eczema...any Suggestions?

I first off want to say steer clear of hydrocortizone for children. It has been linked to cataracts in the eyes, and since kids have thier hands all over, its not safe. Plus it weakens the skin and amkes it more susceptable to breakouts in the future. Best to avoid it all together.

I think most people think that eczema is a skin disorder when its really not, its internal, and caused by an allergen like a food allergy (for my son is dairy protein), or another allergen.

My son is mostly triggered by dairy protein, but if he has too many strawberries or oranges, he breaks out as well. His eczema was triggered shortly after his birth by a nurse who gave him a bottle of formula against my wishes. His body wasn't ready for anything but breastmilk and it triggered the allergy.

Anyway, you have to get to the bottom of what is causing him to break out. Keep a food journal and you'll notice a pattern after eating a certain food or being exposed to something he breaks out. Keep the area clean and dry. Pick up some tea tree oil (in the pharmacy by bandaids, etc). Mix a few drops with cool water and use a wash cloth to dab it on the area's affected. It will nto only help with the itching, but it will help dry it out and pull the fungus out.

Next find him some acidophilus caplets. My son takes these http://www.webvitamins.com/product.aspx?id=21467 it will help the good bacteria in his body to flourish, which in turn will fight off the bad bacteria that is making his body spill it out as eczema onto his skin. Also a good EFA will work wonders. My son uses http://www.webvitamins.com/product.aspx?ID=16621

Hope that helps. Eczema is awful. My son, when he has a breakout, has broken, bleeding, crusty oozing skin that causes him pain. Its awful to see and even harder to treat when all you get from doctors is 'oh rub a little aquaphor on it and it'll be fine' when its NOT fine, nothing modern medicine will tell you will help.

1 mom found this helpful

I know this may seem weird. But our 2 year old had eczema and it was getting progressively worse. We kept having to use stronger and stronger steroid creams, which I did not like. And we were using the pooh cream too. Oddly enough we took her off of dairy. And no soy too. She is on rice milk and her eczema was gone in three days. It was like a miracle. People who have allergies to milk and dairy it can show up as eczema. And those people are usually allergic to soy too. She is completely eczema free now. If I were you I would try switching to rice milk and keep the dairy servings down to three a day. And see what happens. She can handle some cheese and yogurt and stuff like that but milk was the worst. I would try it for yourself too. It can't hurt. Plus our doctor wasn't very helpful about it. They just kept prescribing stronger creams and when I suggested taking her off dairy they didn't think that would help. So sometimes I guess you just have to experiment on your own. Give it a try and I hope it helps. I know how annoying the eczema and all the creams can be.

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Hi A., my name is L. Faber and I am an independent consultant with Arbonne international. We have a tremendous line for eczema. I just gave samples to a lady who's little girl would wake up with bloody sheets from the eczema on her legs. Within 3 days she has noticed a difference. I would love to send you samples to try for free. If interested, contact L. Faber at ###-###-####.

Hope to hear from you.

A little about me: A happily working mother with 2 beautiful boys--Jackson and Max. They are my WHY everyday!!!!

Even though it seems like an external issue, it is an internal one. The body is reacting wrongly to the food the child is eating. Eliminate sugar, msg, high fructose corn syrup, gluten, dairy (sometimes) - the child must increase consumption of essential fats, like organic unrefined coconut oil, avacado, fish oil - veggies, and limit fruits. An elimination diet will be the most effective - check out the website for Body Ecology. My friend's son had excema all over his body a year and a half ago, and now since getting chiropractic adjustments, changing his diet, and detoxifying - he no longer has any....I recommend using unrefined coconut oil on the skin if you want to do anything topical. It's all about the health of your gut - 70% of our immune system resides in there - if it is not healthy, then we are not.
This is a committment - it is NOT easy - but a healthy child is the reward...

C.
Holistic Moms Network

My son's Dr. uses Vanicream on her daughter. She said she puts it on her daughter every time she changes her diaper. I have used it on my son during the winter when his skin was extremely dry and it worked great. It isn't on the store shelves, but you can go to the pharmacy counter and ask them for it. I got mine at Wal-Mart.
Good Luck...

