Eczema Products That Worked for You or Your Toddler?

Vanacream. I live by it. We live in the desert so we lotion up everyday. My son & I have eczema. I finally got it under control with this hypoallergenic, no perfumes or dyes lotion. You must order it from the pharmacy. CVS can order it for you. I literally buy it by the pound. Best of luck.

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my doc told me to use creams and lotions but they never worked... I started giving him a bath with two tsps baking soda and i cleared up. I put it in every bath he takes.no problems since. I read it on the internet.

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Our daughter has had mild eczema since she was 12 months old. She has been treated exclusively with over the counter products - hydrocortisone and Vanicream lotion per the direction of her dermatologist. Aquaphor was also recommended.

Is her child being treated by a dermatologist? If not, I'd highly recommend it. Our pediatrician is great, but he know his limitations and didn't want to misdiagnose or mistreat something he couldn't specifically identify.

Eczema is easy to misdiagnose, so I'd personally want verification before using anything just to be sure the treatment matches the diagnosis. Even with the eczema diagnosis, we mistook a rash in the same area as eczema recently. It was actually MRSA, a serious staph infection.

There has been some research lately on different topical products and possible side effects - mostly related to topical Rx steroids.

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My mother is a bit of a granola and told me that if I got my toddler off cows milk her eczema would clear up. I tried to switch her to soy but she didn't go for it. However, when I finally took away the bottle, she no longer was interested in milk. Low and behold, no more eczema.

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Hi...not sure if this was mentioned already...but unrefind organic coconut oil works wonders! It should be applied to slightly damp skin (like right afte a bath). I think many of the other suggestions for allergan testing and removing non-natural soaps shampoos etc should also help

I believe in the diet testing thing too - we did it and we avoid wheat, only eat eggs once a week, no citrus, and only mommy's milk for dairy - he does have occasional cheese - but no more than once a week.
As for a cream - Arbonne! Works like a charm...on tougher spots use diaper cream...Do NOT put steroid creams on - makes it worse. Also - she needs to not put sunscreen on - instead use a full sun suit and hat. We can't use sunscreen in our house and the kids are FINE at the beach and in the pool in the full sun suit - they are not hot. Long sleeve cotton white shirts and shorts/pants are also a must. Keep the child hydrated and in a hat - should have no worries.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_i_5?rh=k:arbonn...

My sister and I both have eczema though hers is more severe and she had to be on multiple prescriptions, none of which I can name. However, she got a prick test and once she learned what she was allergic to and we avoid it, it got a lot better. She still breaks out because sometimes allergens are not avoidable (like grass), but now both she and I can usually clear up with the use of eucerin and oatmeal baths. Your friend may want to get a prick test. Also, it is entirely possible that your friend's child is allergic to sunscreen. My sister's not, but I am. If I touch any type of sunscreen or makeup with sunscreen, even chapstick, I break out and itch. It's really a matter of figuring out what you're allergic to and avoiding it. Lol, I know nuts make me itch, but I eat them anyway and then just put on some aveeno anti itch and take an oatmeal bath.

I use Florigen (sp) for my son. It is a probiotic and it has helped clear my son up. I would try something along the lines of that because the good bacteria helps.

Eczema is a loose term for undiagonised rashes. I know this as both my daughters suffered from it severely and it is the main reason that I started my company. Although most eczema cases are from the inside, some are not as with my daughters. There is an article on my web-site www.naturesbaby.com about eczema that you might find helpful. Unfortunately it will be a trial and error soft of process.

One of the most important things to do is not aggravate an existing condition, so you will want to avoid products with harsh chemicals and synthetic fragrances. I have several products on my site that have been very helpful in treating eczema, our soothing stick, diaper ointment, lotion and oil. Our soothing sticks, diaper ointment and oil have Tamunu Oil in them which is a wonderful polynesian plant with many benefits. You might want to research it on line and see if you can get some straight Tamunu Oil. Just a warning it is very expensive but it is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and overall just a wonder healing oil.

