Suggestions for My 15 Mo Old's Eczema

We have had good luck with aveeno products. The skin relief lotion and bath packets help with itching.

You might try keeping an allergy diary. I used a spiral notebook and each day listed all foods, weather, activities on one side of the page, and any allergic reactions, rash, severity/improvement on the other. Hopefully you can start to see patterns and find the cause of the eczema to eliminate it.

What type of laundry soap do you use? You might try switching to a natural one that has no fragrances. Same with fabric softeners, the chemicals in these can aggravate eczema---I had problems with eczema all my life until I made this change, that and using sweet almond oil--no fragrance---as a moisturizer. This worked for both my kids who had the same problem. Good luck!

I went to a dermatologist for my eczema & the Dr. referred me to use cetaphil (moisturizing cream & lotion also). It really works for me. I also learned that hot water iritates the skin, give him luke warm/warm baths. Try putting some lotion or cream on him @ night time, then cover it with socks. That way it won't come off @ night & it will soak into his skin.

Hi,

Have you tried to cut out all gluten? Manna Mills has some great kid friendly stuff. Also, try preservatives and food dyes and corn. Also, when my son has flare ups, I use that homeopathic cream they sell next to the HYdrocortosone....I thinks its called Floresone or something close to that. It works well!! Good Luck!!

Hi K. - We've given our son strawberry flavored fish oil caplets since 4 mo. He loves them and they have made his skin less dry (you have to work up to the dosage). We also use a humidifier in his room when things get really dry. And, one I don't hear about very often...epsom salt dissolved into a warm bath (we usually put a large/tall cup full - Costco sized and cheap). Also getting the cream onto his skin while it is still damp from the bath helps lock in the moisture.

Our son has occasional dry patches (he is almost 4) but that is it. Nothing like the full blown breakouts he was prone to before this regime. Good luck!!

My daughter has had eczema since she was a baby also. Like you I really have no interest in steroid creams. The only thing that seems to work for my daughter is pure vitamin e oil ... applied liberally and often. Her eczema is on her cheeks, chin and arms. Everyone always comments how cute she is with her rosy cheeks. If only they knew. Anyway, I found a roll-on vitamin e oil from Nature's Gate which is so nice. I buy it in a 3 pack from amazon.com. Originally I found it at Whole Foods Market in Bellevue. Only drawback is that as it is an oil it can leave grease stains on clothing so I also buy a LOT of shout and use it liberally after my little one rubs her freshly oiled face into my chest or on her own sleeves or wherever. Hope this helps you and your little guy.

Hi K.,

It looks like you have heard this from others here already. There is good evidence that eczema is related to food allergies, the most common food allergens are wheat and dairy.

Figuring out food allergens requires a bit of on going detective work. If you can eliminate the offending foods from the diet, you can slowly reintroduce them to see if this is the issue.

I do also know that you can get very good success by using a high quality probiotic. I have a testimonial I can send you with photos of a young girl with very bad eczema that cleared up with the use of the probiotic that I sell.

I also have four very good products to help with the itching, until you can deal with the food issues. All the products I sell are certified organic, with no chemicals in them.

While the cost may appear to be more than you are used to spending, if it relieves the itching and gives your child comfort and keeps you from spending more money on Doctors and chemicals based medications, you will be ahead in the long run.

It's best to keep the skin from drying out, that will really help with all of the itching and dry skin.

what I can recommend is sunflower body wash: http://elyorganics.com/products/13201/

intensive body cream:
http://elyorganics.com/products/13420/

and soothing cuperose gel
http://elyorganics.com/products/11501/

A very good probiotic that can be mixed in some apple juice:
http://elyorganics.com/products/15101/

I am happy to send you a copy of the testimonial with pictures of the dramatic difference the probiotic made for a small child that used it. Her body was completely covered with red itchy spots and over time (a couple of weeks) it completely cleared up with the use of the probiotic.

I'm sure someone else will have good recommendations on how to start to eliminate/remove the offending foods from his diet as well.

Best of luck,
E. E.
http://elyorganics.com

I've been an eczema sufferer for about 15 years now. One of my main offenders is fabric softeners (liquid or dryer sheets) and heavily purfumed laundy detergent. It sounds like your son is reacting to things coming in contact with his skin. Try eliminating any fabric softerners, adding a second rinse to your wash, and switching your laundy detergent to one with less harsh perfumes or even perfume free.

Also, contrary to what dermotologists will tell you, do not over apply lotions and creams. The main ingredient in most of them is WATER - and after applied to the skin, the water evaporates and strips the skin of moisture even further. I recommend Aveeno lotion that contains Dimethicone, and only applying 2-3 times per day.

I hope these ideas help.

I hope this helps.

Try Aquaphor or Eucerin. I've seen really good results from both of these ointments. Good Luck.

have you tried tea tree oil? use a carrier oil like jojoba oil. fish oil helped mine a lot. I think you can buy it in the liquid form.

K.!
Seems like you have alreay gotten lots of advise on this. My daughter has had excema since shortly after birth, on her tummy, knees and elbows. This is what works for us, I see that others have also recommended the idea also, but we do it a bit differently. When she has an out break I take a hydrocorizone cream (from Wal-Mart or local drug store) and gently pat it on to the area. No lotion, the rest of her gets slathered in Aveeno Baby Lotion (the kind that says that it retains moiture for 24 Hrs and good for Excema). After the inflamation has gone away and the skin is no longer prickly (about 7 days) 2 times a day I slather those areas in the lotion. I've also stopped using any kind of soap products on her (except shampoos). At bath time, I put her in and let her play, then wash her body with Dove and then wash her hair, then we rinse off before getting out of the tub. Gently pat dry with a towel, do not rub with the towel, as it can be over drying, then apply lotion/hydrocorizone cream. I hope that you and your little one find relief!
Best wishes,
T. S.