Eczema is just a cover term for skin rash with unknown causes. But skin rashes are caused by something. Most commonly a food or chemical allergen. Have you or your son been tested for food allergies (IgG or IgE blood tested not skin prick tested). It may be worth checking into. Now that your son is two, he is old enough to be tested and you may find it is one simple thing like oats or dairy or corn. Once a food that is an allergen is eliminated from the diet, comfort is usually on the docket within 4 days to a week for children (sometimes sooner). Just a suggestion. We had rashes too and found a food allergen and now both my girls are rash free and enjoying life and sleep so much more. SAHM of 2 beautiful girls 2 and 4, with a wonderful hubby/daddy.

I have a friend who has excema and what seems to have worked for her was eliminating all the "common" allergy foods: milk, eggs, nuts, tomatoes, etc; and going then to basically a Celiac's Disease Diet. She also said that her skin condition improved when she stopped her anti-depressants.

Don't know if any of that will be helpful to you, but I thought I would throw that out there.

Oh, I also came across an article online that mentioned a connection between excema and yeast infections, and saying if you followed a Candidia diet it helped with the excema too.

I have been using Sensaria Natural bodycare products for a few years now and I started selling them myself, because I use them so much. There is Nourishing moisturizer that contains Azulene which soothes and calms while it protects your skin. I have friends that have children that have been on perscriptions and they say this has worked wonders. There is also Jojoba oil - A golden oil extracted form the desert Jojoba shrub bring vital moisture to skin. Not only is this great for really dry skin but works wonders on dry scalp, nails, dry hair, and cradle cap, it is much better for you then baby oil and it doesn't feel greasy. If you would like a sample send me an e-mail ____@____.com please put eczema in the subject so I know it is you. Hope I can help out. S. or check out my sensaria website mysensaria.com/stacieall4u.

My son had Eczema too. We finally tried the Aveeno line of lotions and bath creams. It is the only thing that has helped. Give it a try! Hope this helps!

My husband has it bad, especially in the winter. Both my sons (ages 5 yrs and 18 months) also have it. I've never put anything on it or done anything about it. It doesn't bother them or itch or anything. Just figure it's just a part of the way their skin is. It only seems to flare up in the winter when it's dry out, but doesn't seem to itch.

I never had my son's condition diagonised as eczema, but I think he had a mild case of it. What worked for us (as recommended by others) was Aquafor and also changing the laundry detergent and softeners that we used. I had ALWAYS used Tide and Downy, but switched to 'Eco' brand liquid laundry detergent, which has a soy-based fabric softener built in, and that really made a huge difference. The Eco brand detergent is somewhat expensive, so I also recently tried making my own laundry detergent and have had wonderful results also. I know it sounds a little crazy, but it's really quick, cheap and easy. The 'reciepe' is to grate up one bar of 'Fels Naptha' brand laundry bar and mix together with 1 and 1/2 cups Borax and 1 and 1/2 cups Washing Soda (I think I found Arm & Hammer brand). All three were in the laundry aisle at the local big chain grocery store and were very inexpensive, only a dollar or two a piece. Use 1 or 2 Tablespoons for a large load of laundry. Good luck! :)

Eczema is a side effect of some allergy that you and your child might have. Maybe some allergy testing to find out what the allergy is. The specific child that I remember as having exzema so badly definitely had food allergies quite badly-his mom used eucerin and hydrocortisone I believe-it never cleared up until they got the food allergies under control. Good luck to you!

Hey, A.! I also have eczema. It can be a real pain to deal with at times. The only lotion I've found that actually keeps me from having breakouts (I haven't had one since I started using it) is Lubriderm Nourishing with Oat Extract (none of the other Lubriderm lotions work). According to my dermatologist, the oat extract helps lock moisture into your skin and prevents it from drying out. The lotion has to be put on at least once a day to actually work though (I put it on each morning). Good luck with it!

