Seeking Best Solutions to Treat Eczema in Toddler

unfortunately my daughter too has eczema.. i know how frustrating it can be. now she can wear shorts without scratching and no more red rashes everywhere!

the best medicine for eczema is prevention, it took us almost 2 years to figure this out.

this is my daughter's routine: 1) a warm but not hot bath with 1/4 cup of oatmeal straight from the box and many squirts of AVEENO SKIN RELIEF SHOWER & BATH OIL in the dark blue label (i buy this stuff in bulk at walmart) no body soap, only few drops of baby shampoo in hair. 2) while still wet i slather on lotion mixture (1/2 AVEENO BABY SOOTHING RELIEF MOISTURE CREAM pediatrician recommended for eczema in the dark blue label and 1/2 any kind sensitive skin lotion) pat dry.
3) after putting clothes on, i put zinc oxide ointment and/or AVEENO BABY CREAM on problem areas (also walmart).

if the eczema is seriously bad, i dab on some hydrocortisone cream even though i don't like using steroids it's risk vs. gain. untreated eczema can lead to permanent keratinized tissue. and if that doesn't work, D-day plan is pediatrician prescribed ointments ( disappears in 2 days, but prolonged use can have bad side effects) benadryl can suppress the immunity and lead to catching the flu or a cold or worse so i stay away from it.

the oil works as a protective extra membrane layer for the sensitive raw skin and the oatmeal has a natural anti-inflammatory property that keeps the attacking cells or histamines at bay. zinc oxide stabilizes the cell membrane. she stays away from heat as much as she can and i cut off tags on all her clothes to deter her from scratching. extra soft sheets are a must. at the beach i slather on thick white sun block every 1 1/2 hr - 40min depending on the time of day.

all of this work is what keeps my daughter's eczema under control and unaffective to her daily life. i hope this helps...let me know if it does!

I'm a pediatric nurse who worked with a doctor who told people to shower and then put Aquaphor on as soon as they get out and the skin is a little wet.
I have a friend who is a dietician who had horrible excema and she started taking Juice Plus (fruits and veggies) and her skin improved so much that she started wearing short sleeved shirts! That was huge for her!. Excema seems to respond to all the good enzymes, vitamins, and minerals that all work together in the Juice Plus.
Please check it out....

Karen4betterhealth.com

D.,
I know how frustrating it is to see you son in pain. I'm sending you an email I sent to someone else in regards to a fabulous lotion that really did the trick for us. I hope it works for you too. Good luck.
M.

Use SHIKAI Borage Dry Skin Therapy Lotion. You can find it at ShiKai.com. My son uses this morning and night and has beautiful skin because of it. He had the worst case of eczema our pediatrician had ever seen and was almost hospitalized with skin infections - it was that bad. Like you, I did not want to use "steroid" creams on my son and those seemed to be the only ones available from our dermatologist. I searched for over six months trying all sorts of natural remedies. This lotion was our miracle. I've since recommended it to so many families and all have reported great results. My pediatrician even recommends it to his patients families because of the results he saw with my son. I did use the steroid ointments- not creams, in order to get rid of the "raw" skin condition (this should not take more than 3 days) and then began using this lotion to maintain his healthy skin.The ointments work without the burn that a cream can cause (I used Desonide ointment tar). I'm happy to report that he has not had even the slightest breakout in almost 2 years. Good luck to you. Feel free to email me with any questions.

Hi D.,

I know what you're dealing with. Our son has had eczema since he was about 8 months old. A lot of it comes from allergies to certain foods and the environment.

We've tried virtually everything through doctor's recommendations and prescriptions. Using Aveeno and later finding out that our son has allergies to oats! You can try pure aloe vera too, but our son would say it stings on his skin, so we've stopped using it. Our allergist is really great. She recommended he get a blood test done to see what foods he's allergic to. And we found several!

Do not keep your son in long pants and socks, it will only make him hotter. Do what you possibly can to keep him cool. Make sure to turn on the AC or the fan. Bring along a small ice pack or those 'boo-boo' packs on you place on them to cool him down, behind his knees or on his neck.

As for bathing him, we use a Cetaphil cleansing bar. We've also used Johnson & Johnson's Purpose bar too. They're better b/c they don't have added extras. Bathe him in lukewarm water. Hot water aggravates the skin. And for shampooing and conditioning, we use California Baby products. I believe they work really well on him. The only use organic biodegradable ingredients and do not contain common allergens like soy, wheat, eggs, nuts, or gluten. Visit their website. They also have an eczema line to try out. In fact, they have several items you might be interested in. We buy our shampoo and conditioner @ Target.

After bathing, we put Aquaphor on his skin b/c that seems to seal in the moisture better than most lotions. Cetaphil is light but it's not enough for my son. He needs much more.

I think the best thing you can do for your little one is to keep him cool as much as possible. Try not to stay outdoors too long. Keep his skin moisturized, b/c children with eczema skin get very very dry. And have him drink plenty of water. I've also read that people with eczema sometimes lack fatty acids, like the omega-3s found in fish. Maybe giving him a 1/2 teaspoon of flaxseed oil will help from the inside.

Hope this info. helps =)

P.S. you might want to consider using 'free and clear' detergents, b/c regular laundry detergents contain fragrance. He might be sensitive to that as well. We use Tide's free detergent.

