eczema trouble

~Jennifer - posted on 01/13/2010

Thank you for your replies to this question.

Greer - posted on 01/13/2010

ps.i don't use any moisterises coz you would be surprised what actually goes into them that can irritate, being allergic to most cosmetics i have a simple rule of thumb i follow if i wouldn't eat it i don't use it,

Greer - posted on 01/13/2010

My sister and and i had eczema my sister was one of the worst cases the doctors had seen at the time I don't know what they used then but we we're pescribe a cortizone* cream called Aristicort also although i have grown out of it my sister know nearing her 30's still has flair ups and swears by emu oil as a natural alternitive.

Tanya - posted on 01/13/2010

Hi Rachel

We had the same trouble and were advised to use no soap at all but to wash the girls with a product called epizone which looks like a thick whitish vaseline which is water soluable. Simply water on skin is an irritant so making sure they were dried quickly and thoroughly after bathing was really important too. We also had cortisone ointment to put onto the bad patches once the skin was dry and had been moisturised (we used th same ointment for moisturising as bathing). The good news is that both our girls out grew their eczema. Good luck! xTanya

Amy - posted on 01/12/2010

My two year old son also has eczema, but it has improved greatly since we found out he had some food allergies. I think milk was the main culprit in his outbreaks. He didn't have really bad eczema, mostly behind his knees and on top of one food, and a little around his mouth, but it was starting to get infected and aquaphor was not enough. Before we found out about he allergies, about 7 months ago, the doctor gave us a prescription for Desonate, which worked really well. The only problem is that you shouldn't really use it constantly. Later, a friend told me about something she used on her daughter that worked really well. Lanacane and Hydrocortizone(both available over the counter) applied on top of one another. This stuff is great! It worked just as well as the Desonate. Now that we have cut the food out of his diet that he is allergic to I only have to apply this occasionally. Good Luck!

Colleen - posted on 01/12/2010

You might look into testing the water,a dermayoligst & check into only useing one skin care product for a wk. at a time see if one works better then the other show the worst one to DR.so conpare ingredance,and your babys reaction.

Karen - posted on 01/12/2010

My daughter is four, and also has eczema. We saw a dermatologist last year who did an allergy test, and said she is allergic to grass. That doesn't explain why she has it during the winter. The doctor said to give her a 15 min bath every day and use the aquaphor ointment. Neither of those have worked. But what does seem to help is the Aveeno Oatmeal lotion and wash. There is also a sensitive skin wash by Eucerin that is good. Although the allergist said not to use aveeno because it can cause allergies to oats, I think it works better. We also have a prescription cream that helps a lot and does not burn like some things....it is triamcinolone 0.1%. Good luck! Hope it helps.

Kathy - posted on 01/12/2010

My granddaughter had the same issue. On the suggestion of a nutritonal formulator I started putting a liquid mineral supplement in small doses in her juice every day and within a week her rough dry skin turned to healthy soft skin. I've given it to her ever since and she is a healthy little girl now.

Sarah - posted on 01/12/2010

So, this sounds just like what I went throught with my 7 month old son. Let me tell you, his face was bad! Itchy, bumpy, wet feeling, red, etc. His doctor said the eczema is from teething and it should stop after he's done teething. But in the meantime, we tried everything she said to do...the vaseline, aquafor, lotions, switching detergents, yadda yaddaa. And all the vaseline/aquafor did was make fabric stick to his cheeks and make them worse. Then my husband asked the pharmacist and he said use hydrocortizone cream twice a day and put a moisturizing body wash in the bath water (i.e. dove body wash) instead of baby bath stuff. Within 2 days his face was completely clear! hope that helps.

