Eczema Support

Updated on January 03, 2011
K.S. asks from Gilbert, AZ
35 answers

My 3 year old son has eczema since he was 6 months. It shows up mostly on his foot and the back of his leg.

We have had allergy tests done and he is not allergic to any foods/environment that we've tested. I use Arbonne lotion and oils on him, double rinse all his clothes etc. We eat very healthy, although I do give him some processed foods (think peanut butter pretzels). He does take the Arbonne supplements too. Currently the only thing that will keep his spots under control is prescrition cream. Even with that, his spots still itch. We love his pediatrician - but he says it is something he will have to grow out of.

Any Mom's out there dealing with eczema too? Anyone had anything that has really helped? I keep thinking there is something else I should be doing, but I am not sure what the next step is. Holistic? Different product? More allergy testing? I am willing to try anything with in reason.

Thanks for your help!

K.

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So What Happened?

Hey everyone!! I am overwhelmed by everyones responses and good wishes. Thanks for all of the ideas. Isn't it amazing how so many of us struggle with the same things?!?!

To answer a few questions - he does take probiotics. I try and do everything for at least 6 weeks to give it a chance to work, so far no luck. He also takes Zyrtec at night - 1 tsp. at bedtime, although they have said he can take 1/2 tsp at night and 1/2 in the morning, not sure if it makes a difference to his skin to break up the doses. The zyrtec helps with his itching, but hasn't cleared his spots.

I will try some things and let you know how he is doing. Oh, and I have some renew cream that a sweet lady gave me on the plane when she saw his spots, never did use it - I think I will try it too.

THANKS AGAIN!!

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V.B.

answers from Phoenix on

My son also fought eczema, but thankfully, seems to be growning out of it. I used to use Aquaphore (really thick like vasaline) on him after every bath, then put pants and long sleeves on him so it would stay on him and not everything else that he touched! If I was good about that after every bath and I limited his baths to about 3 a week, we kept it under control. I did try the Arbonne and it worked ok for us, but the aquaphore was better. You can find it at Wal-Mart.
Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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S.G.

answers from Phoenix on

Try Aquaphor byu Eucerin. My 2 year old daughter has just started having problems with eczama. It helps to the point that a really bad spot will be cleared by morning. It is over the counter and soothes and heals. It has been a saving grace!!! AND...you don't have to worry about some prescription strength creams with additional side effects.

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G.D.

answers from Flagstaff on

Hi,
I have had eczema my whole life and went through so many creams and steroids. About 8 years ago, I discovered olive oil. It works so well, I have never gone back to trying lotions etc. I lather behind my ears, in between my fingers, etc. at night while I'm sleeping and usually by the morning, it's gone.
good luck.

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J.K.

answers from Phoenix on

Yeah, I read a study that lack of good bacteria in the digestive tract causes exzema too. The mother who said the same obviously read the same. The study said that it was part of the outcome of c sections. Without passing through the birth canal, babies aren't exposed to some of the good bacteria from the mother. And, of course, with all the antibiotics our kids get these days, we should absolutely be supplementing with probiotics. I can refer you to a children's product if need be.

1 mom found this helpful
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T.R.

answers from Phoenix on

My kids don't have eczema but they always get very red & dry cheeks in the winter. I have found a cream that you can get at Walmart. Its by Gentle Naturals. I put it on 2 times a day when their cheeks are red and it works great! I know your son has it more severe but just thought I would share that with you since it was recommended to me by a friend who's child does have eczema. Good luck!
Here is the link for the product.
http://www.gentlenaturals.com/products/eczema_cream.cfm

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C.C.

answers from San Antonio on

Look up Skin writing disease - granddaughter has it - misdiagnosed with Eczema -zantac and zyrtec together keeps it under control - no bubble bathes - oatmeal lotions - soaps with no perfumes and last but not least no cling sheets in the dryer - good luck

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H.V.

answers from Tucson on

I have eczema and so does my 9 year old daughter. I used to get it on the backs of my legs too...anywhere where sweat can stay for awhile...backs of legs,inside of elbows and on the scalp. Now 30, I've outgrown mine-finally! But my daughter still gets it, especially during these super hot months. What works for me is being mindful of the amount of sweat on the spots- two showers a day and putting Cortizone 10 or Aveeno cream directly on the spots. Also, check to see where your son might be playing outside- could be grass or weeds that is bothering his spots.

Good Luck!
H.