I see you don't want to use steroids, but we did use .5% Cortisone cream and it worked great. We didn't need it daily, but if our child spent time outdoors her eczema would flare up.

We currently use Tea tree oil and despite the smell, it seems to work nicely!

I don't know how much zinc you can get in his diet, but zinc is a natural alternative. I don't like the steroids either. My son (6 yrs old) has mild eczema, I usually rub some Desitin on because Desitin has zinc in it and it works just fine. He has had eczema since he was a baby too.

My 3.5 year old had terrible eczema on his scalp -- so bad that he would pick at it and it would bleed. Our hairdresser recommended using a shampoo with tea tree oil in it. We get ours at Great Clips. It's $8.95 a bottle and comes in a green bottle. It took away his eczema immediately and it hasn't come back. Just be careful around the eyes ... it's definitely not a "no-tear" shampoo. Good luck!

The problem with eczema is everyone's skin reacts differently.
I have heard many people getting good results treating from the 'inside out' as some foods have been triggering their child's skin problems. So it might be well worth getting allergy tested. Sometimes that alone can be the difference .. as your child is getting older, he is being exposed to more and more food and items that have potential allergens for him.

I would also try to eliminate fragrances from laundry if at all possible.

On a product note, Body Shop makes a great fragrance and preservative free body care line called aloe. Aloe is a plant that is very soothing to begin with, plus it doesn't have all of the additives normally associated with a packaged product.

Good luck! -J.

My oldest son has a slight dry skin problem sometimes, nothing too serious, but what I do might be something helpful to you.

I put Burt's baby oil in my boy's baths, use the oil or a massage almond oil right after they get out. Also, on the dry patches, I use Burt's Diaper ointment. I love Burt's diaper ointment and use it on almost any skin problem.

Here is a link to Burt's Baby products
http://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SubCat...

Steroid creams are a joke. Don't bother. Expensive and useless.
My 3 year old son also has very bad eczema and we went through the gammit, but finally I took him completely off of dairy(even though he did not test allergic) keep him limited in his citrus intake(also highly acidic foods like strawberries and tomatoes), give him Omega3 oils in childrens vitamin form everyday and slather him in Cocoa Butter. I also have very good responce from Aquaphor. It has worked beautifully! When his hands have been particularly bad, I put a lot on and cover his hands with clean socks at night. His skin is like new in the am!

Hello K.,

First I am sorry to hear about your sweet baby struggling with this! I am with a Wellness Company that has a product called Renew that has healed many cases of eczema (where it does not return). The toxins in household cleaning products also may have something to do with eczema as well. Give me a call or email me. I would love to tell you more. ____@____.com ###-###-####

To your precious bundle's healing!
K.

K.,
I agree with Sharon R about the water. For my son, his eczema went away once we omitted dairy and soy. He rarely gets it unless he hasn't had enough water. For me, I notice when my skin is dry and I haven't had enough water, mine acts up. I never had it as a child. I only started getting it this past winter. Since most allergies and skin conditions are systemic, taking care of the body inside in conjunction with the outside is best.
When I break out, I use a very sparing amount of 1% hydrocortizone. With my son, I used .5%. I also make sure I drink the appropriate amount of water for me and I also consume more oils and fatty acids. (Olives, olive oil, avocados, etc.)Using too many different products trying to get the right one can upset the PH of the skin and make things worse. If you try something new, give it some time.
Best of luck. - A.

Some people have suggested flax oil and cod liver oil--those are good for asthma and eczema because they have omega 3s which decrease inflammation. Hold off on vaccines if you notice that the eczema gets worse after vaccines.

Hi! My son also has a bit of eczema and what seems to be helping him is a Eucerin product, but not the cream. The stuff we've been using is called Aquaphor. It looks a lot like vaseline, but seems to soak in easier and doesn't leave him looking greasy. We put it on his head up into his hair when his skin is kind of scaly and within a few minutes or so, you can't even notice it being greasy anymore. Hope you get it figured out soon!

HI there--have you tried fish oils?? I use that with little patients who have this and get great results--let me know if you have any ?? L.

My son was about 8yrs old when I found a medicine that worked from him (he is 17yrs old now), it is prescription ointment, so you will have to see your doctor first. I hope it works for babies too. It's called Desonide Ointment 0.05%.

My son gets it in the crook of his arms, legs and neck. It would get so bad that he would have open sores on top of the redness and rash. This ointment was the only thing that actually reversed the rash and heald the open sores. For him it is the perfect maintenance medicine.

Cold weather and muggy weather seems to make his eczema worse.
Also, no swimming pools, the chemicals cause big flare-ups. Ocean water seems to be the best to swim in for him.

Breathable clothing, jammies and bedding, like cotton, using mild laundry detergents, no fabric softeners, and Head & Shoulders seems to do the trick for his scalp.

The doctor can also give you something for the itching, but I never gave that too my son because he tolerated the itching without it just fine.

I never could find a correlation between food and flare-ups, but that doesn't mean there isn't one.

Over the counter creams, lotions, oils, and ointments made his condition worse because of the perfumes and alcohol and what ever else in there that can irritate the shin.

