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You need to acquire a kombucha scoby first. You can buy it online or grow one from a bottle. For me, what I did was get a bottle of original GT (the silver and blue bottle, it's unflavored. You must use original/unflavored) and pour everything out into a quart-sized jar. When purchasing, look for a bottle with the most amount of yeast strands inside. They are on the bottom of the bottle. The bigger the clump of strands, the better it is for brewing kombucha. Some people say you cannot brew kombucha with a regular bottle of GT since they changed the formulation a few years ago, but I did in Februrary. I like to think it's because I grabbed the one with the biggest/most yeast strands LOL. When growing the scoby, you can use a smaller cup than a quart-sized jar, but be mindful that the scoby will grow on the top so if you use a small cup, the scoby will be small. I kept it on the counter, covered with a tightly-woven cloth and rubber band for until it grew about 1/4" thick. Here's a video in case anyone is more visual

You will need a 1 gallon jar (or two gallon, but standard is 1 gallon), tea, and sugar. I use only plain green tea (no flavors since flavored might induce mold) and white sugar. Some people highly recommend organic sugar. RecipeMake sure the tea is COMPLETELY cool before adding it into the jar. If it is hot, it may kill your scoby. All tea + sugar that touches the scoby must be room temperature.

Keep the kombucha covered with a tightly-woven cloth (no lid) with rubber band and in the dark preferably away from chemicals. It takes about 10-15 days or longer to brew usually, but it can be as short as 5 days or as long as 3 weeks. It all depends on how strong the scoby is. If you want to taste it, get a straw and put it in to take a sip underneath the scoby. Don't be alarmed if the scoby falls down if you do this (it acts like a barrier) because it will either rise up again OR form a new scoby on top. If the brew tastes too sweet, it needs to ferment longer. If it tastes very watery, don't fret, it sometimes goes through a weird VERY watery stage during fermentation....it simply needs to ferment more.

The reason why I recommend a 2 gallon jar is if you intend to brew seriously (more than 6 months) as you brew, the scoby will get thicker and thicker. Each new batch will also lead to a formation of a new scoby on top. After a lot of research, I decided that it wouldn't be good for me to touch the scobies in fear of contamination so I leave all the scobies inside of the jar. As you can imagine, it takes up a sizable amount of room after a while (1/4 of my 1-gallon jar is scobies!). I do need to repot at least 1 in a scoby hotel in case anything happens, but that's just a backup if my kombucha gets moldy (very rare due to acidity levels).

I bought an auto-siphon for bottling. I highly recommend it. It keeps everything much more sanitary when bottling and is easy. For my first batch, I tried to pour the kombucha in my 1-gallon jar into a bottle using a funnel. It was a REAL pain. Would never do it again. Here's a link to the auto-siphon and a video so you can see how amazing it is. Autosiphon However.... if you want to save money and buy the exact SAME thing for slightly cheaper ($16.95 currently with free shipping), buy it here. You want to get the Size: Mini 3/8", No Clamp, and "Add 5." The Add 5 is 5 feet of tubing so when you get it, I recommend cutting it in half to be 2-2.5 feet of tubing.

For the 2nd fermentation to create carbonation, which isn't necessary but some prefer it, I buy swing-top bottles. I bought mines at TJ Maxx for about $2 each (1 Liter since that's all they had). It might seem difficult to open if you don't know how to, but once you know how, it's super easy.

Sorry if this seems a bit out of order, but I hope I explained a lot. Kombucha Kamp is a great resource and I do believe in not refrigerating scobies. If you take a break from brewing, just add some fresh tea + sugar (same ratio as making kombucha) and let it sit, checking up on it every so often to make sure it doesn't evaporate. I've done it personally for about 2 months and my kombucha was fine (took about 5 days longer to brew, but its fine). I wouldn't refrigerate the scoby because I heard it can grow mold if you do. By the way, mold is fuzzy, green, or black. If you have any concerns about it being moldy, please look at pictures online of kombucha scobies before throwing a batch out. When I first started, the early formations of scoby (blotchy on the surface) made me think it was molded, but it wasn't :)

You may get a dud batch or two taste-wise. If this happens, just remove about 50-75% of the liquid and put new tea+sugar water. Practice makes perfect, yet sometimes humidity/temperature levels can cause a dud (strong sulfur taste... thankfully it was just one batch).