My son had eczema when he was that age too. We went to a pediatric dermatologist who told us to STOP using soap on him (he's a baby, how stinky could he be?) and the eliminate all perfumes and the like from the laundry. You don't want to shampoo carpets either. The BEST thing he told us about is a cream called "Vanicream". It's a compounding cream (a cream meant to be mixed with medicines to treat other conditions) that you can find at the pharmacy (Target and Costco usually have it). It's not a prescription item but it'll be behind the pharmacy counter.

The dermatologist told us to use it massage it into his skin everywhere but his diaper region twice a day after a 5 - 10 minute shower. Don't rub him dry. Just kinda blot him and then put the cream on. Our son came to love our "Slathering time" because he got a little massage. I think the evening application actually helped him to sleep.

This stuff was AMAZING for our boy! We could see a difference in only 2 days and now he hardly has any trouble. If we see a little uneveness on his skin we just pull out the Vanicream and it's usually gone the next day.

I know this isn't a holistic remedy but this stuff has a bigger list of what's NOT in it than what's in it. I hope it can help your little guy.

M.

PS It works wonders on my dry heels too! :>)

Hi, all three of my boys have eczema. When they have a flare up we make sure to bathe them daily (usually at night) then apply a tub like cream such as cetaphil (pumped lotions don't work). Another reason we bathe them at night is so that after we apply the lotion, we can slather on some aquafor and then put their pjs on with socks. Some dr's recommend a steroid cream with really bad flare ups. We have even used an over the counter hydrocortisone cream and mixed it in with the lotion. It usually works within a day or two for our boys. Good Luck!

I was a Dermatology Medical Assistant for 9 and half years and have seen this soooo much it's crazy. Especially living in such a dry climate. The first thing we would tell parents is to eliminate the obvoius triggers of eczema: perfumed soaps (laundry, hand, shampoos etc..), cleaning supplies with lots of chemicals in them, nail polishes, colognes, perfumes, makeup, lotions with scent or color, I could go on.. these are just a few. Once you've elimated those and found products that are natural and without scents and a lot of chemicals you can start to find out what triggers it most in your child. We would also tell them that it's great to eliminate them, but you have to start completely fresh, meaning that you have to rewash all the cloths (not just babies but yours too-afterall you touch them with your clothes on) you have to replace all the soaps and things and rewash too so that it doesn't have contact with the child, and things like makeups and nailpolish all have contact with the baby, so you have to go around your house and switch everything. In the meantime, after your baby takes a bath don't wipe them off with a towl, pat them dry and apply hypoallergenic non-scented lotions and baby oil or vasaline is great to rub into their skin- it all works better for absorbtion if the skin is a little damp still. There are some prescriptions that do not have steriods in them that work wonderfully for eczema that a Dermatologist can prescribe and can be used for a longer period of time. You can also use over te counter 1% hydrocortizone creams mixed with vasaline or even baby diaper rash ointment that will help too and it's much cheaper. My son had it awful when he was younger and I started doing all this and over time I was able to add in certain products that I love and was able to find out that lotions were the main cause of his eczema and now i use Arbonne creams and soaps on him that are all natural and organic hypoallergenic and he does great. I can hlep you with these products as well if you are interested. This is a long process but all worth it after all the work because your baby won't be itching. Good luck, I'll answer any more questions that you might have.

Arbonne Baby Line is a miracle cure for most skin problems. I had tried everything for my son including very expensive prescriptions and Arbonne completly cured it! Good Luck.

I used "gentle naturals baby excema cream" and it was wonderful... and they also have the bath wash you can get and it worked great in combination... they have a whole line of products like teething meds and all... but i found this combo to be the best
http://www.gentlenaturals.com/products.cfm

My daughter had severe eczema and at 6 months (she is 9 months right now) we had allergy tests done (on advice of a friend that had similar problems). It turned out she was allergic to eggs. As soon as I stopped eating eggs (she is breastfed) her skin cleared up.

It may not be your son's problem, but food allergies can cause eczema so it's something to consider. It was just a simple blood draw.

She does still have a little bit of eczema in more typical places like elbows and knees, but we can manage that with Eucerin lotion and Aquaphor as needed!

Try Really Raw Honey - Whole foods. I am diabetic and use this for all my scratches. Heals fast. Organic and Raw.

D. - I have excema (have had it all my life). Mine is caused by allergies and stress, and made worse by the heat (and sweat) and frequent washing and anything else that dries out the skin. I think you need a two-fronted plan of attack here: 1. treating his skin and 2. getting to the bottom of what causes his excema. I'd suggest finding a good pediatric allergist who can help you with allergy testing and give you guidelines for an elimination diet (can't really test for food allergies). For now, I'd make sure he doesn't get too hot or sweaty (easier said than done, I know!) and to keep his skin moisturized. I'm using plain cocnut oil from the grocery store on my skin. Aveeno has a (surprisingly non-toxic) soothing bath treatment with oatmeal you might try out to help his poor skin not dry out when you bathe him.
Please email me if you'd like to connect more about this. I'm not an expert, but I've figured out a couple of things in the last 20 years!

