Eczema

Elske - posted on 07/27/2010

Try to find the cause, then you won't have to treat the symptom! Eczema is usually caused by an allergy of some sort - try cutting out the major allergins one at a time to isolate his trigger (lactose (cow's milk, cheese, yogurt, etc - replace with soy or goatsmilk products), wheat/gluten (bread, pasta, cakes, any baked goods, etc. - replace with rice/rye breads & pastas). Try cutting it for at least 1 week at a time.
It's time consuming and difficult in the beginning but definitely worth finding out what the cause is - it will save lots of frustration and cost in the long run!

Rebecca - posted on 05/06/2010

is he allergic to anything? my best friends son had it so bad he looked like a burn victim for 2 yrs. they gave him every lotion out there, steriod etc. finally the docs took my friend seriously and now he is looking amazing. he is highly allergic to many many things and gets a weekly allergy shot.
my daughter had it too..just not as bad...and she waslactose intolerant. cut out loctose milk and she is perfectly clear!!

F - posted on 05/01/2010

I dont like medicine, but a couple of months ago I finally used hydrocortisone on my daughter's eczema(which she practically had since birth) and it disappeared in TWO days.

She also has another rash that I thought was eczema and it covers most of her body. I tried the hydrocortisone cream on a test spot and it didnt work. Went to doctor and she said its not eczema, its some sort of dry skin condition(i'll have to email her to get the condition because she rattled itoff so fast). The dr. said it wont go away until her female hormones come.

Brandy - posted on 03/23/2010

Thanks for the advice...my daughter cannot tolerate fragrance at all, but i have noticed some of the products out there will cause her to have a very noticeable and unpleasant odor. thats why i like that lotion is, she smelled "normal", lol! Our dermatologist told us not to use petroleum jelly or things like that b/c it wouldnt allow her skin to breathe. But, hey if it works for you, thats great!

Shamella - posted on 03/23/2010

My son has a slight touch of eczema, which he usually gets on his bottom... in any case, call me old fashion, but I find that good old petroleum jelly works wonders. If your worried about smell and or greasiness, don't be, a lot of place that sell baby items will carry petroleum jelly specially suited for babies, which most have a fresh sent and are not as heavy. It goes on smooth and keeps my little one moist and eczema free for the most part. Hope this helps.

Liza - posted on 03/22/2010

My 3 yr old son hardly eats meat also. I have resorted to having my eat beans a lot. *Hummus is great-we cook carrots and have him dip them in the hummus
*Try making bean burgers-my son likes them, so does my 1yr old.
*I once made mac& cheese and mashed up white beans in it-the kids didn't notice.
*Avacados are great
*I made risotto and chopped up the spinach up real fine so my kids would eat it, but w/o knowing
Jerry Sinfeld's wife has a cookbook out that purees/sneaks in good food w/o kids knowing the difference. It is called Deceptively Delicious. I think it is good. If you have a particular eater it is better for them to get a little than no "good"foods at all.

Shallot - posted on 03/22/2010

thanx ladies wil defntly try some of the creams and oils.They recently did some blood test on him and it showed he was just below the average mark of anemia.i have trouble with him eating meat and all sorts of rich iron foods(its hard with a three yr old),do you have any ideas of how to include these food without him noticing they are there,coz he hates chewing

Brandy - posted on 03/18/2010

they didnt work for my daughter either, be careful of those prescriptions, we have had bad side effects from them such as thinning of skin, insomnia, and very frequent urination..they can also cause growth retardation and get this....irritation of the skin! I have a prescription drug book reference and found out her problems were growing b/c of her meds and I took her off all of them and went to natural meds and she has improved.

Jennifer - posted on 03/17/2010

That works wonders for my friend's son also! I've heard many many moms rave about it. Mandie's severely allergic to coconut, so we won't be trying it - but let me know if anyone needs a list of coconut free products! I"ve found shampoos, soaps, etc. :)

Jennifer - posted on 03/17/2010

Thank you so much Liza! I'll have to e-mail her and see if she can make it w/out chamomile. Mandie's fine w/lavendar, but she's anaphylactic allergic to chamomile. The rest of the ingredients sound wonderful. I know that shea butter, I'll also check them out on the site you mentioned so I know what to ask her about. That would be excellent for the coming eczema fest better known as summertime! LOL!

Brandy - posted on 03/17/2010

My daughter has chronic eczema and the absolute best moisturizer is organic coconut oil...its amazing! I will use a 911 itch relief spray for itching and then use the oil...best thing I have found! you can get this at a health food store, or kroger sells the oil

Liza - posted on 03/15/2010

Jennifer- I just gto on email from Mari. Here is her contact info: mari@marimagic.com She said to email her and she will give you a list of her products

Liza - posted on 03/15/2010

Jennifer- Mari Carlin Dart it the name of the lady. She actually has a website, but has been underconstruction for some time now. I can find her product at www.bundlebabyshop.com (which is the same price I purchased through Mari's website). You can not view the ingredients so here they are:
All ingredients are food grade and 100% natural: unrefined shea butter, emu oil, olive oil, beeswax, essential oils of german chamomile, lavendar,& lemon. (if you purchase off Mari's website you can actually get it without lavendar).

Hope this is helpful. I recently emailed her about her website, so maybe it will be fixed.

