my baby has a little bit of eczema..

Susan - posted on 02/24/2010

I see you have gotten a long list of creams and lotions, so here are a couple things you can try. Sunshine is good for ecxema, and either no soap when you bathe him/her or lessen the amount of times you do the bath.

Diedra - posted on 02/24/2010

My son has had eczema since birth and has it everywhere there is skin, and my daughter has is on neck, elbows, back of knees. Most of the previous posts cover everything but I must highlight a few that I have found work well Melaleuca has a great soap can't think of the name right now, Aveeno products are great but what has worked the best Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Natural Soaps w/o all the detergents and fragrances, "Free" Detergents but just use less than normal, and Olive Oil. It never goes away it just goes into remission. Best of Luck...and use cloth cotton diapers if possible

Patricia - posted on 02/24/2010

Both of my children have had eczema since birth. My son only has it on his hands and feet. My daughter has it from head to toe. He is 28, she is 33. There is an amazing lotion that used to be prescription, but is now over the counter. It's light enough to use every day and is very, very effective. You have to ASK for it at the pharmacy, as it is kept behind the counter, but you do NOT need a prescription. The name is AmLactin (or LacHydrin). It's about $12 for 8 oz. Coloidal Oatmeal (also sold in the pharmacy section) is great to put in their bathtub (it's not a food). It looks disgusting, but it really soothes their skin.

Christina - posted on 02/24/2010

aveno extra strength cortisone cream

Donna - posted on 02/24/2010

My son (7) has had eczema since about a month old. We tried EVERYTHING. The only thing I found that worked is epsom salt baths...I would talk to your doctor.

Carmen - posted on 02/24/2010

My son has had really bad eczema almost since birth and we have tried every doctor perscribed cream, and have taken him to a dermatologist and nothing worked. I finally went to an "Only Green" Party and bought VADA baby lotion. It is the only cream that has ever worked and he stays cleared up as long as we continue to use it. His excema was so bad, he would scratch it till it would bleed and become open and a few times it became infected. It took me two years to find this cream and we have used nothing else since.

Tiffany - posted on 02/24/2010

The best thing to do is to start changing your laundry detergent, soaps, and lotions. You need to look for things with no dies, scents, or softeners. My daughter has eczema and this has helped tremendously!!! It is the most easy transition for them and costs less than all of those expensive lotions which didn't work for us anyway. Good Luck!

Mindy - posted on 02/24/2010

My daughter had eczema on the top of her feet.It was pretty bad no lotions were working at all. I asked the the lady at the pharmacy and she had this stuff that was behind the counter but you didn't need a perscription for. I can't remember the name but it was the consistancy of hand sanitizer and formed a sort of second skin that kept the moisture in. It only took a week for it to completely clear up and she only had occasional flair ups for 3 months after that. That was 7 years ago

Tamara - posted on 02/24/2010

Eucerin cream works!!

Shelagh - posted on 02/24/2010

My daughter had a small amount of eczema until she was about 2, when a friend told me not to use any products made by Johnston and Johnston. I was actually using their baby soap, so stopped immediately, and just used our normal family soap on her - and it cleared up within a week. I would stress that it was very mild.

Kathy - posted on 02/24/2010

One of our children had a case of eczema. We ended up with allergy testing at an accupuncturist to find out that he had wheat and dairy allergies. We used ceravue cream and then eliminated the cause ( the foods which were causing the allergies) and he has been symptom free for 2 years now.

Carolyn - posted on 02/24/2010

My son has eczema and I changed fabric softener and it has really helped. He still has it on his knees in the winter, but it has gone from his elbows and face. Try changing your products it might help.

Lyla - posted on 02/24/2010

We used Aquaphor and Sarna on our daughter, both over the counter and recommended by our pediatrician :)

Hina - posted on 02/24/2010

yes oatmeal is very good for skin and Aveeno products have oatmeal in them:)

Michelle - posted on 02/24/2010

My son had skin problems as a baby and still today he is 12 years old now. He had craddle cap all over his head and face as a baby and the metal snaps (nickle) on babies clothes would make him break out as well. As he got older he was diagnosed with eczema. My doctor told me to used adult dandruff shampoo with selenium in them like Selsun Blue. I used it for a few days but it caused his skin to get extremely red and irritated. I recommend oatmeal soaps these seem to help a lot more and are more gentle and try to used lotions that are for sensitive skin with no fragrance added you also might want to used gentle laundry soaps as well because that can aggravated their skin too hope this helps:)

Hina - posted on 02/24/2010

I agree with you....another thing that one can try is glycerin with rose water as glycerin itself is very sticky...that helps a lot too..

Jennifer - posted on 02/24/2010

Baby oil will get rid of it! Just rub it in the scalp.

