Help for Friend Whose Son Has Eczema

Our son had a very severe case of eczema, to the point where we took him to the hospital because he was so uncomfortable and itchy one night. After getting the major breakout under control with prescription steroid ointment, we've been able to maintain his skin without prescription. The keys are bathing infrequently and Aquafor. Our son's determatologist said that most people don't know they should cut baths down to 1 or 2 times a week. I had been doing the opposite, thinking the baths would be soothing! So we make sure we use a very mild cleanser. Mustela Stelatopia is a little on the expensive side, but Aveeno makes a decent baby cleanser as well. Use cleanser sparingly. The most effective way of keeping our son's eczema under control is liberal application of Eucerin's Aquafor, which you can get almost anywhere. We put a good layer on after every bath, every morning and, if needed, before bed. Very good stuff and it lasts a long time, so don't be daunted by price. Another useful item is a good humidifyer at night. Good luck to your friend!

1 mom found this helpful

I control my daughters exzema with diet, (she has food allergies), using products such as All Free&clear detergent, no fabric softener, but I do use dryer sheets. I also use cetaphil cream, aveeno bath wash for her skin & hair and I use Aveeno Baby sunblock. Protopic was prescribed for outbreaks but controlling the diet has been the best for controlling the exzema in my experience. Hope this helps.

I have a 2 year old that we have been dealing with eczema since birth really. We have finally found some lotion that has done wonders. It is CeraVe. The only place that we have found it is at Walgreens but it is over the counter lotion. They have cream cleanser, lotion, and cream. I love them all and use them whenever I think about it. His skin has improved 100% since we started these. Good Luck

Hello,
My daughter who is 18 months old has had horrible skin issues since she was born. Just recently we started using Cetaphil Cream and it has cleared her eczema up. It is over the counter I have only found it with face wash. Good Luck.

My daughter was getting eczema badly and it turned out to be an allergy to dairy.

We use Cera Ve cream (important to get cream and not lotion). It is sold through the pharmacy although you don't need a perscription. The cheapest place to get it is costco. We LOVE it.

At a health food store they sell children's probiotics which are good. I also bought a water softener for my kids and it helped bunches. Cetaphil lotion always helped too.

Zyrtec works well, although our son prefers Allegra. We use Vanicream, which you can get at the pharmacy (OTC), but we also like Gentle NAturals Baby Eczema Wash. What our doc at National Jewish told us is a 10-15 minute bath using Dove or Ivory (unscented) at the very end. Towel dry and apply Vanicream. Since doing that and the Allegra, our son no longer needs the Rx creams. We used to use Mangosteen juice, as well. We're going back to that soon. GL!

I love Renew lotion! It has been clinically proven to be 7 times more effective than Eucerin, but it doesn't have that greasy feeling when it dries. It worked on my son's eczema. It is available online. Let me know if you want the website. Also, depending on where you live I could get you a travel size so she can try it out.

My pediatrician recommends Eucerin, but the one that is called something like Eucerin Plus because it has a chemical exfolliant in it (I think it's lactic acid) to help slough off the dry skin and keep the rough skin moving on its way so it doesn't trigger another itchy breakout.
He also says diet--especially dairy products--can be a major eczema trigger in many children.
If you want something more high-powered than that with a slightly stronger chemical exfolliant, I cannot recommend Paula's Choice products highly enough. think they are terrific, and she has a "Battle Plan for Eczema" listed on her Web site www.paulaschoice.com. It's a no-frills brand but I've never used anything so effective for myself or my kids, who often get eczema bumps.
Best wishes!

The only over-the-counter item that worked for my daughter was Vaseline. If we applied it the moment the eczema patches developed, they would go away quickly. If the area got bloody/infected, then we would use a prescription creme from the doctor. This lasted a couple of years, and I'm pretty sure she outgrew it by age 3 or 4.

Hi S.,

My name is D.! I am a stay at home Mommy with a 15 month old boy and one in the oven due in November. I work alot with health and nutrition supplements and I have found something natural and heatlhy that works wonders. The product I am referring to is OPC-3. It comes in isostonix form which means the delivery system is outstanding. It comes as a powder that you mix with water..it disolves..and then you drink it. This allows the body to accept just like it would water and for your body to be able to immediately digest it. OPC's are antioxidants and are extremely powerful for our circulatory system. Alot of times things come up like allergies, asthma, fiber malagia, eczema etc that are actually issues with how our cells flow through out our body OPC's allow our cells to flow through the body normal. I love them and wouldnt be a day without them. I have a friend in Kansas City that after 30days all his patches were completely gone. :)My family including my little boy wouldnt go a day without it!! I am sure on this email I sound like a complete nerd and you just received a biology lesson but I am very passionate about antioxidants and how they help our bodies. I would love to get you more information on it. Here is my email ____@____.com and here is my number in case you would like to talk on the phone ###-###-####. Please at least take the time to get more info because I am telling you mom to mom it could fix this for her baby!!