Eczema can be caused by a reaction to gluten. This gluten sensitivity/allergy is hereditary, so both you and your son may benefit greatly by avoiding gluten (found in wheat, barley, rye, modified food starch... you can look it up on google to find a more complete list. This condition has been under-diagnosed for years, and is just beginning to be in the awareness of many doctors (it used to be thought that digestive problems had to be present, but now it is known tha there may be no symptoms at all or such diverse symptoms a s eczema or adhd.
You could try eliminating gluten from your and his diets for a month and you just may see an improvement in the eczema.
There is a lot of info online about foods you can eat, look up gluten or celiac. Good luck!

We too have been plagues with this. I ended up taking my daughter to an allegist because I thought she must be allergic to something. Turns out she wasn't but he did have suggestions on how to get rid of the excema. He said to shower her once a day to get rid of anything that may get on her skin that could be irritaing it. Not a long shower, just enough to get her washed up. Also to use a mild fragrance free soap and shampoo and to stay away from using a washcloth or loofah on her skin as it could irritate it more. Also to lotion her twice a day every day. We use Aveeno, I also have excema and it is what works best for us. After following these suggestions the excema amazingly did clear up within a week or two--but you do have to be regualr with the lotion especially or it will come back. Hope this helps. Excema is no fun!!

A.,

My son has eczema too. I tried many many products before I tried the Aveno. It works wonderful. The best part..... it doesn't sting. I have eczema also, so I can relate to what they tell me. My #1 can't live without product is the Aveno bath/ shower oil. A few drops in the bath water and their skin is silky smooth. We use it every couple of days along with the Aveno lotion afterwards. My kids cleared up and haven't broke out in almost a year. We have tried stopping, but then the rash comes back. I figure its easy, cheap maitenance and its good for their skin. Down side....... the tube gets slippery from the oil, so you will have to clean it more often and becareful if you shower afterwards.

Give it a try... It has been a life savor for me.

All three of my children have eczema. And I have probably tried everything as well. Lubriderm, Eucerin, Vanicream, Aveno lotion have all been recommended by friends/family with no luck. Whenever I mention the eczema to the doctor's office I get the same response from every doctor. Aquafor. It is a lotion that is like vaseline but it works. My oldest got it so bad on her hands that they made up a Rx for aquafor and hydracortizon(sp) cream to be mixed together. That worked great but you don't want to use the steroid cream all the time. If you try it you will see an improvement within a few days.

Shaklee ( a natural, go green company) has a baby lotion, that I am told does wonders for eczema! If you would like more info please feel free to e-mail me @ ____@____.com

Hi A.. You have gotten some great advice already that I would agree with. Definitely try a different detergent and make sure to rewash all of his clothes/sheets/towels. Oatmeal baths are great when he is uncomfortable (grind up 1 cup of oatmeal in a food processor and then pour into the tub as it's filling). Also, Maleluca (not sure if I'm spelling that right) has a great eczema lotion that I have had families rave about.
I would also echo the thought to consider a delayed food sensitivity with both you and your son. That is the most common cause that I have seen and there are specific IgG panels that can be tested (NOT IgE) to see what might be causing his body to get inflamed and result in eczema.
Good luck and hang in there. Something is causing it, it's just a matter of finding the source.

Hi
I took a nutrition seminar recently and they recommended to use castor oil. I don't know if it works yet but I bought it through the pharmacy at Target and it was cheap.

Good Luck!!

Eczema is a yeast imbalance that originates in the colon. Treating the eczema is all about what you put into/onto your body.

Eczema is fed by:

Lotions and oils: these trap the yeast locally on the skin - so immediately stop using lotions or oils to treat the rash directly (see other solutions below).
Corn products: corn syrup, corn syrup solids, corn starch
Sugars: refined sugar, corn sugar, fruit juice
Fermented products: soy sauce, wine, beer, alcohol
Yeasted products: bread made with yeast, pizza dough and even crackers contain yeast (read the labels)

Using these foods as EXCEPTIONS to your diet rather than the rule will help you both to be eczema-free.

Add: Acidophilus to your diet: for him there are chewable acidpohilus products on the market available in natural food stores and on-line. You may feel free to take capsules - at least 1 each day at bedtime.

Then, eliminate entirely soaps and shampoos that are not 'neutral ph' and ALL baby wipes. You will find that neutral ph soaps are hard to find unless you go to a natural food/health care store. If you google on "neutral ph soaps" much will come up to help you there. Your laundry soap should also be neutral ph.