Hi D. :)

My daughter suffers from eczema also but like like she used to. I took many things out of her diet, however the most important items were anything with YEAST, REFINED SUGARS, WHITE FLOUR. Within 2 days she had stopped scratching and her legs were so badly off that the head of the school thought she had some kind of flesh eating skin disease. Her legs healed up beautifully and her moods also mellowed out drastically. She became a much more pleasant child :). I also was giving her a Candida Cleanse product for Candida Albicans called Candex. I bought mine at Whole Foods. That particular one is safe for children to take. Open 1 capsule and spill the powder in your sons juice. He shouldn't notice a difference. That will help his yeast imbalance. I would just keep him on this. Especially if he takes antibiotics a lot. And, in addition to this, I also give my daughter Jarrow Formulas Yum-Yum Dophilus. This is a positive aid for the healthy bacteria in the intestines. It helps the healthy bacteria grow and gets rid of the yucky stuff. Even if you really cut back on the yeast, maybe you would see a difference? It's worth a try. Otherwise, try a Naturopathic doctor. And, lastly, one more product that seemed to help my daughter each time I applied it was something I ordered online. It's called Dremu Oil. It's an oik from emu feathers. When I put it on an itchy, open area, it was usually almost gone the next morning. You could always try this product and if you don't like it, I think there's a 60 day m oney back guarantee. It's a dark blue bottle with a dropper top- like a serum would come in. I think it's about $75. I bought during a special. The website might be www.dremu.com. See what you think and I hope you find something that helps him. I know it hurts you, too. It's horrible, but I'll put happy, positive thoughts out there for you guys! :)

Blessings,
Jennifer

my almost-3-year-old has been diagnosed w/ eczema, too, but it was worse when she was an infant. be diligent about "lubing him up" throughout the day and before he goes to bed. we've tried aquaphor, aveeno, aveeno oatmeal baths, and "egyptian magic" which you can find at wholefoods. they were/are all very helpful. like your son, she gets flare-ups when it's really hot and starts to sweat. distract him when he scratches because it becomes second nature to him to just scratch. the most helpful of all is to apply the creams and lotions very very often...hope this helps!

Hi D.,
I know some of what you are going through...my daughter, who will be turing two this weekend has had eczema as well. Esp. on the insides of her elbows and knees and a few other spots around her legs and body. What seems to have lessened it for her is to not take so many baths or spend too much time in the water. We also switched her soap to Burt's Bees baby shampoo and body wash. And we smeared her with lotion after her baths. We used Kiehl's baby lotion. When that patches got really red, we would also put some cortizone cream on those patches. It hasn't gone away totally, but it has gotten much better. I'm sure if we were even more diligent with our treatment it might even be gone completely! It's just so hard to do all of that stuff to her now that she is two and won't really do anything that she doesn't want to. She doesn't seem to be bothered by the eczema at all now.
As an aside, I had eczema on my feet as a child and it got so bad that I could hardly walk at times...it did go away completely by the time I hit puberty though. Unfortunately that is a long way away for your son, but maybe it's good to know that it won't last forever!
Well, I hope something I've said helps you. Good luck in your quest. I wish you and your family all the best!
~T.

Hi D. -

I know very little about this, but a close friend dealt with this in both of her kids. She too found that creams didn't do a whole lot to control it. She preferred to avoid the steroidal route and I don't blame her. She avoided wheat and dairy. One thing that is significant is that sugar definitely seemed to exacerbate it, so she avoided that as well.

Her older one is now 8 and seems to have outgrown it; the other is 4 and shows less and less of the problem, which may be heartening to you. They don't completely avoid those foods mentioned above and are able to indulge a bit without much of a problem.

Hope that helps!

Colleen

While I have not found a CURE for my eczema, I have found keeping my skin moisturized is my best bet. I asked Mamasource about remedies and I got a lot of responses and many who claimed Melaleuca (only found online) was the best thing ever. I was skeptical about this company, so I researched some more. I actually found a lot of people saying that Aveno works (found anywhere...I got mine at Target). So I tried the Aveno Skin Relief. I was so happy with the results that I bought a bottle for my bathroom, my purse, and my desk at work. This lotion is thick and stays on through hand washings. I usually apply about three times a day. I still have outbreaks on my hand, but it is much more infrequent now and much smaller. I hope this helps and I feel for your son. It is not a fun thing to have!

Hi D.,
I know how frustrating eczema can be. My daughter and I both get it and the heat has only mad it worse! What works fantastic for us is the Aveeno lotions for after bathtime. For baths the California Baby products are AMAZING. They're sold at Target in the baby aisles. They are a little pricey but a little goes a long way. They are an all natural product and it really helps to soothe our skin. I hope this helps!

Hi D.,
My son had the same thing but his was mostly on his face up until he was 6 months old. I think we were at the doctor's office almost everyweek from the time he was a month old til about 3 months. It was so bad that the sides of his head were balding because he was trying to scracth. Parts of his legs, inner thighs, and arms were also really bad so much so that part were weeping because he tried to scratch there too. I cried almost everyday because he looked so helpless. Finally she prescribed something called Derma smooth. Some insurance will cover it, but unfortunately mine didn't. I bought it anyway out of desparation. Anyway, it resolved slowly and now we just use Cetaphil like the others. Try not to bathe him too often either as water and soap will dry his skin further. I totally empathize with you. Good luck.

Aloha Moms from Hawaii!
I'm so sorry all your children have been suffering with eczema.
Here in Hawaii we have a wonderful oil called Kukui oil which has been used for centuries by Hawaiians. It is completely natural and safe.It is excellent for Eczema. It will stop the itching, reduce the inflamation and allow your child's skin to heal. You can apply it directly to the skin or put a few drops in the tub. It is widely used here on the islands.
You can check out this amazing oil at
O..com. Good luck to you all.

GO to www.melaleuca.com check out the renew lotion and the melaleuca oil, and melagel. All great things used for dry skin, sceriosis, and eczema.
I have a friend that has sceriosis(i know i have spelled that wrong, sorry) she uses the lotion and it is under controll. Her breskout aren't as bad or as often.
Good luck
B.