Kelly - posted on 02/24/2010

We used Auqafor on my son and Arbonne made a line of baby wash, oil, and such. It worked really well, but I'm not sure if they still make it.

Shelly - posted on 02/24/2010

Oh also use hypo allerginic soap for bathing and make sure you was kids clothing in dye free laundry detergent purex is the best for me. Stay away from johnson and johnson or any perfumed lotion or powder.

Shelly - posted on 02/24/2010

I'm a mother of three, and all my children have allergies and eczema...How old is your baby? If you have a small baby under one years old than you don't want to use anything to strong on him or her and you still have to be careful on toddlers. Some cordizones that are prescribed can actually do more damage than good. When my youngest was about two she had a horrible case of eczema. I took her two dermatologist and nothing was working. I finally found a dermatolgist who figured out that she had allergies to eggs and strawberries. Once I stopped giving her things with eggs the eczema cleared up quite a bit. I still used one cup of aquaphor and mixed tsp of cortizone in it. It was just enough to clear it up and not be to strong on the skin. The docs where prescribing meds with to much cortizone in them and it was actually burning her skin. So a dose of cortizone on the skin isn't bad if it's not to high of a percentage and mixed with aquaphor as a base. That was the advice I got from the last doctor. Worked like a charm. You put it on after a bath, make sure skin is dried off I used twice a day. Good Luck!!!

Ashley - posted on 02/24/2010

My son is 13months old & still has eczema. He has food allergies, & when we found that out we made some changes in his diet and that helped some. Also, the allergist told me to give him a lukewarm bath, but not every night (as too many baths can cause their skin to dry out even more!), and have his lotion on within 2 mins of having him out of the bath. I found Vaseline Intensive Moisture, & Curel Itch Defense lotions work good. Also, he's on a medicine called Atarax, it's for itching. When their skin is dry it can get itchy, so his doctor prescribed him that. I know this process can get irritating. I hope this helps! Good luck!

Hina - posted on 02/24/2010

try Aveeno baby soothing relief moisture cream...it soothes and relives dry skin or even dry skin from eczema.

Ashli - posted on 02/24/2010

btw Aquphor is an ointment . I took my son to the derm. thats what they sugg. I tried the aveeno, eucerin EVERTHING! ITs great and over the counter!

Ashli - posted on 02/24/2010

Aquaphor works GREAT, after a bath

Alyssa - posted on 02/24/2010

Aveeno makes a wonderful cream for eczema-its in the baby section. It was a life-saver for my little ones who both had eczema. Use it after baths, or apply to dry areas. It works really well but if you don't get relief then hydrocortizone will take care of it quickly.

Faith - posted on 02/24/2010

Both of my babies had eczema. I found that Aveeno baby daily moisture lotion, applied several times a day, will clear it up. It's the one with the light blue print on it. Also, I still have to apply lotion to both my children every night after their baths. I found that bathing them everyday and lotioning them up afterwards plus again in the morning was the trick. Now we get an occassional patch in the drier months but the Aveeno keeps it at bay. Hope this helps. There are some perscription lotions the doctor can reccommend too, but they never worked for us & I tried everything. But every child is different so what works for one wont work for another and visa versa.

Yvette - posted on 02/24/2010

Typically skin disorders originate in the intestines. You should first try a good probiotic for the baby and if you're breastfeeding one for yourself. Jarrow makes a good one that can be given to newborns up to age 4 (or adult really). This should improve, if not eliminate the eczema. Also, do not use any "soap" or baby soap products. Try to only wash with water (Most people's water contains enough chlorine to kill any germs on your skin and to get the skin squeaky clean). Follow the bath with coconut oil (unrefined) or cocoa butter (the real stuff). Avoid all "eczema" marketed products they tend to work against the immune system and the skin. Give the probiotic time to flourish in the intestine ...this will heal the eczema. Also, make sure the baby is getting plenty of good fats in her diet. (ie organic butter, coconut oil, olive oil, rich raw milk, etc) this too will help with the dryness of the skin.
BLESSINGS!

Stacey - posted on 02/24/2010

I haven't had a chance to read th other responses, so you may have already heard all of this. Change your laundry detergent to FREE, no perfumes no dyes. that will make the biggest difference. Immediately after bathing your baby, pat dry (do not rub) then lotion baby up really well with Aveno lotion with no perfumes. Gone are the days of the sweet smell of baby magic baby. It is typically a reaction to the chemicals, but if this does not clear it up, it may be an allergy thing that will have to be dealt with by a dr. Also be sure to keep nails short and clean. long dirty nails just spread the germs and cause infection. Good Luck. (mom of two with moderate/severe eczema)

Shannon - posted on 02/24/2010

Most of the time that young ones have Eczema it is due to cow milk...my son as an infant was broken out from head to toe...and he was breastfed (however, I was drinking cow's milk). I as an adult have had it for my entire life...i have tried cutting the cow's milk out of my diet and it does get better (i just love my milk though)...as for creams...the ones people have named are pretty good ones...i have found that the triple paste is good and then if you mix hydrocortisone & eucerin cream together (somethimes the pharmacy will do it for you as well)...that works very well also....hope this works...