To bathe eczema so that it stops itching and goes away quickly use:

4 drops of tea tree oil in a small bowl of warm water. Bathe with a warm cloth OR

4 tsp. cider vinegar in a small bowl of warm water. Bathe with a warm cloth.

The tea tree oil (available at natural food stores and on-line) is an anti-bacterial, anti-microbial agent that kills eczema and fungus on contact. It will dry out the area so prepare for the rash to dry for a while before it disappears. Do NOT put lotion on it to keep it from being dry ~ it needs to dry in order to heal.

The cider vinegar will provide a neutral ph balance for the area while the skin dries and the rash heals. In the absence of tea tree, cider vinegar can be amazingly effective.

I hope this all helps A.. I have treated dozens of people, including my own children, for eczema over the last 20 years. Following these simple guidelines will be a good place to start. You may find that YOU will need a longer period to get to be eczema-free than your son. Because he is so young, treating him naturally and teaching him how to eat properly now should ensure him an eczema free life.

A.,
Wow you have gotten a LOT of different answers---well here is my completely different answer. My daughter who is 3 1/2 now has had eczema since she's been born. She would scratch her face as a baby so much that it her forhead would start bleeding. We had to put socks on her hands when we put her down to sleep. Anyway...we recently took her to the dermatologist---she now usually only gets it on her legs esp. behind her knees. They gave us a steroid cream and told us to use Cetaphil wash and lotion. They also said to put the lotion on right after her bath and don't completly dry her before putting the lotion on. She still has flare ups but she doesn't itch it like she used too. We also use the frangrance free/dye free laundry detergent and softner. But we've done that since before she was born.

Good Luck---It is a very frustrating thing to deal with as a parent--esp since my husband and I don't have it. The doctor (dermatologist and peditrician) never have told me it was an allergy related condition.

I have 7 yr old twins with eczema and I would recommend not only arbonne abc lotion but to use their abc hair and bo.dy wash only on skin and abc oil on eczema spots. Also use fragrance free laundry detergent and fabric softener. It may take a little bit to clear up but I have been using this system for 3 years now and the boys hardly get a flair up anymore. If you would like any samples let me know. Good luck.Please try this it really works.

My little guy has a few spots that are stubborn and refuse to clear up, but the best relief I have found for him is 2% hydrocortisone cream, applied a minimum of three times daily. Anything less and the itchy patches spread. Consistency seems to be the key to success here.

SAHM of seven

The only thing that worked for my daughter was the Arbonne products ABC line. I also switched to a gentle detergent for washing her clothes. Also I stopped using soap on her and started using a cleansing gel from arbonne in her bath.

Hope this helps
J.

Wow, this is a hot topic! The ONLY thing that I can guarantee you will work is Renew Intensive Care lotion from Melaleuca. It is penetrating, soothing, theraputic, and it is a natural healer. The T35-C3 is a pharmacutical grade of most tea tree oils. My daughter had eczema on her inner arm (where the elbow bends) and this took care of it. It was actually more severe than eczema as she was diagnosed with surface dermatitis.

Email me and I can send you a small tube to have. I can also send you the brochure from a clinical study they did that blew Eucerin out of the water!

This is a medical condition that you can have eliminated by a natural pharmacutical product. You can't get better than that.

A.

Hi A.!

My 6 month old also has eczema. It is on his forhead and was leaving scratch marks. :) We use Hydrocortisone .5 (for sensitive skin) once and it went away immediately. Now we use it every other evening and it is completely cleared up and he no longer scratches. It works great. We just picked it up at the local pharmacy. Hope this helps.

Have a great day!
J.

We use Aveeno (with natural colloidal oatmeal-fragrance free-green bottle). We tried a prescription, Aquafor, Vanicream, Lubriderm, etc. but they didn't help much at all. Aveeno works the best for our kids and we've been using it for a few years now. I think you just need to try different products to find what works for you and your child. Also, only give your child a bath once or twice a week-not every day-because it'll dry out the skin. And don't use any soap or bubble bath. Right after bathtime put lotion on. Use mild laundry detergent - fragrance free, dye free. Good luck!

