Nothing can be more frustrating than a rash that won’t go away, keeps you up at night itching and is embarrassing to show in public. Dr. Baker knows, she has had eczema herself. When cortisone and other stronger corticosteroid creams fail to work or seem your only option, rest assured, Naturopathic medicine has many other lasting solutions. We see skin as an emunctory (say it – ee-munk-tory), one of our favorite Naturopathic terms. An emunctory is a detox organ and includes the liver, kidney, lungs, colon, as well as skin. It’s how the body gets rid of its wastes. When we see a persistent rash such as eczema we can consider bacterial or yeast infection, deficiency of a nutrient or oil, or a build-up of toxins that the body is desperately trying to get rid of. Normally waste travels best through the liver and gut, but when that system gets blocked or overloaded for whatever reason, the skin takes over. Gut function often governs the skin and is one of the principle areas we address in treating eczema. We may test for gut imbalances or food intolerances when figuring out the cause of a patient’s eczema, or perhaps it’s stress that has blocked regular detox pathways. This holistic approach to dermatology is very different from conventional medicine and takes a while to take in, but once you get it, it opens up a deeper understanding of skin conditions and abundant treatment options that provide lasting resolution.