Goats milk for eczema: Benefits, risks, and more – Medical News Today

Doctors are unsure whether drinking goat’s milk, or applying it on the skin, helps with eczema. To control or prevent the condition, many parents or caregivers of children with eczema may avoid giving them dairy.
While the evidence is lacking, many people report the benefits of using goat’s milk soap or other skin products for eczema. However, more research is still necessary before doctors can recommend it confidently.
Keep reading to learn more about goat’s milk for eczema, including the benefits and the potential risks.
Researchers have explored the use of milk products on the skin. However, not enough current evidence supports the use of goat’s milk for eczema.
Skin products that contain goat’s milk may act as moisturizers, which can help prevent water loss from the skin. Keeping the skin moisturized helps reduce the severity of eczema and the need for medication. The best time to moisturize the skin is right after a bath or shower.
Dermatologists also recommend nonsoap cleansers if a person wishes to use soap. Nonsoap cleansers are neutral or slightly acidic, hypoallergenic, and do not have fragrances. Goat’s milk soap products with these properties may be appropriate for people with eczema. Still, doctors recommend restricting the use of nonsoap cleansers.
Goat’s milk also contains higher amounts of vitamin A, or retinol, than cow’s milk. Vitamin A encourages the production of skin cells. One 2018 study concluded that applying vitamin A topically did not help relieve eczema symptoms.
Lactic acid is another ingredient in goat’s milk soap and other skin care products. It is naturally present due to the bacteria in goat’s milk that produce it.
People use lactic acid to improve the general condition of the skin and modify its acidity. Lactic acid is an exfoliant, meaning it helps remove dead skin cells. However, this ingredient is not a treatment for eczema.
Before using goat’s milk for eczema, consult a doctor or dermatologist to make sure the product is safe.
Researchers have not conducted clinical studies on the benefits of goat’s milk for eczema, so more research is necessary to explore its possible benefits for this skin condition.
Milk from different mammals is in wide use in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries because it has high biological potential. It is also nontoxic and natural. The milk from different mammals contains different biological contents that can help treat certain skin conditions.
Milk has several properties that make it an interesting ingredient in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, such as:
Goat’s milk soap and other skin products can help moisturize the skin and soothe eczema symptoms. However, goat’s milk products may also contain ingredients that can be harmful. Perfumes and naturally-occurring lactic acid may worsen eczema.
Therefore, the benefits of goat’s milk for eczema may not outweigh the possible risks and side effects.
People may experience side effects from using goat’s milk for eczema. Goat’s milk soap and other skin products may contain additives and perfumes that may irritate the skin.
Other ingredients in skin products containing goat’s milk may include olive oil, coconut oil, and fragrances. If someone has a side effect from using these products, it may be difficult to know which ingredient is the cause.
Using goat’s milk soap or other skin products may not work in treating eczema. Without treatment, the condition can affect a person’s quality of life and increase their risk of infections.
Lactic acid is naturally present in goat’s milk, but it is not a viable method to help treat eczema. In fact, one of the side effects of using lactic acid on the skin is a rash. Before using goat’s milk products on the skin, consult a doctor or dermatologist to determine if it is safe.
An older study from 2014 reported a situation where a person developed a severe allergic reaction to goat’s milk cheese. This occurred after the person used a goat’s milk moisturizer on their eczema rashes. However, this is only one report and needs further investigation.
Some parents refuse to give their children dairy products containing cow’s milk because of the idea that it might cause or worsen eczema.
Unmodified goat’s milk is unsafe for infants to drink. Its protein and mineral content are too high, and its folate content is too low for infants. In comparison with cow’s milk, goat’s milk is not more nutritious. Additionally, people can have allergic reactions to goat’s milk just as they can with cow’s milk.
Diet may be an important trigger for causing a flare-up of eczema. However, in a study examining the dietary changes people with eczema practice, avoiding dairy did not show significant benefits. While people may believe dairy triggers their eczema, researchers have not confirmed these effects.
Scientists also examined whether the frequency of drinking certain beverages, such as cow’s milk, increases the risk of having eczema.
The study showed that children with eczema who drank cow’s milk had less severe rashes. The researchers did not find a relationship between avoiding dairy and the severity of eczema. Children with eczema may not need to avoid drinking cow’s milk to prevent eczema or minimize their rashes from worsening.
The American Academy of Dermatology does not recommend eliminating certain foods to prevent or treat eczema. However, in rare situations, people may have an allergy to milk, which can cause a rash. This is a specific allergy to the proteins within cow’s milk.
People who think they are allergic to cow’s milk should consult a doctor.
Learn more about diet tips for eczema.
Wet-wrap therapy may quickly reduce the severity of eczema. It involves applying corticosteroids to the skin under a layer of wet cotton bandages. People who experience frequent and significant flare-ups of eczema use wet-wrap therapy.
However, scientific evidence does not suggest this treatment option is more effective than applying corticosteroids without a wet wrap.
Researchers studied the effect of using horse colostrum for eczema. Colostrum is the first milk that a mammal produces after giving birth. The results of the study showed that horse colostrum may have anti-inflammatory and moisturizing effects. However, further investigations are necessary to confirm these findings.
Oatmeal products for eczema come in different forms, including soaps, shampoos, shaving gels, and creams. Another popular treatment for eczema is adding oats to bathwater.
Experts suggest that avenanthramides in oats have antioxidant properties. This compound might be responsible for the effectiveness of oats in treating inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema.
Acidic spring water may have benefits in treating eczema. The acidic environment of the skin is an important protective mechanism against germs, inflammation, and damage. The skin of people with eczema is less acidic and, therefore, is less protective. Acidic water baths may help increase the acidity of the skin.
Like oatmeal baths, doctors may not recommend using acidic spring water because of a lack of clinical evidence. To confirm these findings, researchers must continue studying the effects of acidic spring water and oatmeal baths in a larger population of people.
Limited data suggest adding oils or other additives in bath water to help with eczema. While these products are unlikely to worsen eczema, doctors may not recommend them.
Learn more about remedies for eczema.
Goat’s milk may help moisturize the skin, but it may not help treat eczema.
Without treatment, eczema can lead to serious consequences. Some ingredients within goat’s milk and goat’s milk skin products can irritate the skin.
Before using goat’s milk for eczema, people should speak with a doctor or dermatologist.
Last medically reviewed on April 26, 2022
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