I hope this helps! There are so many resources online and once you get it started, it's as easy as just refilling the 1 gallon (or 2 gallon) jar with more tea+sugar water and waiting for it to ferment.

---**edited to replace cheesecloth with tightly-woven cloth. Personally, I use a tea towel. A cheesecloth may have holes big enough to allow fruit flies to come in. Also added that all tea (tea+ sugar) that will be contact with the kombucha scoby must be cooled down to room temperature or it may kill the scoby.

I have a similar problem and my husband has been very supportive. If he sees me scratching he will take my hands and hold them. He also draws oatmeals baths for me and sits with me while I soak.

I've used a lot of products over the years that did not help with my itching but I will recommend these two as excellent and worth a try:

Aveeno Bath Oatmeal

Goldbond Eczema Relief Lotion

The Goldbond is the best eczema lotion I have ever used and does not have steroid in it.

Make sure she sees a doctor as soon as she can to find out her triggers and eliminate them from her environment. Mine turned out to be animal dander, cleaning chemicals, and perfumes/fragrances in soaps. It required quite a lifestyle change but now I only have rate flare ups that I can usually nip in the bus by not scratching. Good luck.

You'll have to try a few things to see what works and what you (your body) likes. Here's what I've done in the past when I've had a whole body issue. #1 Get the flare down and #2 Eliminate any itch causers.

1. Bath. I soak my body in water and do some sort of oat bath like this http://www.amazon.com/Aveeno-Soothing-Treatment-Count-1-5oz/dp/B000UEAARO
   
   
2. Cream. I also find many creams tend to burn my skin when it's flared up, but I've stuck to this one for the one I use right out of the shower. So pat dry and lotion up with this http://www.amazon.com/Cetaphil-Moisturizing-Cream-Fragrance-Free/dp/B000052YMQ. If that doesn't work for you, try to find a lotion that works for you. Plain old nivea lotion also worked for me but it's a bit oily.
   
   
3. Steroid. If you okay with them, you should hit this hard with something for a week (2 x per day), then back off to once a day.
   
   
4. Sheets. Use clean sheets as much as possible. Even iron them with the steam on high (including pillow case). Use a smell free detergent if possible.
   
   
5. Keep you bed and floor area clean and vacuum. Dust mites could be an issue.
   
   
6. Chill out in bed a lot, relax, but on a good TV show. This will reduce stress.
   
   
7. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated
   
   
8. Take an allergy medicine to reduce itch
   
   Okay, that's all I can think of now.
   

Yup, probiotics have about as much health-benefits as taking multivitamins. Nothing concrete as far as we know now.

Want to treat your eczema? Take colder showers. Keep your living space clean. Get plenty of sleep. Eat healthier. Go to an allergist and figure out what you are allergic to (cannot stress this one enough). Keep your skincare routine simple, but effective. I basically only use a moisturizer and protopic when things get bad.

I use this moisturizer, Eucerin Original Healing Creme. I love this product because it literally only contains seven ingredients (Water, Petrolatum, Mineral Oil, Ceresin, Lanolin Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Piroctone Olamine), none of which cause flareups for myself. Highly recommend it.

I also use this shampoo, and it's been working very well for me so far. No more dandruff or scalp itchiness.

I do not use any facial cleansers or body shampoo, mostly because I haven't found a good product for myself yet. My skin stays relatively clear even without using them too. Open to suggestions though if people have any.

Sorry you're going through this :( Someone in a previous post talked about having good experience with O'Keeffe's Working Hands Hand Cream. I've used it too and it definitely burns when you first put it but within two days, my hands starts to heal.

Have you tried applying a shit ton of oil and then wearing gloves before going to bed? That helps lock in the moisture too. Good luck and I hope it gets better soon!

