Eczema - Carmichael,CA

Ditto Ashley P.!

We used Aquaphor for the most severe spots. It's thick like petroleum but it works.

Cetaphil is the most gentle cleanser you can buy. Keep those baths short.

My son had moderate excema at around the same age. Some severe patches - but in limited areas of his body. I switched the whole family to ecos laundry detergent and replaced dryer sheets with dryer balls. After lots of research, I chose to start using CA baby products, especially the super sensitive line. I now use the products myself and am happy with their performance, not to mention sustainable ingredients. Most importantly, the excema is well in hand, and I keep a the of Aquaphor on hand for the infrequent patch. (mostly for chapped cheeks when baby chew on and then rubs his blankie in his face while sleeping!). :). Good luck.

My neighbor's son (now 2+) had *terrible* eczema. She swore by the baby oil from Arbonne (she became a rep for Arbonne partly because the product worked so well for her son!). My own son only had patches of it and I used a natural bees wax based "chap stick" type product from our farmer's market (http://www.smallbees.com/index.html). It seemed to help his limited problem.

An oatmeal bath will help tremendously. I think it has to do with a calium/magnesium deficiency. Google natural solutions for excema and you'll find a lot. Good luck.

I had problems with my little girl as a baby. I have a doctor that believes in 'old fashioned remedies'. She suggested that I give luke warm short baths, and when the baby was wet I used Crisco, yes the solid vegetable oil, to rub her down when moist. We also started double rinsing her clothes and looking at all irritants that directly touch her skin like the dryer sheets and laundry soap. She did grow out of it. The dr had me go to natural products, there is nothing more pure than pure vegetable oil, no scents, no additives. This too will pass...smile. L.

I have 2 kids w/ moderate to severe excema, so have been dealing w/ it for years. What I have found is that no 2 kids are the same w/ what works, what make it worse, etc. and some things that work for awhile, might stop working. So take people's advice, but don't feel bad if they don't work for your son and mix up the lotion/bathing routine if that helps.

What we have done is remove dryer sheets entirely (some people I know use dryer ball instead, have not tried them), use a free and clear laundry detergent, double rinse all loads, cetaphil cream (not lotion) as often as we can, hydrocortizone (over the counter and prescription as needed, but check w/ a dr first). We also have alternated between benadryl and Atarax (prescription) to help w/ the night time itching. Not sure how young we started w/ that, at 4 months probably too early.

Also, when it is bad we give them luke warm baths for 20 minutes, no soap and pat dry. Then make sure they get all lathered up w/in 3 minutes of getting out.

My 26 year old daughter suffered from eczema severely as a child. She still has breakouts when she doesn't take care of herself.

I second the advice to check into food allergies/sensitivities. Also it was helpful to use unscented laundry detergent with a double rinse, to remove chemicals from the home, including cleaning supplies, room fresheners, etc. Replace them with vinegar, baking soda, & hydrogen peroxide. Don't bleach his clothes- or if you have to, wash them again after bleach.

You have my sympathy, I remember how difficult those days were.

Hi M.,

My daughter developed eczema at about 3 months, and I remember how stressful it was! Luckily, I spoke with another mother who had taken her son to a Naturopath, who had told her that infant eczema is most frequently caused by food allergies/sensitivities. She recommended that I first try eliminating two of the most common allergens, wheat and dairy, from my diet (b/c since my daughter was only on my breast milk at the time, the foods I was eating were the problem).

When I quit eating wheat, the eczema cleared. If I ate a serving of pasta or a slice of bread, the eczema would show up again by the next day. At first I thought I'd starve, but with time, of course, I learned all kinds of things to eat instead, and the experience expanded my palette. And it was such a relief to have my daughter's skin stay clear and itch-free.

If wheat is the culprit, there are a lot of good substitutes you can use, especially if you like to bake. If you need suggestions, write me, and I'll be glad to fill you in. If not, you might want to hunt down a naturopathic doctor for suggestions of other approachs. The creams, soaps, etc. treat the symptoms but do not address the underlying cause.

Good luck!
J.

Please check out the National Eczema Association website (nationaleczema.org) for solid info on understanding and treating eczema. Sign in and request info. I volunteer at NEA and know they have great people working there.
I have lived with eczema most of my life, and have gotten better at managing it. I've learned that bathing is fine provided I moisturize thoroughly after. No perfumes and minimal fragrances are key. No dryer sheets, no scented wipes, etc. I use only fragrance-free products for things that come in direct contact with my skin. You'll have to try different moisturizing creams. Right now Cetaphil works for me and Eucerin doesn't. I've also had luck with Hydrolatum and Aquaphor. As for prescription meds (corticosteriods and non-steriodals), I've had mixed results. Sometimes they work great, other times they don't work at all. I take note of foods I eat, things in my environment (no furry pets), the weather (dry air is a killer on my skin), and my stress level. Eczema is a difficult disease but it can be managed. Good luck, L.

Hi M.,

Please do talk to your doctor about allergies. Our older son had terrible eczema. Turned out to be caused by food allergies. But, it can also be caused by allergies to pets, detergents, etc.