Yes! Melaleuca has helped many people with this problem. Renew lotion is an amazing product that can help you too. I am excited to let you know that I can tell you about this company. Email me at ____@____.com or you can check out my website at www.healthy4ubiz.com.

We had pretty good luck with hydrocortisone ointment...

I have eczema also. My dermitologist gave me Ketoconazole 2%. I was told that I could put this on my face. It helped. Now I have something else for my face. They now have Ketoconazole over the counter but it is 1% lotion. Maybe this will help.

V.

Eczema is a symptom of an internal issue. Once you correct the internal issue that symptom will dissappear. Possibly a digestive problem? I would consult an MD, herbologist and a homeopath and decide which solution best fits your lifestyle.

Wow, sorry to hear you are struggling with this! Both of my children had eczema mainly on their face when they were on formula and cleared up not long after they switched to milk. My daughter's was worse and even though we went to a dermatologiest, nothing else worked but the Gentle Naturals Winnie the Pooh stuff you mentioned....because of the greasy consistency...it just seemed to work. Have you tried more than one dermatologist or tested for allergies? Have you been using scent free soaps the free and clear laundry soap? With my son we only used ivory bar soap to wash him and then free and clear laundry soap. We also used just a cocoa butter lotion because all the perfumes and dyes in products will cause eczema and perhaps he just have super sensitive skin. Well, good luck to you and I hope you get it figured out.

My seven year old daughter has struggled with terrible eczema for her entire life. She literally scratched until she bled. We tried every cream and lotion, special diets, allergy testing, etc. Then I tried "Baby Butt Paste" and within 2 days her rashes were gone and have not come back. We use it like lotion twice daily. It's very inexpensive and can be bought at Target or Walgreens.

Someone else mentioned Vanicream and I completely agree. Apply after soaking in a bath. It will help lock in moisture. TRy not to put any lotion on without first soaking as even the most gentle may burn. Vanicream is a compounding ointment used by pharmacies.

A. - I had fairly severe excema on my hand that disappeared after taking a higher dose of Omega 3's. I also found that some of my other excema was related to food alergies and I did lots of work with my chiropractor in cleansing and elminating foods that I reacted too. I then started a round of Enzymes specifically for the liver and kidneys. Again it was something that my chiropractor helped me with. Their office is located in the Eagan area if you're interested in learning more.

D.

Make sure any detergent you are using is perfume and dye free for him. Use cotton clothing. Try using aquaphor right when your little one gets out of the shower when still damp. It helps keep the moisture in. It's a suggestion my dr. gave me for my daughter.

I see that you have a lot of responses already, but I will give you another one to tell you what worked for my daughter. Have you switched to fragrance free laundry detergent? I use All Free & Clear. It also helps for me, because my skin is sensitive as well and I get way fewer yeast infections (sorry if that's TMI).

Also... We use Cetaphil cleanser in the bath on her skin. We use regular Johnson's shampoo on her hair, but we wait until the very end of her bath and then rinse her with clear water so that none of the soap stays on her skin.

Daily, we use Aveeno Daily Moisturizing lotion (which is fragrance free), and if her eczema acts up then we use Eucerin lotion on her body and 1%Hydrocortisone on the spots 3x per day.

This is what our pediatrician told us to do, so that's what we do, and it absolutely works. One more thing - any products that say they treat eczema but still have a fragrance are not really going to do the trick. Fragrance is a HUGE contributor to it, and I would stick to products that are fragrance free. Good luck and I hope you find something that works for you and your little boy!

I know moms of children as young as 4 months getting help with superior nutritional food supplementation. --R. H.

A.,
I have had eczema as a child and adolescent too. I have found that lotions such as Lubriderm do not work because they are water based and frequently contain fragrances. Aquaphor has worked well for my skin when I got patches of eczema. Also, think about any other allergins that may excerbate the condition...such as detergents (I suggest using Tide free) and soaps (I highly suggest using Cetaphil). The frequency of bathing can also irritate young skin. Try bathing your child every 2 days or so or just bathing him in just water instead of using soaps.