I think Maltese might be a hypoallergenic breed actually, so that’s good! But yeah try different eating habits. I’m vegan now and my skin is pretty happy, in addition to not living with a cat or a dog these days. But dude, I totally get it. Sometimes it’s even hard to listen to other people’s advice, like do this, do that and you don’t see results. It’s maddening. But hang in there, something will change and you will see happy/healthy skin one day.
When my skin was really bad, like so bad I had to take 2 weeks off work b/c the pain and infections I had gotten as a result of my open skin , the only time I left okay, and comfortable was in an oatmeal bath. I would take one in the morning and one before bed. It was the only thing I looked forward too. I spent a lot of time in the tub and it seemed to offer some relief. I would also put a couple splashes of apple cider vinegar to help kill bacteria. Maybe give it a try? These are the ones I have used. Feel better💙

https://www.amazon.com/Aveeno-Soothing-Treatment-Itchy-Irritated/dp/B000UEAARO

I use something like these. https://www.amazon.com/Clear-Powder-Disposable-Plastic-Gloves/dp/B07N1V79BT/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=plastic+gloves&qid=1573347357&sprefix=plastic+gl&sr=8-3 only downside is they aren't elbow length, but they dont bother my skin. Also I like the disposable gloves because they dont accumulate cleaning residue and I can double layer them for extra protection if need be. In terms of cleaning products I purchase I try to avoid anything with added perfume scents if possible. I make my own all purpose cleaner from water, vinegar and peppermint essential oil for little clean up stuff. For kitchen clean up I mix 25%ish Dawn liquid soap with water in a spray bottle. If you're willing to experiment with making a few things yourself it might help.

I use mother of all creams and aveeno ultra calming moisturizer in multiple times a day.

also to keep it natural: i do a coffee grounds and coconut oil scrub or honey, brown sugar, and coconut oil. it feels great on the entire body and smells amazing.

The best lotion I've ever used is Cetaphil Restoraderm. I order it on Amazon because I've yet to see it in any local drug stores. My dermatologist called it the "Ferrari of lotions" and it has worked wonders for me. I usually have that and CeraVe on hand. Use Restoraderm or CeraVe to moisturize after a shower and then slather some Aquaphor on top to lock in the moisture.

Great suggestions by everyone. Tried tar gel and nizoral, I think nizoral worked better for me but the fragrance was flaring my eczema. I do jojoba oil scalp treatments, as needed.


This is my daily shampoo these days and I think it has help to prevent a flaky scalp:
https://www.amazon.com/Vanicream-Medicated-Anti-Dandruff-Shampoo-sensitive/dp/B06WD8YQKL/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8&th=1

my advice for scratching. Find convenient lotion products that you can keep at hand.

I have https://www.amazon.com/CeraVe-Moisturizing-Lotion-Hyaluronic-Ceramides/dp/B000YJ2SLG on my desk.

I have https://www.amazon.com/CeraVe-Moisturizing-Lotion-Travel-Size/dp/B00JITM6VK/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1542515013&sr=1-4 in my car.

When I catch myself scratching, I just dab some lotion on instead.

Try to replace the scratching habit with a moisturizing habit. The key is to make it super convenient to get to the moisturizer.

Try limiting your fingernail's access to your arms by wearing gloves.

I have eczema on my hands and arms (and everywhere), and scratch like crazy at night. I usually manage to take the gloves off during the night so I wear cotton gloves with a really long sock on top, that is pulled all the way up to armpit making my hand into a comfortable fist. You probably need an extra person to help get this armor on.

I didn't used to have eczema on my hands, but gloves and/or socks is still a good preventative to stop scratching damage on the rest of your body.

As my hands are very eczema-y I typically wear clean gloves almost every night. These are a solid buy if you need many pairs - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CIBQCT2/ref=sr_ph_1_s_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1484511796&sr=sr-1&keywords=cotton+gloves

Aveeno Eczema therapy is the best I’ve ever tried, always does the trick 🙂

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003O7IBZC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_qGUPAbX40GQNV

Sounds like an allergy to something you’re using in the shower or the water itself. Are you on well water? Or could be hard city water. Maybe try a shower filter like this: AquaBliss High Output 12-Stage Shower Filter - Reduces Dry Itchy Skin, Dandruff, Eczema, and Dramatically Improves The Condition of Your Skin, Hair and Nails - Chrome (SF100) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MUBU0YC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_d0eCDbMTT84Z9

No idea, don't live there. Although I hope you can, as I'm gonna be visiting the UK in the next couple weeks. If you find out that it is available there, please let me know, as I'm not expecting the travel-sized bottles I'm bringing with me to last too long.

EDIT: Looks like you can get it on Amazon, at least.

