Heal eczema inside and out: if you think eczema is beyond your control, think again. You may be able to calm this persistent skin problem naturally.

You spend a lifetime living in it, and a little time each day pampering it. It feels delicate, yet it's the barricade between you and the hostile world. Your skin is a critical organ you can't go a day without. Still, things can go wrong. Take eczema, which strikes about 10-20 percent of infants and 3 percent of adults and children in the United States.

Eczema refers to an assortment of inflammatory skin disorders. It involves skin inflammation, with blisters when acute, as well as redness, oozing, crusting, scaling and itching. The root cause of this persistent problem can be internal (e.g., a genetic predisposition toward allergic conditions) or external (e.g., caused by outside sources).

Looking for a natural approach to treating eczema? Try these steps.

Fix Your Foods

The most common foods that increase eczema symptoms include eggs, milk, peanuts, soy, wheat and fish. However, some people may also find that chocolate, coffee, alcohol, tomatoes and sugar aggravate eczema. Avoid a high-protein diet that is high in saturated or hydrogenated fats (such as red meat), as well as processed and fried foods.

Green vegetables have a potent anti-inflammatory effect on the skin--include as many as you can in your diet. You can also boost your intake with green-based vegetable juices. Alternatively, try powdered, green "vegetable-drink" mixes (found in the supplement section of health food stores).

If fish doesn't aggravate your symptoms, try to eat three servings of coldwater fish weekly for the omega-3s. And speaking of essential fatty acids (EFAs): The body cannot make them on its own, so you must get EFAs, such as omega-3s and omega-6s, from your diet or through supplements. The key EFAs for treating eczema include EPA from fish oil and GLA (an omega-6 fat) from borage and evening primrose oils. In general, people with eczema benefit from 1.5-2g per day of EPA or GLA to control eczema and up to 3g per day during a flare-up.