talk to me about eczema!

[bebeboy03]

My ds is 7 1/2 months old. A couple of months ago we noticed some eczema patches on his thighs, they were very mild. Now it has popped up on other parts of his body. He has this one really bad spot on the back of his neck, where his shirt tags are. And now there are even more spots all on his back where there werent any before.

We have tried a lot of stuff on the spots. Like eucerin cream, pure aloe cream, aloe and tto cream, baths maybe every 4-5 days, layering his with cream a couple of times a day. Nothing seems to make the bad spot better. We have some hydro cortisone cream that we use on it every once in a while, but even that doesnt really seem to clear it up that much. I really want to stay away from the steroids if at all possible. Does anyone have anything that they have used or tricks to make it better???

[Gigi079]

I have used some of the exzema cremes/lotions from whole foods ..i forget the name (but can get it if needed)..my kids get it bad in the winter my one DS esp...also i dose my children with fish oil ada dra(we only use high quality carlson's fish oil products) everyday to help and vitamins

[opheliabliss]

Eucerin (sp) didn't work for DD there was something in it that she was allergic to. But, Cetaphil wash & lotions worked mericals!! Also Vanicream products rock!! Vanicream is kept behind the pharmacy desk or @ drugstore.com

[bebeboy03]

awesome, thank you! How often do you wash with the cetaphil wash and how often do you put the cream on to help?

[Diaper'nDiva]

Apricot Oil is the only thing that moisturizes well AND doesn't burn my son... My step son and and my son have it VERY bad. My step-son actually has cracks and sores all over his body because of it. We use cetaphil, apricot oil and on the open sores, bacitracin.

[mandikaake]

You can try to treat it topically but getting down to the root cause of the problem itself will eliminate it. 9 times out of 10 it's either from vaccines or a poor diet. The only thing I can see from a poor diet from one that young would be formula - by the way - not knocking you if that's the case.....

There are detoxes and things you can do to get the body back in balance. Any kind of skin rash usually stems from serious problem within the body that needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, we live in a world that treats symptoms, not the problem.

[krpand3]

My nephew had terrible excema and my SIL eliminated things from his diet (hers when she BF'd) that cleared it totally. It was a lot, dairy, soy, etc. I can get more info if you'd like.
Apparently if you can limit the things they are allergic to for the first year or so, they will not react later in life. I'd highly recommend it, as a lifelong excema sufferer.:yuck:

[4xMommy]

My son has severe eczema due to several food allergies. Nothing would touch it, not even the prescriptions, until we discovered the allergies, and I eliminated those things from my diet.

Hope he clears up soon!

[kendrea]

My DD has eczema .. her Dr. advised us to wash her body/hair in Dove products to help. I use the sensitive body wash on her. (Won't harm their eyes! :thumbsup: )

[sara b]

My 6 month old daughter has had eczema since she was 3 months old. What has worked best for us is the Stelatopia line of baby eczema products from Mustela. You can buy them on amazon.com. We use the milky bath oil in her bath each night then put the moisturizing cream on her afterwards. We saw an amazing change very quickly once using those products. I also discovered that when I stopped eating dairy (I am breastfeeding) she got way better. So I've cut out dairy from my diet (I miss cheese!) and her skin is noticeably better. Throughout the day I apply Cetaphil a couple of times and that seems to help too. I know that detergent can be a big irritant (and if the skin is sensitive around the tag or clothing areas that might be it)...most commercail products, even the natural ones, have detergents in them. Dr. Bronners baby mild castille soap is good and can also be purchased on amazon. Good luck!

[bebeboy03]

Ok, I am curious about the food allergy thing. He is breastfed but also gets some solids. I'm not sure its a milk allergy, I have been drinking it the entire time, less now than before, and now it is worse than it was before. How do I go about with an elimination diet? Thats what its called, right? Can anyone tell me about that?

I noticed tonight that it has spread to all over his body. We have recently changed detergents, so I think we might switch back or use the F & C instead.