Tamela - posted on 01/12/2010

ey Rachel. my name is Tammy. i have a 4 month old little girl who was diagnosed with eczema just before she turned 3 months old. its a terrible thing on babies and trust me, i understand your frustration. i was at my whits end when i decided to order a product from the internet. its called freederm. i live in Botswana, Africa so i asked a friend of mine who lives in the states to check it out for me and it seemed legit so we ordered the soap, soothing cream and moisturiser. i'v been using it on my daughter for about a week now and she looks amazing;no more red itchy cheeks. she used to scratch herself to the point of scraping herself and even bleeding because it itched so much but she no longer scratches cause it no longer itches. go to www.freederm.com and decide whether its something you'd want to try. i suggest you do.

Mary Ann - posted on 01/12/2010

Our youngest son had it bad too. We got a water purifier - it was supposed to make a big difference, back then they were 2,000.oo. He basically grew out of it.
We used the Aveeno - it was powder, I poured it in the tub, an oatmeal type of product. I kept his hair short, because he had it in his scalp too. I would rub baby oil on his head when giving a bath - let that sit for a bit, then washed his hair with another Aveeno product. This was 1986 to 89. I am not familiar with what is on the market today - but I know that the Aveeno was wonderful.
Do the bath every other day - you will dry out his skin otherwise.

Josephine - posted on 01/11/2010

Have u kept a food diary and flare-up diary...I know my daughter's skin troubles are related to dairy and citrus foods....

Stephanie - posted on 01/11/2010

Depending on the severity of the eczema, with my oldest son we bathed him with aveeno soap, drained the tub and rinsed him with clean water. Did not towel dry him, but quickly applied Cetaphil cream/lotion to his rash and clothed him in 100% cotton clothing. We also washed his clothes separately in hypo allergenic detergents & ran a humidifier in the house during the winter. He cleared up quickly and has been eczema free for 2 yrs. My youngest is proving to be a tougher fix. He has a belly that feels like sandpaper and really rough patches on his elbows/forearms, knees & calves. We have resorted to prescription creams, but he flares up every 3-4 days. It only happens in the summer. He just turned 2. But my oldest son had it all over and he responded beautifully to the treatment. Hope this helps. Good luck!!

Alana - posted on 01/11/2010

my daughter is 11 months and has had eczema for about 9 months... auquaphor has worked the best but you have to remember eczema my not ever go away completly.. and when it is looking better dont stop putting the vaseline on it... i have found that the parents choice baby soap from walmart works best but johnsons is the worst.... putting baby oil in the bath helps and dont make baby bath too hot that drys out skin as well..and limit baths to everyother day or every 3 days as well... try changing your laundry detergent to fragrance free as well.. and cotton clothes as much as possable it makes the itcky not so bad... and when the skin is looking REALy bad try putting hydrocortisone ointment on that seems to help on my baby as well...
GOOD LUCK and i hope it helped

Ilia - posted on 01/11/2010

Hi I have the same problems with my 21 month old. She has had it for a while and I am just going to warn you no matter what you do it will keep coming back. However you can help it to go away sooner by doing a few things. Try not using any soap in the bath at all, and limit the bath to 5 minutes when the little one is having a breakout of eczema. Also try a a prescription for the eczema and then on top of that put a lotion called CeraVe (make sure it is the lotion and not the cream. These are the things I do and it helps a lot. Good luck and don't give in at the hard times.

Vicki - posted on 01/11/2010

both my kids have eczema and i took them to the skin doctor.. he suggested cetaphil lotion and soap we used dreft soap.. only bath them as needed no more then 3-4 times a week and luke warm water no more then 10 min in the water.. it will seem worse in the winter cause its so dry in the house..try addin a dash of baby oil to the water for moisture to the skin..

Michelle - posted on 01/11/2010

We've used Aquaphor and Cetaphil. Also A&D. We've cut back to just petroleum jelly (vaseline). Also, warm water with baths. Don't do long soaks. Check the moisture in the air. You may live in a dry climate and need to add water to the air. I've read that changing from cows milk to soy may help. Other creams didn't help us.