I had them about 6 years ago. I believed I used e45 itch Relief https://www.amazon.com/E45-Itch-Relief-Cream-100g/dp/B001PMM1LI

I would see a doctor if it doesn’t clear up though.

How big/ where are the patches? I have pretty severe facial eczema I keep under control with Hado Labo Moist Lotion. That stuff doesn't burn broken skin when it goes on (even on eyelids!). I comes out like a liquid and isn't greasy in the least, but it works very very well for me.

I just bought these and washed them to use last night for my arms and legs. They are pretty tight around my legs though. triamcinolone -> Cerave -> Aquaphor
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BF2XOQ4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For my hands I use cotton gloves, same moisturizers and steroid creams
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CIBQCT2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I get this as well but mine is especially bad in the corners of my mouth. I put lotion on after brushing my teeth both morning and night. I use this lotion. You might want to try a few other ones to see what works for you. Good luck and hang in there!

I've tried one of these and it didn't help me but it would be something like this: https://www.amazon.com/AquaBliss-Output-12-Stage-Shower-Filter/dp/B01MUBU0YC/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=water+filter+head&qid=1566058671&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Do they have Vanicream? It's actually better then Cerave. There is also Vaseline cream (https://www.amazon.com/Vaseline-Petroleum-Moisture-Creamy-Formula/dp/B0000537JL?th=1). The reason the lotion stings (in my opinion) is due to the amount of alcohol in the lotion.

I buy it from Amazon, I've never noticed it in a store. Although I just googled it and it looks like riteaid and Wal-Mart carry it. I buy this one with the pump on it: https://www.amazon.com/Vanicream-Skin-Cream-Pump-Dispenser/dp/B000NWGCZ2

I have pretty severe eye eczema and recently my dermatologist suggested Vanicream. Glycerin is a common facial skin allergy for people with eczema, and it looks like it’s in the Cetaphil gel.

Also this is more of a cheap serum, absorbs into your skin really well and helps hold in moisture with no greasy residue or even the slightest drag... it's incredibly light and slippery https://www.amazon.com/Hada-Labo-Hadalabo-Gokujun-Hyaluronic/dp/B00BSNBO9O

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YHZFA5E

It definitely helped. im noticing some puffiness around the area, im not sure if its from the cream or the eczema though.

Gold bond also makes one, but I've never tried it.

https://www.amazon.com/Gold-Bond-Ultimate-Eczema-Protectant/dp/B00GIHMOGW

> https://www.amazon.com/DHS-SAL-Shampoo-Pack/dp/B00DNE664E/ref=sr_1_7_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1521337083&sr=8-7&keywords=dhs+dandruff+shampoo

was it the SAL shampoo everyone's been recommending or something else?

http://www.amazon.com/Cetaphil-Restoraderm-Restoring-Moisturizer-10-Fluid/dp/B003TQU1Q0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334693074&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/E45-Itch-Relief-Cream-100g/dp/B001PMM1LI/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425662797&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=e45+anti+itch+cream

https://www.amazon.com/Eucerin-Original-Healing-Rich-Creme/dp/B001FB5IIC?th=1

$11 and change per tub. Steroid cream isn't cheaper, you just have a cheap co-pay on your insurance.

Have you tried Free & Clear?

CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion (12 oz) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000YJ2SLG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dLA6xb90S0JSY

How about that?

It has ceramides and Hyaluronic acid

...i just noticed the cream i linked to before is sent from Japan so I'll have to wait while for delivery

Put these on right after you apply.

Biggest downside is that you can't use touch screens.

My daughter had a patch on her elbow that nothing helped. I started using aveeno eczema creme and Queen Helene Cocoa butter mixed together. It went from 2 months of weepy and painful to finally starting to heal. I put this mix on her 3-4 times a day after I would wash the area with a mild soap. At night I add a few drops of food grade Grape seed oil to the mix for added moisture. Every couple of days I'd lightly exfoliate it to get the dead skin off.

You look like you have some healing but some build up of dead skin too. It is hard to tell. Since the eczema is happening on your hands you may need to make a small bottle of the mix then carry it with you. Apply liberally every time you was and dry your hands. Please read all ingredients for any previously known allergies 1st. Also patch test all the products individually, and then mixed together. Do this in an area that does not have an eczema breakout on it. While none of these products tend toward allergies; we are eczema patients and we seem to have a higher likelihood of random allergies.