I hope this is helpful.

I too have eczema and therefore my son does too. What works for us is a simple hydrocortisone cream from the drug store.
I am sorry I am not more of help. Have you tried Web MD or Dr. Sears websites?

Good luck!

I am a 26 full time working mom with an 18 month old little boy and married for 3 years.

my 7 mo. old has eczema too, i've been using a homeopathic cream called Florasone, got it at New Seasons, it's all natural and acts like a steroidal cortisone cream without the chemicals. it's worked great for her, even on her face.

hi K.!

i can only speak from my own experience. my 8 mo old son also suffers from eczema on his cheeks. after figuring it out mostly on my own and then seeking help from a naturopath we came to the conclusion that he is allergic to both soy and dairy. it has taken a few months but i finally feel like i have a handle on it. we went through a few doses of homeopathics to heal him internally, and then a round to work specifically on the skin. he is now almost free of the condition, but i have to be extremely diligent with labels as i am still breast feeding. his reactions tend to begin 24-36 hours after i have consumed either dairy or soy ingredients and they last up to about 5 days, depending on the amount. i try to avoid these things at all costs, but sometimes they show up in products that you would least expect. have you consulted a doctor about it yet? how long has he been suffering? the thing to remember with skin issues is that unless it is a contact reaction it most certainly stems from something going on internally. the one thing my doc said that stuck with me is that although there are many creams out there that will appear to take care of the condition, if it is not dealt with on an internal basis often times these children will later develop other issues like asthma. food for thought. good luck with this and if you have any questions for me please feel free to contact me. be well. peace.
D.

I used colloidal silver products for my now one year old daughter. She struggled with eczema from birth, but after a couple months using the oatmeal soap instead of shampoo and baby washes, and then following with the lotion, she's been completely free of any eczema ever since. Check out www.silvermiracles.com. Great prices and products. I use them all myself now and love them!

Hi there,
My daughter has had eczema since she was about 6 month old also.
The only thing that has ever worked is the baby "ABC" bodywash
and lotion made by Arbonne.It is a natural product.It is a little spendy but like I said the only thing that has ever helped.She is now 9 years old and still uses it.Like you said,it
won't take it away but it should help make it less itchy.
Hope you find something that works for your little guy!

D.

I would suggest using Aveno oatmeal bath and Aveno lotion. That has really helped both my children. Good Luck!

Hi K.. I highly suggest that you try Arbonne's Baby Care (ABC) products for your son! I know that you will see an immediate improvement with her skin issues. I have clients and consultants on my team who absolutely swear by these products to clear up skin issues such as Eczema, Psoriasis, Keratosis, and others.
Arbonnes products are made with NO chemical dyes, fragrances, animal by-products, and NO mineral oil (petroleum)! They are also hypoallergenic, pH correct and dermatologist and pediatrician tested and recommended.
I would be happy to send you FREE samples to try out to see if it works for you and your family. You can check it out online at: www.mandyolsen.myarbonne.com.
Good luck!
Sincerely,
M. O.
Area Manager and Independent Consultant
Arbonne International
____@____.com
###-###-####

I used to work for a company called Sensaria. They have a naturally based product called Nourishing Moisturizer that has done wonders for children's eczema. Many a mom have been amazed by the results of using this creme. You can purchase it on line at: http://www.mysensaria.com. Another idea for you use is to use Cetaphil Creme as a general moisturizer and wash the baby with Cetaphil cleanser. (These are what the doctor recommends for my daughter becase she has sensitive skin too).

Good luck!
L. C

My son and daughter both have eczema too. Noodle and Boo (www.noodleandboo.com) Ultimate Ointmate helps. Little spendy but it helps.

Try adding essential oils to his diet to heal from the inside (for example, cod liver oil--Nordic Naturals is a great brand that has no toxins and very mild flavor). Try rubbing extra virgin olive oil on the patches. Olive oil has very healing, soothing properties.

Hi, I see you've gotten some very good advice already. EFA's are very important and can help in countless Dr Sears makes it for children and it is available at Walgreen's. Adding flax to breakfast food is helpful too. I found the Fish Oil Blog to be very helpful. Tea Tree oil is available at Canned Foods Outlet for a very reasonable price also. I would start on the inside first. Best of luck to you!

Hi K.,
When my son was 6 months old he started getting the same patches. The doctor recommended bathing him with Dove liquid soap and it completely worked. He's almost 3 now and we still use it every now and then when needed. Just watch it by the eyes....It will get better :)

Hi K., I'm a mom of two boys, one who just turned 3 and a 5 1/2 year old. Both boys' have had skin (eczema) issues and Curel lotion has been a Godsend for us! I'd recommend trying it. My boys' skin was really bad when they were babies especially and I lather them still with Curel which solved most of the topical issues. On a SERIOUS note regarding early skin things such as Eczema- be AWARE of food allergies with your son. I have learned since my boys' were babies that Eczema is tied to severe food allergies later which can also be tied to Asthma. My boys' both have severe food allergies to all nuts, dairy (my oldest) and all seafood. I wanted you to be aware of this because food allergies can be so severe and deadly and based on my boys' skin and then food allergies I just wanted to raise the issue with you. Try Curel - it amazingly worked on my boys and our pharmacist recommended it way back - about 5 years ago with our oldest son. Good luck to you K..

my daughter who is 14 years old has it, and we found that if she use baby oil right after her bath/shower when the skin is still wet it works. Also do not rub his skin to dry him off we pat it. Good Luck

My son is 13 -still has it, not as bad. We use Weleda cream on it and it is has helped more than anything. Products that are petrolum based and mineral oils only made it worse.