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D.G.

answers from Albuquerque on

both my kids have gone throguh excema. My oldest did grow out of it by about age five and my youngest's is getting better with each year. What help the most for us was oatmeal baths and Eucerin lotion. We've also recently tried Neutrogena oil body wash. You can also just use olive oil in the shower. When it flared up really bad we'd have to do benadryl at night and only once the steroids. Eventually they usually do grow out of it. Just keep trying.

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S.L.

answers from Tucson on

Have you considered any herbal alternatives? I am a certified herbal consultant and would be happy to suggest some options that are completely free of the chemicals and synthetics used in most topical applications - and which could be causing and exacerbating the issue. Feel free to contact me if you are interested.

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D.D.

answers from Phoenix on

Myself and my son both have eczema as well as others in my family. What really works best for us is, no perfumes soaps or laundry soaps, i use the baby all and my son is fine with that, No powdered laundry soap either. Use the Eucerin (SP) it is a a tub and very oilly but it works, also the generic walmart brand of the lucerin cream it helps as well. If it gets really bad you can also give him an oatmeal bath, use some old fashioned oatmeal oats and put them in a nylon and start a luke warm bath and let him soak in it for at least 30 mins and it really helps. (plus it makes your skin soft). If you have access to any books get the herbal remedies books. My grandmother used to sell natures sunshine products so she has a ton of those books and she gave me like 7 or 8 different ideas on what to do, they all really helped. But one major thing to do is to stay away from any fragrance products at all. Even if you hold him and you have on perfume he will break out in the rash. Hope this helped. any more questions i can help you with you can email me ____@____.com

D.

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S.N.

answers from Phoenix on

We have a friend that swears that Bazi (a nutritional juice drink you can get at our web site www.drinkbazi.biz/S.)has cured her daughter of eczema. I think her daughter is now about 6 years old, and suffered with it for a very long time. It might be worth a try. It tastes good, can be mixed with water if you want, and has a 60 day money back guarantee. Plus - it comes with a life changing income opportunity.

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C.H.

answers from Flagstaff on

My sons and my husband have eczema. I started to make my own lotions and soaps to help them. It is not as extreme as it sounds and I love my new hobby.

How often do you bathe him? I only bathe my boys every other day. They do not stay in the bath longer than 15 minutes since long stays in water can cause dryness. Put lotion on him within 20 minutes of getting out of the bath.

For the itchy patchs, I add a few drops of Tea Tree oil to lotion and rub that into their skin. Tea Tree oil is slightly numbing, so they don't scratch to make it worse.

There are natural oils out there that are good for eczema and much more healthy for the skin.

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G.C.

answers from Tucson on

Do you give him probiotics?

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J.P.

answers from Phoenix on

Hello K.,
THis condition can be so frustrating. My oldest son had eczema and when he out grew that, he got asthma. During my research I found that eczema was a precursor to asthma. I believed that for the longest time until me daughter got eczema at 18 months. I took her to doctor after doctor at a military hospital. I was told to use cortaid, to use aveeno in her bath, to use oatmeal in her bath water and the ultimately ridiculous thing that I was told by a physician was to put crisco on her. I decided I had had enough of the idiots that were claiming to be doctors, so I took it upon myself to take her off base to a dermatologist. He made up a special mixture of two different creams. one of the ingredients was Cetaphyl. I can't for the life of me remember the other ingredient. It was amazing how quickly this worked. She had eczema so badly that I would see he just clawing at the backs of her legs in her sleep. She would scratch at this stuff so badly that some places would bleed. This prescribed cream mixture made her stop itching so that it could heal. Now her skin is smooth, but she has scars on her feet from the eczema. My suggestion would be to take your son to a dermatologist.

Good luck to you. I hope you find some relief for you son soon!

J.

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K.W.

answers from Phoenix on

So I used to be a melalueca member, they have a lotion called renew. it was really good and my pediatrician used it on her daughter for eczema. If you don't want to Join I would suggest buying off of ebay. that way you dont have to be obligated every month to spend so much. Good luck

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A.K.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi there,
My youngest son also has eczema (he is 10 months now). We use Now Shea butter which can be found at Whole Foods for $10.00. I think it can be special ordered at Hi Health also since they carry Now products. I also use CeraVe cream and CeraVe wash on him instead of regular baby soaps (found it at Walgreens). All of this seems to help as we don't see hardly any break outs now.