Some quick tricks. You want to avoid overshowering your child as you are washing off the body's natural ability to develop oil. Make sure the water temperature is not above 85 degrees. After a bath of shower you want to lock in the moisture with an oil that is free of mineral oils. You can simply try olive oil if you like.

I do also recommend a pro-biotic such as bio-k which is sold in the fridge section in Whole Foods.

As far as sunscreen, I recommend using a zinc only sunscreen as titanium and other sunscreen active ingredients will again aggravate a condition, zinc has many healing properties. You also want to make sure it is fragrance free. My company has been working on a suncreen for over two years but it just is not perfect yet. Currently we are using Burn Out and it has been working really well for us.

I am so sorry to hear that your child is suffering. I have gone thru this with both my girls and it is very challenging. One more thing, eczemas flare ups sometimes just have to run their course before they are out of the system. Make sure you always test any new product on a small area first to see if will relieve the flare up or aggravate.

Best of luck to you.

Warmly,
A.-mother of two
founder of Nature's Baby Organics

I found that the CAUSE of DS's eczema was the J&J baby lotion that I was using on him. So for lotion, I use a basic fragrance free, sensitive skinned CVS brand lotion. Cleared up immediately.

So maybe rather than treating the problem, she could start looking for what the cause is? It may not be anything that she can fix. But it's worth exploring.

The very best, hands down, is aveeno baby soothing relief moisture cream. There's no alcohol, as most lotions have and is terribly drying, and even says on the bottle its good for eczema. It works wonders for my daughter and there is a body wash and shampoo that go hand in hand with it. As for the sunscreen, I'd recommend the aveeno baby continuous spray. So he can have sun protection but not have the lotion rubbed in, just a quick spray over and he's covered.

I tried all of the lotions and sprays but what helped my daughter the most was plain aloe. Aloe in a bottle worked, but tell her to get a small aloe plant. Straight from the plant worked miracles for my daughter.

I am going through this with my toddler, too. We've tried a couple different things, which is what your friend will probably have to do, too.
I don't bathe her every night, but the child is magnet to dirt and sticky things, so I do have to rinse her each night. I lay her on a towel on the floor and smother her with Eucerin. When she has a flare-up, I use a sample of medication the pediatrician gave her (in mousse form) called Verdeso. The soap I use is a black bar soap that my mom gave me - she's a massage therapist and used to sell natural creams, lotions, etc. I can get the name of the soap if you want it, but I don't have the original packaging. It's a very healing soap, but even then, I still only use it sparingly. I took my daughter off dairy for awhile thinking that might be the cause of the flare-ups. She cleared up for about 4 days and I thought I had figured it out. The eczema came back without us introducing dairy back into her diet, so it ruled out dairy. I haven't kept journals or anything to figure it out, since we now know how to treat her flare-ups effectively. If your friend's son's eczema is that bad, she may want to take him to an allergist. Or, she could start eliminating things from his diet, one by one, to see if there's anything that stands out and is obvious. I feel for her. It's no fun watching your child's skin become raw and irritated. My daughter cried a couple times when I applied sunscreen, which made me feel awful. She stopped after several seconds, so the stinging must have went away, but still.....*guilt*. Also, being hot seems to also make the eczema worse, which is almost impossible in the summer. I hope she can find some relief for him soon!!

All three of my children had moderate eczema in early childhood. Their pediatritian prescribed Acid Mantle, which was a cream that came in a large tub, the consistentcy of Noxema, worked beautifully, though old-fashioned I guess, first time I filled the prescription the young pharmacist had never heard of it. A little dab twice a day cleared it up in no time. Good Luck!

Hi E.,
Hydrocortisone cream is dangerous because it actually depletes bone mass just like a woman going through menopause. (One week topically will do it. ) It should be avoided if at all possible.