I went to the dr. for eczema of my own that kept appearing on my arm and shoulder. She (the dr.) asked me if I had ever heard of Mary Kay's extra emollient night cream. I was surprised because I used the products and was a consultant but it never occurred to me to try that.
It works quickly, I loved the results because I wasn't itchy and it didn't come back right away. (I still have flare ups every now and again but not for long.) I haven't asked though about using it on kids.
My son is 21 months and has had very dry skin and some patches as well on the back of his legs and arms. I had been just doing baby lotion on him after bath but by the next day now it is dry again. I had just been thinking I should get the extra emollient out and see if it helps him too.

All the best~

Hi K.! Have you ever tried RENEW lotion for the eczema?
It is a natural lotion with tea tree oil, and it worked well
on my son's "lizard skin".
For more info on RENEW, contact Sarah at
____@____.com
:>) J.

i podyted the same question a few weeks ago and got hundreds of responses http://www.mamasource.com/request/1007967162230374401

what is currently working for us is Method Body lotion and cod liver oil.

I do hope your son grows out of the eczema! My daughter, now 19yrs, has battled with it on her face and inner elbows since infancy. We didn't experience results from over-the-counter lotions or oatmeal, but some things that did help us were: don't use any soap when bathing (I know, sounds creepy, but if you scrub a bit the "stinky" comes off), switch to natural or fragrance-free laundry detergent (and use a bit less than they recommend on the bottle), do the extensive allergy testing at the pediatrician's office (my daughter is allergic to the weirdest things - unavoidable stuff), and if you (one day) do turn to the Elidel or ProToptic, mix it with lotion or gel stuff to cut down the strength (that is the only thing that works for my girlie - she, by the way, prefers the ProToptic Ointment for getting a handle of the big outbreaks - Elidel takes longer to ease symptoms thereby making her use more product). One more thing, many times with Eczema comes Asthma for some crazy reason. I hope some of the suggestions you get from the other moms help too!
Good luck!!!

my understanding is that eczema is often caused by food allergies, or sensitivities rather. Usually a good homeopath can order a blood test and find the offending foods. I see that you have tried to address this through elimination, but I find the elimination diet a very difficult tool to use to nail down the offending foods, herbs or spices. Blood tests give the information in a very understandable way. I got mine at Soterion, though there are different doctors there now.

I wish you all the best,
Sarah

We took our son to a dermatologist when his eczema worsened despite our attempts to help (same as yours), and he recommended the opposite bathing routine our pediatrician had, at least in terms of frequency. He said that we essentially need to force moisture into his skin with daily baths that don't last more than ten minutes in medium water (hot dries skin). Within three minutes, we moisturize with Eucerin cream all over and Aquaphor ointment on trouble spots. He told me that my reluctance to use steroid cream was allowing the problem to worsen (at that point, we required an RX to tame his skin). It turns out that applying a very small amount of OTC hydrocortizone ONCE when we see an area becoming an issue is all it takes to nip it in the bud. And that has become a very rare occurrence. Even if you avoid the steroids, maybe daily baths will help you as much as they did us! Oh, and I know that a lot of babies/toddlers grow out of it, so I hope your son does, too. Good luck!

Have you tried taking gluten and wheat out of his diet? lots of cases of eczema are due to a food alergy you might want to take him to the doc to have an alergy test. I know you dont want to use a steroid cream on him and I understand why have you tried oatmeal baths? get a box of quaker quick oats and knee high panty hose put about two cups of the quick oats inside the knee high and tie it at the top. let the bath water run over the quick oats so that the starch gets into the water its very soothing. I use this for my hailey when she gets eczema and It worked great. I adopted it from when my oldest daughter got the chicken pox and didnt want to spend a ton of money on aveno oatmeal bath. it was great advice I got and I love passing it along. Oh and try tea tree oil you can get a bottle of the full oil in the health food section of your grocery store put a few drops in his bath it smells like a pine tree and most dont like the smell but it works for skin irritation it also helps repel fleas and prevents children from getting lice when they are older. Good natural remedy.

Hello K.!

Try the baby lotion, baby oil, baby hair/wash from Arbonne International. These products are botanically-based and are formulated without nut oils. They do not contain mineral oil, animal products, chemical dyes and fragrances, are never tested on animals, and are hypoallergenic and pediatrician and dermatologist-tested. The hair and body wash is tear-free.

The baby line contains oat flour which helps to soothe and soften, dry, itchy, and sensitive skin. It also contains shea butter which soothes, moisturizes, and protects skin.

I have many clients with children plagued by eczema and they have experienced great results.