My daughter was diagnosed with eczema with constant rashes. We used everything and nothing helped. FINALLY, I decided to try a different shampoo (Terra Organics) instead of the Johnson & Johnson's Baby Shampoo we'd always used. Her rashes went away!

Hello! I used to sell Arbonne skin care, and had excellent results for two clients who used the cleanser, lotion and body oil from the ABC baby care line. I dont sell it anymore, and I'm not trying to make a buck - but I do believe it's worth a shot. The trick is that you have to use it EVERY day, first the oil, then the lotion on top. I wish you luck - I know it can be miserable for everyone! Go to www.arbonne.com try to find someone in your area who sells it. If you arent able to locate anyone let me know and I will help you.

I have two children with eczema. I never knew that cow's milk affects the break outs as well. The doctor had me take my son off of cow's milk and put him on soy milk. He loves the vanilla or other flavors. Simply changing this in his diet reduce his eczema break outs a huge proportion. Good luck with your search for answers, every doctor seems to have their own opinion on it.

Hi D.,
My son also suffered from severe eczema from 1yr - 3 yrs old. Every Dermatologist prescribed steriods. Then I finally took him to a Dermatologist who tested him for a staff infection...which come to find out he did. With all the bleeding and scratching he was just re=infecting himself over and over. So once we got that cleared up, we were introduced to Arbonne's Baby Care products. If I keep my son who is now 8 years old stays on the Arbonne baby wash, lotion, oil, shampoo, and sunscreen his eczema is fine. If he has a sleepover and used something different...his eczema flairs up.
You are welcome to call me...
C.
###-###-####
www.catheypainter.myarbonne.com

Hello, D.,

Consider adding a good probiotic to his diet. The flora in the colon must be nourished and vibrant to support the body ridding itself of eczema.

My very best,

T.

My son has the same thing. I have used Arbonne (NutriMinC RE Reactivating Body Serum and Body Lotion together and this has helped him. You need to put the lotion on aleast twice a day. I also took him to a Dermatologist, I would recommend the same, since some times the breakout require a little more. I hope this helps.

https://www.arbonne.com or call Sharon LLewellyn ###-###-####

Hi, D.! I have used a totally natural treatment for eczema on myself for the past few months when I was pregnant, & it helped the itching enormously. It also seemed to help "balance" my skin better, which has lessened the outbreaks. I use apple cider vinegar, diluted one part vinegar to five parts water. I just put it on a cotton pad like any skin toner & wipe gently on the affected areas, once or twice a day. This might help your little one with at least the itching. It may sting slightly on any open wounds where he has scratched the skin, but it doesn't sting like alcohol. I have a friend who also pours some apple cider vinegar into her bath water; she finds it very cleansing, soothing, & balancing. I hope this helps! If you try it, let me know if it works at all for him.

I designed a website for a guy who has this water machine that will help with eczema. My sister has it and soaks her hand in this water or wherever the eczema happens to be and it helps it to go away. the website is www.TheLifeChangeGroup.com and his name is Derek. Tell him N. Sent you. You can watch the videos about the water from the website and change the overall health of you entire family. He brings me water every few days and i absolutely love it. I even took the time to write a POST in his BLOG, which i never do. I just believe in this product enough and want everyone to have it. There are several different machines you can get from mid to high range in price from a bunch of different companies. let me know how it goes!

Hi D.,

Eczema is usually caused by something you are allergic to or too much yeast in the body and it shows up through the skin. Have a food allergy panel (IgG) done and check for yeast (usually done through a stool sample is best).

For topical, stay away from products that contain petroleum and sodium laurel sulfates and of course any dyes. These can be very irritating.

I represent a skin care company, Sensaria Natural Bodycare. We have several products that helped my daughter's severe eczema and helped many others with their skin issues. You can email offline if you want more information or see my ad in the member perks.

Hi D.,

My sister swears by Oregano oil. (you can look it up on the internet to see what it is used for and how to use it)It is available at Lindenberg Nutrition Ctr, and probably at other nutrition-type places, possibly even Whole Foods.

Good Luck, my son has a slight case of it but i just use prescription ointment that I got from his Dr.

D.,

I shop with an international health and wellness company. They developed a cream that takes away eczema. BLOWS Eucirine out of the water. Contact me and I can tell you how to get it. I have many girlfriends who no longer suffer because they started using this cream!!
There products are Naturally based. FANTASTIC stuff!!!

J. Cherry
____@____.com
www.more4mykidzfuture.com

I have eczema too. I use Vanicream daily to help from breaking out and moisturizing. It's a lotion with no fragrances or anything for that matter in it. You can order it through the pharmacy or buy it online. You'd have to use it for a while before it starts to work. Don't give up. Wearing loose clothes helps, but cool baths are even better. How long have you been eliminating dairy and wheat? I actually went to a allergist and they poked me with everything. Apparently I am allergic to all grass and trees. Well I hope he only has childhood eczema because its just as bad as an adult. You may want to find out what he could be allergic to, like soap, detergent and so on. Best of luck.

I have two boys with eczema! The best thing is prevention, but first you have to clear up the trouble spots. It seems that we are all doing the same basic steps! I bathe the boys at night with Aveeno oat bath, cover them with Cetaphil from the JAR not the pump, it has to be the cream not the lotion, then apply a Rx from the boys derm doctor to any trouble areas. We have had all the tests done and my boys have "seasonal" eczema, so spring and fall is our wost seasons! The itch is awful so you have to apply something to the area to relieve the itching and keep fingernails SHORT or you will end up with a infected trouble spot! We have dealt with several of those and it involves more antiobitics to clear up the infection. For body washing we use cetaphil body cleansers and for hair I use baby wash, it seems to not agrivate the skin. But again prevention is best so we stick with the same routine all year and during rough seasons this routine seems to help keep spots away or alot less bothersome! Good luck!