My son has eczema, too (as do I), and we're having good luck with the prescription cream Desonide. I only put it on active flare-ups, and the bumps usually subside within a few days. We also use the Aveeno lotion in between flare-ups. Good luck! Eczema is not pleasant, as we could both attest.

My almost 5 month old has eczema especially on the fold of skin and behind knees it gets red and also lots on her face.I had her pediatrician check it out and she told me to use Aveeno concentrated anti itch lotion thrice a day and when there are red flare ups 0.5% hydrocortizone on face and genital area and 1% hydrocortizone on hands and legs and other parts of the body.I found Aveeno concentrated anti-itch lotion with colloidal oatmeal(not the regular Aveeno) in walgreens and it has worked wonders with her skin. I could see the difference in one day and now the skin is so soft and smooth. I have been using it for more than 3 months now and its amazing how well it works.

Also I use dreft for her clothes in laundry and do an additional rinse for her clothes.

Hope that helps

I too have eczema and I have found something that worked really well but it's a little weird. We have soy candles that are all natural good for the environment ect and I burn it and put the cooled wax directly on the affected area. It worked so well for me I told a friend who also has eczema and she said it was the miracle cure. The candle I have used is hill house natural brand but I am wondering if you could use any natural soy candle. Good luck and try it you smell like a candle for a awhile but it stops the itch.

Do you think he may also have an allergic component related to this? We've been lucky in that my son's eczema is still pretty mild during the wintertime and we can relieve it with steroid creams but in friends' families with severe excema, some of the relatives have turned up with allergies, i.e. celiac (unable to process gluten) or grass and things would be less severe when they stayed away from the allergens. My husband's exzema use to be pretty severe when he was young but now, it tends to be confined to his hands and arms. He finds that AmLactin cream works (try Walgreens and Target (the endcaps) and only certain non-prescription steroid creams such as cortaid 10 with moisturizers (aloe vera) for highly itchy skin. Yes, there are actually OTC steroid creams and prescription steroid creams which won't work for his skin (and it can get really bad in the wintertime) but after much experimentation, he's discovered a select few that will work. It doesn't completely go away but it really subsides. Oh, when it does get bad, he will take an oral prescribed steroid until he can get back down to simply an OTC such as claritin, benadryl or allegra. I feel for you and your son. Does he have to take something at night to sleep and keep from itching so much?

Hi A.,

Our son had terrible eczema as well. What we discovered was that it is an ALLERGY to WHEAT and GLUTEN.

That is our story. We just did an elimination diet- cut out all gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats) and all dairy. We were eventually reintroduce decent amounts of dairy.

I hope this helps!

Good luck,
G. H.

Hi A.,

Our daughter had the same problem. We swithced our laundry detergents, our soaps, body lotions, our cleaning products, our dryer sheets, etc. to safer alternatives and the rest is history!

Most of the laundry detergents on the market have toxins in them. To list a few of their key ingredients are the following:

WASHING SODA: Caustic. Can cause eye burns with potential injury on prolonged contact/ SODIUM SILICATE: Can be corrosive. Can cause burn to the eyes and tissue damage to the skin, as well as cause burns to the mouth, throat, and stomach if swallowed. SOLDIUM ORTHO-PHENYLPHENOL: Carcinogenic. Eye and skin irritant. SOLIUM SULFATE: Corrosive. Severe eye, skin, and respiratory irritant. Can cause asthma attacks!!!!! And they wonder why our children are suffering so much! Why ashthma has increase almost 300%. It is ridiculous how these companies can prey on consumers without giving us the full report of what is in their products!

These chemicals are in most of the laundry detergents on the market. They are protected by the government not to put these ingredients on the labels. Where I got my education: my husband drove HAZMAT. He delivered to a "family company". HAZARDOUS INGREDIENTS! he talked with the employees, who most were retiring with cancer, or lung issues.

If you want safer products for your family, call me. I can help you with alternatives that are safe and effective with NO safety caps. We are registered with the Poison control center and the BBB.

I apologize for going on and on. This has been one of my passions & missions since I elarned myself about all these products sold in the grocery stores to moms & dads all over the USA. Educating yourself is key.