Jennifer - posted on 03/14/2010

Liza - do you have a link to the Magic Skin Healer? I'd love to check the ingredients to see if it would work for my dd. Thanks!

Liza - posted on 03/14/2010

Forgot to mention that my niece has eczema and my sister has cut dairy out of her diet

Liza - posted on 03/13/2010

I bought something called Mari Magic Skin Healer. The lady who made this product had a son who had terrible eczema. It works wonders for many other things like diaper rash, cuts, bug bites...it is all natural!

Melissa - posted on 03/12/2010

Flaxseed oil added to their food is a good way to help from the inside. I would say though that you havent eliminated what is causing the eczema in the first place so it wont go away.

We just use hydrocortizone cream

Jennifer - posted on 03/11/2010

A friend is having excellent success w/coconut oil rubbed into the eczema. My dd's was gone when I FINALLY figured out all of her food and enviro allergy triggers - until now when the pollen is starting up again and it's back. I'm loving using Kiss My Face olive oil soap on her, and following up w/Renew cream by Melaleuca. We just ordered some eczema cream by Keys Tortuga from www.allergiesandme.com that's supposed to be wonderful and is free of all of her allergens (coconut, palm, dairy, calendula, chamomile, etc.) . I'm anxious to see how it works.

Kelly - posted on 03/10/2010

We use Cetaphil soap and lotion for our son. Seems to be working

Callie - posted on 03/05/2010

I have found that CeraVe works well. It's hard to find. I get it at Wallgreens. It's not as greasy as some of the other stuff. They have wash and lotion.

Ashley - posted on 03/03/2010

so sounds funny but with both my girls i used Crisco yes i said crisco its all natural oil, put it on before bed everynight, the skin starts to sofen and is alot cheaper than all the other meds out there, use with oatmeal bath! hope you find something that works!

Nia - posted on 02/28/2010

I like using a colloidal oatmeal bath, in warm water. Follow up with either Calendula oil or Baby Naturals Eczema cream. I also open up the vitamin E capsules and spread on all the rough spots before bedtime. My daughter had it so bad, when she was about 3 months it became infected, and discolored her skin from head to toe, even bled. and after this regimen, you can't tell anything was ever on her skin. Thank GOD for alternative methods because the cream the doctor prescribed did not help. Best wishes to you and your little one. Remember to stay consistent, and also consider removing milk from his diet because dairy exacerbates eczema:(

Paula - posted on 02/28/2010

one of my brothers, when he was younger, had really bad eczema. my father also has been dealing with it his whole life. what seems to work for them was soaking in an oatmeal bath, for 10-15 minutes. they also used eucrein (spelling?) which i use in winter time for my hands &/or olive oil.

Iridescent - posted on 02/25/2010

I have a huge list of things we do from her dermatologist at Mayo Clinic if you're interested (below). We use VaniCream but have also had good luck with Cetaphil. There is a topical ointment called Eladel for this, but my daughter cannot have it as she has a urea cycle disorder so it is contraindicated.



1. Bathe your child daily for 10-15 minutes in warm, not hot, water. Add a tablespoon of Robathol bath oil to the bath. (This may leave the bathtub slick and drain clogged after many uses and may require an occasional extra cleaning of the tub and drain.)

* I do not use the Robathol oil. Some families use Olive oil, we use none as it became controlled with the other methods.

2. Before finishing the bath, use Sensitive Skin Dove or Purpose Soap (we use Free & Clear glycerin soap, and cetaphil soap is also acceptable) to the dirty parts. Rinse. (Use shampoo of choice on hair.)

4. Apply prescription cream (Hydrocortisone) to affected areas of skin as directed.

* The hydrocortisone was for my daughter - sometimes if she has a yeast infection it's Nystatin, it varies based on what your doctor prescribes. This prescription type simply goes on FIRST.

5. Then apply recommended moisturizer (Vanicream, Cetaphil, Vaseline) to all skin, including on top of prescription cream. This will seal in the medicine on affected skin and serve as a good barrier on healthy skin.

6. Reapply creams another time each day, totaling twice daily.

7. Do not use fabric softener or dryer sheets in your laundry. There is no need to separate your child's clothing from other family members' clothing. An extra rinse cycle is not necessary.

* We use Bounce Free softener sheets and it's not caused an allergy issue; the doctor wasn't aware it existed when this was written. She recommended dryer balls, which are available at Walmart and the like. We used them for a long time but had trouble with static and lint not going in the lint trap.

* All the household laundry is done with the same detergent and softener sheets (or lack thereof). Residue stays in the washer and dryer and causes more eczema breakouts, at least for us.

8. Recommended laundry detergents include Tide Free, All Free and Clear, Cheer Free, and Purex Free.

9. If recommended, use ____________ for itching.

* left blank as my daughter's disease does not allow anything.

10. If recommended, use ____________ for infection.

* left blank as my daughter's needs were already addressed.

11. It is recommended that children not be exposed to second-hand smoke. This is both for their general health and also because cigarette smoke is very irritating to sensitive skin.

12. Children with sensitive skin still need good sun protection. This includes light-weight clothing to exposed skin and usage of broad-brimmed hats and sunglasses. Children under 6 months of age should not be placed in direct sunlight and should be shaded at all times. Older children with sensitive skin can use a sunscreen which contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, such as COTZ or Total Sun Block (Vanicream listed below as it was a new product for sun protection at the time).