Thanks and God bless,

D. Hastings

Hi S.,

I recommend, on the advice of my doc, UNSCENTED EVERYTHING... Laundry soap, hand soap, baby soap, body wash, any lotions... UNSCENTED!!! I use Tide free, and bounce free, and Dove baby unscented for the bath. Loose cotton clothes, avoid polyester it can really irritate the already irritated skin. I use a product called Glaxal Base, its the stuff that they mix the medicine into in the pharmacy, I don't know what the brand name of it is in the USA but thats what it is called in Canada and it works wonders, just ask the pharmacist for some of that, it is also unscented and fast absorbing but lasts long. Put it on directly after a bath for best absorption. Also, I have put 1 TBS of olive oil into the bath water, be careful they get slippery, but the oil is natural and the skin can absorb it unlike mineral oil that can't be absorbed as well, it works great, you could also use vitamin E too but I like olive oil because then if they happen to drink any of the bath water its just olive oil. It makes a HUGE difference, they will have the nicest skin on the block. Good luck to your friend and you for being a great friend!!

S., Mom of 4 boys!

My youngest was born with Eczema, we had to use Elidel on him, baths just long enough to get him clean(5 min or less), Purex laundry soap(liquid) or the new Tide(white bottle)

Nothing they sell in the stores will help much. She needs to get the script for the Elidel. There used to be a sensitive skin baby lotion that was ok(5 years or so ago), was a white bottle. But it only helps so much. Good Luck.

If it's really bad, they sell hydrocortizone creams over the counter. And I saw one person post about it saying it's 10%. It's not, it's 1% or less hydrocortizone. Any more can be extremely damaging if used frequently. The hydrocortizone is an anti-inflamatory agent. That's why it works so well. However, if you do get some, your friend should not apply it on any of her son's affected areas for more than 7 days at a time. After 7 days, she needs to be applying something without hydrocortizone for at least 2 weeks before using the hydrocortizone cream again. If you want more information or further explanation why, you should talk to a pediatrician. You can email me about it if you want also. Anyway... a really good non-steroidal cream is Aquaphor. They sell it in a little tub like vaseline, as well as in a tube you can squeeze out, although it's very thick and hard to squeeze out of there if it's cool. The only problem with Aquaphor is that it's kind of sticky/greasy feeling. Since you said his worst affected areas are his hands and wrists, it may not stay on very long if she applies it during the day, although she should at least a few times. But the good thing about it being on his hands is that when he goes to bed at night, she can put whatever cream she decides on on his hands and put little gloves on him for sleeping. That should clear up the eczema very quickly because it gives his hands and wrists a good 8 hours or more to soak it in and start healing. He'd probably enjoy getting his special nighttime gloves to wear to bed. It can be a little incentive thing for him. Anyway... hopefully you find something that works for him. Good luck!

I have seen acupuncture work really well with adults, so maybe acupressure would work for the child. Also, plain old hydrogen peroxide on the area can clear it up too.

Hi S.. That is so nice of you to be searching for solutions for your friend's son! I suffered from horrible eczema as a kid and then my daughter was covered in eczema by the time she was 3 months- miserable! I have to say, the ONLY way to get rid of it is to find out what you are allergic to and stay on top of it. Get allergy tests to start and get off any allergic foods. If it continues, watch when there are flare ups and keep a food diary and make note. Watch for any additional foods because sometimes they can be random, like garlic, and your doctor won't test for it unless you ask for it. We also give our daughter Cod Liver Oil and that has been amazingly helpful. Initially, bathing each night for 20 minutes and then slathering her down in Vanicream was also very helpful. I've heard some moms say they've had some success with a kids cream from Arbonne, too. Lotions and hydrocortisone cream work great to help you be more comfortable, but more often than not, the problem comes back. Its much more effective to get at the root cause. I wish your friend luck!