Your poor son. My son has eczema problems when he was an infant. He had the red patches all over his skin. I started with not bathing him every day, and my husband would take him in the shower with him. I made sure to put some baby eczema lotion on him at night and in the morning. It used to be at Walgreens, but I can't remember the name of it. We moved from Nevada to Indana before he turned 1. Our pediatrician out there suggested using Eucerin Cream (NOT lotion) and it works pretty well. He's now 7, and we've moved back to Nevada, and is on a swim team and it's come back, only worse. I recently purchased some Aveeno eczema soap and lotion for him to use, but I think the Eucerin Cream works the best. Along with that, we have him take showers right when he gets out of the pool, and he no longer takes a bath. I asked about the itching, and was told that I could put hydrocortizone on it, so we do until the itching stops(usually not for too long).

1st I recommend getting an allergy test to find out what your son is allergic to. Eczema is caused by an allergy or allergies. They can test for so much by blood, I would pretty much mandate that your doctor do the test, you can add specific foods that you suspect in addition to the general list of things they normally test for.

2nd-- I recommend removing all soaps and detergents from your son's environment. Wash with all free and clear detergents, don't use soap (you can use Cetafil or I use this stuff called Seba Med Baby-- you can order it online)

3- I use hydrocortisone when it isn't that bad and occasionally resort to a stronger prescription steriod cream. For day to day prevention I use the Cetafil Cream (not lotion) and the Seba Med Baby cream.

Hi D. my daughter is now 6 years old, but has suffered with exzema since she was about 10 months old. I tried so many things and nothing seemed to help. We recently changed doctors and when I took her in for a check-up I asked the doctor what to use, she suggested a cream called aquaphor. It was like a miracle cream!!! I apply it every night after her bath and it has cleared almost completley. The itching has stopped and the bumps she had are almost invisable. You can find it at any drug store or kmart etc... I wish you the best!!! It is so sad to see your child go through this and their is not much you can do to help. Try cool rags also to ease the itching!!!

My oldest son had it as an infant and I had it during my 1st trimester earlier this year( I am still pregnant). My doctor told me to try using Aveeno bath soak. It helps with the itching and seemed to soothe it. I used a hydrocortisone cream, but only the 0.5 % since I am pregnant. Also, Eucerin lotion is said to help. Have they done allergy testing through blood work on your son? I know it can be very, very frustrating. On the hopeful side, my oldest son out grew it. Good luck and hopefully your baby boy can get some relief !!

Hi D.,
Try Aveno baby bath, bath oil and lotion. This really helps a lot.

Good luck!

Hi D., This is G., I am a grandma and mom. I also represent Arbonne International. We are a 28 year old health and wellness company. Swiss formulations but made in the US. So we have the advantage of the European cutting edge technology. Bottom line, we have products that work, that are pure, safe and beneficial. If you would like more info, please call or email me. Or check out my website paradisebeauty.myarbonne.com there are a few products that I would recommend. We also have a 45 day money back guarantee. Hope to help you. G.

Hi D.,
My son had terrible eczema until about 2 when it finally faded away. However, he was miserable (or at least I was!) until that time with terrible scratching. Milk, soy and wheat were our main culprits. Wheat turned out to be the most major of the triggers - that took me a year to figure out. (By the way, he can eat anything now and he's 4.) But here's my pearl of wisdom, given by my doc in NYC. Applying creams is fine and helpful but will not solve the problem. The skin needs to be hydrated from the inside. My doc put us on fish oil and flaxseed oil. I think it helped tremendously plus it's great for brain development. You can buy it in Whole Foods - Nordic Naturals is the company and my son loves the strawberry flavor. We still use it today because the research supports both oils so strongly for brain, bone, joint development. Good luck!

Thank you for asking this question my 13 month old has had eczema since he was 1 month old. He would scratch his head so bad we swaddled him for 7 months. We have also gone to the dermatologist and allergist. The allergist prescribed steroid cream, CUtivate, for the really bad times but I hate using it. We ended up getting a blood test and he was allergic to legumes, (peanuts, peas, string beans,.....anything in a pod) cats, and dogs. It helped a lot knowing what to stay away from but it is a constant fight. We also use Aquaphore after baths and when he goes places where there are animals I try to keep his legs and feet covered. A nurse told me that grape seed extract is also helpful. Good luck!

Hi D.. My 2.5 y/o daughter also has eczema but it isn't localized to one particular area. Someone suggested to me to have her allergy tested b/c eczema is an allergic reaction. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to afford it yet as we aren't uninsured but I think it is a great idea and I plan on doing it as soon as I can. In the meantime, Renew lotion from Melaleuca (kinda like Avon) works really well at moisturizing her skin and the tea tree oil (hence the name melaleuca) in the lotion seems to soothe her itching and discomfort. I apply it 2-3 times daily in addition to prescription hydrocortisone for flare-ups. Until we find out what she's reacting to, I just want her to be as comfortable as possible. Hope this helps.
G.

Hi D.,

Both my daughters suffered from severe eczema. A couple of things you can do. Remove all synthetic fragrances and harsh chemicals, first check your baby shampoo and washes. Do not over bath, you wash off babies ability to produce his own oil for his skin. Temp of bath should not be warmer than 85 degrees. Then oils and lotions, right out of the bath or shower. You want to lock in moisture. There are a few articles on my web-site that talk about Eczema at www.naturesbabyorganics.com

Hope this helps.

