Healing from the Inside Out: A Traditional Chinese Medicine Approach to Eczema and Skin Health
Over the past 40 years of clinical practice, I’ve treated more than a thousand cases of eczema in children and adults. From infants with red, weeping rashes to adults with chronic, itchy flare-ups, I’ve helped countless patients achieve lasting relief, often after years of frustration with conventional treatments. What I’ve learned is this: eczema cannot be healed by simply treating the skin. True healing begins from within.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and rashes are viewed as reflections of internal imbalance, not merely as surface-level disorders. By identifying the root patterns behind each person’s symptoms, TCM offers a deeper, more lasting path to skin health.
Understanding Eczema and Skin Conditions Through a Modern TCM Lens
TCM categorizes skin conditions like eczema into distinct patterns, each involving different organ systems and energetic imbalances. These patterns closely align with what modern science now understands about immune dysregulation, gut health, inflammation, and hormonal balance. Here are the four major patterns of eczema and how they translate into modern terminology:
1. Inflammatory Sensitivity Pattern (Wind-Heat)
Causes: Allergic or inflammatory immune response, often involving histamine release, respiratory reactivity, or skin hypersensitivity.
Red, hot, itchy, or blistering skin.
Common in acute flare-ups, and in people with seasonal allergies or asthma.
Triggered by heat, allergens, or emotional stress.
TCM Insight: Wind and heat disturb the immune balance and surface defenses.
Recommended Support:
Quercetin is an antioxidant found in the skin of apples and onions. It reduces inflammation, clears internal heat and toxins, and calms inflamed, sensitive skin.
Inflammation Support contains papain and bromelain enzymes that reduce histamine and inflammatory response naturally.
Radiant Day Cream and Regenerating Night Cream contain pearl powder and other herbs that soothe, calm, and repair eczema-prone skin. (We also prescribe custom-blended, topical, non-steroidal herbal creams for patients)
2. Toxic Gut-Skin Connection (Damp-Heat)
Causes: Digestive inflammation, food sensitivities, or gut microbiome imbalance that triggers systemic skin inflammation.
Oozing, inflamed eczema or acne-like eruptions.
Worsens in humid climates or with greasy, spicy foods.
Often accompanied by bloating or sluggish digestion.
TCM Insight: Dampness and heat from poor digestion rise to the skin and cause eruptions.
Recommended Support:
Detox Tea contains dandelion, chrysanthemum, and peppermint that detoxify the digestive system and drain damp heat.
Super Probiotics is a comprehensive multi-strain probiotic blend to rebalance gut flora and reduce immune reactivity.
Radiant Day Cream and Regenerating Night Cream contain pearl powder and other herbs that soothe, calm, and repair eczema-prone skin. (We also prescribe custom-blended, topical, non-steroidal herbal creams for patients)
Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Histamine Diet
Diet plays a pivotal role in preventing flare-ups and accelerating healing.
Recommended Foods:
Steamed greens, squash, sweet potato, cucumber, mung bean, dandelion, pears, and lotus seed soup. Omega-3-rich seeds (chia, flax), wild-caught fish, and antioxidant teas like chrysanthemum or green tea.
Daily hydration, proper elimination, and a calm emotional environment are crucial. Skin improves when digestion is smooth, the liver is clear, and the nervous system is regulated.
Avoid Foods That Trigger Histamine and Inflammation:
Dairy, gluten, fried and greasy foods, processed sugar, alcohol, and fermented or aged foods (which are high in histamine). Nightshades (e.g., tomatoes, eggplants) if histamine sensitivity is suspected.
3. Hormonal-Immunologic Imbalance (Blood Dryness)
Causes: Chronic eczema rooted in hormonal shifts such as thyroid, estrogen, or adrenal imbalance, often with an autoimmune component.
Dry, flaky, itchy skin that worsens at night.
Often appears during life transitions (puberty, perimenopause, postpartum).
May be linked to fatigue, irregular cycles, or emotional imbalance.
TCM Insight: Insufficient blood and Yin fail to nourish the skin, leaving it vulnerable and slow to heal.
Recommended Support:
DHEA is a natural hormonal precursor that nourishes blood and Yin to restore hormonal equilibrium.
Elixir Tonic is a hormone-balancing herbal blend that supports endocrine health and skin regeneration.
Radiant Day Cream and Regenerating Night Cream contain pearl powder and other herbs that soothe, calm, and repair eczema-prone skin.
4. Immune and Barrier Deficiency (Lung & Spleen Qi Deficiency)
Causes: Compromised immune defenses and gut-barrier dysfunction leading to skin hypersensitivity and chronic inflammation.
Thin, dry, reactive skin.
History of frequent colds, digestive weakness, or food sensitivities.
Easily triggered by environmental or emotional stress.
TCM Insight: The Lungs govern the skin’s protective energy (Wei Qi), while the Spleen supports nutrient absorption and fluid balance.
Recommended Support:
Exquisite Skin is a formula of astragalus and siler root that strengthens respiratory and skin defenses.
Natural Immunity Plus is a potent blend of medicinal mushrooms (Reishi, cordyceps, Shiitake) that modulates immune function.
Radiant Day Cream and Regenerating Night Cream contain pearl powder and other herbs that soothe, calm, and repair eczema-prone skin.
Acupuncture and Qi Gong
for Skin Healing
In addition to herbal and nutritional support, acupuncture helps reduce inflammation, regulate immunity, and balance internal organ systems. We have treated many children with pediatric acupuncture, with minimal discomfort without retaining the needles, and excellent results.
Qi Gong and meditative breathing practices help reduce emotional triggers, calm the nervous system, and promote circulation—all critical in the long-term healing of skin disorders.
Why TCM Works When Other Treatments Fail
Topical steroids, immunosuppressants, and antibiotics can suppress symptoms, but they rarely resolve the cause. TCM provides a holistic, root-level solution by:
Supporting detoxification
Nourishing blood and hormones
Restoring gut and immune balance
Calming emotional stressors
Rebuilding the skin barrier inside and out
After treating thousands of eczema patients over the past 40 years, I’ve seen how the integration of herbs, acupuncture, diet, and energy practices can restore healthy skin, without side effects or dependency on medication.
If you or a loved one is struggling with eczema, I invite you to call our offices to schedule an online or in-person consultation and treatments, and explore time-tested herbal remedies and natural healing strategies grounded in the wisdom of Chinese medicine.