By Katie Vance
I made this homemade cream to heal my wedding ring rash and an itchy red rash that developed under my wedding ring. This simple, soothing cream works great!
Wedding Ring Rash
Over the last few weeks, it seems that I have developed the “seven-year itch.”
No, not that seven-year itch – this is “wedding ring rash.” An itchy, scaly, red rash under my wedding rings!
It seems every time I wear them for a full day the rash becomes more irritated. It has gotten so bad that I can’t even wear them at all!
The rash looked exactly like a patch of eczema that I get in the driest parts of winter. After some research, it turns out that this wedding ring rash is a form of mild dermatitis or eczema.
Finding Relief for Wedding Ring Rash
Of course, I have many DIY lotions on hand for my dry skin. I tried this Ultra Moisturizing Three Ingredient DIY Body Butter with limited success. It was very moisturizing but washed off fairly quickly when I was working around the house. Next, I tried this Natural Non-greasy Hand and Body Moisturizer and it worked well for a time too. However, that pesky rash just kept coming back.
Eventually, I started to rule other things that often contribute to dry skin issues: diet, water intake, possible allergens, and soap. I increased my water intake, cut down on caffeine and dairy, gave my wedding rings a good cleaning in vinegar and peroxide, and bought a milder homemade soap.
All of these things helped slightly, but my wedding ring rash kept coming back. I’ll also note that it has been terribly dry this fall. In the past three weeks, there has been only one small rain shower! It’s also been unusually warm for Western PA.
Ingredients in Homemade Cream
With that in mind, I knew I needed to come up with an ultra moisturizing and soothing homemade eczema cream to finally kick this wedding ring rash to the curb! I searched my DIY supplies and found four of the best moisturizing carrier oils: rosehip seed oil, jojoba oil, tamanu oil, and avocado oil.
Rosehip Seed Oil
Rosehip seed oil is often expensive for just a small amount, but it is absolutely worth it. It’s light and soaks into your skin easily without being greasy. It is full of fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins. It penetrates the layers of skin easily too. Rosehip seed oil has been used widely by celebrities and natural beauty formulators for healthy, glowing skin.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil (which is actually a wax) is another great moisturizer that also helps create a barrier on the skin. Many of its properties are like skin’s natural sebum (oil), which allow this oil to penetrate the skin and heal wedding ring rash.
Tamanu Oil
Tamanu oil is a very interesting yellow/green oil. It has a high percentage of Oleic fatty acids (among others). Oils rich in Oleic fatty acids make excellent emollients, and that is true in the case of tamanu oil. It is also anti-inflammatory, germicidal, antibacterial, and anti-fungal. It is absolutely essential to this cream as I am using it to blanket any other possible causes of my rash.
Avocado Oil
The last oil on my list is Avocado oil. It also penetrates the top layers of skin well, plus it is rich in Vitamins A, E, and D. Avocado oil works well on inflamed and irritated skin, plus it promotes healthy cell regeneration. It is very moisturizing and I always use it when my skin is ultra dry.
Beeswax
Of course, the last ingredient in this recipe is beeswax. It emulsifies the oils and acts as a barrier to keep this cream locked on skin.
Homemade Wedding Ring Rash Cream
- Ingredients
- 1-ounce beeswax
- 1-ounce rosehip seed oil
- 0.5-ounce jojoba oil
- 2 ounces tamanu oil
- 2 ounces avocado oil
(Find all the ingredients for this recipe HERE.)
Instructions
- Melt beeswax over a double boiler, stirring occasionally. Add in jojoba, tamanu, and avocado oils and heat until liquid.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Add the rosehip seed oil. (This oil is sensitive to heat, so you want your cream a little cooler before adding it.)
- Stir to incorporate, then set aside to cool completely. Transfer to a sealed jar.
- Use daily as needed (especially after showering, washing hands, and before bed).
After just a few uses of this homemade eczema cream, my rash started to disappear and is almost all gone now! Hallelujah!
NOTE: This cream will work differently for everyone, and this information is not intended to replace medical advice. Please consult a health care practitioner if you have a serious rash.
Have you ever experienced this type of wedding ring rash eczema? If so, what has worked to give you relief?
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Will this work on psoriasis?
Katie,
I wonder if this would work with the eczema I get on my thumbs. This time of year it is starting to be a nuisance again.
Megan
Hey there Megan! I bet it would. I keep some of this in my kitchen window and use it every time I am at the sink. it really helps.
Funny that the rash on your ring finger has a name. Many years ago I was cooking bacon and got a burn from a splatter of the bacon grease. It was right at the base of my wedding ring . I had to take my rings off to let it heal but, for at least six months ,every time that I put my rings back on the rash would flare up. Brings back some memories.
Hi Katie. I was recently diagnosed with a form of eczema on my face and the very expensive creams prescribed by my dermatologist are just not doing the trick. Any idea how this would work on the face?
Hi Mary,
Beeswax can clog pores, though it has a comedogenic (acne causing) rating of 2. All the other oils are fairly low comedogenic ratings as well (most are a 2). I have used this on my face and find that I did have a few areas of breakouts – but I have somewhat oily skin on my face and am prone to breakouts. I think for small patches of eczema on the face, this could work well. I just wouldn’t use it as an all over face moisturizer. (If you to learn more about comedogenic ratings, here is a fantastic guide! https://www.holistichealthherbalist.com/complete-list-of-comedogenic-oils/ )
What a great recipe! What might you add to combat the itch of eczema. That’s the part that really drives me nuts. It’s the scratching that exacerbates my eczema, and I’ll usually scratch absentmindedly before realizing, “Hey, that’s a patch of eczema. Oops!”
Maybe Myrrh? Very thick so I would use just a tad.
I actually wouldn’t add any more essential oils because while they can be beneficial, I do find they tend to irritate my eczema. The oils in this blend do tend to soothe irritation and itch. I pretty much put this cream on continuously until the patch is healed, which keeps me from scratching for sure!
Thanks! I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Is there a substitute for the beeswax?
I have used candililla wax at about 80% of the amount of beeswax called for in a recipe for lip balms. Haven’t tried it in a cream like this but should work. Hope this helps.
Denise – you could use candililla wax like Joan suggested or you could try another wax like carnuba, ceresin, or lanolin wax.
Hi, my daughter used colloidal silver on her elbows and it cleared right up.
Thanks for your research,
Judy