Despairing Mom Seeking Advice on Severe Eczema Treatments (Natural, Preferred)

Hi A.,

My daughter had a mild case of eczema when she was a toddler. I do not know if this will work for you since your daughter's case is much worse than my daughter's but it's worth a try. I purchased a book called "Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child" by Valerie Worwood. In it she has a recipe for eczema. I did not have all the ingredients so I just used what I had and it worked great. I took 3 oz of Organic olive oil and put it into a colored glass btl and added 10 drps of lavender oil and 10 drps of german camomile oil. I used this as her lotion and put it all over her body. Worwood suggests using 2oz almond oil, 1/4oz jojoba oil, 1/2oz sunflower seed oil, 1/4 oz camellia oil and 6 drps evening primrose oil with lavender(10drps),german camomile(10drps), palmarosa(6drps), bergamot(2drps)She says to use a small amt of the mix on the affected areas as needed. She also suggests using 1tbsp of one of these oils in the bath (almond, jojoba, grapeseed, or sunflower seed.) Another recipe is to put a small amt of organic oats, 1/2tsp jojoba oil and 1drp lavender in a muslin bag and tie, place in bath. In her bk she states that the most likely sources of allergies to cause eczema are wheat, dairy products, eggs, pet hair, wool, water softening agents, and clothes softening products. If you are breast feeding try cutting out some of the allergens from your diet and see if that helps.

p.s. if you use my concoction-- FYI, it seems like after I had used the olive oil lotion that I read in her bk not to use the olive oil on children a certain age but I didn't read that beforehand and now I can't find it again. My daughter is fine and the lotion worked great on her eczema. Worwood does say to use organic, cold pressed olive oil when using it (if you decide to go that route vs all the other oils she lists)

Good luck. I feel for you, it's heartbreaking to see the agony they are in and not be able to help them.

My first son had severe eczema by 2mos and asthma by 3mos so I know your pain. When our 2nd son was born it was obvious we were headed down the same path :< At 8mos he had a severe reaction to fresh bananna so we insisted on a blood draw for allergy testing and got a surprisingly long list of allergens. Once I removed them from my (and his limited) diet the bright red patches were significantly reduced and we were finally in a position to no longer have to slather him with hydrocortisone before sleep each night. We've found the fewer baths and less rubbing of salves the better in his case and manage his reactions through diet and frequent nail clipping :) All laundry is done with Planet and vinegar is the only "fabric softener". When we do bathe them we add epsom salts to the water, wash with only cetaphil cleanser and slather with aquaphor afterwards. My eldest will always have his tender spots (ear crease and lips) but then so do I (webs of my fingers)... but simplifying cleaning solutions has helped us all (vinegar, baking soda, fresh lemon). I am on a continual search for naural alternatives to cetaphil and aquaphor but with allergies to avocado and coconut as well as a host of other things our search continues. We were in an eczema study at Stanford for Elidel with our firt boy and found that it gave him zero relief... only OTC hydrocortisone or Rx Cutivate have been effective rescues when a major flareup occurs. Our thinking is that we'd rather medicate so they can get relief and rest than drag out discomfort by limiting our arsenal. We practice a 3day rule and inspect their skin daily. On first notice of scratching or redness we cleanse with Cetaphil and apply aquaphor immediately. If it's still there on day 2 then it's time for hydrocortisone covered with a layer of aquaphor. Day 3 (or sleeplessness) merit the Rx Cutivate (rarely). I hope you find relief for your little one soon!

A.,
Take her to a Naturopathic Dr. (N.D.) Have you tried giving her fish oil supplement? If you have tried fish as a solid food and no allergy - then get Nordic Naturals strawberry fish oil from Whole Foods. Get a Motrin dropper/syringe or any dropper that can measure out 1/2 teaspoon - 1 tsp. for her. Refer to Dr. Lauren Feder's website. Do a search for her. She's in LA and we used to go to her. She's a naturopath and wrote a book called "Natural Baby and Childcare" I am sure she addresses eczema. Good Luck!