[oneofsix]

Dairy has been a big problem in our house as well for eczema. Some citrus can cause problems too. I thought my 2 yr old had eczema and it was an allergic reaction to metal, like snaps on his clothes.

I think with an elimination diet you eliminate 1 thing at a time, week by week to see what could be triggering the allergy. The same process in reverse for introducing foods.

[craftymomto5]

My dd has eczema and we use a balm by a momma on here that goes by the name of cellydaniel. It has calendula and some really great moisturizers in it. It has helped tremendously. :goodvibes:

[sara b]

when my daughter's eczema was at its worst i read that a very large percentage of food-related eczema is caused by milk, eggs, peanut, soy, wheat, cod/catfish, and cashew or other nuts. so if you dont want to do the really intense elimination diet those might be a good place to start?

also, we used free and clear detergent from her birth and then when her eczema flared up we assumed it couldn't be detergent since she'd never had eczema before, and we'd always used the same detergent. but then when we switched to castille soap it really helped. it is puzzling because it seems like if it was detergent she should have had it all the way along. for some reason the switch to castille soap helped. our pediatrician told us that the only way to see if it was detergent related was to use a castille soap or something like that, and if we saw no change, we could go back to regular detergent. it seemed to work for us to eliminate it.

good luck!

[MarchMama]

My dd gets patches of eczemza each winter behind her knees. There is a product (it is in her room and she is sleeping) for infant eczema, with Winnie the Pooh on the tube, it says Disney products or something like that on it, it is a teal and blue tube of cream in the diaper rash section of the store, it says infant eczema cream on it (sorry such random info, I can send you more specifics tomorrow morning if you want!) but anyway, this really clears it up quick.:thumbsup:

[bebeboy03]

when my daughter's eczema was at its worst i read that a very large percentage of food-related eczema is caused by milk, eggs, peanut, soy, wheat, cod/catfish, and cashew or other nuts. so if you dont want to do the really intense elimination diet those might be a good place to start?

also, we used free and clear detergent from her birth and then when her eczema flared up we assumed it couldn't be detergent since she'd never had eczema before, and we'd always used the same detergent. but then when we switched to castille soap it really helped. it is puzzling because it seems like if it was detergent she should have had it all the way along. for some reason the switch to castille soap helped. our pediatrician told us that the only way to see if it was detergent related was to use a castille soap or something like that, and if we saw no change, we could go back to regular detergent. it seemed to work for us to eliminate it.

good luck!

Can I use the dr. bronner's soap on it?? I have some of the lavender liquid soap, would that work? I also have some of the baby one as well.

I really cant think of anything new that I have been eating in the last week or so that would cause such a reaction in him. Hmm, I just dont know what it could be, besides the detergent.

[opheliabliss]

Becareful with Dr B lavender. The lavender might make it worse. Try cutting out dairy!!!!!! We bath no more than 2 times a week unless she is dirty dirty :giggle: Some docs & mothers find that daily bathing works for their excema babies. But not for us. But we lather her up all the time with lotion!!!
I promise once you find out what foods or enviro trigger breack outs things will get better. We ended up seeing loads of specialist that all said something different. We did have allergy test done. But when the are so tiny readings that say they are only slightly allergic might be high. Does that make since:headscratch: My DD is also on an allergy medicine zyrtec witch also helped soooooooo much!

[3blessingmom]

dh and ds have SEVERE eczema.

NO soap on your little guy! Bathe in plain water. Wash hands with Dove unscented/sensitive. No playing in bath water once you shampoo.

Cut off the tags. Keep him in cotton fabrics.

Switch to a dye free/perfume free detergent, rinse with vinegar to remove residue - then an extra rinse. NO fabric softener or dryer sheets.

Use a cream (with as few additives as possible) IMMEDIATELY after bathing. Eucerin, Aveeno, Aquaphor...there are many to try.....

