What can I do for my 3yr olds dry skin? Specifically on his face.

Brandy - posted on 01/25/2010

Oh My gosh Jessica check out this web site and they can help with your sons issuse I can tell you that for sure. My daughter was born with these little spots all over her and the dr.s didn't know what they were... I contact this company and let me tell you she has no issuse at all. www.livetotalwellness.com/brandy

Rebecca - posted on 01/25/2010

I would second what the other moms are stating about possible reaction to foods. Soy based items are known to cause ecsema like symptoms. Also second on the Aquaphor. it's a great product. It's dye and perfume free, it's an ointment so it lubricates and protects. I would also try an oatmeal bath to sooth the itching before bed time.

Good Luck!

Janet - posted on 01/25/2010

My son had eczema on his face and legs starting at 3 months. His face would flare up red and flaky. His doctor prescribed a steroid cream and taking Singular in powder form that you mix in food and also to take Zyrtec. It still occasionally flares up, but passes quickly, even without meds. We use Curel lotion on his legs.

Christina - posted on 01/25/2010

Do you think he is allergic to your laundry detergent? Do you use a detergent that is free and clear of dyes and perfumes.

Leslie - posted on 01/25/2010

i will also go with eucerin my niece had excema on her face and now it seems to be calm!

Kristina - posted on 01/24/2010

It honestly sounds like excema. Try using Aveeno oats which u can aply to his bath to stop itching and irritation. Also use non-perfume soaps and lotions like Dove bar soap (white bar) and maybe vasoline lotion. My kids suffer from excema and this helps them out alot. Also, try using hydrocortisone cream for those rash-like spots. Cortaid is a good brand. :]]

Tina - posted on 01/18/2010

I had the same problem. My daughter's doctor says it's eczema. She gave us a prescription for the skin with a light steroid. But ultimately, she asked if anyone in her family history has had eczema, allergies or asthma. Apparently it's a circle of 3 and they are all related. We were given paperwork to get her bloodwork done to find out what she's allergic to and what is causing the flare-up. I haven't done it yet, but have been treating her skin with Aquaphore, Eucerin and another (I can't find it right now) non-comedogenic, highly moisturinzing cream in a yellow bottle with a blue lid. Anyway, definitely get a second opinion. I took her in 4 separate times before they finally gave me a more proactive approach to her skin problems. Best of luck... I hope you get it sorted out.

Leanne - posted on 01/18/2010

Have you tried e45 cream this really helps my sons dry skin and also i have excema and i use this also and it works wonders

Kelly - posted on 01/18/2010

Hi Jessica my son as the same problem or he did do that was before my GP prescribed a cream called Aveeno cream it's superb and it also comes in a bath oil too i would highly recommend it my son is now clear from dry itchy skin but i still continue with it. All i was told was to moisturise and moisturise him as you can never moisturise too much. I hope this helps you in some way.

Diana - posted on 01/17/2010

Id get a second opinion.Especially if he is suffering.. Maybe he is allergic to something.. I would stop using any johnson n johnsons or those kind of products as they actually dry the skin out. Try using natural goats soap and old fashioned sorboline. My daughter has excema and these thing s help her.. Or the QV range u get from

the chemist is great.. Go natural all the way from washing detergent to what u put on his skin.. And maybe a dip in the sea will help with the itching...www.baby-bottles.com.au has the goats soap as well as other organic natural things..good luck

Fiona - posted on 01/17/2010

try a small amount of vaseline in one spot for a couple of nights and see if it helps. if it does try it on one particular limb or area to make sure it doesn't make it worse, then lather him in the stuff. my son had red raised spots on his face, legs and arms from about 4 months old, i would literally send him to bed with his face covered in vaseline, he is now almost 3 and he still has patches on his face, but still has it on his arms and legs, but nowhere near as bad as it was. if you are going to try this use plain unscented vaseline. Because it had such a good effect on his face I wish i had done it more on his arms and legs but it may not have had any effect.
the other side of it was we were told by a different doctor to use a loofa on his skin to "open" it up and get rid of all the dead skin cells etc.
We took him to the doctor and she didn't know what it was. My husband was looking through a baby book and he found a one inch article about a rash called something like kertosis pilaris (not sure of the spelling) the plunket nurse and doctor both agreed with our diagnosis. the article says there is no treatment and it should disappear as he grows up. (I doubt this because I'm 35 and still have it on my upper arms, seems to be very common in my family)

Laura - posted on 01/17/2010

Hi, I suggest to get Johnson's Soothing Naturals - Soothe and Protect Blam. It is a moisture stick - kinda like a mini deoderant shape. It works for softening dry cheeks and patches. You should be able to find it at Walmart or Zehrs grocery store.