Margaret - posted on 02/24/2010

I sugest you take your baby to the doctor so, he/she can tell you what it really is before you start to self medicate. I am saying this because my Grandaughter had the same problems and it worked out she had phorisis, now she has to have special creams, and shampoos to keep it at bay. I hope this may be usefull to you.

Yvette - posted on 02/24/2010

Typically skin disorders originate in the intestines. You should first try a good probiotic for the baby and if you're breastfeeding one for yourself. Jarrow makes a good one that can be given to newborns up to age 4 (or adult really). This should improve, if not eliminate the eczema. Also, do not use any "soap" or baby soap products. Try to only wash with water (Most people's water contains enough chlorine to kill any germs on your skin and to get the skin squeaky clean). Follow the bath with coconut oil (unrefined) or cocoa butter (the real stuff). Avoid all "eczema" marketed products they tend to work against the immune system and the skin. Give the probiotic time to flourish in the intestine ...this will heal the eczema. Also, make sure the baby is getting plenty of good fats in her diet. (ie organic butter, coconut oil, olive oil, rich raw milk, etc) this too will help with the dryness of the skin.
BLESSINGS!

Samantha - posted on 02/24/2010

my daughter has eczema, she used to have it really bad, we triad all the creams prescribed by the docters. But the only cream that would work was the steriod cream. Of course i didnt like to use this, as it has side effects with the main one being that it thins the skin. This worried me. However i took my daughter to the Dr Herb chinease store and they recommened their cream, it was expensive but definatley worth it. It cleared it up within 48 hours and she very rarely gets eczema now. If it does flare up we put the chinease cream (witch is all natural) and it keeps at bay! Give it a try, it may work. Good Luck!!!

Susan - posted on 02/24/2010

my little boy suffers fro eczema as well iv' had all the creams you could think of here are a few suggestions that my help epaderm if skin reall y dry hyrrocortisone 1% if the skins red and blockhy

Jocelyn - posted on 02/24/2010

Eucerin and hydro cortizone. use the jar not the bottle of Eucerin

Lara - posted on 02/24/2010

I agree with Margaret. Renew Lotion hands down. Be careful with cortisone... it can have long term detrimental effects on the body. It has Melaleuca oil in it (cousin to Tea Tree Oil), which might be why it's so effective. Soaking in Avena (has oats in it) can be very soothing as well. You can also get (or make) a salve with beeswax and olive oil to sooth areas... totally natural!

Melissa - posted on 02/24/2010

I've suffered on/off with eczema for 37yrs. I've had long periods (years) with no eczema - it's not necessarily going to be a daily problem forever. I'm currently using Medihoney Eczema Cream and it's the only one I've personally found to be really effective. It's all natural, active ingredients are antibacterial honey, aloe & chamomile, so if a little is ingested, no nasty stuff! I don't know where you live, this is an Australian brand, if you can't find it at a pharmacy, they have a website www.medihoney.com that may help. Also have found Aveeno products to be really helpful.

Some general tid bits for eczema management:
Best to use products such as soaps, washing powder & fabric softener with no fragrances or heavily laden with chemicals. Avoid wearing purfume or using chemical sprays of any kind around the house. This is a good time to "go green" with your household products. Steer toward products with natural ingredients and dress baby in cotton clothing that will let the skin breathe. Don't bath your baby every day - really young ones are fine to bath every 2nd day as water can be very drying to the skin (sounds weird, I know). Keeping baby well hydrated and the skin moisturised will really help, especially for prevention once it clears.

Another big trigger for me as a kid was dairy products - could be worth a trip to the doc or naturopath for an allergy/intolerence test. I've also found chiropractic treatments effective and it's really eased my current break out. There are chiropractors that specialise in working with babies and children. My 2yr old goes regularly and it's been great for him.

I wish you all the best with this - there are so many remedies and great ideas, just need to be patient and find the right treatment for your baby's skin. Finding the triggers will help for long term management and easier to prevent future outbreaks. I've only got an outbreak now after many many years because I got complacent - a mistake I won't make again!!