Emma - posted on 01/11/2010

From my experience... No soap or bubbles (use aqueous cream instead), No denim, Use liquid detergent instead of powder and drinking goats milk instead of cows milk (i have no idea why this works but a doctor told me to do it and it had a massive effect on hannah when she was smaller)

Jessica - posted on 01/11/2010

I have a 2yr who has Eczema also. He likes to scratch it til he bleeds. It is on the cracks of arms and back of knee. I use Eucerin Cream Paste, it is in a huge tub. I put it on after his baths. If you bath him everyday try to cut back to bathing him every other day because the water will dry his skin. Also when you bath him put a couple of teaspoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in the water in the tub. This has helped tremendouly with our son...Hope this helps!! Good Luck!!!

Colleen - posted on 01/11/2010

We have a range of products in South Africa called Annique which has rooibos tea extracts in it and has been known to help with eczema. I would however also explore the diet aspect and find out if he has an intolerance to certain foods because I know that can be a big factor too.

Louise - posted on 01/11/2010

I totally feel you my daughters ezema use to be really bad. My sister has a 4 yr old who has autism and she began a gluten, lactose, and flour free diet. Many kids with autism have digestive problems. He also had a lot of skin problems. Well quickly after he began diet his toddler tummy, which the dr. said he had went away. And low and behold his skin all cleared up. So i started this with my daughter not everything like him but I cut back on bread and things that have yeast. It has worked. For example rice chex cereal verses cherrios. little things like that. I actually took her to a natural homeopathic theropist and she told me my daughter had a lot of yeast in her body. And that was causing her all the skin problems, Her pedridtician said it was ezema.By all means to each his own, Cause a lot of people think this stuff is not real but I noticed a diffrence. So research it and try it.

Shirley - posted on 01/11/2010

Vaseline is a petroleum based product, best to not use on human beings.

Mollee - posted on 01/11/2010

Try using Aveeno baby lotion for eczema, they also have a solution that you put in the bath, also by Aveeno Baby. I use it for my son and it works great =]

Sarah - posted on 01/11/2010

I would try Eucerine, it's a cream that may clear it up, but you have to use it daily. It's a bit greasy, but I have found it works for my son who is 16 months old.

Eloiza - posted on 01/11/2010

you should try oatmeal soap or even natural oatmeal bath.

April - posted on 01/11/2010

My daughter has eczema horrible. Nothing worked and we used every lotion and potion the doc gave us. One day someone suggested rubbing Witch Hazel on the eczema spots. I thought to myself, yeah right I am not using some weird voodoo stuff on her skin. Well she got a horrible staff infection from scratching the heck out of her skin. So I got desperate and went out and bought a bottle of it at Walgreens. $3 bucks was worth a try after all I had spent $75 bucks on a prescrition cream that did nothing. I would put the Witch Hazel on the worst spots with a soaked cotton ball and then apply Eucerin Cream not the lotion and within a few weeks it was so much better. I could not believe my eyes. It was not an immediate cure but it cleared it up. I would apply both things in the morning and at night. Also we cut out baths, and we shower every other day as others have posted. I use tide free detergent and dryer sheets and for the body soap I use the dove. I hope this helps. Good luck.

Palesa Moira - posted on 01/11/2010

Hi Rachel try Annique Baby products www.annique.com..
works wonders! My 8years old son been using them ever since..

Krystal - posted on 01/10/2010

Hey Rachel, where abouts do you live? Im in australia and know a great moisturiser that i used on my son. Not greasy like those vaseline ones which are full of petrachemicals. Let me know xx



Shirley is right with the food allergies. Wil has just been diagnosed (preliminary) with allergies to milk, wheat, gluten, egg, fish, soya and peanuts. This was tested thru a simple blood test (RAST) I have now pushed for more individual testing to find out the culprit allergen. Anyways....i have cut out all the above and his skin has cleared up. His face was open, weeping, bleeding, peeling...you name it he was it....