J.
____@____.com
Helping families GO GREEN!

I've recently been diagnosed with it, & I was told to try aquafor. so far so good!

It looks like a lot of people had some great advice to give. From my experience on my massage clients, it seems like the things that I consistanlty hear that their dermatologists have recomended most are: Keep away from any type of fragrance-its in everything; deodorant, shampoo, lotion, detergent, etc... The over the counter remody seems to be cetophil wash, & lotion-they have a whole product line. Sometimes a steroid needs to be prescribed for the intital breakout to control the situation. Hope this helps!

HI A.!
Both my son (5) and my youngest daughter (7 months) have eczema. The only lotion that I have found that works good for my two is Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream. I also use the Baby Soothing Relief Body wash in combo with it when I give them baths. Its the only thing that we have found that has worked really well so far. I hope this helps.

J.

My son got eczema around 18months. I took him to the doctor and the doctor told me not to use any soap on him except in the crotch area and on the feet. He said only to wash his hair 1-2x's per week and to make sure I rinsed him really well afterwards. That has helped. He also gave me a steroid cream to help with the rash he had at the time. It cleared up in a day or two.
Since then (b/c it isn't always practical not to use soap) I put almond oil on him. It works like a dream! It both prevents and takes care of any rash he gets from ecxema. I know the swimming pool can be especially drying to the skin and I always use oil after that. My sister in law said she had heard Caster Oil but I haven't tried it.
Anyway those are my suggestions. Good luck.

Hi A.,
I have a life long history of eczema as well. I have spent much money on over the counter creams, soaps,and lotions. I have been using Melaleuca since Dec.2007 and have not had a trace of that stuff since. If you would like to give it a try you can contact me at www.livetotalwellness.com/nmg
Nan

Both of my sons and my husband suffer from eczema and we have found through lots of trial and error that it is related to allergic reactions. A good allergist has helped us tremendously. Check the U of MN Allergy and Asthma clinic. I asked specifically for someone who could help with skin allergies. Also, a good lotion is Vanicream. You have to ask pharmacist for it but it does not require a prescription. One caution, however, it runs about $14.00 for a pound. Good luck!

My daughter had the same problem. We tried all of the same things. The eucerin helped her as long as it was on her all of the time. We realized that she had dairy allergies from the terrible stomach aches that she would get. Once we took away the dairy products the eczema went away.

Our pediatritian said that eczema sometimes comes from a food allergy. I do have a couple other friends with children and the same was true, just to different foods.

My son had the same problem behind his knees. He went to an allergist who prescribed a stronger steroid cream which worked immediately. You may want to see your doctor to see if your son's eczema is allergy related. Our son's was. We also followed the advice of the doctor and shortened his baths and avoided pools b/c it just made it worse. Good luck!

Melaleuca has Renew Lotion which is excellent for eczema but they also have antibacterial soap, Renew Bath Oil, Dermacort, and Natural Shampoo. These are all excellent choices because they don,t have chemicals that would irritate. If interested contact me.

A. R
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My daughter 8 months also has eczema. She is on a prescription called Atopiclair. It is not a steriod. It is expensive, but it works like a charm. I paid $40 for it, I believe without insurance it is $100. My daughter's flare ups usually go away with 1 or 2 applications. It is just a cream, not smelly or greasy.

I have eczema as well. We use Aveeno body wash to calm the flair-ups. We then use RoBathol (a bath oil) and Vanicream lotion on a regular basis. Since using the oil and lotion, I haven't had any problems.
http://www.psico.com/
We get these products at Walmart, Target, Walgreens and Mayo Clinic.

Hi A.!
I am a customer of a great Wellness Company. They have this awesome lotion that is specifically designed for eczema, psoriasis (sp?), and other serious skin issues. It has healed thousand of people's eczema issues. Let me know if you want more info! www.workingathomemomma.com or ____@____.com

Hi A.--

Did you happen to try the Arbonne Baby Care oil and the hair/body wash along with the lotion? That could make a big difference in the treatments effectiveness, as it's even more moisturizing than the lotion alone...
Arbonne also makes a cleansing gel that would be great to have at every sink in your home as well as your bath/shower to wash your hands and body with. It's formulated to rinse off quickly, so it's not drying like other soap products.