Hi A.,

I'm so sorry to hear about what your family and baby are going through. My daughter A. (now 9) developed relatively mild eczema at about 2 1/2 months of age, and I remember how stressful it was. Another mom who had been through it recommended eliminating all wheat (not just whole wheat--all wheat flour) and dairy from MY diet (my daughter was exclusively breastfeeding at the time. After I did that, the eczema cleared up completely, and if I "fell off the wagon" and ate a bit of pasta, it would show up on her as eczema the following day.

I also worked with a naturopath at Pacific Naturopathic http://www.pacificnaturopathic.com/ in Palo Alto. If you go to them or to any other Naturopath, ask if they have experience in working w/eczema in children. Given the severity of your daughter's eczema, perhaps there are more foods involved than wheat and dairy--but those are two of the most common ones.

You are welcome to write me if you want any info about substitutions I did when I had to change over my diet. I figured out how to still bake and cook and not feel deprived.

Best of luck!
J.

HI A.,
I know of some products that might help your daughter out tremendously. They are all EPA certified, eco-friendly products that carry no harsh chemicals. The lotion has cured many severe skin problems. You can request additional info from www.helpmomstayhome.com. We are 100% guaranteed, with no risk at all. I have changed my home to a healthier environment and also made my family healthier also.

Hi A.,I know exactly how you are feeling but unfortunately I dont have any treatment ideas. I dealt with severe eczema with my 2 boys (now 10 & 7 years old).  My older son had it bad and I tried several different treatments both natural and non-natural but never had good results.  Found out he was allergic to dairy when he was 4 months old after he ate some milk based cereal.  He was on soy formula from the time he was 4 mo. old to 9 months old when we found out he was allergic to soy as well. (Both boys are allergic to dairy, eggs & nuts) When we stopped the soy formula, his skin definitely improved but he still had plenty of eczema issues.  Constantly scratching in tub, waking up at night scratching and uncomfortable.  My younger son also had it but not as bad.  We kept him away from dairy and he breastfed for a full year so he was never on any type of formula. I too was very frustrated with their doctor because I actually suggested the soy allergy in the beginning but he ignored it. Also, all he seemed to want to do was prescribe steroids and hydrocortisone. Both of my boys did outgrow it. I know this isn't much help but I just thought I'd fill you in on the food allergies in case that may be something you want to check into. Good luck!  Kim 

A.,
I would love to introduce you to products from a company I represent. The are guaranteed to be made without harsh chemicals, toxins or known carcinogens. The laundry detergent is PH balanced to be similar to water, and as such is very gentle on human skin. We have a great lotion that has been tested against prescription lotions and proven to work better, faster, longer etc. We have shampoo and conditioner that are made to be extra gentle and our dishwasher detergent is the only one I know of that isn't required to have a child proof cap. You can request information at www.SwitchingStores.info or contact me directly. I would love to help you help your daughter and save money too.

Hi A.,

It looks like you've already received a bunch of great advice, and while I did not look at all of the responses, I thought I'd chime in. I have had severe eczema for the last 10 years (as a child I had severe asthma, food allergies and environmental allergies). It onset in my early twenties overnight. I had mainly suffered from it on my legs and hands. Over the summer, I made a few dramatic changes in my lifestyle and I am now eczema free (for over 6 months without a flare-up).

Here are a few things that I changed:

1) I stopped using shampoo and conditioner and switched to using Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar to care for my hair. Once I did this, I stopped suffering from eczema completely. You can look up more info here: http://1greengeneration.elementsintime.com/?p=365. You can use it on babies, but honestly you don't need to wash their hair very frequently.

2) I stopped using any commercially made, dyed and fragranced soaps. I think its worth a moment to check out this site that states the toxicity of common beauty products that are rated by this non-profit (I've linked it directly to the baby section): http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/browse.php?maincat=babycare. I found it appalling that Johnson's and Johnson's Baby Shampoo is one of the most toxic baby shampoos out there. I now use soaps made by a work at home couple. The owner of this company has a son that suffers from severe eczema and she was so helpful in helping me select products that would help me get rid of the eczema. She explained that even the "natural" products that I was already using had many herbs and flowers that were harsh for sensitive skin. The company is called Blue House Soaps http://www.bluehousesoaps.com/. I use their basic bar that is scent free and dye free.

3) I stopped using chemical laden house cleaning products and switched to using white vinegar and baking soda.

