What It Really Takes to Heal Eczema: The Process of Healing From Within

By Diane Angela Fong, ND

Healing eczema is a journey—one that requires patience, commitment, and a deep understanding of how the body works. At Cleanbody, we guide our patients through this process, helping them achieve what we call a “Cleanbody”—a state of balance where the root causes of eczema are resolved, allowing true healing to occur.

One of the guiding principles we use is Hering’s Law of Cure, a natural law of healing that explains the body’s predictable pattern of recovery. This process is something I have personally experienced on my own path to healing, and it’s a journey I’ve witnessed in countless patients as they work to restore their health and achieve lasting relief from eczema.

In this blog, I’ll explain Hering's Law of Cure, how this law applies to eczema, and what the eczema healing process looks like—both in terms of your overall health and the visible changes in your skin.

Hering's Law of Cure

Dr. Constantine Hering (1800–1880) was a physician and pioneer of homeopathy, often referred to as the father of American homeopathy. While trained in conventional medicine, he became fascinated by natural healing methods and began studying how the body responds to treatments.

Through years of observation, Dr. Hering discovered that the body follows a specific and predictable pattern when healing. This became known as Hering’s Law of Cure, which outlines three principles of healing:

Healing occurs from the inside out. The body prioritizes internal organs, tissues, and systems over external symptoms like rashes.
Healing happens in reverse order. Symptoms resurface in the reverse order of how they appeared, as the body works to resolve deeper dysfunctions.
Healing moves from top to bottom and from the core to the periphery. This means healing begins in the vital areas (head, torso, and internal systems) before progressing outward to the arms, legs, and skin.

Dr. Hering’s work provided profound insight into how the body heals itself when supported properly—a principle that still guides natural and holistic medicine today.

The Skin: The Last to Heal

When healing eczema, the skin is often the last part of the body to fully recover. This can feel discouraging, but it’s important to understand why:

Healing Begins Internally: Your body prioritizes repairing deeper systems like the gut, liver, and immune system before addressing external symptoms like rashes.
Top-to-Bottom, Core-to-Peripheral Healing: As inflammation resolves and detoxification improves, you’ll often see healing start at the head and work downward, or from the torso outward to the arms, legs, and hands.
Stages of Skin Healing: The healing process for the skin often follows a pattern:
- Redness and Inflammation Subside: You may notice a reduction in swelling and irritation as the skin begins to calm.
- Dryness: Once inflammation decreases, the skin may become dry as it transitions out of the inflammatory phase.
- Rebuilding and Repairing: Over time, new layers of healthy skin form as the body rebuilds and strengthens its outer barrier.

These changes are a clear sign that deeper healing is happening. While the process can take time, it leads to lasting relief and healthier skin.

Achieving a Cleanbody

At Cleanbody, we define healing as achieving a "Cleanbody" - a state of optimal balance where your body’s systems work together seamlessly to resolve inflammation, combat burdens like toxins and pathogens, and restore overall health. Achieving a Cleanbody involves addressing the root causes of dysfunction while optimizing your nutrition, lifestyle, and overall environment. Here’s how we approach this transformation:

Calming Inflammation

Reducing systemic inflammation by addressing dietary triggers, managing stress, and optimizing immune function. This includes eliminating pro-inflammatory foods, incorporating anti-inflammatory nutrients, and implementing stress-reducing practices like mindfulness or exercise.

Optimizing Nutrition and Lifestyle

Providing your body with the nutrients it needs to heal, including omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and essential vitamins and minerals. At the same time, we focus on lifestyle factors like sleep quality, physical activity, and daily habits that create a supportive environment for long-term healing.

Gut Restoration

Repairing the gut lining and rebalancing the microbiome to strengthen the foundation of your health. A well-functioning gut reduces systemic inflammation, improves nutrient absorption, and supports immune system balance—all of which are critical for healthy skin.

Detoxification

Clearing the body of toxins that contribute to inflammation, hormonal imbalances, and skin symptoms. This includes supporting the liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system to process and eliminate environmental toxins, heavy metals, and waste products effectively.

Address Microbime Imbalances

Identifying and addressing harmful pathogens, such as yeast overgrowth, bacteria, or viruses, that can exacerbate gut imbalances and trigger immune responses.

When you achieve a Cleanbody, your skin becomes a reflection of the health and balance you’ve cultivated internally. It’s a powerful transformation that goes far beyond temporary symptom relief—it’s about reclaiming your vitality, resilience, and confidence.