Eczema is very much related to allergies and asthma, so watch out for those things. Start your elimination diet by cutting out the obvious offenders - nuts, eggs, dairy, shellfish. My ds has a life-threatening allergy to tree nuts, but there are several other foods (including MANY fruits) that trigger eczema and asthma. Did I mention PET DANDER??? and dust mites?????? Ughhh...it's a lot to think about, but I would start with the diet and keeping his clothes cotton and free from "extras" in the wash.

FWIW - we have 2 skin care routines. One is preventative - heavy cream after a bath. The second is a rescue routine, which includes a steroid cream. The rescue routine is only done as needed. It is better to use a speck of hydrocortisone an day 1 than half the tube on day 3 - kwim.

HTH - hope he outgtrows it!

eta: stear clear from Elidel. I think most Dr's have stopped prescribing it b/c it's linked to cancer.

[OTMOM]

My son just turned 4 yesterday and we've been dealing with it since he was about 3 months old.

Turns out it's an egg allergy.

We did allergy testing about 2 months ago (the horrible skin prick testing....) but learned he is allergic to egg whites, egg yolks, cats (horribly!!!), mold and dustmites (who isn't!)

But we removed eggs from his diet and started him on zyrtec and saw noticeable difference in 2 weeks.

He used to scratch so bad at night he has had WOUNDs behind his knees from the intenstity. Pure wounds where it scabs over...greater than 2" in length.

My suggestion would be don't mess around with it and get him tested for allergies sooner than later. I wish we had done it beforehand. He is not having to use any special creams, etc...w.e've used them all. Just avoid eggs.

:)

[Phooey]

All 3 of mine have had it to varying degrees. Here's what we do now with DD...

NO fragrances - no fabric softener of any kind on any fabric that she comes in contact with. Not even the pretty soaps/lotions with lavendar or vitamin E or aloe.

She had a milk allergy, so I had to cut that out anyways...

Every night, she gets a warm (not too hot) bath for a max of 10 minutes. Every other night (or two or three), she gets a small amount of unscented soap. Then, while she's still sitting in the water and her skin is nice and moist, we slather her with vaseline from head to toe, skipping the diaper area. This traps the water in the skin and helps keep it there.

It has kept her breakouts down to a bare minimum. :thumbsup:



Phooey on dry patches

[bebeboy03]

Wow!!! So much info, thank you so much!!!

So, if I eat eggs, milk, nuts, etc is effects his eczema?? I have ate those things all along and it hasnt gotten bad until now when the weather is starting to turn colder and we switched to a different detergent.

So many things to learn and try. I better get busy!! thanks so much everyone!

[BlsdMama]

Exzcema is the external reaction to something going on internally. Remove milk(for several weeks and watch for hidden), syn-det detergents including bath soap and laundry soap. Keep a food diet. Be aware of gluten. External lotions can't help. Emu oil has shown to help the itchiness, etc. But remember the exczema is just a SYMPTOM of what is going on internally. Treating it externally might make it go away here and there but it doesn't treat the problem. Just as a fever is a symptom of the immune system fighting off a bug... Tylenol just covers up the symptom, it doesn't treat the underlying issue.

[BlsdMama]

Whoops! And I saw someone suggested vaseline. PLEASE don't use vaseline. It's a petroleum product. Google that and you'll be SCARED. Don't use petroleums on your children. You can buy shea butter in bulk and that would be a MUCH better alternative. As few baths as you can get away with as well.

Okay and here's why. I actually make natural bath/body, soap products etc. I don't say it to push my stuff because you can get your hands on it cheaper and you don't want it scented for kids anyway! :)