He's been clear 8 weeks now so if you want any tips im more than happy. Its horrible seeing them itch. Your kid would be itchy...as skin dries out it gets taught and then they scratch, bleed and makes a vicious cycle.

Kristine - posted on 01/10/2010

We used Sensitive skin body wash, suave makes it, but I used the target brand. i also used eucerin cream (out of the tub, not the lotion) and slathered that on my son after his bath to help trap in the moisture. He grew out of it, so I didn't have to go beyond that. Diet sometimes makes a difference too, so its something you might try when the baby is eating more variety.

Debbie - posted on 01/10/2010

I use a product called Freederm off the internet. You can check their website at www.freederm.com to see if it okay for babies, but I am pretty sure it is as one of there testimonials was from a mom with a baby. It is not that expensive and only takes a small amount per day. Best if put on after a bath as then it soaks into the skin better.

Robin - posted on 01/10/2010

Well I have the same problem with both my girls. Apparently having them sit in warm water, exacerbates the condition. So try to shorten bath time, and dont have baby sit in bath everyday. But at some point you may need a prescription for a cream or ointment. Thats the only thing that worked! It will get better with age though:)

Shirley - posted on 01/10/2010

Eczema is usually caused by food allergies. It's good that you are using different products for skin care and laundry, but it seems that it is not enough to relieve the discomfort. It would be helpful to find a naturopath, or pediatric allergist and have her tested for allergies. Dairy and wheat are the biggest offenders. Sometimes the food that is causing the outbreak is actually how a food is processed. My granddaughter also had eczema. Also, the Rocky Mountain Soap Company has products, soaps and body butters that are specifically designed to help with eczema. Good luck!

Sabrina - posted on 01/10/2010

My daughter, now 3 and I both have eczema and I've found that if my water softener sn't working properly our eczema will flare up- so I keep a close eye on that. We also use Aveeno Baby Wash & Lotion, Arm and Hammer Free laundry detergent, and we keep our hair towel and body towels separate- it seems that the oils in our hair don't work so well with our skin! My daugher can not take a long bath, she gets in, gets washed, and gets out- no play time :( I also found a company on-line http://www.amoils.com that makes a line of all natural products- the Healing Eczema product is wonderful! Her eczema was severe as a baby, but now she hardly ever has a flare up! Good Luck!

Angele - posted on 01/10/2010

My son is 4 and has eczema since he was 2 weeks old. We tried so many of the above suggestions but the only thing that really worked for him is a prescription cream (bethametisone-sp?). This past summer, I had a friend who began selling Arbonne and we both found that the baby lotion they sell really helps with eczema. It doesn't totally cure it but it is the best thing that has worked for my son so far. I use the Arbonne baby lotion during down times and combine it with the prescription cream during flare ups. I am going to check out the renew cream, so thank you for all your suggestions regarding this. I am also curious about allergies. When my son has a cold, he exhibits asthmatic symptoms but they go away after the cold. My son also had a speech delay, which I noticed at about 15-months of age. He began receiving early intervention services and I cut out wheat and gluten from his diet at 2 and his speech began to improve greatly. By three he was articulating age appropriately. I did not continue the wheat-gluten free diet because my pediatrician has done blood tests twice in his 4 years and no food allergies have been found. Also, I have found that my son needs a bath every morning to sooth the itching from his eczema but I think the key is a both that is not hot and short duration. Again, thank you for all your suggestions and best of luck!

ARACELI - posted on 01/09/2010

Oh also eczema is not an allergy to food usually its just sensitive skin condition that they can usually out grow but you havto be patient and work very hard to control it, it could take days, months, or sometimes years. Im a Certified medical assistant that has only worked with dermatologists for about 4 years. Good luck