We tried many lotions, ointments and regimes. Nothing really helped enough until we figured out what he was allergic to and eliminated it. Not an easy task, but it's well worth the effort.

Good luck!
-D.

Many moms I know (including myself) use Renew Lotion from a company called Melaleuca. It's been clinically proven to work better than Eucerin. We also use the Melaleuca dryer sheets or dryer balls (from Bed Bath and Beyond) rather than the dryer sheets you find at the stores (many people are allergic to them). In addition, we've switched over to organic cleaning products to rid of harmful chemicals around the house. If you are interested in trying out Melaleuca products, you can buy directly online on their website www.melaleuca.com or contact me for preferred customer pricing (30-40% off). All the products are free of bleach, phosphates, and other harmful chemicals.

Hi M.,

I read through your responses and wanted to add a couple of my own. About allergies, I have a friend that couldn't eat eggs b/c her daughter broke out with eczema (she was breastfeeding). That is another very common allergen.

Also, I am an Independent Consultant for Arbonne, there was a woman that recommended our baby oil (and it is amazing!). Check out my website http://stephaniedoan.myarbonne.com. All of our products are pure, safe and beneficial. You can contact me at ____@____.com if you have any questions. Not trying to make a plug for myself, but if I can help, I would love to!

The other cream that we have loved is the California Baby Calendula Cream. It comes in a tub and you can get it online or at Target, Giggle, Day One, and most baby stores. However, I could never find it at Babies R Us.

I hope some of these will help!
Take care and good luck!
S.

Hi M.!

My 8 month old has been battling severe eczema since he was about 2 months. Its really frustrating with all the itchiness and how almost nothing seems to bring relief. My son, too was constantly scratching to the point where he would get so distracted from everything and literally claw himself.

My son was using eucerin at first as well, but when we saw a dermatologist they suggested we use Cetaphil Moisturizing cream (not lotion! the one in the tub) and cetaphil antibacterial bar, although now I've switched to the liquid Gentle skin cleanser. It has helped soo much. He has almost spotless skin that does occasionaly flare up at times. The only spots that remain are really thick patches.

It helps to bathe them in lukewarm water, the hotter the water the faster the skin will dry out. Apply cream within a couple mins to seal in the moisture.

If nothing seems to help, see a dermatologist. It really helped my son and has brought him so much relief. I hate using the prescription creams as well because of the thin skin side effect, but a small amount even really seems to help in trouble areas.

Good luck! And I hope your little one gets some relief soon :)

My two year old started having eczema at around 6 months. Totally cleared up after I started using the following
1. Baby Aquaphor Daily shampoo and body wash (only have been able to find it at Babies R Us)
2. Eucerin Calming Cream daily moisturizer (for body)
3. Mustela Stelaprotect Face Cream (for face)
4. Aquaphor ointment for bad patchs
5. I use unscented Tide detergent and dryer sheets

6. If you have a front loader washing machine - I would highly suggest going back to a top loader. About one week after we went back to a top loader she never has had any patches - and we made the switch in summer - when her eczema was typically popping up. I with several friends just feel like the clothes do not get washed and rinsed properly in front loaders and when you have childeren with sensative skin this just aggrevates it more.

Hope this helps. Go on-line and check out all of the complaints regarding front loaders regardles of brand and how much you clean them mold builds up between the inner and outer wash barrels. Everytime you do a load mold can get into your wash and in your clothes. Gross

I 2nd the suggestion of Renew by Melaleuca. Here is a link to the product and a video about it: http://www.melaleuca.com/ProductStore/Product.aspx?sku=3600. (If the link doesn't work, copy and paste it, that seems to work better sometimes). You can contact me and I can give you a free sample and help you purchase some on your own if it works for your son. Contact me through this site or through www.SwitchingStores.info and I will be glad to help you to help your children.

I agree with others about looking into allergies. My older son had very severe eczema starting at 2 months old. We didn't realize until he was almost a year old that he was severely allergic to cow's milk, eggs, soy, and many other foods. Allergies don't cause the eczema, but it's the itching from allergic reactions that causes babies to rub/scratch, making the eczema rash flare up. Once we eliminated those foods, his skin cleared up and the eczema only came back whenever he had an allergic reaction.

Now my younger son broke out with an eczema type rash at around 6 weeks old. I just cut out cow's milk/eggs from my own diet the past couple of weeks (so it won't pass into him from my breast milk), and his rash has cleared, making me suspect he is at least allergic to cow's milk. I'll then reintroduce the highly allergenic foods one a time to figure out what he's allergic to.

Try to cut out cow's milk and eggs if you're nursing and see if that makes a difference. If not, try eliminating soy, nuts, shellfish, etc.

Hope this helps.

J.

Greetings Madie,
I am sorry for your little ones. In our family several have Porisis which is the harshest form of what you have.
We have learned to use baby oil on our little ones as this helps greatly and we also use hydrcortisone 1% which is over the counter. For our litlle ones at about age 18 months we add Avon's skin so soft oil to the bath .
I know that used to be called Cradle Cap when my first child was born.
Try it all and see what works best for your little ones. NanaG