A.
www.naturesbabyorganics.com

I know you said that you've tried lots of creams, but a friend of mine just tried Calendula Cream by Weleda (at Whole Foods and other places) for her daughter's eczema and she's seeing a big improvement that she's never seen before. Hope that helps :)

My sister-in-law swears by Crisco. Yes, thats right, the same stuff you use for baking. She wipes it on thick at night and apparently it has really worked wonders on my neice. The nice thing is that it doesn't contain harmful chemicals or steroids as in other products, is cheap, and can be found at any grocery store. Good luck!

If you haven't tried hydracortizone, try that. If that doesn't work, ask his doctor about it. Poor baby!

Hi D.,

I have fraternal twins and my daughter is now three and has had eczema off and on since she was about four months old. My son has no signs of eczema at all!

I tried oatmeal baths, Eucerin, Cetaphil, and other lotions. Just recently she had a very bad outbreak on her arms, shoulders, underarms,thighs, back of the knees and calves and what worked was 1% hydrocortisone cream on the bad areas twice a day and then I tried a lotion by Aveeno called Aveeno Baby (soothes & relieves dry skin, even dry skin from eczema) and it worked WONDERS! My daughter's skin has cleared up and she has not had a recurrence in 10 days. The 1% cortisone was recommended by our pediatrician to be used for bad spots and that it was very safe (don't use on the face though) and the best thing to do was moisturize, moisturize and moisturize...three to five times a day if needed!!

Hope this helps. I have bought tons of the Aveeno Baby lotion for my daughter and use it twice daily, once in the morning, once at night to prevent further outbreaks of eczema.

Hi D. My daughter had same thing
I started using the Melaleuca product like the lotion the soap and the laundry detergent and its so gone.
I am very happy with that.
I am using Melaleuca just because of my daughter not to make money like the other people.
let me know if you want information.
I tried everything this was the only thing that worked for her.
Melaleuca wellness company.
Their stuff is enviromental friendly.
Good luck

D.,

I have not tried the eczema creams but do use the acne wash and acne blend from www.katuri.com and am VERY happy with the results. I highly recommend their natural, holistic products!

Lisa

I have had excema my whole life, my Dad has it and now my son too (he is 21 months now but has had it since birth). I have no known allergies and we have not found any in my son either. My Dad is allergic to pretty much every kind of tree out there so just being outside sometimes causes a flare up as well as touching trees or bushes. My Dad and I have always used hydrocortozone creams and gels (used to have the 1 or 2% prescribed but you can get it in the drugstore now). That seemed to be the only thing that worked for us and we tried everything. So when my son got excema as well I was hesitant to use hydrocortozone because it needs to be used less often on children (although our doctor said it would be fine) but we tried Aveeno, eucerin, everything and nothing else worked...until I tried "Gentle Naturals Excema Cream." It is amazing!!!! I found it at Target in the baby area it is in a light green box with Winnie the Pooh on it. My neighbor also has a daughter that is allergic to dairy and eggs who frequently gets really bad excema who I recommended it to as well and it works for her (when nothing else would).
I would try the Gentle Naturals or Hydrocortozone creams they are the only thing that has worked for us!!!

Hi D., I am a consultant with Arbonne health and beauty. My manager is Susan Cassidy, David Cassidy (Partridge family)the singer's wife. She has a huge testimony on her husbands hands which almost cost him his career, they itched till they bled. He went to every specialist including the best in London and nothing helped he used an Arbonne product and within 3 days it was almost gone. I have heard many testimonies on this product. It is totally natural, Vegan, no animal testing, pure botanical. I don't normally do this but I would be willing to let you try the product for free, if it works you can replace it for me, if not....well I will eat the cost. I will give you my # if you wish to talk to me or Susan herself. Regards K. ###-###-#### www.karenpalmer.myarbonne.com

hi, I noticed my daughters eczema is starting to come back as well. I know we use aveno lotion. Im also interested in a cure. Let me know if anything works. thanks C.

We use lanolin as a barrier cream. The pharmacy in Sierra Madre carries lanolin in a tube that's less chemically processed than Lansinoh. We use this on any dry skin; baby's bottom, baby cheeks dried out from drooling, rough arms/legs, night cream around my eyes, and especially for eczema.
Best of luck to speedy smoother skin,
J.

Ask your pediatrician. My kids both had ezcema. My son is 5 and still gets it on his face. With him, Aquafore for a few days clears it up. My 3yo dd has outgrown it, but had it much worse as a baby and she had to use prescirption Hydrocortizone cream a couple times a day and Cetaphil or Eucerin lotions 4-5 times a day. Also, I think it needs air, try to keep it uncovered as much as possible.

Hi D., most people don't know this but eczema is usually caused by food allergies or other allergies. Our son has had food allergies since he was one and in all my research, eczema keeps coming up. He doesn't get eczema, but other rashes and dry skin. He's also allergic to sunblock. We've been going to not only a regular allergist but we also see a homeopathic doctor in Costa Mesa. It's a drive, but he's great and he's been able to clear some of the allergies. Little by little. He's already cleared my sister's, she gets horrible migraines because of her allergies. Anyway, if you're interested, here is his info.:
Ralph A. Umbriaco,, D.C. (Natural Healthworks is a Chiropractic & Wellness Center)
1731 Santa Ana Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92627
949/574-7700

In the mean time Baby Aquaphor by Eucrine works well to keep the skin lubricated. Our pediatrician suggests after a warm bath, rub it in while skin still a little wet. Will keep moisture in. Good luck.