I have seen, first hand, Renew lotion work every single time I offered it to someone. Even on bleeding eczema... It has been double blind, clinically tested and was 7 times more effective than Eucerin which is what most dermatologists recommend. My 92 year old dad was miserable most of his life until we found it. Let me know and I can get you some information on it.

M.

Its incredible but my son has eczema and what has worked on him was 99 cent store product. it was hydrocortizone cream with aloe. My son continued to break out with any other product.

My daughter had eczema and we started on a plan and have been breakout-free for a year now!! We used all Shaklee products because of their safety and purity standards. First we switched all of our cleaning/laundry products to the Get Clean line that is safe, non-toxic, effective, concentrated to last longer and save us money, and earth-friendly. Most people don't realize that cleaning products can rub off onto our skin when we touch surfaces that have been cleaned with them and they remain in the air and we inhale them. Same goes for laundry products. They don't completely wash out of our clothing/bedding and then get absorped into our skin. A child's skin is 5 times thinner than ours so they absorp so much more than we do.

Second, we changed her personal care products to the Shaklee Baby line. Their line of products is free from all toxins, chemicals, dyes, or anything artificial. They're made with natural ingredients and up to 99% organic. I thought the baby lotion would be too thin at first, but then after using it for a while, it made a drastic change in the texture of her skin.

Lastly, we tackled it from the nutrition standpoint. We have her on the Incredivite chewable multivitamin, Optiflora probiotic, and the Mighty Smart chewable children's omega supplement. The nutrition side is what really made the final difference.

Shaklee is the #1 natural nutrition company in the U.S. and has a trusted reputation for safety, quality, and efficacy. They have been in business for 54yrs and have never had a product recall or FDA investigation. They do over 80,000 quality control tests per year and do 349 contamination tests on all new raw ingredients. They even retest their shipments of ingredients upon delivery from their wholesaler. All of their products are backed by clinical studies and a 100% guarantee. Shaklee = Piece of Mind1 You can check out these products and more at www.greennutrition.info and register to win $200 of free products at www.freegreenproducts.info. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions too.

My daughter also has eczema, it usually shows up on her legs and wrists. I had her tested for food allergies and she is alergic to wheat, soy, peanut butter and a few other things. I have discovered that when she eats a few wheat product a day (bread, pasta...) her eczema gets worse. When I cut back, and give her more protein for meals, it seems to disapear. Food allergies have a lot to do with eczema.
If you can tell your friend to try to find products wilth Melaluca oil (Tea Tree oil) in it, that can help alot. There is a product called Renew (on line) that had it in it and that is what I used in the beggining, but now, I purchased a bottle of Tea tree oil and put a few drops in a bottle of lotion. You can find it at Trader Joes, or any health food store.
Good luck to your friend!

I would... see a Dermatologist... and make sure, it is Eczema.
Next, it is also triggered by things a person eats. My Mom is like that.
Most Eczema is.
For my Mom, it is Oats/Oatmeal and any citrus, that causes eczema in her, for example.

Next: there is something called "Florasone" cream for Itches/rashes/eczema. It is a natural alternative to cortisone. It works very well.
You can get it at Amazon and read the reviews there, or Whole Foods also has it too.

The thing is... you said this child is plagued by Eczema... and even her Doctor is asking HER what has worked in the past... but it has NEVER cleared up.
Therefore... I would, make sure the Diagnoses is correct. What if it is not even eczema? Nothing seems to be helping it.
Or, the child's diet has never been addressed either, in terms of allergies. USUALLY, this is also investigated.
OR, it is triggered by something topical... they are putting on him or that he is using or that he is in contact with....

If the child "whimpers in pain" from applying sunscreen... then gee, I would not do that. Or, use something else... like a sun-guard t-shirt or something and a hat etc.
Can you imagine being in pain every time you put lotion on yourself? I am sure that alone IS aggravating the "eczema" or whatever it is.

all the best,
Susan

I would say to have him tested for allergies since it sounds like he has a very severe case. My son had it on his cheeks and I cut out dairy a few months ago. It has not reoccured. Diary, eggs, soy, ect. are common culprits.