Hello~

My son gets eczema behind his knees. When I took him to the pediatrician a couple of weeks ago, he told us to put hydrocortisone cream on the affected areas. He gave us a prescription, but also told us to use Cortisaid (not sure on the spelling). It is an over the counter cream. She could try that. The hydrocortisone cream seems to work for my son.

Hope that helps.

Do a google search for "virgin coconut oil".

After trying EVERYTHING else.....coconut oil was the only thing that cleared up my boy's eczema and kept it at bay long enough for his skin to heal.

We tried other products and it was always a struggle even with the ones that helped. Coconut oil worked the best by far!

Cetaphil is also good.
Avoid triggers - allergies (food, detergents, grasses)
Frequent luke-warm baths WITHOUT any soap. air/pat dry...and put cream or coconut oil on within 3 minutes of getting out of the bath.

Here's a few links on coconut oil for eczema:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Heal-Eczema-With-Coconut-Oil-Th...
http://hubpages.com/hub/natural-eczema-treatment-with-vir...

Colorado's arid climate can make it difficult to tackle dry skin, *especially* during the summer. My daughter is on the brink of having eczema and it seems to get worse when the weather is hot and dry. It got really bad last summer with an added heat rash, so her pediatrician prescribed Desonide cream and it seems to be the only thing that really works to clear it up. We only use it though when we see she needs it. Other than that, we do the following things to prevent it:

Tell your friend to stay away from all products that contain fragrance of any kind. The yummy smells need alcohol to work properly and the alcohol contributes to drying the skin out further.

Our doc recommended Baby Aquaphor baby wash because it is gentle and fragrance free. California Baby also makes a good natural baby wash.

We also use an all-natural lotion. We apply a healthy dose of lotion at least once a day. When we see her skin is starting to look bumpy or dry, we apply it more frequently. Keeping her "greased up" (as my husband calls it), seems to do the most in terms of prevention. In my opinion, you can never have too much lotion.

I also copied a few tips from Ideal Bite here:

Cream
Look, No X E Ma! by Four Elements - eczema cream with 100% organic ingredients; made with hand-picked herbs ($10/2 ounces).

Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Skin Creme - contains rich emollients like honey to hydrate skin, and anti-inflammatory aloe vera to reduce red patches; paraben-free ($10/2 ounces).

Soap
California Baby Super Sensitive Shampoo & Bodywash - gentle, nondrying wash free of fragrance and harmful chems ($12/8.5 ounces).

DIY - soak baby in an oatmeal bath.

Detergent
Ecover Ecological Laundry Wash - gentle, plant-based, nonbiological (chem-free) detergent ($10/51 ounces).

http://www.idealbite.com/mama/archives/ready-leave-behind...

We dealt with this when my son was an infant. The good news is that it has pretty much disappeared. When it was bad, the doctor said to lotion him up after the bath when he was still wet. The thicker the lotion the better (ex: you should use lotion you can't squeeze out....you need to scoop it out). The thicker lotion should help lock in moisture and prevent outbreaks.

For outbreaks, we were told to use hydrocortizone cream. 10%, I think. Just put it on the area until it clears up. We usually only applied it 1-2 times per day and it always worked for our son.

Hi S.:

My son has/had eczema, and allergies to peanuts and just about anything that blooms in the spring. Has your friend considered the food allergy angle? That can definitely flare up the skin problems. Aquaphor has always worked right after a bath while the skin is still a bit damp. My son takes fish oil packets and that seems to help as well. Detergent for sensitive skin and Dove sensitive skin bath wash are also good options. Perscription creams with steroids do help but use sparingly and only with Doctors RX. It is a toughie to pinpoint what causes the flare ups. I would doubt a 3 year old is under too much stress which can cause a break out too. I hope some of this helps.

Emu oil, you can find it at health food stores. Eczema is pretty tricky, so if need be I've had to use a prescription, but be forewarned, they tend to have steroids in them.
If they live in an area with traditional medicines she should ask the indigenous folks what they use - those usually work wonders.

My son had terrible eczema when he was a baby - what worked for him was to use Dove unscented soap for bathtime, then Cetaphil lotion (the thick cream in a jar works best, although the pump lotion worked well, too!) when getting dressed and after bathtime. After only a few days, my son's skin cleared up almost entirely. If there is remaining redness, use some Cortaid 2x per day. Hope that helps!

My daughter also went to National Jewish. One thing not mentioned that's helped her is Vitamin D drops -- 400 iu daily.

