Eczema and Hives vs Natural Therapies

I feel like I've been attacked by stinging nettles. I've had hives (or urticaria) for almost a week now.

Weeks ago my eczema was flaring up. Then my calves were suddenly covered in hives. 

I've been keeping a food diary and my suspected allergens are eggs, nuts, and dairy. I've had these foods most of my life and the last time I took antibiotics was 20 years ago. I really don't know what's causing this reaction. 

On the first night I put on hydrocortisone cream and took an allergy pill. I feel stressed, even "dirty" when I'm itchy. 

The next morning I applied apple cider vinegar and my hives settled down after 15 minutes. I don't want to take drugs so I started researching natural therapies. Here's what I'm trying:

UVB Narrowband Light: 

I know I shouldn't be using this at home without medical advice but my eczema is under control when I'm exposed to regular sunlight. It's rare I get more than 5 minutes of direct sun a everyday. 

Medical research supports UVB as the safest of the ultraviolet light therapies for auto immune skin conditions. So I bought a UVB lamp off Ebay from Poland. The bulb is Philips, which is what the hospitals use. Unfortunately there are no clear instructions and even the lamp is a bit dodgy because it doesn't have a timer. 

How do I use it? I used it twice for about 3 minutes so exposure was minute. The lamp hums quietly and the light feels warm against my skin. You have to be careful because you can burn yourself and long time exposure increases risk of skin cancer. When I had the hives outbreak, I was scared of using it as it was the latest new thing I tried so I'll hold off until I see a dermatologist.

Red/Blue LED Light Therapy:

Recommended by my friend who swears by it. I bought a handheld device, cheap from Ebay. It's seemingly harmless so I use it nightly whenever I can remember. I mostly use the red light but I've found blue to be calming for my hives. Of course it could be a placebo effect or the fact I applied apple cider vinegar on the area just earlier.

How do I use it? Turn it on and hover the light over the area for 10 mins. I start with the red light and then blue. 

Oil Pulling:

Not really for my skin problem but on the subject of natural therapies, I'm doing it in the mornings. It was gross to begin with. The idea of starting my day with a hunk of solid coconut oil in my mouth doesn't appeal but I'm used to it now. The theory that it detoxifies the body is lost on me. There is no scientific evidence that supports this. I don't believe it cures any disease but it refreshes my mouth without chemicals. Hoping it actually whitens teeth as well, but we'll see about that.

How do I do it? They say to use raw, unrefined, organic coconut oil but I don't think it makes a difference unless you eat it. I have a huge cheap tub, intended for cooking. It is refined, hence the price and has a faint coconut flavour. I take a heaped tablespoon of it and put it in my mouth. Then without gagging, I let it melt and swish it around my teeth. I do this for 10 minutes, spit it on in the bin (not the drain as it solidifies and blocks the pipes) and rinse with warm water. 

These are the products I use for sensitive skin:

Ecozone Ecoballs:

For my laundry. I inherited two of them from my flat vendor. I put these in the washing machine with my clothes and a small scoop of washing soda crystals. My clothes come out clean (atleast, enough) and soft. My hands used to feel dry after hanging my laundry but they feel fine after washing with the Ecoballs. They're cheap to use by the wash and good for the environment. 

Soapnuts: 

So far I've had one wash with soapnuts (whole nuts in a muslin bag) and I was happier with the Ecoballs. My clothes were just as clean but not as soft. I know soapnuts can clean because I already use the powder to wash my hair. But having them in the rinse cycle leaves a residue so I'm now using soapnut liquid in the laundry as as a handwash. I've been using the powder to wash my hair for years so I know I'm not allergic to them.

Aveeno:

Their products are specially suited for sensitive itchy skin. Contains colloidal oatmeal and no colours or fragrance. 

Hope's Relief Premium Eczema Cream:

A brilliant Aussie invention and more effective than Moo Goo's eczema cream. Pricey but I think it's worth it considering that it definitely cools down the itches without steroids.

What's really working for me is the daily allergy medication (Loratadine), apple cider vinegar and Hope's Relief Premium Eczema Cream. Sadly when I have flare up, I tend to use everything at once. I'm not sure if the red/blue light therapy achieves anything on it's own. 

On the to do list is making water kefir to restore probiotic activity in the gut. People have said it helps their eczema. I just ordered a few tablespoons of live water kefir "grains" or the culture used to make kefir water. Currently I'm taking small amounts of store bought kefir. The cheapest is found at Polish grocery stores. Milk kefir is like drinking yoghurt, runny, tart and a bit fizzy from fermentation.