The Timeline for Eczema Healing

Hering’s Law also provides a helpful framework for understanding how long healing might take. The general rule is:

For every year you’ve had eczema, expect about one month of focused healing work to see significant progress.

Here’s how that might look:

Mild or recent eczema (less than 2 years): Improvements may appear within 3–6 months, especially if root causes like food sensitivities, gut health, or stress are addressed.
Chronic or severe eczema (5–10+ years): Deep healing might take 1–2 years or longer as the body works through layers of inflammation and dysfunction.

It may be possible to speed up the healing process when you work with a dedicated team experienced in supporting people with eczema. By leveraging targeted strategies to address the root causes of your eczema—like balancing gut health, detoxifying the body, and reducing systemic inflammation—it’s possible to shorten your healing time by up to 75% by helping you to:

Identify and prioritize root causes quickly, so no time is wasted on guesswork.
Provide personalized protocols tailored to your specific triggers, symptoms, and needs.
Monitor progress closely, adjusting strategies in real-time to ensure your healing stays on track.
Offer emotional and practical support, helping you stay motivated and consistent even through challenging moments.

For example, if you’ve been dealing with eczema for 30 years, Hering’s Law suggests it might take approximately 30 months of focused healing work to see significant progress. However, with the right targeted support, we could potentially reduce that healing time to as little as 7.5 months. This is achieved by working smarter, not harder, and using personalized tools, guidance, and therapies to help your body heal more effectively.

My Personal & Clinical Experience with Hering’s Law

This is one of the only pictures I have of myself when I had eczema. If you’ve ever struggled with eczema, you understand why. Taking a picture feels like the last thing you want to do. This picture was taken 16 years ago, when I was pregnant with my daughter. At that time, I had suffered from eczema since birth, often relying on topical steroids to manage the symptoms. But during my pregnancy, for the first time, I couldn’t use those medications. If you look closely at this picture, you can see the redness and inflammation covering my hands. What you don’t see is that the eczema and redness extended to my arms, torso, and legs. I was also experiencing the effects of topical steroid withdrawal, which left my skin painfully raw, red, burning, and oozing.

Because I couldn’t and didn’t want to use conventional medications during my pregnancy, I decided to look into the alternatives. For the first time, I learned about naturopathic medicine and began to focus on healing from the inside out.

I changed my diet, removing inflammatory foods and embracing nutrient-dense, healing meals. I adjusted my lifestyle habits, prioritizing rest, reducing stress, and supporting my body’s natural rhythms. I also started taking supplements to nourish and support my liver, gut, and adrenal glands, all of which are critical for healing eczema.

Through this process, I experienced the path of healing described by Hering’s Law of Cure. Healing wasn’t immediate or linear—it rarely is. There were times of setbacks, moments of intense flare-ups, and periods where progress felt painfully slow. But understanding how the body heals—starting from the inside out, working from the core to the periphery, and reversing through layers of symptoms—helped me stay the course.

I began to see small changes. My energy levels improved. I started sleeping better. My digestion felt more balanced. These internal improvements gave me hope, even when my skin was slow to follow. Gradually, I noticed the redness and inflammation on my skin begin to subside. My hands started to heal, and eventually, so did my arms and torso.

It took me five years of dedication, perseverance, and learning from the moment I began my naturopathic healing journey to achieve what I now call a "Cleanbody." This journey wasn’t just about achieving clearer skin—it was about reclaiming my entire sense of health, balance, and well-being from the inside out.

Now, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside countless patients on their healing journeys. I’ve witnessed the same patterns unfold: initial improvements in energy, digestion, and overall health, followed by gradual changes in the skin, and finally, sustained health and clear skin.

The journey isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. Each flare-up, each moment of doubt, is a step closer to healing. I often remind my patients that healing isn’t just about reaching the finish line; it’s about celebrating each win along the way—better sleep, less itching, more energy, and eventually, clearer skin.

Staying Hopeful Through the Process

Remember, as you have seen in my own healing journey, healing takes time, but it is absolutely worth it. Understanding Hering’s Law of Cure can help you celebrate your wins—big or small—and stay patient with the process. Even when skin healing is slow, noticing improvements in other areas, like digestion or energy, can be incredibly motivating.

