Vitamin B12 Effective Against Eczema

A topical application of vitamin B12 was shown to be effective and safe against eczema, according to a study published in the British Journal of Dermatology (2004, vol.159, no.5: 977-983). In the study, researchers randomly assigned 41 participants between ages 18 to 70 with eczema to apply a topical cream containing vitamin B12 to affected areas on one side of the body and placebo to affected areas to the other side twice daily for eight weeks. Severity and extent of the skin condition was rated at the start of the study and at two, four, six and eight weeks. For all participants, severity and extent of eczema on the areas treated with the vitamin B12 cream were significantly less than on the areas where placebo cream was applied.