I have no medical knowledge, but I'll ask my daughter what she learned, Barney, and will get back to you if you send me a PM. She had a pretty bad case of eczema herself, but learned to control it over time (she's now 27). It's caused by a missing protein in the DNA, and I'm the culprit for that... You can't cure it, but you can tame it. The key is to keep providing moisture to the skin. My daughter would take a shower, then cover herself in moisturizers and let them soak for a while, then cover that with something that seals the moisture to the skin. It takes a lot of time from her life, but there is no other option. Again, no expert advise here, but rather conveying her experience if you wish.