I am an independent consultant with Arbonne and I would love to share some of the baby line samples for you to try. E-mail me at ____@____.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

G.

my daughter has mild excema, it can get nasty if we use the wrong products on her. we hardly ever have outbreaks, we use arbonne baby products the wash,diaper cream,lotion and sun screen. last summer we used another sunscreen and within minutes she was red from head to toe. next time we used the arbonne and no problems if you can't find it anywhere my cousin sells the stuff. you can e-mail her at ____@____.com also have only used dreft on her clothes, i know for my self and my older daughter using certain detergents makes us itch. (kids dreft works great)

Kayla, you might find that shea butter works well; shea is a natural product that grows wild in north-central Africa and is well known for its healing properties. I mix pure, naturally refined shea butter with 20% organic olive oil, and, it makes the best skin cream ever, as far as I am concerned. I would be happy to send you a small jar, at not cost, if you would like to try it. If so, you can send mailing information to V. Bartlett, PO Box 123, Lorane, OR 97451. The shea I buy is from Burkina Faso, west Africa, and, it helps the local women move toward financial sustainability; my daughter loves it, and so does her husband and three children. V.

my son had the same thing too, eczema on his legs, arms and torso, but it stopped at the diaper. Also no eczema on his scalp. I thought that if the allergy was internal the eczema would be all over, I changed to a natural laundry detergent. GONE. The fragrance free detergents still have a lot of chemicals in them. I use bio-o -kleen or trader joes and I double rinse all of the families clothes. Now my only problem is when my son spends time at another persons home and rubs his cheeks on their towels, or their shirts and they use regular detergent, his cheeks flare up.

My occasional eczema went away too. My dad after seeing our results did the same thing and the same results.

You could try changing to all natural cleaners and skin care to see if that is the problem.

You owe it to your son to figure this out, his body is reacting to something, and this can interferes with his immune system and he could get sick more.

Good Luck

One of my friends got a bottle of coiltal silver and diluted it in a little spray bottle with water and sprayed it on her daughters patches. It worked great. You can use that stuff on tons of things. Depending on what you want to use it for it can be diluted up to 10 parts water to 1 part coital silver. Good luck!

Have you tried Gentle Naturals Eczema Baby Wash and Baby Eczema Cream? We use both on our 3-month old and they work great. Her eczema is much better since we first started using these products. I bought the cream at Fred Meyer. The baby wash I found on drugstore.com. The lotion contains aloe, calendula, jojoba oil, and vitamins A,D, & E, and is frangrance-fee. The wash contains the same ingredients and is dye-free, tear-free, and dermatologist tested. If you haven't tried these products yet, you might give them a try. I think they're great. Gook luck! :)

I'm no expert on this but I do know some things about foods that are good for the skin.

coconut oil has the same exact ph as human skin so you might try cooking with that and slathering some on his skin too or adding it to a bath. it's very safe and gentle.

We've been using "california baby" supersensitive wash and lotion and it seems to work well. Our pediatrician keeps telling us to just make sure we're using something without fragrance. She also suggested cetaphil.

Try using a humidifier and bathing less, plus a cream like eucerin after the bath. Also check what you use for laundry detergents and fabric softeners. We had to cut out softeners all together and use All free and clear detergent. Good luck!

Ready for some nutty suggestions? I've tried everything too and the only 2 things that made a difference in my kids skin is adding probiotic powder to their food and putting Himalayan salt in their bath. I know, weird! But it works. I get the probiotic powder at New Seasons. And the Himalayan salt comes in nuggets or a bar and I get it at New Renaissance Bookstore in NW.

Good luck!

Have you tried Arbonne? If you have not you should check them out. My middle son had very very bad diaper rash. We tired everything and nothing would keep it away, less then 24 hours and his blisters were gone! I heard and seen many good things from thier products. They are vegan approved and thier baby oil is certified organic. I am avalible for question if you need. Check out their website.

Hi,

My children had eczema when they were 7 years old...I fed them flax seed oil and in a few days it went away. (you could probably try cod liver oil, which is what we are doing now) Or have you given any thoughts to seeing a homeopath/naturopath? I worked at my dr's office and I have seen them help patients with eczema.

S.
my girls are 18, 17 and 15

Hello K., I had the same problem when my daughter was very young, my advise and what I used is called Eladel. I got samples from my doctor when I took her in and its worked wonders! funny thing is I saw it advertised on tv, but never asked for it, it just happened to be the same stuff. Not for sure if I spelled it right but thats how it sounds, I would ask your babys doctor for that. A creme that works great! T.

My Son had Eczema until he was about 18 months or so. We saw a ped. dermatologist, this was what we did. We bathed him every other day (unless he was particularly dirty that day) with Cetaphil soap. It's odorless and bubbleless (if that makes sense) Then I would grease him down with Gentle Naturals lotion. Its made for babies and kids that have eczema. It's a greasy lotion which in turn helps their skin stay moist. It really helped alot and has since gone away. I still only bathe him every other day unless necessary. I hope this helps.
W.

My son has eczema too (he's now three, but has had it for a while now). Our dermatologist recommended using unscented body products in and after bath time. We use California Baby brand unscented body wash and Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream. The trick is to dry your son off very quickly after bath and immediately put lotion all over him. We also use perfume free/dye free detergent and fabric softener. Both of these have really helped.

If cutting out the possible allergens in his food as you have been and the unscented body products don't work, I encourage you to go to a dermatologist. I know you say you don't want to use steriods but the cream we use, we only use when the rash flares up and it's a VERY VERY small amount. Our dermatologist (rated one of the best in Seattle) and his physician's assistant who was in pediatric dermatology at Children's Hospital, both say it's very safe and has no long term effects.

I'm sorry your little boy is experiencing this - it's awful watching them itch and suffer.

Hi K. - my little boy had chronic excema as an infant/toddler. Dermarest (actually for psariosis) is a good OTC product recommended by an RN friend. Otherwise I would go to the supplement section of either New Seasons or Whole Foods and ask for a recommendation. There are lots of other naturopathic products out there - both stores will refund your $$ if the product doesn't work. Hope this helps! M.

I haven't dealt with this myself, but was in a group once where the conversation turned this way and many women said the old wives' remedy of milk of magnesia works perfectly well.