Christina - posted on 01/17/2010

i had this problem with my 3 year old actually he still gets dried out but ive figured out a way to help it some. i used shea butter it leaves there skin a tiny bit greasy but it works great on everything from exzema to dry skin to rashes it works great.

Shanna - posted on 01/17/2010

my daughter has exzema and due to food allergies and she gets like that . Aquaphor and use dreft. nonfregrance everything things with out alcohol! I would get a second oppnion!!!! Defenently!!! take notes on everything for a little while and see if there is anything that flares the dry patches up??? you never know!! one of my daughters allergies is corn! WHo is allergic to corn... so never weigh out the possibilities! Good luck!n Also hydrocortizone cream works also and if it doesn't go away there is a prescription you can get to get it to go away right away but than keep notes to see when it comes back so you don't need to use all the prescription stuff. Hope you figure it out

Chare - posted on 01/17/2010

Advantan is also good.

Renae - posted on 01/17/2010

My son is fair skinned. His cheeks are always bright red in the winter. I found a cream at CVS that is basically petroleum jelly. I put it on his cheeks at night and in the morning the redness is gone. It doesn't take care of it for good but it may ease his pain until you find a doctor who can help.

Amy - posted on 01/17/2010

i would take him to a dermatologist. does he have alleriges? sometimes that will make the skin dry & itchy. curel makes a really good creme for extremely dry skin. try to bath him every other day & use creme right after baths. maybe even switch to neutrogena soap b/c it does help but a little pricey. my older son had very dry skin when he was little but he grew out of it. good luck.

Jaymie - posted on 01/17/2010

my son had eczema and i have to use only infant body wash (johnson and johnson in yellow bottle) then after bath i use baby aveeno lotion. It has done wonders and he is all cleared up

Kelly - posted on 01/16/2010

My son has had itchy dry skin since he was a infant. I took him to an allergy dr and he said it was eczema. He said to apply vaseline to him within 5 minutes of getting out of the tub and then put eucerin creme on him. The dr. said the other lotions have alcohol in them and dry the skin out more. We have also started using aveeno wash for dry skin and eczema that has helped.

Jessica - posted on 01/16/2010

That sounds like atopic dermatitis.It could be caused by lotions, scents, soaps or detergents. The most common forms of recurring dermatitis are eczema and psoriasis. My son and I both have eczema, ourselves. We actually take "bleach" baths in the winter when they get really bad, and you would be amazed how effective they are to us. What I do is run a bath and put 1/4 cup of bleach in there. Then we soak for a short while. After bathing, you may want to apply a topical ointment to his skin like aveeno or Johnson's eczema ointment on it as well.
Just curious, but does your son also have asthma or constant hay fever? There has been a link found between skin conditions and asthma/allergies. It wouldn't hurt to ask your doc to refer your child to an allergist, to see if there may be other factors involved. I hope you find a solution for your baby!

April - posted on 01/16/2010

Bag Balm or A&D

Bobbi - posted on 01/16/2010

luke warm baths and immediately use a lotion....I've always used Cetaphil lotion...it's a little more expensive but worth it! you might want to get a second opinion as well....perhaps they'll give you a script for a low dose hydrocortisone cream.

Emma - posted on 01/16/2010

My son also had extremelly dry skin as a baby, the doctor dismissed it as infantile excema. His cheeks were constantly red, spotty and cracked. He howlled in pain. It soon spred to his legs, groin, bum and arms. After alot of fighting he was perscribed Balnium Bath oil, which worked a bit. What i found most helpful was mixing a few drops of Vitamin E oil whith a tablespoon of Aqueous cream, them applying that over his sore bits. I asked the doctor before doing it and he dismissed it as it was herble but said it wouldn't hurt him so to try if i wanted. Gues what....it worked!!!! I now always have both in the house incase of future flare ups. Aqueous is a barrier cream and contains no medicine, but i'd check with the doctoe before using anything else. Hope this helps.

Samantha - posted on 01/15/2010

My son had issues like this when he was born. My doctor told me to try Aquphor. It worked wonders. His skin was cleared up in about a week. It is safe to use anywhere on his body, including his face. Just steer clear of his eyes. Hope that helps!

Jasmin - posted on 01/15/2010

sounds to me alot like excema.. my son also suffers from it but very badly.. he has it on most of his body.. we use a cream called doublebase 3times a day and it calms the itchiness right down for him. all creams work differently for different children so its trial and error until you find one suitable for your son

Jessica - posted on 01/15/2010

thank you soooo much for the helpful advice! first thing, i am going to go buy the lotion, wait a couple days, then call in an apt at the derm. doctor office :) actually, i think i will make an apt regaurdless just to be safe! this was my first question post, and i iwll def be doing more :) i actually just joined this site a few days ago!! sooo glad i did! all of you mommies are wonderful! thank you again for all the advice!