4) I stopped eating all dairy products. Since then, I've suffered far less from allergies and chronic congestion. Perhaps if the probiotic formula doesn't work for your daughter, you could ask the ped. about a hypo-allergenic formula. My son had to use this when he was an infant while we were working out nursing problems because he had an allergy to milk.

5) I started using plain olive oil and coconut oil to moisturize my skin.

While you're trying to work all of this out, cool compresses may help the itching and burning. I know whenever I had a flare up, I just wanted to run cold water on my skin. My doctor advised not to let the affected areas get wet too often, but to also keep them moisturized. It may be helpful to bathe your daughter fairly infrequently. She probably only needs to be soaped once a week.

Good luck to you. I know eczema is terrible and I completely understand your desire to clear it up without steroids. If you have any more questions about any of my suggestions, please feel free to email me.

-H.

Hi. We had a similar experience this summer with allergies and our almost 2 year old. My sister has allergies for everything from food to detergents, perfume, pollen and more. As a teacher, her school couldn't even serve melon in the cafeteria because it would cause her throat to swell and affect her breathing. She tried something called NMT -NeuroModulation Technique and is now able to be exposed to many things that were high allergies for her. I actually am not a big natural medicine person but felt so out of control with our daughter that I was willing to try it based on the glowing recommendation of my sister. Very long story short (email if you want more details), our daughter went from looking like hot lava had hit her skin to beautiful non itching within a few weeks. The NMT has it's roots in acupuncture but only uses pressure points that you push, vials of the allergens as determined by electro magnetic feedback and some sort of long chant thing.... sounds soooooo weird but it actually worked so who am I to say. We went to a very normal woman named Connie Prodromou who is a licensed acpuncturest and nmt clinician in San Anselmo. You can look up more info on NMT online but for us the bottom line is that my sister's school can serve melon and my daughter is still eczema free after 6 months! Feel free to email me for more info and good luck!

Hi A. -

Severe eczema is difficult to go through. My daughter had it so bad on her legs and arms that she would not be able to wear anything but the loosest clothing, and she was in constant pain. I completely agree with you that heavy duty steroids are not good and carry lifetime side effects, as well as change your baby's development. I too tried every cream, bath, lotion, etc. I found through a lot of research and trial and error that my daughter's eczema was due to her diet - of all things. I put her on a complete elimination diet - and then started adding back things to see what affected her. When I took her off dairy and wheat (anything with flour) - her eczema cleared up. She is now 15 years old, and is 99% eczema free. She has had 1 or 2 flare-ups over the years. If you are nursing your baby, you would need to go on the elimination diet - what you eat does come through your milk. Good luck with this!! I hope you are able to find a natural solution and that you and your child do not have to resort to steroids!

Hi A.

Sorry that your little one is suffering :(
Although my son doesn't have eczema, he does have asthma and sensitive skin, in which case, I have done a couple of things, one... I NEVER use shampoos and or soaps that have sodium laurel sulfate in them (this is what makes the bubbles) these are VERY VERY drying on the skin and scalp, in addition, I have a filter that takes a lot of the chlorine out of the water (this too can be VERY drying for the skin). Imagine, warm water, chlorine and sodium laurel sulfate altogether on the skin and scalp... it makes for DRY skin... Additionally, although your child is much younger than mine, I don't OVER blanket or OVER cloth my son in pajamas at night as the warmth can bring on an itching spell (especially BEFORE I stopped using sodium laurel sulfate products) my son is 7 , so at this time, I allow him to wear his short PJs to bed... when I don't , he simply gets way too hot. you may have to kinda wk around this aspect. Ummm what else.. of course, I don't allow much dairy (or soy) in his diet as I have found it made his asthma worse..
the other thing is, I use california baby products and so far, the shampoo has been quite good.
in addition, you may want to go to naturalnews.com and type in eczema... it's a good website and has been "alternative" articles..

I wish you the best

Hi A.,
My brother suffered from severe eczema for about two years with hospitalizations, steroids, etc. Finally, he was tested for allergies. He was allergic to milk. This was 30 years ago, before all of the specialty formulas on the market. The only thing he could drink was powdered nonfat milk. He was sensitive to goat milk and other similar products. He is now grown and has outgrown this allergy. He is, however, lactose intolerant.