At Cleanbody, we help our patients track their progress with weekly update forms that monitor how each of their systems is improving. For example, while your skin might take longer to heal, seeing improvements in your gut health or reduced inflammation can provide encouragement to keep going.

Having a team by your side to remind you of your wins and guide you through the tough moments can make all the difference. Healing is a journey, but you don’t have to walk it alone.

Maintaining a Cleanbody

Once you cross the finish line—and you will!—the journey doesn’t end. Healing eczema isn’t just about achieving a Cleanbody; it’s about maintaining it for a lifetime of health and vitality. Once your body is balanced and your symptoms have improved, staying consistent with the habits that brought you relief is essential to prevent setbacks and sustain your progress. Here’s how to stay on track:

Stick to Healthy Changes

The diet, lifestyle, and self-care practices that helped you heal aren’t just part of the healing phase—they’re the foundation of long-term health. Keep nourishing your body with anti-inflammatory foods and minimizing toxic or inflammatory foods, practicing daily movement, and maintaining the routines that keep your system balanced. Avoid falling back into old habits that could reintroduce inflammation or imbalance.

Support Detox and Gut Health

Your body faces daily challenges from environmental toxins, stress, and dietary exposures. Keep your detox pathways functioning optimally by staying hydrated, eating fiber-rich foods, and moving regularly. Continue to prioritize gut health with prebiotics, probiotics, and foods that support a healthy microbiome to prevent inflammation from resurfacing.

Monitor and Adjust

Healing is a dynamic process, and life doesn’t stand still. Stressful events, illness, or even changes in routine can challenge your system. Pay attention to your body’s signals—whether it’s digestive discomfort, energy dips, or minor skin changes—and make adjustments as needed. Whether that’s tweaking your diet, incorporating more rest, or seeking guidance, small proactive changes can make all the difference.

Prioritize Stress Management

Stress is one of the most significant drivers of eczema and inflammation. Cultivating habits like mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and deep breathing can keep your nervous system calm and your skin clear. Additionally, prioritizing consistent, high-quality sleep and setting boundaries in your daily life can go a long way in reducing stress’s impact.

Maintaining your Cleanbody is a journey of self-awareness and ongoing care, but it’s also a testament to the incredible progress you’ve made. By staying committed to these habits, you can not only preserve your clear skin but also experience greater energy, vitality, and resilience in every aspect of your life.

Embrace the Journey

As you can see, healing eczema is a process, not a quick fix. By working toward a Cleanbody and maintaining it, you can experience not only clear skin but also better overall health and vitality.

Your body is capable of incredible healing—trust the process, celebrate the wins, and remember: you are never alone in this journey.

I’ve walked this path myself and have guided many patients through it. Let us help you navigate your journey! If you or your child have eczema, our team can help you evaluate these root causes of your eczema to support you in healing your skin from the inside out. Start your journey to clear, healthy skin with our FREE Eczema Relief Guide!

Want a more personalized approach? Book a one-on-one consultation with me at 30% off using code BLOG30 for a tailored evaluation and guidance specific to your needs.

GOT QUESTIONS?

Dr. Fong is going live to discuss this topic on her weekly Live with the Eczema Doc on Wednesday, December 4, at 10:30 AM PST! Watch the live or check out the replay here:

About the Author:

Dr. Diane Angela Fong, ND, is a naturopathic doctor specializing in eczema and chronic inflammatory conditions. She is the CEO and founder of Cleanbody, a wellness company dedicated to treating and preventing chronic diseases. Dr. Fong developed the Cleanbody Method, a transformative three-step process: Evaluate (uncovering the root causes of chronic disease through lab testing and comprehensive assessments), Optimize (strengthening health foundations by addressing nutrition, lifestyle, and toxic exposures), and Support (restoring optimal organ function through targeted healing protocols). Driven by a mission to educate and empower individuals with eczema and other chronic inflammatory diseases, Dr. Fong provides comprehensive support to help patients achieve lasting relief and better health. Learn more at www.cleanbody.health.

Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

Affiliate & Product Disclaimer: This blog contains affiliate links and mentions of Cleanbody products. As an affiliate, we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. However, please note that the inclusion of affiliate links does not influence our editorial content or product recommendations. Our primary goal is to provide valuable information and resources to our readers to support their health and wellness journey. We only recommend products and services that we genuinely believe in and that align with our commitment to promoting holistic health. Thank you for your support!