ARACELI - posted on 01/09/2010

I work for a dermatologist, i would recommend you to seek a good skin specialist for your 1 year old. A good dermatologist will tell you less baths or at least less time in bath (luke warm water not too hot or cold), use cetaphil skin cleanser instead of any soap in bath or an emolient skin cleanser that you can usually purchase at dermatologist office. Use emolient cream form dermatologist office as well or original Eucerine cream make sure its cream up to three times a day when he goes to bed he needs to be greasy, infact he should always feel greasy at least untill he gets under control, all free detergent is great for wash clothing and inexpensive. Sometimes kids are able to use a mild prescription cortisone but depending on how sever they are and of course upon doctors recommendations. I now what its like to see young children suffer from eczema (dermatitis) but i have never seen a child not improve after they come to see one of our skin specialists. Im not trying to dis on regular family care physicians or pediatricians but we usually have referrals from them since that is not their specialty. I hope that helps

Kelly - posted on 01/09/2010

Try cetaphill soap and lotion. I truly believe in this stuff. My baby's skin looks great and actually my Ped. suggested we use that when we went for her first appointment.I was already using it because my sister's have used it for all of their kids and it worked great.

Shari - posted on 01/09/2010

What is he eating, Rachel? Although most doctors won't tell you this, eczema is often caused by diet. Are you still breast-feeding? Is he eating only organic fruits, vegetables, whole grains? Is he getting some healthy bacteria for his intestinal flora, such as acidophilus found in in yogurt? And please be careful with the Vaseline/Aquafor -- there are harmful chemicals in these products that should not touch a baby's skin. Check this out for more info: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/wordsea...

Jasmine - posted on 01/09/2010

hi, my son has had eczema as well, he's one now but had it even at 3 months old. Our pediatrician said that it is a sign of allergy. We had been giving him formula along with breast milk and once we were able to switch to milk we opted to switch to Goat's Milk (the major allergens are milk, soy and wheat and we hadn't been giving him much wheat or soy so...). Goat's milk is closer to breast milk than any other animal's milk, high in protein, fat etc. It took him about 2 times of trying it to really be ok with the switch but he absolutely loves it now. Not sure if you are into it, a bunch of my girlfriends thought it was a disgusting idea but I love feta, goat's cheese etc and baby's have a immature palate so things that aren't to our liking, may be to theirs. Within 2 weeks all his eczema was gone, no more sandpaper skin all over his back. Not sure where you live but I get it at either Safeway, Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. Talk to your pediatrician about that as a possibility, we're very happy with the results.

Marion - posted on 01/09/2010

my daughter was diagnosed @ 4 months old. She is 6months now. I use Aveeno produts to wash and shampoo hair. Forget the aquaphor, use Eucerinl lotion. You can use the one that adults use. The reason the baby breaks out during bath time, is the temperature of the water. The water cant't be too hot. Actually it has to be less than warm. Meaning cool, so make sure your bathroom is warm. I have a little heater in mine. Oh, if yourdoctor gave you a cream, use it immediately after bath, make sure you pat the baby dry, not rub. Use the eucerin lotion the next time you change baby. You have to keep the baby mostuized. The eczema keeps the baby dry. Try not to use Dr's cream to much, it has side effects down theroad. Use only when a flare up occurs. I hope Iwas able to help you out.

Chanda - posted on 01/09/2010

Disney Baby (Gentle Naturals) has a great line of products. I use the Baby Eczema Cream on my son and it works right away. Its fragrance free. It has jajoba oil and aloe vera in it among other great ingredients to soothe his skin. It works wonders for my son. I got it at Kmart for about $7. So, it's not too expensive at all to see if it will at least work for you. I put it on him throughout the day and he has some at his daycare so they can put it on him throughout the day as well. Hope it helps!

Tammy - posted on 01/09/2010

My daughter has it. Aquaphor does the job, but her dermatologist also recommended Cetaphil (love it!) and CeraVie (not my fave). We have also used Desonide .05% (Rx) and Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream USP .1%. She responded well to Desonide too. I use Dreft. It's not fragrance free, but that is what works for her. You might ask about soy lotions and soaps. Aveeno used to have a soy lotion, but it was discontinued in January 08. Bathing every other day seems to help her. Also mixing in small amounts of flaxseed oil with food was highly recommended by her dermatologist. I have escema too. When I start itching, I use hot water. I let the water get just hot enough that it stings (I don't do this to my daughter). That is only thing that helps me. Hope this helps!

