Motherlove

I take an organic supplement called "More Milk Special Blend" to help with my milk supply (my lactation consultant started me on this, as well as fenugreek [which I get from GNC]; it seems to be working), which I get from a company called Motherlove. I also use their diaper rash/thrush balm on the baby when his rash gets bad (he's all clear right now!), and today I just started using one of their products called "green salve." It's to help with itchiness and skin irritations. I want to either stop using or use less hydrocortisone cream on my itchy skin. The other day I was desperate for some relief and I used the prescription strength hydrocortisone I have (I only use the non-prescription strength occasionally). Instantly I felt better, but I also instantly felt guilty - like a lot of medications, this one apparently hasn't been studied enough for there to be conclusive evidence either way about its effect on lactating women and babies, so the package instructions and most everything on the web says not to use it. However, my eczema is screaming right now and I have it in a weird (for me) place - all over my arms. Usually it's in small places, like the inside of my elbow, or on my hands. But now I have it on my neck, my arms, and my legs, and it's driving me crazy. I'm trying to stay moisturized, too, but man, nothing was helping until I used the 2.5% hydrocortisone.

I don't want to repeat that application, though, so I contacted Motherlove to see what they had to say on the subject. The woman who helped me (my order got complicated) said that some people with eczema are helped by their green salve, so I added some to my order to give it a try. Today's the first day I'm using it. I only put it on my arms (my left arm, for some reason, is more irritated than the right) and neck. I'm wearing nice pants today and I didn't want to get it on my legs.

The ingredients are extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, comfrey, plantain, marshmallow root, and calendula. It seems to be helping, though maybe I was too generous on the left arm, because it doesn't seem to have absorbed into my skin as well as on the other arm. I also put a tiny amount on that stupid red spot I always get over my upper lip. I still have the red spots but the skin doesn't look as irritated or raised, and I'm definitely not itching anymore. On the other hand, it smells a little funky (I guess it's an olive oil smell), but I suppose I can live with it.

Tomorrow I have an appointment with my new doctor for a physical, and I intend to ask him about my skin problems, but I doubt very much he will have anything "organic" or non-medicinal to recommend. But we'll see. Maybe this stuff will clear everything up by then!