If it's really that bad, this may not help. But this best thing we ever did was add Fish Oil capsules to our diet. Omega 3 fatty acids work from the inside out - helping the membranes, skin and more. Our case was mild, but it totally went away. Maybe it will at least help.

I know what is like. My baby had eczema as long as I can remember. I am afraid I made worst when she was a little baby because my doc. told me that was better to no apply any cream on babies!!
We have try many creams, and your friend is right, some seam to not work at all and others work but for little and then they go back.
We went to a allergist, and we found out she was allergic to many things, milk, eggs, feathers (from our pillows) mushrooms (from my wrinkle creams) and others.
When we stop giving her this things, we notice a good change.
We also found that was better if we don't use the doc creams everyday, instead we put her a lot, emphasis in A LOT of Aquapor healing ointment (the baby one) the doc say that vaseline was the same thing but for us Aquapor seem to work best.
We also like Aveeno baby soothing relief creamy wash, (also like the sunscreen).
The cream that works best for us was Locoid Lipocream (hydrocortisone butyrate 0.1%) and other one but I can't remember the name.
She is now 2 and she is a lot better, she almost never get any oozing spots.
She outgrow her allergy to milk too.
Other things that work for us was not give her a shower everyday, again, use lots of Aquapor, don't use softener in her clothes, back then we only ue Dreft soap but now she is ok with Tide.
I have seen some creams that are special for eczema, I use California Baby, Calendula cream, which is nut oils, gluten, soy, oat and dairy free.
It is expensive and it had the same effect that Aquapor so we just stick with it.
Lubriderm, Eucerin were good too.
I think she should go see an allergist first, try Aquapor, Lubriderm, Eucerin or Calendula cream to see what works best, give a try to the Locoid Lipocream but only in the spots and not use it everyday.
Hope this help.
You don't say how old is her baby, but my baby is outgrowing hers, so I hope her kid does it too soon.
EDIT: Also tell her to be careful with sweat, that seem to make my baby rash, she shouldn't wash her baby everyday (with soap) but a quick rinse of water will do. Apply moisturise while skin still wet.
Another important think, no give baby bath with warm water, the colder the better, I mean, not to cause baby to be freeze, but, warm/hot water dry skin and just make eczema worst.
I agree with the other mom that said that every kid is different, and she will have to find the mix that works for her.

My son has had eczema and it was really bothering him. My friend went to her homeopathic dr. and he gave her cream that he makes, my son put it on and within 5 minutes IT WAS GONE. It is not inexpensive but it really works. If interested email back. FYI the dr. may want to see the child first.

Eczema isn't cured by a cream or medicine, its cured from the inside out. He's reacting to something he's eating or being exposed to. My son has awful eczema and now psoriasis. His eczema will break open, bleed, ooze, crust over and cause him major pain, if he has too much dairy. We know what causes it, we know how to treat it.

He takes acidophilus probiotic daily, and he also takes fish oil caplets. Never put lotion or cream on broken skin, let it dry out. IF its itchy or sore, get some tea tree oil and put a couple drops into a bowl of warm water and soak the sore area or put a towel into the mix and lay it across the affected area. And also figure out what is the problem, why is he reacting. Then eliminate that problem from his diet or environment. It can't be cured from a cream or pill, it needs to be healed from the inside out, as eczema is a fungus that lives in te colon and needs to be treated from the inside out.

ALSO AVOID HYDROCORTIZONE! Its linked to cataracts in the eyes and it also weakens skin, making it more susceptable tobreaking out in the future. It may work short time but it won't heal and it causes bigger problems in the long run. Avoid it.