I am an Independent Consultant, and would be happy to share these additional products with you. ###-###-####

My friend said the only thing that works for their son is good old Vaseline petroleum jelly.

I've also heard lanolin (the stuff women use on sore nipples while breastfeeding) works but it is a lot more expensive than vaseline.

My son has terrible dry skin that our doctor said isn't eczema, but this worked for him and might work for you. Our doctor told us to use 1% hydrocortizone after the bath and then put Eucerin calming lotion on over top of it. I bought the Cortaid brand hydrocotizone with the extra moisturizers in it (figure it can't hurt) and tried this for a few days. His skin cleared right up and now I hardly ever have to use the Cortaid, just the Eucerin. Just remeber to do it after every bath. Hope it helps.

I would try Aquaphilic if you haven't found something yet. It's an ointment for dry skin. It's also great for sensitive skin. You get a whole pound of it for close to $10 (give or take). It really lasts a long time because it doesn't take much when you apply it.

You can get it at Walmart or Target. The first time I got it I had to ask the pharmicist b/c it was behind the counter. The second time they had some out on the shelves (it had been a few years). You may have to ask anyway b/c I almost didn't see it and I knew what I was looking for.(It's in a white plastic jar)

One of my Daycare parents brought this for me to put on there kid b/c he'd get the rashes on his hands(especially after washing his hands. I also have a friend that used this on her 3 girls b/c of eczema. I honeslty used it after bathtime b/c my first one was always so dry after baths.

It's well worth it if it works for you! I hope you don't have to try too many things before you find one that does work! There is a website on the container it is www.medcolab.com (haven't looked at it so not sure what you'll find there)

My son has eczema. A friend of ours has a daughter with eczema as well. We've both found a bit of success using Vaseline at bedtime. Haven't had much luck with the prescriptions - but I've always been hesitant to use them for some reason, too!

Hi A.-
I'm a wellness coach- med. prof. and mom of 7 yo twin girls.
I have clients who use a products- really a mass of phytonutrients- and surprisingly it remedies eczema for some.
You'd have to crush tablets and give to your 2 yo- works on one of my twins also who has pediatric form of psoriasis (?)
If you want more info- email me or call
I"m in New Brighton, MN
____@____.com
cell ###-###-####
I'm gone until Monday Aug. 4 but will reply that week.
B. J

I'd love to send you a free sample of Intensive moisturizer cream from L'Bri Pure n' Natural to see if this does the trick. L'Bri is an aloe vera based skin care line and does not contain any harsh ingredients or synthetic oils of any kind and aloe vera is the very first ingredient. The reason the above products haven't given you or your son any relief, is because they all contain synthetic oil that does not penetrate into the skin and simply lubricates the outer layer. So as soon as that oil rubs off, the symptoms return. You need to use something that penetrates the skin so the healing can take place. This product has helped so many people with eczema and psoriasis. Let me know if you'd like me to send you some complimentary samples.

Have you tried Atopiclair? If not, ask your peditrician about it. It's awesome... the only thing that would help my daughter. She suffers on her hands and the winter is awful at school with all that hand washing. It is expensive, but it lasts a long time. Also, it's nonsteroidal. Hope this helps.

Hi A.,

Looks like many potentially helpful ideas have already posted, but I wanted to share one additional product that worked for my son when many of the ones mentioned didn't including prescription hydrocortisone. Eczema is a blanket term used to describe symptoms that have a variety of causes. Ours seemed to be mostly contact dermatitis. As others have mentioned it's an excellent idea to avoid harsh soaps, etc. Young children really don't need to too much to get clean :) Ok, so after trying about 10 different products (including Aveeno, Burt's Bees Wax products, hydrocortisone-OTC and Rx, aquaphor, cetaphil, eucerin) some of which burned, others helped, some did nothing I found this product at Target, but it's sold many other places:

http://www.epinions.com/review/Gentle_Naturals_Baby_Eczem...

It's worth a try, right? Good luck! I hope you something that works for your son.

A.