Could something as simple and natural as cabbage help your eczema? Anyone who’s endured the agony of engorged breasts or mastitis will doubtless have been offered the age-old remedy of using cabbage leaves to reduce swelling and pain. And it seems that the humble green has healing properties that can help eczema and psoriasis too when applied directly to the skin.

Cabbage, broccoli and other cruciferous veg contain amino acids essential for growth and tissue repair, so using a lightly blanched or bruised cabbage leaf as a bandage can fight infection and inflammation and speed up healing.

Cabbage poultices have enjoyed a bit of a resurgence recently, largely thanks to positive reports on social media, so if you want to have ago, this is what you do:

• Remove the outer leaves of a cabbage and cut out the central stem.
• Wash and pat them dry then flatten the leaves onto a board with the inner side facing upwards.
• Gently bruise with a rolling pin to release the natural juices until the leaves are floppy enough to mould to the body.
• Place the cabbage leaves directly on your eczema or psoriasis and keep in place with a bandage or a wrap of cling film.
• Leave for at least an hour.

Remember, as with all skin remedies, natural or medical, we're not looking for a 100% cure here, but some soothing relief would be a result.

One natural remedy for eczema, psoriasis and acne that gets consistently good reviews from our customers is Sea-Med, our organic powdered seaweed therapy. It's milled for Allergy Best Buys from seaweed harvested in the sea around the Hebrides and has a faithful following of repeat buyers.

Sieve a couple of spoonfuls of Sea-Med into the bath and pat dry, leaving a residue on the skin overnight. Or turn into a paste for localised treatment. Click here for advice and full instructions for all skin conditions that can benefit.