELY give Vitamin d3 a try! I really regret not taking it earlier!

In the winter months I definitely think vitamin d3 is good when we generally get less exposure to the sun and I really don’t think I will stop taking supplements though I may reduce my dose as the eczema becomes more calm. I know sun exposure helps my eczema, so vitamin d3 I guess makes a lot of sense…

So what now?
Well I’m back at uni from Monday and I think the big test of time is how vitamin d3 copes when I have the everyday pressures and stresses of working and studying and juggling life in general! My most severe eczema has always occured during study periods which have been important such as exams etc, so I will review the long term benefits of vitamin d3 in a month or two when I feel the stress of this to see if vitamin d3 helps keep the eczema at bay at times like this.

Reluctant to take supplments?

If you are wary of taking vitamin d3, then why not increase vitamin D the natural way? I have thought about just generally increasing the amount of time I spend outside in the day time, now in winter this can prove difficult, but when the weather does pick up make sure you use it! Obviously Sunscreen is important but ensure you get exposure to sun everyday. Take a 20-30minute walk everyday in day light hours. Need to exercise? Why not jog outside instead of being halled up in an artifical gym? Vitamin D can help more than just the skin. It helps calcium absorption, our immune system and can reduce bone problems. But for me, the benefit it has on my skin is worth it, these extras are just a great side effect.

I hope that this post will help at least a few people get some much needed vitamin D that their skin needs and ease their eczema! I can only hope! It really is my only I have to take supplement right now and I hope this shows just how important it is as pasrt of my eczema care routine.

Have you tried Vitamin d3?

What are your thoughts?

Are you willing to try it?

NB: I have a very natural skinscare routine, I eat a mostly good diet and I meditate using Headspace when I’m feeling stressed. These have all been done in combination with the vit d3.

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Filed under Beauty, Emotional Side of Eczema, Facial Eczema, My Eczema Journal/ Updates, News, Positive, Reviews of Products, Tips · Tagged with eczema, review, sun, sun exposure, vitamin d