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A.T.

answers from Santa Fe on

What we, as consumers, don't realize that manufacturers are putting more and more harmful chemical and ingredients in our every day products (like skin care, laundry products,dental products, cleaning products, cosmetics etc.). You can buy the best lotion or cream but pretty much everything we use has something in it to cause these health issues. Think about it...20 years ago we didn't have so many of todays health issues. The best thing to do is (we did it and it is the best thing we ever did) convert your homes to safer and healthier products. I shop at a store where you can convert your home without spending extra money. In fact, you save money! This is how we got rid of eczema, asthma and other health issues in our family. I'd love to share more if anyone's interested. Remember, it's not about spending extra money. It's about getting better and safer products that are a better value. ____@____.com

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M.M.

answers from Cincinnati on

K.,
My son and I both have eczema. Mine only showed up after I turned 40, but would not go away. I used the prescription creams the dr. gave me and took the allergy meds, but it was still there. Then a friend whose daughter has had eczema since she was a baby told me about Bragg's raw & unfiltered apple cider vinegar. Give it to your son 1x per day mixed with juice, following the directions on the bottle. It took a little while, but it cleared up...what a relief. The nice thing is that it is totally natural and it works.

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H.M.

answers from Phoenix on

You could try zyrtec to see if it's allergy-based. Also, the best thing we found was flax seed powder. You can buy it in the flour section at trader joe's and just sprinkle a tbsp per day in applesauce or something. That was actually the best product for my daughter - you really noticed if we skipped a day. Plus it's all natural - can't hurt to try! Good Luck!

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A.D.

answers from Phoenix on

My 10mth old has eczema all over his torso and legs. I have found the only way to control it is that I only give him a bath every other day and when he gets out I use hydracortizone on him and curel lotion. He has been fine since I started this.

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A.T.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi K.,

My son had the same thing. In fact, he had it so bad i couldnt let him wear anything that had metal, like the little snap buttons on baby clothes, they would leave little round rash rings all down his belly. Metal brings out the rash for eczema. We used Eucerin moisterizing cream, it comes in a jar, very thick, but it works really well. He is now 7 yrs old and no longer has it. His skin does get dry during the winter but not as dry as the eczema does. He grew out of the eczema rashes bout 5 yrs old. I always put the Eucerin on him everytime after i gave him a bath (everywhere) and that seemed to help. Good Luck!!

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L.B.

answers from San Antonio on

We tried Arbbone but found that it still contained things like formaldahyde. We switched over to Melaleuca and after 2 weeks my son was discharged from the monthly Derm appointments. I will NEVER go back!!
www.livetotalwellness.com/BeAtHome
The Renew lotion is simply AMAZING!
T.

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M.C.

answers from Chicago on

My son and I used to have excema, but hasn't appeared in awhile. Both of us take fish oil at night - not sure if that has any impact or not. When my son had it I used aquaphor and/or eucerin (both by the same company) and that seemed to help a lot. Also, when he had the excema we didn't bath him everyday either - the water can be drying. When I had the excema as an adult I know that stress is what triggered it for me.

Good luck in your search!

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J.C.

answers from Phoenix on

Go gluten free! That's the ONLY thing that worked consistently for my almost 8 year old son. It's really not that hard, and it's certainly not going to hurt.

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K.H.

answers from Phoenix on

My son's best friend had horrible eczema for many years on his face, arms, legs, etc. He would have terrible bouts of itching and areas of bleeding. He was given many, many different prescriptions, ointments and creams that didn't work. While on vacation with us for three days I asked him to try some Renew lotion instead of his prescription cream. After trying it just once he loved it. He loved not only the way it made his skin feel but after putting it on for 3 days his skin was healed. Never before had anything worked like Renew did. He and his mother became BIG advocates of Renew lotion. I don't sell the lotion myself but can show you how to get it at discount if you like. So as to not take a whole page here you can contact me privately through Mama Source if you like.

Through my research on Eczema I've found that individuals with Eczema usually have allergies of some type be it environmental or food related. I can give you some other suggestions on how to get to the root of it all.

Have a great day.
From one K. to another K..

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C.R.

answers from Phoenix on

I strongly second the use of Vanicream cream (available at Walgreens). My son developed eczema at a really young age, and we tried EVERYTHING. Even took him to a dermatologist. We finally tried Vanicream, it was a Godsend! It restored his skin to how a baby's skin should be--soft and smoothe. I slather it on him right after his bath. Now I can skip a day or two, but if I don't make sure his skin is protected and moisturized enough, his eczema will start to reappear. Give it a try. I hope your son's skin clears up soon!