Good luck.

You could try what worked for me with my son. He is 19 mos. and would get dry patches on his arms and legs. I tried not feeding him any wheat products for one week and his skin became very smooth and soft after that one week.
Now instead of wheat products, I feed him spelt bread, oatmeal, rice crackers, snacks made with corn/rice. It's pretty easy now days to avoid wheat.

I had eczema really bad when I was younger, you may want to try looking into a company called Shaklee. My mom used to love them, and she got me a cream or something that I would use. If it is any comfort at all, I actually grew out of a majority of my eczema as I got older. I used to experience the same kinds of things during the middle of the night. It has something to do with when he is sleeping, his body temperature changes, and that is what causes the flare-ups. Best of luck!

You might try TriCeram cream. It is a little expensive, but it helped with my son's eczema.

I hope that helps.

Here's another few ideas, that we've found helped, although not completely cured yet. Cut out all dairy and wheat, dyes, additives, preservatives, use either Aloe vera or lavender oil (diluted 5 drops in 5 ml) on itchiness, give flax seed oil, acidophilus, papaya mint enzymes (from Natures sunshine, aids digestion), get his skin in the sunshine if possible (a trip to AZ did wonders). Right now we are working with a Naturpath who prescribed the homeopathic remedy Sulphur, and that seems to be helping too (we're just a week into that). It's a journey...that's for sure, but our whole family is eating better, and I've lost lots of weight due to the breastfeeding diet restrictions. Also, I wouldn't vaccinate until he's older, as that can be a major source of immunity overload.

been there with my 18mth old use the new cortazon 10 with alovera, it will take about a week but it work for me

K.,
Your right about not using petroleum as it just coats the skin. You need something that does add moisture to his little skin. We found that Cetaphil worked okay on our son's infant eczema until I found Sensaria. They have a Nourishing Moisturizer that works great on him. It has Azulene (the heart of fthe chamomile flower, that is the most nourishing thing found in nature) in it. It's natural and has worked well for us. I'm a Representative now!
www.mysensaria.com/jenn
Good Luck!
Jenn

Hi K.,
When my son was only 6 months old, he had eczema on his face and in a few places on his body. It was REALLY bad, his cheek would crack and ooze. It was terrible. His ped. perscribed multiple doses of Hydrocortozone...which NEVER worked. It would take the redness away for maybe a day and then it was back to the way it was the day before. So finally I was fed up and took him to a dermitologist. He was great. I know you don't want to use a steroid, but it was the ONLY thing that worked for me. We used it for one week, and it was gone. He hasn't had an outbreak sense then and he is now 5. My youngest son, who is now 8 months old has had eczema also, his is a little different. But we have used the same stuff as before, and again, it's gone. His was all over his head and then random patches on his little body. But now the ezcema on his head is gone. Every once in a while we might have to use some kind of cream on him, but I find that if I keep him clean... :o) I don't have to use it. We used Elecon. This is what we did and my children are fine. I hope you find something that works for you! Good luck!

Hi my name is S. and I have a niece who has a little boy, he was probably about the same age as your son and had horrible eczema everywhere. She tried everything, even the steroid creams. What she finally did was get on the internet and did some research on EMU oil. She purchased a small vial, and it worked. He has never had the eczema again. It's expensive, 30.00 for a small vial but all natural and it works. Do some research and see if you want to try it on your son. Wish you luck.

S.

The one thing that helped us turn a corner with eczema was changing laundry detergents to the All Free & Clear and the Bounce free of dyes dryer sheets. Give it a try if you haven't already.

We have used this "at home" recipe as well as a variation that is one cup ground oatmeal to one cup cornstarch for extreme itching and both work very well!

You’ll need a blender, food processor or coffee grinder and 1 cup of oatmeal. You can use instant oatmeal (unflavored), quick oats or slow cooking oats- all work equally as well. For babies, you’ll only need about 1/3 cup per bath.

Blend or process the oats on the highest setting until you have a very fine, consistent powder. To test the colloid property of the oats, stir 1 tablespoon oats into a glass of warm water. If the oats readily absorb the water and give it a milky look and a silky feel, you’ve blended long enough.

Giving the bath:

Sprinkle the oats into a tub of running water and stir the water with your hand several times to ensure even distribution. Feel along the bottom of the tub for clumps and break up any you find.

Take care assisting your child into the tub as the oats will make the tub even more slippery than usual. Allow your child to soak in the tub for 15-20 minutes and pat dry with a soft towel rather than rubbing.

Cetaphil lotion and cream always worked for us. Good Luck!

Have you tried to cut gluten out of his diet?

Good luck,
H

If you live by salt water try putting that on all is out breaks,, my son had that too when he was a baby,, he is 34 now and all gone,, when he was a baby and never came back,,just go to the beach and pick up a gallon or two ,,keep in fridge,, and apply on all spots,, and see what happens,, salt water has a healing agent in it,, old school remedy,, it so works,, it did for me on my son,,and he had it so bad the meat on his body would crack and bleed,, good luck,, want to email me,,____@____.com,,, D. :))

Hi, K.! I have a friend whose 18 month old little girl has severe eczema and has tried just about everything you just mentioned. I gave her a lotion called Renew by Melaleuca and it helped it to go away! I also gave her some Renew bath oil for her daughter to soak in. She loves it! Have you ever heard of Melaleuca? They're a 24 year old health and wellness company who researches and manufactures over 400 consumable products that are phosphate, phalate and chemical free so they are safer for you and your family as well as the environment. Their products are absolutely amazing. I've used them for four years now and would never dream of stopping, especially with three little kids of my own. Let me know if you want more information. By the way, their products are 30 to 40% cheaper than anything "natural" you will find in the stores.