For relief (not a cure), my mom used Keri lotion. It's a clear, oily lotion.

Good luck!!!

Hi A.,
You sound pretty desperate! I understand. I've had horrible eczema and so did my daughter. Like you, I tried every cortisone, prescription cream for many years and nothing provided relief as exzema can be so chronic. Finally, I found some excellent lotion and product line that helped detox our home. Our exzema is gone and has not come back for over 8 years!
Please call or email me for info. and I'd be happy to talk with you.
God bless,
H. :) ____@____.com
###-###-####

Hi A.
I would be happy to give you a sample of Arbonne's baby line. Our products are pure, safe and beneficial, formulated in Swizterland and made here int he US. We use no chemical dyes or fragrances, no mineral oil, are pH correct, hypoallergenic, and dermatologist and pediatrition approved. There are no animal by prodcuts or animal testing.

Our baby line is one of our top sellers because of the amazing results that people get. One of the biggest things is that there is no mineral oil as in many products on the market. Mineral oil feels good going on, but it is occlusive and just sits on the skin and doesn't allow any good things that may be in the product to penetrate the skin. It's a cheap filler and we do not use it.

I can give you a sample to try to see if it helps. Let me know if you are interested and I can meet you or send it in the mail. I have many customers who swear by this line of products for their baby's and toddlers.

The line consists of a wash, lotion, oil, diaper rash cream and sunscreen that is safe for baby's. The lotion and oil are amazing for clearing up severe baby skin issues.

Please contact me if you are interested and I can get you information and a sample.
____@____.com

Dear A.:

I'm cautious about recommending my products in replies, but do make a couple of products that are very effective in treating eczema. I have a mama-owned business on this site. If you are interested in my holistic products, please feel free to check it out.

Even though I managed a medical spa until recently, I was never able to find effective treatments for eczema and a host of other chronic problems. While working at the spa staff, clients and patients from the associated medical practic routinely sought relief through my products.

I wish you well!

V.

Hi A.: I can relate to the pain of eczema. I suffered from it for years. I was on steroids for a while which did not help me at all because it came right back. a few things worked great for me and I no longer suffer from it. I take Flax seed oil which is rich in OMEGA 3 and OMEGA 6. I also use Renew Bath oil and Renew intensive skin therapy.which you can get more information on at www.livetotalwellness.com/workgreen
I wish you and your family the best of luck on finding a solution to your daughters eczema.

Hi A.-
I was doing some internet reading before I responded, and what i seem to be seeing is that the people who have suffered from it since childhood have found that steroids and cortisone shots only stop the symptoms and not the problem. One thing i read is that alot of times there is a definciency in omega 3's and other basic minerals your body needs. She also said that her skin reacted even more poorly when ingesting dairy. I am not sure what to give your daughter as she is so young and I am no expert, but this lady (after suffering for years) started taking flax seed oil and marine phytoplanktin as supplementations to her diet and saw within a few weeks a huge change in her skin and body. Along with a strict diet (and other helps like acupuncture, excercise, etc) she has found her eczema clearing. I would see if you can get a second opinion from a D.O. who specializes in kids- or a dulla who has her credentials. It seems to me that the more we get back to the way our bodies were intended to be, the better our bodies get. I am all for technological advances and medicine, but if there is something I can do that doesn't require pharmaceuticals and works just as well, that is always my first choice.
I hope this helps and I wish you luck in your search.

Hi A.,
I agree with the other moms to stop giving her cow's milk. My son has very sensitive skin and while it is not eczema he gets yeast infections immediately if he has any diaper rash sat all. We use organic soymilk and his skin has gotten much better. You can also try using Cetaphil baby soap, it is what they used in the hospital on him when he was in the NICU. I also recommend going to a Natural food store and asking the people that work there if they have any recommendations, they are very knowledgable. I do know that Burt's Bees is a very good line and can be found almost anywhere. I hope that your baby gets better. My son also has asthma and I am going to get him tested for food allergies because I have a lot. Please let us know what happens.

It sounds as if most people are going with what I would recommend--check the allergies, especially food allergies. The good news is that your child no longer has to go through the torture of scratch tests at the allergist for the docs to determine what is going on--there are new blood tests that require only a vial or two of blood to do everything that the scratch tests used to do.