Jennifer - posted on 01/15/2010

Go to Lassen's (or some natural store) and get "Calendula Lotion" made by Weleda. It is 100% natural and worked like a charm on my kids. If it doesn't work, definately go see a dermatologist.

Sabrina - posted on 01/15/2010

It could be Psoriasis or eczyma. My daughter has eczyma and her doctor told me to try Eucerin lotion, that worked for awhile and then her doctor prescribed a hydrocortisone cream with steroids that helped too. But recently she has been itching like crazy again and I started using Baby Aveeno. It is specially formulated for babies/toddlers with dry skin, irritated skin etc...look for the bottle or tube that says soothing on it. It has worked wonders for my daughters skin, before she wouldn't even let me put lotion on her, now she brings me the bottle and says smooth mama. Give it a try or ask your pediatrician about the hydrocortisone with steriod. Good Luck!

Jenny - posted on 01/15/2010

Aquaphor! I love the stuff!

Marieta - posted on 01/15/2010

We had the same problem- the outcome - allergies: milk, granes and egg white! Have his blood tested!

Advice from my dr: take an old sock and fill it with OATS (porrige) and place the sock over your bath tap while running him a bath (hot water make the itch worse). Take the sock off and put it in the water - the oatmilk helps for a dry itchy skin. Don't use any soap - wash him with fragrance free Aqueous lotion. Only use fragrance free lotions!!



It worked wonders for my 19 month old baby girl!!!

Annetjie - posted on 01/15/2010

Hi, My son had the same problem and it comes back from time to time. What I did was I bought Normal Jonson & Jonsons baby cream + vaseline (Baby) + jonson & jonson baby oil = Mix 2 table spoons of vaseline + 2table spoons of baby oil together with the cream ( mix into a bowl-) make sure it mix well- Use every night after his bath. It is will soothe his skin. Just make sure he has no alergic reaction to any of the above mentioned.



Hope it will help if you haven't tried that already.

Samantha - posted on 01/14/2010

Best to get a dermatologist opinion first but i'd suggest E45 and also liquid parifin.....Also use non-bio detergent....he may have some allergies to certain foods, keep an eye on what he eats as some foods may flare it up.

Victoria - posted on 01/14/2010

my daughter has both cradle cap and ecxema. one thing the doctor told us to do thats worked great for us is after a bath, put vaseline on his face. It holds in the moisture. Dont worry, its thick enough that it won't slide into his eyes or mouth, just don't put it too close. It does desolve after a little bit too.

Jennifer - posted on 01/14/2010

try some Eucerin cream & oatmeal baths. Sounds like your child might have Eczema but har dot tell without physically looking at him so take him to another doctor & get a second opinion!

Megan - posted on 01/13/2010

sounds like eczema, my daughter has it real bad. she just had a bad breakout today and lotions don't help her. her doctor told me to get a cream made for eczema which helped some (my daughters is bad). it also may be an allergic reaction to something like detergent or even something someone around him has on like lotion, spray, smoke, etc. and if he has eczema it will also affect that. a pharmacist told me to get baby zyrtec and cortezone cream and it cleared her up within an hour.

Mary Louise - posted on 01/13/2010

You can try baby oil or olive oil if you like but this sounds (to me) to be more than a simple rash and may be suspect of Eczema (an inflammation of the skin characterized by reddening and itching and the formation of scaly or crusty patches that may leak fluid). Another visit to your child's Pediatrician may be in order. This time you may want to insist on testing! I had to do this when my children were younger so I know how uncomfortable it is to 'put your foot down' with any doctor but sometimes Mom's know best and usually the doctor will listen to a mother's intuition if she says 'my gut tells me' or 'I just know I'm right about this' ... anyway, it worked for me. Hope this helps.

Megan - posted on 01/13/2010

Hi Jessica,
My daughter Chloe also suffers from dry skin.. I had lots of suggestions when she was younger and nothing seemed to work, she is almost 3 now and she still gets the dry skin... I found "Paw Paw Ointment" was the only thing that worked, and its all natural so is not bad for them, you can buy it from the chemist in a red tub or tube, its usually stocked in the nappy rash section but can be found in other areas as it can be used for things like insect bites as well... also their is a yellow bath treatment that also works well to relieve the aggravation and itching from dry skin and bites.. can't remember what exactly its called starts with P, peteasil or something, just tell the chemist the yellow bath treatment that smells bad lol and they will know what you are talking about. Hope this information helps...