Lotions, etc., you can get in the store have petroleums in it. You know how you can topically apply medicine and it gets absorbed into your bloodstream? Yeah, same with petroleums. Evil, evil stuff. Shea is better. Your body has a natural protective layer - the oils we produce. Soap is the combination of lye (ALL SOAP! WITH NO EXCEPTIONS uses sodium hydroxide a.k.a. lye or potassium hydroxide, this is what saponified means) and oils. So the goal of the soap is to have the right balance of oils vs. saponifying agent to result in a salt. Salt will remove the oil and dirt from your skin. Soap is a salt. Okay, too much info, right? But here's the gist of it. Your child's body really does need oils. Heck I MAKE natural soap and I still don't use it on my kids except when absolutely necessary. Oatmeal soap, essential oil soap, goatsmilk soap, NONE of it is necessary for children without oily skin. Leave the natural barrier there. Lotion does NOT scientifically "moisturize." It's job is to provide a barrier so that moisture (water) can't evaporate easily from your skin... the result of too much washing. So, when you bathe, you should re-apply a barrier immediately locking in as much of that moisture as possible. But the REAL goal is to remove as little of that barrier as possible!!!! Adding another NATURAL barrier through oils, not petrol products. And the only REAL way to help moisturize the skin from the inside is to drink water and avoid sugar as much as possible as that is a water stealer. So, if you let your child drink juice (sparingly) water it down 50/50. Avoid any non-100% juices. Avoid soda. Avoid un-natural sugars as much as possible. They are water leachers. Do have them drink water. Don't bathe them everyday. Only as necessary. And use a natural barrier like shea butter. Read the ingredients label! You want 100% shea butter. Un-refined shea has a nutty, and strong odor so you might want the deodorized. One of the cheapest places to get high quality shea (and there is a HUGE difference across from suppliers) is Kangaroo Blue. www.kangarooblue.com

And a pound or two goes a lloooooooooooooong way. Don't buy too much! If you want whipped shea (whipped with a lighter oil for spreadability) there are many out there who make it, including me, but really the shea put on lightly really does the trick!

[mandikaake]

Wow BlsdMama, that looks like a good company. Does anyone on dt ever do a co-op for this company....sorry to hijack.

Anyways, I don't know if anyone mentioned it but treating topically, coconut oil is great as well. The health benefits are amazing, it smells good and when cooler it is in a solid form.

[BlsdMama]

You could check with them, but I don't think they'd do a co-op to be honest. Most of us soapmakers buy shea by 25-50 lbs at a time, if not more and $5 per pound is AMAZING. Agbanga Karite DOES do co-ops on shea, but it is NATURAL - meaning non-deodorized. Depending on where you're shipping from you might want to look at buying in bulk from Columbus Foods. Check out Soaper's Choice Bulk Oils for a good price on Shea. This is generally where I order my shea from (unless I'm in a pinch and need it quick.) I've worked with both companies. Both have great shea and both are reputable. Both have excellent, truly EXCELLENT customer service. CF is also a good place to get organic coconut oil in bulk. Just an FYI!

[bebeboy03]

I think that I might have heard about coconut oil, maybe I will try that. I can get that at my local health food store, right?

[mandikaake]

Yes you can. It will be in a clear glass or plastic container like mayo is. Just like the Shea Butter, a little bit goes a long way. Let us know what you do and if there's progress. :thumbsup:

[bebeboy03]

yay! Ok, I am going to try the coconut oil and also eliminate all dairy from my diet and see how that goes. He's not getting any, beside what he gets from nursing, so I dont have to worry about taking it out of his solids. He just gets cereal and fruits and veggies.

Anyways, thank you all so so much for the advice!!! I really hope something works so we can stay away from the steroids and such! Thank you all again!:mrgreen:

[starryeyedgyal]

Whoops! And I saw someone suggested vaseline. PLEASE don't use vaseline. It's a petroleum product. Google that and you'll be SCARED. Don't use petroleums on your children. You can buy shea butter in bulk and that would be a MUCH better alternative. As few baths as you can get away with as well.