Has she been to a real dermatologist yet, or are the family care/pediatric docs trying to deal with this?? If not, I would insist on referrals to a dermatologist and an allergist/pulmonologist, especially since she has already had one bad bout of asthma. If they prescribe INHALED steroids, don't panic--they are very effective for the asthma, and have little/no systemic effects (EG Pulmicort).

Good luck.

S.

I don't know how this works with kids, but I have had eczema my whole life. Other than going on vacation (a sure cure for me), I have recently started taking flax seed oil and noticed a huge improvement. Check with your doc.

Just piping in to say that I agree your little one needs allergy testing. If she's formula fed, my guess is that she is allergic to something in the formula. Maybe try an elemental one?

I have food allergies and they can cause everything you describe.

Could she have a milk allergy? Has she only been on milk based formuls or have you tried soy or goat's milk? My son and my sister in laws kids all greatly benefitted from the introduction of omegas (via purified fish oil, though she may be a little young for that. For topical treatment, www.mamarosenaturals.com has an INCREDIBLE line of natural exzema products that she created after her own daughter got it really bad. And she makes it all herself. I even use it on mine and it helps tremendously. Pricey, but worth every penny.

I know you are looking for natural, but I don't have that advise. My daughter HAD really bad eczema when she was a baby. The doc said to apply Elidel 2x a day. It worked. When ever she flared up, we put it on right away. It took care of it usually with in a day. We were checked her skin careful. If we thought it was starting, out came the cream.

We also moved out of our house on so. Cal to northern Cal., into a new one. No more eczema. Something in the change or she just grew out of it.

Find a new doc. My daughter sees Dr. Torrano, San Jose area (several offices)with Allergy & Asthma Associates of Northern California. He's been great for my daughter!

Stephanie

Have you winnowed out the possibility of a food intolerance? Not all of them cause anaphylactic symptoms. Gluten intolerance is very common and often overlooked. It cause a huge number of symptoms but often people just get treatment for the symptoms (like steroids) instead of searching for the underlying cause. You can get tested for it, so it would be pretty easy to rule it out. There are other food allergies that can cause those problems too though. Some people are allergic to tomatoes of all things. I recommend you try to find a qualified nutritionist to help you figure this out. Good luck.

Hi A.,

All the other moms, in my opinion, have hit the nail on the head. My youngest, who also had asthma, developed severe eczema as an infant. The first thing I did was took her to my grandmother, this woman knows everything about everything, who said to me "Stop giving that baby milk; she's allergic to it!" And her next statement made even more sense....."We are the only species on the planet that drinks something else's milk, it's no wonder these children are born with and have all these problems what with all the stuff they shoot them cows with.....I'll spare you the back in her day speech......;-)

In any event, I immediately took her off the milk. Additionally, and on my grandmother's advice, I also added a bit of Epsom salt (doesn't sting) to her bath water, used pure cocoa butter on her skin and in those creases under the neck and on those lil' chunky thighs I used corn starch and kept her skin as dry as possible through those drooling years; as you can imagine we changed clothes quite frequently. After several weeks I noticed the eczema was nearly gone. It did return on occasion but it was much more manageable than in the early days. The key is keeping the skin as dry and moisturized as possible.

My daughter is now in college and has the n most beautiful skin; so smooth and clear. She does occasionally have a breakout; when she had too much ice cream while studying, but she has learned to keep it under control.

Hope this helps!!
CM

So sorry to hear that your little one has eczema. I've had it for many years--started when I was 13, 40 years ago. I can only hope that your daughter will grow out of it.
I have also tried everything including acupuncture and herbs. My breakouts would come and go, and were mostly managable with corticosteroid creams. I got to a point where nothing worked.
What is working for me now is photolight therapy. It's basically UV light treatment or UV exposure to all areas of the body with eczema. I go to Dr. David Laub in Mill Valley. The treatment is working for me right now. I'm also managing my stress which also is a big contributor to breakouts.
Please also contact the National Eczema Association ###-###-####, www.nationaleczema.org.
Good luck. Watch your stress level too!
L.

Hi...I'd try diet/environmental changes that people recommended *especially elimination diet*, and also Virgin Coconut Oil topically. Please, make sure it's Virgin and Organic.