Allison - posted on 01/13/2010

I used Eucerin lotion....can be bought at Walmart...I even used the Walmart version on both of my girls from the time they were babies. Works great! This winter my 4 year old had very chapped hands. The pharmacist recommended it again and also suggested giving her daily vitamins...the gummy kind. Both the lotion and the vitamins have done wonders for her skin. She also is in a daycare where they use soaps and hand sanitizers with alcohol in them. This dries her skin out quickly. I sent a moisturizing soap and lotion to the daycare for her hands and requested that she not use the soap or sanitizer there with the alcohol in it. Hope this helps!

Jackie - posted on 01/13/2010

It sounds like he is allergic to Milk.. Not sure of the spelling but Excema Try taking him off milk and give him soy milk for a week or two before you spend the money going to the dr. If the rashes start clearing up then that is the problem. Try that first. Save yourself money. The grocery store has store brand and nation brands. Both will work. My step son has the same problem. Hope this helps

Bic - posted on 01/13/2010

Paw Paw cream/ointment - not sure if it's available in the States as ssuch. My sister's two boys and my son are all prone to dry skin and also have minor eczema. When it flares up we use teh paw paw cream and within a day or two it's all better. It's also great as an alternative to Bepanthem for nappy rash.

Kayla - posted on 01/13/2010

It sounds like ezcema to me as well. My son has very bad ezcema that flares up for many different reasons. You don't want to use regular lotions that you would use for yourself, expecially if they are scented, that will make it worse. We found that the thick creams in the tub containers work wonders. Try using Eucerin cream ( we buy the generic walmart brand) or Aquafor. They are both thicker so they help moisturize the skin better instead of drying it out like most lotions will due to the large alcohol amounts in regular lotions. I would however go to a dermotologist for a second opinion if you aren't statisfied with your doctors answer. Our sons dermotologist perscribed 2 creams one is use regularly 2x's a day on the dry patches and the other gets mixed with the first if his skin is broke open. They also perscribed a liquid anti itch med that is stronger than using childrens benadryl to help with the itching that works wonders. Hope all the info you are gathering from everyone helps. But please see another doctor preferably a dermotologist to find out what will work for you.

Amber - posted on 01/13/2010

Sounds like excema or dermatitis. My son has the same problem and I got a perscription for it when he was about 6 months old. It is a steroid ointment. Also you might try making sure that you are not using anything with scent or dye in it, laundry detergent, soap, shampoo, lotion, etc. If you use dryer sheets at all you might try switching to a fragrance free liquid fabric softener. I know for my son that as long as I do all this he has very few problems now. And if you don't agree with what your doctor is saying and they refuse to take the problem seriously it is probably time to find a new doctor!! Hope this helps!

Helane - posted on 01/13/2010

my son had similar dry patches and the only thing that worked was Aquaphor by cetaphil. almost instantly his skin began to look and feel better. it's pricey, but worth it.

Argie - posted on 01/13/2010

my baby girl has dry skin and doctor told me to use aquaphor which seems to be working really good. i use it a few times a day and if her face gets dry i put it on b4 i take her out.

Julie - posted on 01/13/2010

Our sons have the same problem. We use Aquaphor. It clears it up in a day or so.

Rebecca - posted on 01/13/2010

we took our daughter to an acupuncturist and she has calmed down here eczema issues!

Melanie - posted on 01/12/2010

Aquaphor has totally helped my son! Also, if it is eczema, the doctors actually recommend baths daily for about 10-15 minutes to saturate the skin, then within 3 minutes after getting out of the tub, coat them heat to toe in the Aquaphor ointment. It really works! Be wary of using the cortisone too much as frequent and heavy application can cause thinning of the skin. We found that after we did the nightly baths and the aquaphor, we had to use way less of the cortisone and now only have to use it maybe every other month. Good luck!

Nicki - posted on 01/12/2010

i always had good luck with Eucerin and Aveeno baby for sensitive skin..good luck

Sophie - posted on 01/12/2010

have u tried oilatum junior i use it on my daugthers excema its fantastic. also it could b heat spots my daughter gets them sometimes. the best person to ask is your health visitor

Laura Jill - posted on 01/12/2010

Hi there - my name is Laura Jill. I don't know where you live, but I'm in Canada. All my babies had the same sort of skin problems - dry, cold winter air is no fun ! What helped them out was an over the counter cream called Curel - you can buy it at any drugstore or Wal-Mart. It moisturizes the skin, but it's not greasy or heavy. If the skin is moisturized the itching should stop. Hope this helps. All the best, LJ