Kelley - posted on 01/09/2010

we use dove hypoallergenic soap, and when she gets out of the bath i lather her down with cetaphil. we never changed from dreft washing detergent. her eczema is barely noticeable. but i guess different things work for different babies! hope it gets better!

Cami - posted on 01/09/2010

my 4 month old was diagnosed with eczema about a month ago. I wash EVERYTHING in All Free Clear detergent(our clothes, his clothes, towels, sheets, blankets). I also use Aveeno products on him, they have an oatmeal bath soak that has worked wonders for Allen, his worst spots are his hands and wrists. The Aveeno lotions are great too. I liked Aquaphor but for us the Aveeno products are best.

Linda - posted on 01/09/2010

I had eczema really bad as a child. Aquaphor, Eucerin, Atarax, etc. were all used. I too occasional baths in lukewarm water so it wasn't too drying and dressed in only cotton clothing that could breathe so heat was not held in against my skin. Suears used to make their own detergent that worked really well (not sure if they still make it). In sr. high school, I discovered Avon's Moisture Therapy hand cream cleared up the eczema and have used it ever since. HTH!

Trina - posted on 01/09/2010

we also use only Dove soaps now

Trina - posted on 01/09/2010

We use the equate (Walmart brand) version of Eucerin. Don't buy the lotion buy the CREME in the short fat jar. My daughter is 3 and we've tried just about all the brands in the last couple of years. Her skin soaks up the lotions so fast that an hour later she'd need some again. Also, when her skin is flaring up, I put her Elidel or hydrocortisone on first and then cover it with a layer of creme. I do this at least 2 times a day including immediately after bath/shower and not really drying off before lotioning up.

Avon - posted on 01/09/2010

I can tell you from the mother of three which all have some degree of eczema...the doctors remedies are just like our own. A way to find soothing at best. As they get older the intensity of it often decreases. This isn't true for everyone. My daughter when she was 1 had it severely! In her head also and had to sleep in mitts at night so she wouldn't dig and cause it to bleed. We eventually realized, with her doctors help, not to let her sit in the tub and soak in the water at all. We could not even use soap of any kind on her until she was maybe 6. I then begin to layer her. Extra work for mom but relief for her, all worth it. I would bathe her and before drying her off I would put baby oil all over her. This helps to seal in moisture. Then I would towel blot her not wiping off the oil. I would then add her prescription medicine to the worst areas (sometimes the whole body) and then apply a layer of Vaseline lotion or eczema lotion to top it off. YES!!! A lot of work, but it was worth it to give her some relief in a situation that makes a parent feel so helpless. She is now 15 and has still has eczema but it is much more controllable and far less restricting. Finding relief is the best we can offer, I like to think. I hope this helps. BTW they have so many new eczema soaps and body washes out. You should consider those.

Agatha - posted on 01/09/2010

Sorry to hear about the eczema trouble you are experiencing with your child. My three children suffered from it very badly when they were very young. I tried everything possible and the only thing that I found helpful was changing their diets ie not giving them dairy products and all three children have now grown out of it. The other cream that I have found usefull is pure shea butter. All the best.

Becky - posted on 01/08/2010

Hi Rachel...my daughter has eczema (she's 12 now but had it as a baby) and we finally found something that worked for her. We used Aveeno baby wash for her skin and hair, and while she's still wet, we would slather her up with Aveeno baby lotion. That is supposed to actually seal in the moisture. She actually still uses both of those products. Definitely stick with fragrance free. Some foods seemed to be a big trigger for her as well. (Chocolate and anything with cranberries.) Hope things improve for you!
I also got great info from the eczema society. Link is: http://www.nationaleczema.org/

Becky