Best of luck
S.

My son is 4--almost 5--and we are still dealing with severe eczema. Sometimes it's just dry skin, but when he gets a cold or something, it can get really bad, and he scratches in his sleep until he's bleeding. At these times I have no problem using the steroid cream prescribed by his pediatritian--especially if he's waking up crying with discomfort. Have you also tried Cortisone cream for immediate relief? Another thing that REALLY HELPS is putting Aveeno Oatmeal soothing bath treatments in his bath.

I have also found that applying a cold compress or ice pack can work to relieve the itchies when it's driving him to distraction! I'm interested in the other replies since we have no perfect answer. I did recently hear that the mineral oil in eucerin cream and products containing petroleum can actually make skin drier! I am still searching.

I have had eczema since I was a tiny baby. It is milder now but here is what to do. It is so simple. When he has a really wet diaper rub it on his eczema and it will sting for a moment then rinse him off dry him and never, never, never use anything with perfume or petroleum jelly on his skin. Do not use anything like Eucerin. Those things just make it worse.
He will have dry skin all his life. However, if the eczema disappears it is a very bad sign that he will go into asthma. Asthma is suppressed eczema.
Olive oil that is 100 percent pure applied very lightly is the best you can do for him. I also when my hands get bad put a tad of Weleda cream on them. Most of the time I just cover up. With my hands I cannot.
Wash all his bedding, towels, clothing in Ecover or Planet. Even wash products can bring out eczema.
I wish you well.

About me I am a mother and grandmother. A well known alternative healer who has written several books that are widely circulated on healing and personal growth.

I have to tell you that three years ago I did in fact "cure" my daughter's eczema. Now it wasn't easy and I did many of the things you mention. I tried every "hypoallergenic" "free and clear" and/or "natural" product on the market. I also did elimination diets, and blood allergy tests. Her's started at 11 months and it was a 5 month struggle. I too refused to go the steroid route. I was determined to find and treat the cause.

My sister introduced me to this online store whose products really are "green". No phosphates, amonia, chlorine, formaldehyde, or other harsh/dangerous chemicals in them. Within three weeks of converting my home and getting the chemicals out my daughter's eczema was gone. Time later proved so was my husbands asthma (he's been off his steroid inhalers for almost 3 years now even through a bought with bronchitis this month).

What we ended up learning was that our daughter is allergic to Q-15 aka Quaternium-15. Q-15 is a cheap preservative manufactures use in everything from personal care products (look at your baby body wash & shampoo) to laundry detergent. It's a formaldehyde releaser when it mixes with water it releases formaldehyde.

I'm so passionate about these products that I tell everyone about them. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have if you want to send me a message.

C. WAHM to 4 y/o virtual twins (one bio/one home ~2 years from Henan China). Owner: www.BeHappierAtHome.com

Hi Kalia,

It may sound crazy but I use Penta water several times a day on my son's (or my own) spots when they act up and and have him drink as much water as I can get him to as well. Since eczema is really a lack of water in the skin (due to who knows what - it could any of a million things it seems) I thought why not try replacing the water and see what happens. I have noticed that in my family the eczema comes on when we don't drink enough water and/or we get stressed and therefore don't drink enough water. When mine gets really bad I also use Twinlab's Na-PCA after the Penta water. The Na-PCA comes in a spray is <$10. I get it at Whole Foods but other places have it too. The Penta water is pricey but you don't use much at a time so it is not too bad. Our eczema doesn't seem as bad as what you are dealing with but maybe this will help you. Also, avoid any bath products with sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate, sometimes shortened to SLS. It is pretty prevalent in bath products but is very drying so avoiding that should help as well. We use JASON For Kids Only shampoo as my sons shampoo and soap.

Good Luck!
S.

My husband has mild eczema and I have a friend who has severe eczema as do her 2 sons. These simple tricks work wonders:
Use a very mild or natural soap. www.thesoaplady.com, sells home made soap that is especially formulated for people with excema
Don't use fabric softeners of any kind. They are full of irritating chemicals. You'll soon get used to the stiffer towels.
Cut way back on the amount of detergent you use, for regular washers 1/3 cup is plenty! Less is also better for your washer.
Change detergent brands everytime you need a new box or use mild detergents like Dreft.
When my husband has a flair up he uses over the counter cortisone cream. A tiny dab works wonders.
B.

Gosh, you got so many replies, I am almost sorry sending another. But my daughter had horrible eczema as a baby and we took her to a homeopathic practitioner. The results were amazing. Even her pediatrician was shocked at the speed and extent of the improvement. She was 97% cured. Now we can keep it at bay mainly with aquafor.
Unfortunately, we moved (her practitioner was in NJ) so I can't recommend anyone local. I think it's really important to get a referral to someone who specifically deals with eczema. Some of these practitioners are great and some are useless, so you really need to get the right person. If you know a good naturopath or chiropractor, I'd get a recommendation from someone like that. Hope this helps!

My son has had excema for a long time also and my DR. recommended using nivea lotion on him after every bath. It worked wonders. I love the lotion and now even use it my self.

You can get the strawberry flavored fish oil supplements at PCC or super supplements. They are labeled Children's DHA and are in the kids section. My kids like it. My son seems to be growing out of his eczema but his is always worse in the summer time. Good luck. S.