IgE food allergy testing and IgG food sensitivity testing should help determine what is causing the eczema. The offending foods should be removed.

i know you shouldn't do it but my mother used prescription strength hydrocotizone on me. you would put small dabs on me. every couple days. you must be careful (even with adults) with this medication. it can soften bones with long periods of use but it works so well. hopefully as this child grows older it will start to disappear, mine did now i only have a few spots that pop up every five years or so. i had it soooo bad on my upper arm as a kid and now i have a tatoo there. so good luck.

My ten month old has eczema and I am working hard to find the right combination of products to keep a bad breakout at bay. Excema can get really serious really fast; my daughter just finished having a bacterial infection.

I am finding that keeping on top of it is the most important thing (I am sure your friend is trying). I use Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream when she does not have a breakout or when it is really mild. I apply twice a day. When a patch of eczema appears, I use hydrocordizone 1% untill it is gone. My doctor has prescribe something more powerful but I haven't used it yet. I also try to only bathe her once a week. I find that her bath causes a breakout too. This is frusterating to me because I like my babies to have a bath much more frequently!

I am really careful putting sunscreen on her because I find that some aggravate the situation more. Also, certain fabrics and foods can cause outbreaks too.

I think that finding the right combination of products is probably unique to each person. Unfortunately since eczema is linked to allergies, finding the right combination of staying away from the wrong foods and applying the right products can be tricky. Has your friend had her daughter tested for allergies?

We use ~ CeraVe ~ you can get it over the counter. Call around to your pharmacys before you go looking for it.
It is a hydrating cleanser. Green and white bottle.
Ours cost $11.99.

We have tried just about everything. And then we went to a specialist dermatologist, he took one look at my daughter and said, CeraVe.
We have been using it for a few years now and it works great for us.
Plus it's over the counter.

Your friend needs to have their son/daughter wear long sleeve shirts that will help alot.

Keep the child away from pet hair.

I hope the child feels better soon.

My daughter and I both have excema and she has psoriasis also. We use Renew lotion from Melaleuca and we have had wonderful results. We hardly have issues if we use it regularly, (with teens she forgets) my youngest also has excema and he has done well with the lotion. If you would like information about it or I can even see if I still have any samples please feel free to contact me at ____@____.com
You can also google the Renew intensive skin care reviews and see others have had great help or elimination of excema with Renew! You don't have to just take my word on it. I am willing to send a sample if I have some at home! Let me know.

Has she been tested for food allergies? At 6 months old my daughter had horrible eczema. We tested and found out she was allergic to eggs. 2 days after I stopped eating eggs (she exclusively breastfed at the time) she cleared up. She has still had some dry skin issues on and off. DermaSmooth Oil (is is script) works wonders.

As a scientist, and having used hydrocortisone on my son's excema, I had to research into the risks of using the cream as mentioned in some of the posts. Everything I found concerning bone loss, etc were in cases of large oral doses used over long periods of time as in cancer treatment, I don't think occasional topical use is to be of concern, but please don't take my word for it, check with your doctor.
My son was prescribed hydrocortisone applied three times daily for a week to clear up his excema flare up, then I have used the Aveeno baby cream after his bath everynight and have had no problems since. If I start seeing anything that looks like a rash I use it twice a day. I was also told not to use soap in the bath, just rinse him with water (and shampoo every few days). Like I said, works like a charm and easy as pie!

My son had eczema when he was three months. It was horrible. Someone recommended RAW SHEA BUTTER. You have to get it either online, or you can find it at beauty supply stores. There is a store in the Carson mall that carries it. Putting it all over a few times a day soothes it. Online you can get if from a sigt called nubian heritage: www.nubianheritage.com/

Best wishes.

We do baking soda baths a couple times a week, and all of her baths are rom temp or on the cooler side. Afterwards I rub her down with aquaphor, then aveeno moisturizing lotion on top of it (I do that mix everytime I change her diaper). It seems to help, although she still have some spots (the heat doesn't help it either). Good Luck.