I just read something in the paper about the very latest study reporting success with a very small amount of bleach in the bathwater (like a half cup for the entire bath). But the children have to be careful not to get it in their eyes or mouth. Apparently, the bleacch gets rid of a lot of the bacteria that grows because of the scratching, which then makes the Eczema worse.

I haven't tried that, since we've gotten her condition mostly under control.

Try Aquaphor! Its from the same company as Eucerin and it worked for my family. :)

Has she tried or may7be look into acne medicine? I was looking at videos on youtube and there are these poor children that are born w/ a condition that is just horrible. I don't remember what it is called but basically they have huge cracks in their skin sometimes all the way to the soft tissue. I guess most infants don't survive past a few hours because their skin dries out so quickly and they can't keep them hydrated enough. Its truly sad. This may be extreme but it may be owrth looking into. There is also a baby lotion/creme that is almost like vaseline that may help. Its like $20 for a big container but may also help. I just can't think of the name at the moment.

Borage oil is the only thing that worked for us. A baby spoon full once a day.

What really, really worked for my son was probiotics (powder form you can get from Vitamin Cottage, Pharmaca, WholeFoods, etc.) and California Baby Calming Cream. These 2 things together did wonders--he seriously doesn't have eczema episodes anymore! A lot of times eczema is caused by an allergy, more often than not it's a dairy allergy. The probiotics help our body digest the dairy better.
Also, a gentle soap in the bath like Burt's Bees or California Baby...and not using soap every day, either (they don't really need it every day). Good luck to your friend--you are a good pal to search for info to help her out!
S.

Yikes. I was going to suggest red wine but since he's 13, benadrooool always works unfortunately. My friend has really horrible exzema on her hands and arms as well and does mud wraps to sooth and heal. She looks goofy but says it really works. There is a cream she uses as well.. vanicream. Works wonders.

My daughter has horrible eczema and I finally took her to the Chief of Staff of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at National Jewish and he really helped her. She soaks in water for 10 minutes every night and washes up at the last second and promptly gets out of the tub. We try the eczema with a towel, but you just dab a towel over the area...don't rub. Within 2 minutes of getting out of the tub, rub Vanicream over the area. This is an over-the-counter lotion, but some pharmacies keep it behind the counter and some places need to order it. If the area is flared up, rub hydrocortizone on it instead of the Vanicream. The cream should be re-applied in the morning. Good luck!

I love Alphacura products, the one I used was for fungus, and it cleared up really fast. You can find them all at this page, the psorXma is for eczema.

http://www.skinremedy.com/ultracart/ultracartstart.htm

cortizone should help.

Hi Stacy - we've had good luck with a product call Premium Triple Cream - Serious Dry Skin and Eczema Care. I found it in the baby aisle with the diaper creams. It's thick and a bit greasy but it works really well.

I hope you enjoy your trip!

Aquaphor - it is by the makers of Eucerin - I have a 3 year old and a 4 month old with Eczema problems. My baby wakes up with deep bloody scratches on his head alot of mornings! The Aquaphor is alot like a thick vaseline in texture, so I usually rub it on at night when I know it wont come into contact with too much. It seems to heal up the itchy oozy sores alot faster than some cremes. My doctor also gave me a sample of Eucerin to try. It does alright. Both can be found over the counter.

My mom has suffered with severe Eczema her whole life, and has had to jump around to many different cremes, although none have ever really fixed the problem. I think it depends on finding what is right for each person, and sometimes that unfortunately means trying different things. Good luck!

california baby super sensitive works great for our son.
also, zyrtec (antihistamine) worked wonders for us - its now sold over the counter.
she needs to be super careful w/laundry soap, use no dryer sheets or softener. also super careful w/household cleaners.
a "clean" diet - meaning as much organic as they can afford and very little junk food also helps.

My son has had excema since he was a baby....use CETAPHIL to wash and go to the pharmacy and you can buy a special lotion called VANICREAM...clears it right up!

Try MonaVie. It's an amazing product. It helped my husband with his eczema. You can contact me @ ###-###-#### or ____@____.com if you are interested. It is not sold in stores. K.

I saw that several people have already mentioned using the California Baby line but I just wanted to say that I used the calendula cream from that line and literally within a few hours my daughters skin looked 80% better. They also have a tea tree & lavender body wash that was fantastic for my daughters eczema. I know you can order the California baby stuff online so you might want to check if she would be able to have it shipped to wherever she is at. Looks like there is a lot of good suggestions though so hopefully something helps, good luck!