D.,

There is an amazing organic pharmacy for kids, pregnant women etc. on Ventura in Studio City/Sherman Oaks. It is called Green Cradle and they are amazing. They will have lots of ideas and I know have helped lots of kids with eczema... I use a salve called eczasalve. It is phenomenal. You can check out a lot of their products on-line but you would be better to go in and talk to them yourself!

Good luck,
K.

My neighbor's son has the same problem. She had him tested at an allergist and he is allergic to quite a few things. I know she also uses Eucerin lotion.

I get it on my hands occasionally (I have a metal allergy). I use cortisone to dry it up and derma e skin lotions that help with eczema. (http://www.dermae.net/cgi-bin/fccgi.exe?w3exec=dei.portal). Good luck!

You've gotten a lot of good advice as to treating it.

I agree to get him tested for alergies, or take him down to a basic elimination diet and then add things back in one by one. If it flares you know what caused it, or at least one cause of it. We found out that my daughter reacted to peanut butter. She could eat peanuts, but not peanut butter. Once we elimanted that, no more eczema new break outs.

Best of luck.

Hi D.,

Sorry to hear your son is so miserable. I've been a customer with Melaleuca and their Renew lotion is great. It was double blind tested against Eucerin and was clinically proven to work faster and better. We also have a Renew bath oil that can relieve the skin condition.

There are other factors that contribute to skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, etc. The types of products you use can contain synthetic chemicals (laundry products, cleaning products, lotions, etc.) that can cause skin conditions, also many products contain formaldehyde, which can cause contact dermatitis. Many times it's listed under the trade name, Quaternium-15, which is a Formaldehyde releaser and also a known carcinogen which is related to cancer.

I have a 10 minute video on environmental toxins if you'd like to take a look. It has nothing to do with Melaleuca or their products, but you can get a good idea what industry is exposing us and our children too.

The link to the video is: www.sharethecause.com/T.

I hope this helps,

T.

WOW -lots of responses

Both my daughter and I have had eczema from time to time.

Best solutions for me- process stress well avoid dairy & scents in detergent, creams, and perfumes.

Best solutions for her-avoid eggs, dairy, too mutch acid(-occasional-orange juice /tomatoes), always use fragrance free detergents and double rinse. No perfumes in products -lotions or on people holding her. Glycerin soap bars for bathing & vitamin E oil from Trader Joes for moisturizing. Lightwieght longsleeve shirts and pants - to protect from too much sun. Sunscreen creams of all kind make it worse.

I prefer organic products and prefer not to use medicines -but so far over the counter hydrocortisone cream (never on their face) and petroleum jelly work quickly if there is an outbreak. The above advice is more of a longterm solution.

Hope this is helpful!
God bless you & your little one!

Eucerin and Cetaphil I, well we my son and I have eczema and it is the only best working advice I have. They are both over the counter and given to us by a brilliant specialist derma his name is Dr. Southwick I believe his clinic is in SLC off 3300 S. and maybe 3000 W.? You put on the Cetaphil first then the Eucerin, let it seep in and if the eczema is brutal just use the Eucerin all over alone and don't put clothes on right away. I love both of these lotions and use them to this day on both myself and my son. Best wishes... N

I took my child to two dermatologists, an allergist and the pediatrician. Here is what I've determined - if it's really bad, take the steroid med. To treat sporadic outbreaks or manage it, we use Eletone cream ( non-steroid ) or Verdeso foam (steroid foam ). If breastfeeding, try to avoid what your child is allergic to. If formula, buy Nutramigen or Alimental formula. Both of those are hypoallergenic formula. Shower daily, moisturize constantly, don't let your child wear too much clothing because heat aggravates it. And if sleeping, we swaddle him to help him sleep and also keep arms at bay - stops scratching. And yes, my son is alomost 11 mos old and tallish in scale ( over 29 in ) and we still swaddle him. Hope this helps you. I hate hearing about kids in "pain" or discomfort.

Hi D. ~

I see a lot of ladies have responded already with some great pearls of wisdom. My little guy has eczema as well. It is under control with the use of the Arbonne ABC baby line. I am a consultant and would be happy to send you a sample to try. Here is my website to peek at if you'd like: www.purelydreamin.myarbonne.com. And if you'd like a sample, my email is: ____@____.com you are interested, I'd be happy to also send you a before and after picture so you can see the results.

Thanks for listening, if I can help, please let me know,
J. S.

My son and husband suffering from this as well. All of these products are great, however before you spend more money take him to the dr. to have an allegry test done and then have the dr. prescribed medicine.

Hi Hon,
My daughter suffered from Eczema from birth to about 2 and thank God has outgrown it, she's now almost 8 and can eat anything. I gave her lots of AVEENO oatmeal baths, just have soak in the tub in (not hot) but room temperature water. After that I would apply Johnson and Johnsons Eczema Cream it's in a tube and really thick. He'll look a little greesy after but it was the only thing that helped her..

Good luck and remember when you have a chld with ECZEMA it seems like the worst thing ever but it's not, it's probably more irritating to parents to watch them scratch than for them to scratch ;) He'll be ok just try to keep the itching to a minimum so he can be comfortable.

