Best Moisturizer for Eczema

Parentberries
#1

[name]Ivan[/name] has some pretty terrible eczema. Very red, oozes occasionally, clear no smell, no fever. We aren’t sure if he just has my finicky skin or food allergies. I’ve tried eliminating dairy and nuts, and that seems to help sometimes, but it does flare up despite that.

Our doctor prescribed a steroid cream at his four month appointment if nothing else works but I’m a little hesitant to use it, mostly because he’s all about himself right now. His little hands are everywhere and he’s started scratching it a little, and because the warnings for it are so scary.

We’d been using Aquaphor, but it seemed to just irritate it. We thought it was the extra ingredients, so we started using just straight Vaseline, but that’s just as bad. I’m terrified that it’ll become infected - mine did in sixth grade. I didn’t tell anyone and ended up hospitalized.

So, does anyone else’s little one have eczema? What kind of moisturizer do you use for it? [name]How[/name] do you keep little hands off of the more serious stuff?

#2

Try eliminating wheat and/or soy. I know a lot of people who’s exzema cleared up dramatically after ditching these ingredients.

#3

Watch out for perfumes and dyes in products that are touching his skin. I was diagnosed with psoriasis as a child, but eliminating skin irritants has completely cleared up my skin. Watch out for laundry detergent of all things (Dreft is NOT perfume free and sends my skin into fits to this day) and lotions that are supposed to help (a lot of super sensitive kids react to Desitin for example…I’ve never had problems with Balmex or [name]California[/name] [name]Baby[/name]). For lotions, I love Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream, super mild and worth a try if you want to eliminate possible sources. You can try their face wash as a baby wash too.

[name]Hope[/name] you find something to help your little guy feel better!

#4

Wheat! I forgot that was an allergen. I will definitely avoid what and soy. Thank you so much!

#5

My son has eczema and has pretty much since birth. He is one and a half now, and it is pretty well under control. He was formula fed, so I did not try any elimination diets. We do use only free and clear detergent, and Dr Bronners baby Castile soap for him. This was one of the only baby soaps I found that was unscented. The doctor also told us not to allow him to re-wear clothes, b.c the dried sweat could irritate it.

Try running his laundry through an extra rinse after washing it. And try cutting in half the amount of detergent you are using. That made a big difference for us. If you are using dryer sheets or anything, stop. We also got rid of all of his synthetic fiber clothing, b.c those outfits seemed to make it worse. Fleece was especially bad for it (he was a winter baby). I keep him in all cotton, and that helps a lot.

When it is dry out, I run the humidifier in his room at night. That helps a lot as well.

Another thing we did was to bathe [name]Levin[/name] only once a week for about the first year. Frequent bathing can make it worse, and a small baby just isn’t going to get dirty enough to need a daily bath.

We normally use Eucerin now that he is older and doesn’t want to sit still to get buttered up every few hours. When he was littler, we used mainly [name]Shea[/name] butter and coconut oil.

The downside w. [name]Shea[/name] butter and coconut oil is that you have to reapply a lot. Coconut oil is a little greasier than shea butter. They both work though, and allergies to either of those are pretty rare. Make sure you get a high quality [name]Shea[/name] butter if you do this, b.c the cheap ones often have bits of the nutshells in them. You can find it at natural foods stores, or online. You can get coconut oil in the regular grocery store w. the cooking oils b.c people like it for frying.

Be really careful w. sun exposure, b.c that makes it worse, too. And if you take him swimming, wash him off right away b.c chlorine and salt do not help.

If these measures don’t help though, I would use the prescribed cream. I understand about being uncomfortable about it, but it is better than it getting infected. I hope it gets better soon!

#6

I’m not sure where you are based but I can’t recommend E45 moisturiser enough. Its so kind to the skin and fragrance free. My daughter only ever suffered mild eczema (in her joints, specifically the back of her knees and the inside of her elbows) and it really helped soothe her itchy skin.

#7

I second the scented fabric softener and detergent! They get my little one’s skin going nuts every time. :frowning: Surprisingly, the moisturizer that works on him is [name]Shea[/name] Moisture’s ‘Organic Raw [name]Shea[/name] Chamomile and Argan Oil [name]Baby[/name] Healing Lotion’. I also use their shampoo/body wash on him. It’s not dirt cheap, but the price is not prohibitive either. When he does get itchy by some unknown culprit, he lives in super skinny pajamas like [name]Baby[/name] Gap, etc, where it’s very difficult for him to push sleeves or pant legs up.

#8

We use Cetaphil cream (the thick tub kind) twice a day and when it was really bad, a layer over that of pure Vaseline at night. Bought cheap Old [name]Navy[/name] pajamas since I knew the Vaseline would make them yucky. Also use free & clear detergent and 100% cotton. You have to watch for polyester - especially in any footie type pajamas. I used Desonide steroid cream only when it was really bad but it was worth using. We had a dermatologist as well. Last, she recommended bleach baths (not sure what age you can do it for so you’d want to ask the doctor first) - it was 1/4 cup of bleach to a half full tub and it smelled like the pool but helped kill the bacteria on his skin that made him itch!