Julie - posted on 02/24/2010

my daughter is 19 and has had eczma all her life. like many answers doctors are weery of hydrocortizone because of the steroid. my doctor gave me a lovely big prescription of things that you can buy over the counter. oilatum and aquaeus cream. oilatum can be bought for the bath or shower. it makes the water white like milk and a nice soak in it locks in moisture and helps the dry patches. the cream is a moisturiser and acts as a barrier for lots of things like pollans etc. i also stayed a way from high soap content products. there is a product out the re called simple it comes as shower gel bath lotion shampoo and soap. there is a baby version. it has no soap or perfumes. cousins products are the worst to use they have high content of everything. washing detergent for clother as well when you have the skin under control try out different detergents and stick to the one that doesnt cause the rash. children have delicate skin and so long as the eczma is not really bad it can be managed without medications being used a lot. the aquaeus cream also acts as a good after sun lotion too.

Pamela - posted on 02/24/2010

I've treated my daughters' seasonal eczema applying caster oil or vitiman E oil from capsules on all breakout spots it takes the itch out and it heals after a few days of applying ,and there are no perfumes or other potential allergens, and if she had got it in her mouth it wouldn't have hurt her .She's 24yrs now. and still uses this remedy as needed.

Crystal - posted on 02/24/2010

My son had a terrible case of eczema! I work at a holisitic medicinal store, so I try not to resort to western medicines when possible. My child had it on his cheeks, they were flaking and bright red and down right uncomfortable. I tried everything from Vasaline to chapstick. The combination I found ( after months of living with this ) that worked was fewer baths and a diaper rash cream that had zinc oxide in it. The kind I use was Almond Butter by Weleda Baby. It is a great product. Water really affects the eczema, be really gentle when patting dry. I hope this helps, I know how miserable this can be for little ones!

Serenity - posted on 02/23/2010

My son and I both have exema. I had to use only Huggies diapers and wipes, dreft laundry soap, and aveeno bath soap when he was little. He is now 6 and I have finally found a brand that works. I use Renew lotion, Melapower laundry soap, and Koala Pals hair wash. These are all Melealeuca products.

Jennifer - posted on 02/23/2010

My daughter has horrible eczema and we use the Eucerin in the tub/jar. If you put it on right after the bath it keeps it from happening :o) If it's in the diaper area just use it as needed at diaper changes. My daughter has it in her leg creases and we use it quite often. Also behind her ears.

Cheryl - posted on 02/23/2010

Eucerin and Aveeno are really good, however if you're looking for something natural without all of the added chemicals, I highle recommend pure shea butter or organic extra virgin coconut oil. Also look for triggers that could cause flare ups, such as dairy and wheat. Most people don't know because doctors don't inform and are uninformed themselves, but eczema can be triggered by certain food items, but can also be lessened with nutritional therapy.

Dana - posted on 02/23/2010

My dtr had some eczema when she was little. We only use Cal-Ben's for laundry soap. It is SOAP not detergent and much milder on the skin, even Dreft is detergent and not soap. I have tried to wash her clothes in Gain or Tide and she will get a patch or two of eczema, then it goes away when we switch back. This soap is recommended in Baby 411. Hope it helps...works great for us. We also do what others suggest, short baths, get lotion on within 3 minutes after bath, etc. Good luck.

Marlaina - posted on 02/23/2010

Both my kids,5 and 1, have eczema and the only thing that has really worked is vaseline. Calendula lotion is also supposed to work really well but still, vaseline has soothed it best. I don't believe in administrating hydro cortisone cream to any child, any age.

Crystal - posted on 02/23/2010

are you breastfeeding if so put breast milk on the eczema a couple times a day, if not try baby aveeno. hope this works for you

Michelle - posted on 02/23/2010

Ive tried SOOO many products on my son and the only thing that seems to work is Aquaphor. Good luck!

Cecelia - posted on 02/23/2010

forgot to mentionI also had a problem with laudry detergent. I'm allergic to tide and all so we tried dreft, although the clothes smell so good, the smell was causing a problem as well. we use an all natural one now that doesn't have any chemicals, dyes or fragrence. it's a plant based one. arm and hammer essentials.

Cecelia - posted on 02/23/2010

my daughter has had eczema since she was born. I wouldn't recommend any type of cream if you're putting it on her face. it can spread and get in her eyes since it doesn't soak in(been there done that). the best thing I have found was the aveeno bath, with no scents. my ped told me that scents can make it worse. and then every night I rub her down with the aveeno lotion. one day we went out to the pool and I put sunscreen on her and it got so bad. I tried some the oatmeal bath, and that worked within a few weeks.

Heidi - posted on 02/23/2010

There is a cream you can buy in the store. Also, just keep skin moisturized at all times.

Bonnie - posted on 02/23/2010

There have been a lot of good posts here, so I'll just give you a few tips on keeping it from coming back. First, keep baths short. Prolonged exposure to water can irritate skin and make eczema flare up. Also, keep your baby clean and dry. Try using unscented wipes, and don't use wipes on the arms, tummy, or face.

Finally, don't stress over it too much. As long as the baby is happy, everything will be okay. Eczema often lessens as children get older.