-J.

Hi A.,

My oldest daughter had severe eczema and was prescribed steroids to help but never hospitalization. I am sure you already use all the non-soap products (i.e Cetaphy), give fewer baths, use all natural (green) cleaning products, laundry detergents etc. I have continued to use California Baby products, they have not aggravated her skin. Fortunately, I did not have to continue using the steroid creams and benadryl for her eczema. The eczema only went away when we figured out that she was allergic to many foods by eliminating wheat, soy, all dairy (eggs included) and nuts from MY diet (since I was breastfeeding her). Are you breastfeeding or giving her formula? If you are giving formula, you can change to a non dairy and non soy formula to see if that helps. It takes a while to see results as it takes time to rid the allergen from ones system (at least 3 weeks). Your daughter is still young to be tested by an allergist for food allergies but doing an elimination diet may be the way to go for now. My daughter was 10 months old when she was first tested by an allergist (back pricks) but I eliminated all the highly allergenic foods from my diet BEFORE we confirmed what she was allergic to. My daughters eczema went away completely and has not returned since we figured out all her food allergies (she is now 5 1/2).

Good luck to you, I remember how tough it was before we were able to figure the cause of her eczema.

~ M.

I have a friend who's child also had very bad Eczema and they had great luck with Nature's Paradise baby products. Here is the link. They also feature a testimonial about eczema. Added plus, it is all natural and organic! I use it for my son also but he hasn't had eczema but I love it!
http://www.naturesparadiseorganics.com/google34de###-###-....

Here is a link to folk remedies to cure eczema. This website if amazing to cure almost anything. I have used it several times and has success everytime!
http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/eczema.html#ACV

Good Luck!

A.,
I am sorry to hear that your daughter has Eczema. My oldest daughter also has Asthma, Allergies and in the last 5 years now has Eczema. Hers is mainly on her fingers. She ended up going to the emergency room because it was so bad one time. All of the lotions and creams just irritated the Eczema. Now she uses Gold Bond cream. It seems to help alot. She still scratches and her job requires her to wash her hands all day long but she doesn't draw blood anymore. Hope this will work for you.
K.

Hi A.,

Our second child had severe food allergies, with eczema as one of his symptoms. If it is a food allergy causing the eczema, then the only way to get rid of it is to figure out what food is causing the reaction and eliminate it from the diet. Unfortunately, this is much easier said than done.

Allergy testing is not very reliable in young children. It's worth a try, but don't be surprised if the tests come back negative. Our son tested negative to everything but peanuts at 15mo. At 2.5 years old he tested positive (by both blood and skin prick tests) to over 30 foods. (P.S. Now at 7yo, he has outgrown most of his allergies!)

Definitely go see an allergist, and discuss switching formulas. There is an "elemental" formula called Neocate that is almost impossible to be allergic to (because it doesn't contain any intact proteins, they've been broken down to base amino acids). This formula is expensive and doesn't taste good though, so it's kind of a last resort. And I think you need a prescription to get it.

It might take a while (3 weeks) to get an appointment with an allergist though. In the mean time, you could try switching to a partially hydrolyzed formula like Good Start. The milk protein is broken down, which makes an allergic reaction less likely. Our second child did not tolerate it either. But our third child had a mild milk allergy (which caused eczema). He did not react to the Good Start formula, but did react to whole milk, yogurt and cheese. (But he also outgrew his milk allergy by 2yo.) If it is an allergy to milk, you would see an improvement in the eczema within a week of switching formulas.

Also, if you do discover your daughter has allergies, I highly recommend an on-line support group for parents at: www.kidswithfoodallergies.org. They were extremely helpful to me in learning how to manage/live with our son's allergies.

Good luck!
D.

For my 5 yr old,I soak him in a bath with warm water,(No soaps).After he's soaked,I drain the water,then with a washcloth apply a small amount of Aveeno baby wash,and only clean areas necessary.Then I rinse and pat dry.I then apply the steroidal cream to only the affected areas,( he develops rashes from scratching),then I apply Vaseline over his entire body.Just before bed he has to have benadryl to help with the itching and scratching.This is done everynight and over time it will help.Ask your Dr. about benadry your child might be too young.This is my experience and I hope it can help you.