#9

Okay I can actually contribute to this!

I’ve had awful eczema too, since I was a baby. And I’ve also always had lots of allergies (wheat,dairy,peanuts,eggs) and sensitive skin that gets hives from the slightest things, like snow! I use Cetaphil Skin Moisturizer every day and it works really well, and it’s completely hypoallergenic. My mom used to rub Vaseline on my legs at night when I was little, but I hated the feeling and always had a fit, so that stopped. But if it helps, Crisco works just as well as Vaseline. And when it gets really bad in the winter, I have a prescribed steroid cream, Mometasone Furoate is what it says on the label. It’s like liquid gold, I swear. :slight_smile:

#10

Well, I’ve never had first hand experience with eczema on babies/children, but I have it on my hand from years of submerging my hands in water/product as an Esthetician. I can only use ointments, salves, and vitamin E oil on mine because any kind of lotion or cream usually burns and stings. What I’ve found to be the best product is something called Country [name]Comfort[/name] Herbal Savvy, it’s a salve with [name]Golden[/name] [name]Seal[/name] which is a natural antiseptic and healing agent along with other moisturizing oils and calming herbs. I usually put a thick layer on and then put a lotion glove on for about an hour before bed. [name]Don[/name]'t bandage it tightly or prevent air from getting to it, because it will prolong the healing process. Make sure he is well hydrated because even mild dehydration can trigger a flare up.

I also like [name]Burt[/name]'s Bees Res-Q Ointment (also good for bruises and mosquito bites) and just plain old Neosporin.

#11

Well, I’m sure if it’s very severe you’ve sought doctor’s advice. I’ve used a product before for mild dermatitis, which is called Moo Goo. However, I’m not sure it’s available outside of Australia. It’s really good for sensitive skins.

#12

[name]Hi[/name] :slight_smile:

I’m sorry to hear your little man is struggling with such bad skin problems. Coming from a family where myself, my younger brother and my mum (she has the worst case) suffers from eczema, I truly feel for you. It is often a result of allergies, in my mum and brother’s case they have terrible skin primarily due to allergies and low immune systems. For me, mine steams from using some everyday products eg. certain soaps, dishwashing liquid etc. Actually its also important that if you’ve made any changes with washing powder or detergents that can have an impact as well. Plus if you leave in a very dry climate that has steaming hot summers and ice cold winters. As a few others have mention fragranced detergents can enhance the problem, especially things containing Aloe Vera for some reason that seems to be a common issue with eczema sufferers. So try to keep with the same products as best you can and its often best not to do a full cup of washing powder make it half or so. I know he’s probably too little for you to worry about this now, but as he gets older he may develop an itchy or flakey scalp due to bad skin. The simplest way to deal with this is getting him/you to alternate between which he uses. My mum uses a vitamin cream called Celestone, which works well but can create a dependency (eg. the skin craves it to stay clear.) Another thing if it begins to spread all over his body, start bathing him in Pinetarsol, this cools the skin down a great deal. It may be a good idea to get his allergies tested just so you know exactly what you’re dealing with. In my case, I had it as a baby on my belly and often behind my knees. And over time it seemed to clear up; but now its come back (because of the cold weather) and gets blistered then cracks on my hands. Another great product that works almost like a moisturizer is called Fatty Ointment Cream. That works really well and has a similar consistency to petroleum jelly. Oh and try goat’s milk soap too.

Sorry if I have overloaded you with ideas and info! I really hope this is helpful and his skin is better soon!

P.S My little cousin Ezekiel also had very bad eczema and they found that it was actually due to his borderline lactose intolerance so he had to switch formula and was on a strict diet for 12-18 months.

#13

We use Seventh Generation [name]Baby[/name] Detergent only because it’s the only one I can tolerate, so there isn’t even harsh detergent residue. We’ve switched to Cetaphil, as our doctor suggested, which seems to be working out pretty well. We bought their lotion last night, and it doesn’t seem to bother him anywhere near as much as Vaseline, so thank you all for that suggestion.

There are so many wonderful suggestions here. Thank you all so much! I’ve been feeling kind of lost with this… I’ve had to switch my soap a lot, but otherwise once it was under control it was fine. Again, thank you.

#14

Poor little one! I hope he gets some relief soon. We’ve had great luck with plain old coconut oil but it is a bit greasy. Also, I don’t know if this would be helpful but my friend’s doctor advised them to use probiotics and that really helped her daughter’s eczema.

#15

My daughter has bad eczema and after the steroid cream didn’t help and no lotions we tried were working I asked for a referral to an allergist and a dermatologist. We had to cut all soaps ad harsh chemicals used in our house. Including in shampoos, conditioner etc. She has a special eczema cream the allergist prescribed and we also use a eczema “flare up” wash in the bath when it gets bad. She also has food allergies (dairy, egg, tomato and citrus) after cutting out those foods she doesn’t have flare ups as often. She mainly gets a flare up after visiting someone else’s house and they have used cleaning chemicals etc. before we arrive.