Hi K.
I have a friend that has has eczema all her 53 years. What worked for her is the stairoid creams. Until she started using alovera straight from the plant. If the skin is bleeding or raw use a mix of Alo and Goldenceal root powder as a past and than bandage it. If the child happens to eat the mix it will not hert them.
Stress is one of the BIG triggers for my friend. Just becouse some one is a child that does not mean that they are stress free.
If I remember correctly eczema is of the chicken pox family like shingles in addults. Soaps and other alergins may be at play here also. Keep the wound dry and in as much open air as you can and that will help also.
Go to a naturalpath or herble DR. Do your reserch on the web and with any Pro that might have axsess to the lateist info on this isue. It is posable it will be a life time isue and learning how to live with it might have to happen.

Get the book "Change your mind and change your life" this will help both you and yours. also get "What the bleep do we know" and "The Secret" all are earth shaking ways to a better life.

I hope this helps

S.

PS I have never used any thing my face except water until I came accross this product, it is the only thing that I use on my face and it is healing my skin and the skin of my friend.
Corium 21 the aloe skin healing cream Corium 21, 2116 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Suite #2, Burbank, CA 91504 1-800-319-5114. I do not sell this product I just use it.

Hi K.,

My daughter just has dry skin, but my mom gave me this product called Kevin's Cure. It is from a company called Sister Sky. Evidently Kevin had severe Eczema and his mother created this Natural lotion for him and it worked. I copied their website into this note. I am not sure of the cost because my mom gave it to me, but it is a very nice lotion and they have other products as well.

Good Luck and Take Care,
J.
http://www.sistersky.com/

I use tea tree oil on my eczema adn vitamen C. Also I had to cute out the gluten in my diet. That was a mager help. HOpe u fined somethign that helps.

Sorry to hear about the eczema, I know from experience it's horrible. Creams, ointments and steroids only temporarily help at best. Homeopathy has had constant success in this arena with no side affects. I have experienced this being resolved personally and for my family as well as for patients, since I became a Homeopath :)
Feel free to ask questions. This would be classical homeopathy, not acute or combination style.
Be well,
Liz

try cetiphil lotion i works good with my son also try and stay away from lotions laundry soaps that have any kind of perfumes or scents i use dye perfume free detergents also alot of things with citrus can cause break out (orange juice) you can go online and buy tar bath oil which also helps or try aveeno oatmeal bath good luck

K.,
Out of my four kids, three have (or had) issues with allergies. In the past, when my now 15 y.o. was a toddler, he looked a lot like what you said about your son, and we were trying the moisturizer approach. We were quite frustrated, he was suffering, and he only got better, when he was about four. He still has dry skin, but no itchy patches. My youngest, who is now 2.5 y.o., had about the same problem. His pediatrician insisted, he got tested for food allergies. The test requires bician lood draw. The reason she did it, was to confirm if he just had "sensitive skin" or actual food sensitivities. It turned out he had severe allergy to both dairy and beef and to eggs. At that point we were told to eliminate 100% any foods containing these offenders, and two weeks later our son had perfect skin. All this was happening when he was one-it came up during his 12 mos check-up. I know it sounds kind of cheesy, but was quite hard on us-his pediatrician made us read all labels and anything saying "whey" was out. We noticed that our son was really sensitive to baked stuff containing eggs. We did lots of label reading, but it was worth it. We eliminated beef many years ago, so that was easy, but to eliminate cakes and ice cream was harder. Good luck with your search-I wrote all this, because it is easier to eliminate what you know for sure is bad. When I was still breastfeeding, I attempted to eliminate wheat from my and his diet-pure nightmare!
A.

I may have a product that will work on him. It has worked well for other children and adults that itch so bad at night, they bleed. My e-mail is ____@____.com you e-mail me, I will send you samples. If that doesn't work, I know of another product which may.

C. R.

Have you tried cutting sugar out of his diet? I've heard that it can contribute a lot to eczema. Just look at everything he is eating and you might be surprised at what contains sugar. Good luck!

I give my 2 year old 1/2 TBS Carlson's Lemon Flavored Cod Liver oil every day. You can buy it at any health food store. You might also try taking your son to see a naturopathic doctor. Our's also put my son on a digestive enzyme called NutraMetrix. Those two things have made a big difference for us.

I use a product from Circle of Friends that I believe you can get at target. It comes in a green bottle and is made just for kids. O have also found that A and D workds good to. Sometimes it does take time. You may not be one for Benadryl but it does help at night with the itching if it is real bad.
GOod luck.
Lisa

I have younger twin sisters and a brother who all have had horrible eczema, and the only thing they have found to work for them is Curel lotion. They are allergic to lanolin, so they can't use most lotions. Hopefully, your son will grow out of it. My sisters' and brother's skin is much better than when they were babies, though they still have a few allergies that will flare it up.

Try Noxema, original formula. It was originally formulated for excema (read No Exema into the name) and still is very soothing and for many people really helps clear up the breakouts. It comes in a good-sized blue jar and costs $4 something a jar.

Hi K.,
I have not looked at other responses so sorry if mine is a duplicate, but call his dr and let them know how bad it is. THey can prescibe a cortizone that is a higher level only from presciption. It worked really well for my daughter when she had a bad dose of it. Good luck.. SOrry, I just realized you don't want a steriod cream. I do know that my sister in law's eczema gets worse with milk products. She has an allergy to the milk protien that makes her break out with eczema.