D.,

If it were me, I'd try expanding his elimination diet. If you've already eliminated dairy and wheat, next I'd eliminate corn (including products with corn syrup) and soy proteins (most folks who can't handle soy can still have soybean oil and soy lecithin because it is so highly processed it doesn't have any protein left in it). My now 20 month old son is allergic to dairy and soy and I'm taking him to a pediatric allergist this afternoon to see if I've missed anything. We originally eliminated dairy, soy, eggs, caffeine, chocolate, nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, citrus and tomatoes (me, when I was nursing him) and I was able to add back everything but dairy, soy and eggs (and I added back eggs after her turned 1) but now there seems to be something else bugging him and I can't figure out what. So I'm hoping some allergy testing will help me figure out where to start.

It isn't unusual at all for a kid who is intolerant or allergic to dairy to also not tolerate soy and even goats milk. Mine can't handle any of those things (including the yogurts, cheeses, etc...) The proteins are all very similar.

My older child is sensitive to artifical colors, flavors and preservatives as well as dairy, eggs and peanuts. So really the things that could be bugging your child is endless.

:-)T.

Get your sweet baby on fish oils. Henry's has a great product called Carlson's for Kids Chewable DHA, my kids have been on them for many health benefits since they were 10 mo's old. If the baby won't chew them, pop open the pearl and put it in a tiny juice or milk (not dairy) and that will be fine too!! If your son is on any dairy products, I would advise you to eliminate those from his diet, it is a huge cause of skin problems.

Good luck!!

My son is now 7 and we started dealing with full blown exzema in the same areas you are saying at the age of 1, right after he got his first vaccination. The breakouts around his ankles and feet have been the worst and hardest to control. I have been working with a Chinese herbalist located in the west SF Valley off and on for a few years and also trying every oil, cream, lotion...some worked for awhile and then he would start reacting to them. Sugar(refined and natural, fruit), dairy, processed foods(nitrates,nitrites) and wheat were the worst. This year started out as the worst one yet, but now 5 months later he is completely cleared up and has been able to eat all these foods again, well we still eat no meat, dairy and processed foods, but there is always the birthday party or school party when you just look the other way, but he still hasn't been reacting with the breakouts that we've lived with the last 6 years. Anyway, the advice from Jenn W and Dee P is exactly what I would and did follow, with the help of chinese herbs to help change his system. The detox is great because of the yeast factor and intestinal bacterial balance. Emu oil is great and using hydrocortisone ointment(not cream) helps while there is flair-ups and he only wears crocs to keep the moisture away from his feet(fungal).
There is a book someone just gave me called Healing the New Childhood Epidemics, Autism, ADHD, Asthma and Allergies by Kenneth Bock, MD. He talks about this same kind of approach to these problems...amazing help. He has a website and I have heard of a few Drs. that are close that can help with detoxing your child(especially since he's young). I would highly reccomend this. I have dealt with a beautiful, smart wonderful kid that has really suffered these past years and Im thankful it isn't anything worse, but still it's your baby. He ended up with a staff infection and a viral form of excema this year and it was horrible, but this approach has worked amazingly!!!!
Good Luck

My three-year-old daughter (and sometimes my five-year-old son) has eczema also. These are some of the things we've found to be successful.
Nightly baths. Long hydrating soaks in the tub, wash their hair at the last minute so that they're not sitting in soapy water and wash their bodies with a sensitive non-irritating soap. We really like Cetaphil. Lightly pat dry with a towel and immediately rub in lots of a good lotion/cream. We've liked Eucerin and Cetaphil.
Use hydrocortizone cream 2% (by prescription) on flare-ups and drop down to a 1% solution (OTC) as it's clearing up. (You don't want to use this too much or often but it's the only thing that seems to help when it's really inflamed.)
At bedtime give a small dose of Benadryl if scratching is a problem and run a cool-mist humidifier whenever they're sleeping.
We also give our children fish oil tablets. They have lots of benefits including helping dry skin (eventually). We use Nordic Naturals. They're toxin free, chewable (yummy) and aren't made with any artificial flavors or preservatives.
Our daughter is also going to have a blood test done to test for possible environmental and food allergies.
Good luck!

My son gets bouts of eczema and the creams the doctor gave me did not work either. There were two things that worked the best for us. The first was Bag Balm. I found it in the pet department. Yes the pet department. I was made to heal cracked utters of milking cows. Now I'm starting to see this main streamed in the Super Markets in the skin care section.

The best thing but most expensive (It's all relative) is Macadamia Nut Oil. Not only does it work but it absorbs quickly and in days the bumpy, cracked, bleeding skin is healed and smooth. This is also awsome to cook with. High burn temp. and a slightly sweet nutty tast makes a good salad dressing. Google this stuff it's amazing.

A lot of eczemas are caused by an over growth of yeast and it is recommend to reduce sugar intake including processed wheat. Increasing good bacteria in the digestive tract will help keep the yeast count down.

There is a response by "Philicia" given today. It reminded about taking Omega 3,6&9s. We take Udo Oil found in health and supliment stores. It lubricates the skin from the inside out and its great for brain development.

Hello D.,

My children have bouts of eczema as well. I have heard that eczema is a energetic block in the liver/kidney and a liver and kidney clease could be helpful. Personally, I think that your son is young for a clease, but a weak cleansing tea may prove helpful. I would brew a cup of tea, dilute it with equal parts water and serve everyday. I added agave(sweet taste) because my children didn't care for it plain. Eventually I found a peach flavored Yogi Detox tea that helped. We are no longer having issues. A few things that I found helpful also were cutting the laundry detergent in half and rinsing each load an extra time and using soaps free of perfumes and dyes. I hope this is helpful.