Okay and here's why. I actually make natural bath/body, soap products etc. I don't say it to push my stuff because you can get your hands on it cheaper and you don't want it scented for kids anyway! :)

Lotions, etc., you can get in the store have petroleums in it. You know how you can topically apply medicine and it gets absorbed into your bloodstream? Yeah, same with petroleums. Evil, evil stuff. Shea is better. Your body has a natural protective layer - the oils we produce. Soap is the combination of lye (ALL SOAP! WITH NO EXCEPTIONS uses sodium hydroxide a.k.a. lye or potassium hydroxide, this is what saponified means) and oils. So the goal of the soap is to have the right balance of oils vs. saponifying agent to result in a salt. Salt will remove the oil and dirt from your skin. Soap is a salt. Okay, too much info, right? But here's the gist of it. Your child's body really does need oils. Heck I MAKE natural soap and I still don't use it on my kids except when absolutely necessary. Oatmeal soap, essential oil soap, goatsmilk soap, NONE of it is necessary for children without oily skin. Leave the natural barrier there. Lotion does NOT scientifically "moisturize." It's job is to provide a barrier so that moisture (water) can't evaporate easily from your skin... the result of too much washing. So, when you bathe, you should re-apply a barrier immediately locking in as much of that moisture as possible. But the REAL goal is to remove as little of that barrier as possible!!!! Adding another NATURAL barrier through oils, not petrol products. And the only REAL way to help moisturize the skin from the inside is to drink water and avoid sugar as much as possible as that is a water stealer. So, if you let your child drink juice (sparingly) water it down 50/50. Avoid any non-100% juices. Avoid soda. Avoid un-natural sugars as much as possible. They are water leachers. Do have them drink water. Don't bathe them everyday. Only as necessary. And use a natural barrier like shea butter. Read the ingredients label! You want 100% shea butter. Un-refined shea has a nutty, and strong odor so you might want the deodorized. One of the cheapest places to get high quality shea (and there is a HUGE difference across from suppliers) is Kangaroo Blue. www.kangarooblue.com

And a pound or two goes a lloooooooooooooong way. Don't buy too much! If you want whipped shea (whipped with a lighter oil for spreadability) there are many out there who make it, including me, but really the shea put on lightly really does the trick!

My daughter suffers from eczema from food allergies as well. Dust mites and the cold weather also contribute to it. I'm really interested in using shea butter. I just looked at the site you suggested. Is the price of the shea butter $6/lb? And if I do buy it, is it ready to use as soon as it arrives? I know, dumb question, but I see that this is used to make a variety of products from...

[HollyB]

..... 9 times out of 10 it's either from vaccines or a poor diet. The only thing I can see from a poor diet from one that young would be formula - by the way - not knocking you if that's the case.....



I'm sorry but this is not true. I'm not trying to start a debate, or anything of that nature, but to say that this skin condition is from vaccines?? That's bit of a stretch, and NO-that's not what causes it. Usually, atopic eczema, or atopic dermatitis are caused by allergies, like Hay Fever, or even pet dander. Chemicals..even organic acids that are found in oranges and used in furniture polish can trigger this. There is no correlation between vaccines and eczema. The only thing I can say is that if your children suffer from eczema that bad, I'd be concerned about asthma. BTW-Check yourself out too, eczema has a propensity (sp?) to be genetic.

[mandikaake]

I'm sorry but this is not true. I'm not trying to start a debate, or anything of that nature, but to say that this skin condition is from vaccines?? That's bit of a stretch, and NO-that's not what causes it. Usually, atopic eczema, or atopic dermatitis are caused by allergies, like Hay Fever, or even pet dander. Chemicals..even organic acids that are found in oranges and used in furniture polish can trigger this. There is no correlation between vaccines and eczema. The only thing I can say is that if your children suffer from eczema that bad, I'd be concerned about asthma. BTW-Check yourself out too, eczema has a propensity (sp?) to be genetic.

Hayfever itself has an underlying cause. I would know as I suffered with it for years and finally got yeast and parasites under control and now do not suffer. I had ever since I was 5 and took everything there was to take. Most of the "diseases" and skin disorders that are known to man have an underlying problem - it is toxins and problems within the bodies system that causes it to react in this "allergic" manor. I have personal experience with this as well as personal friends and family members who have been healed of all kinds of things by simply getting to the root cause.