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J.H.

answers from Flagstaff on

My daughter started having exzema (sp?) around 2-3 years old. Hers showed up as little rashes on the inside of her elbows and knees. The doctor prescribed Elidel for it. It was kind of expensive at the pharmacy but it worked. We lived in Yuma at the time so we would go over to Mexico and get the Elidel for about half the price of the american pharmacies. We would put a little bit on it when we noticed the rashes and it would go away within a day or two. She has sort of grown out of it as she doesn't really get the rashes anymore and she is almost 7 now.

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D.S.

answers from Tucson on

K.,

My son got eczema when he was four months old. He still gets patches every now and then. He is about to be six months old. He had it on his back, back of the shoulders and back of the thighs. Again, the extreme part went away quickly and every now and then he will get patches.

Our pediatrician said it is because of the dryness. Now, I am not sure if our sons' cases are even similar but here is what worked/works for us. Use a wet wash cloth and just leave it on the affected area for a couple of minutes. Moisture is the key. We then use 1% hydrocortizone ointment (not cream) and then Aquaphor ointment. Again, we use no creams. It went away after one day of use. When the patches come back we use Aquaphor, if it seems to bother him and make him itch we use the hyrocortizone. We don't use too much of that though.

Our pediatrician went to a conference and learned more about eczema. He did prescribe a steroid but we chose not to do that. Again, our son's wasn't extreme. The one thing we do know is that the ointment was better than creams.

Hopefully, that helps.

D.

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J.C.

answers from Phoenix on

I personally would ditch the lotions and creams and stick to a more natural approach. I have known several people that have had great results when they used Tea Tree Oil. I used to use Johnson's baby soap on my son and when he started to get eczema as an infant my doctor suggested using Dove soap. I use only a very small amount in his bath, if I even do that. I don't use lotions or creams or anything else that can clog his pores. Honestly he has not showed signs of eczema since. I know that this will not work for everyone,but going back to the basics may very well solve your problem. Try the tea tree oil in its most natural form. Google how to use it and see if that helps. You may also want to try Googling "Natural Remedies for Eczema" and see what you find. You will be surprised by all of the natural remedies out there. Good luck.

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A.

answers from Albuquerque on

Quality, high vitamin cod liver oil. Homemade, high quality probiotics (cultured dairy and fermented vegetables). A diet of traditional foods improves health on many realms and I know folks who haven't incorporated the entire diet, but just added CLO to their diet and have eliminated ALL their eczema. It must be high vitamin from REAL food sources, not synthetic.
http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/cod-liver-oil-...

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A.G.

answers from Phoenix on

My daughter had that really bad. The specialist recommended We used Vanacream. You buy it behind the pharmacy counter but do not need a prescription. It works great and is not greasy like the other products. In fact it worked so well we didnt need to use her prescription lotion (which cost $50 WITH insurance). Another tip I have is make sure your hands are clean before you rub lotion on. The salt from any sweat on your hands can burn the eczema areas.
I feel your pain and hope he grows out of it like my daughter finally did.

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C.C.

answers from Flagstaff on

Aquaphor (made by Eucerin) always worked wonders for us. My son's worst areas are his face and the trunk of his body. I've also occasionally used hydrocortisone in less sensitive areas, but haven't had as much luck with it on him.

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M.J.

answers from Tucson on

We used a stuff called Vanicream it is over the counter but you sometimes have to ask a pharmacist for it. mY husband had some kind of rash thing. Then both of my kids had it on their bottoms. I also told a friend of mine about the cream and she uses it now.

There are no dyes, fragrances, lanolin, parabens or formaldehyde. So my cousin who has ultra skin irritations uses it as well.

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S.W.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi My son also has bad eczema. We found that for really bad times we use a prescription oil called Derma Smooth and that was the only thing the doctor gave us that works during the major outbreaks to get it under control. As for a natural way to keep from future outbreaks, we noticed a big improvement in using a humidifier in his room every night. We noticed his seemed triggered by dry air because when we visit family in CA it would improve. Sometimes it is not caused by allergy but can be caused by dryness and heat so keeping things moist is key. Good luck

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C.S.

answers from Boston on

My son is almost 5 and has suffered from mild eczema since he was a baby. I recently read about baltic amber for teething pain and came across hazelwood for eczema! I thought it was worth a shot so I bought a necklace made of hazelwood for him...and it really works! His eczema is much better when he wears it. The hazelwood absorbs the acidity in their skin and keeps it under control. I bought mine at hazelaid.com, but I'm sure there are other places too. Hope this might help you and your little one!

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