Eczema & AA Skin Care

I know you said the daycare won't limit food, but what about milk? Both of my kiddos have eczema and it is brought on by milk. My daughter is also set off by peanuts, but not any other kind. So, she drinks goat milk, my son however, is also allergic to it.

My sister's eczema is also from dairy. But, that doesn't mean they can't have the small amounts that are added to foods like crackers and other foods. It is the casein protein, not the lactose that is the allergent.

I know that oatmeal baths are supposed to be soothing, as are cool baths because warm ones dry out the skin. I have had a lot of luck with coconut oil for my dry skin, but I don't have eczema. Also, the rashes can get yeast in them, so watch for that as well.

I hope you find answers with the pediatrician, and if needed, then ask for a pediatric dermatologist as well as an allergist. Good luck, I wish you the best, and easiest resolution for this!

I have dry, sensitive skin as does one of my daughters. I have good results on 90% of skin problems with just plain olive or coconut oil. An added bonus is that they are cheap and natural.

Caring for eczema is more complicated than using a cream and cortizone. I urge you to Google eczema treatment. He should be bathed every day and then the cream applied while his skin is still damp. Use a small amount of mild soap. Do not apply cream or anything else to his skin before bathing him. You want the water to soak in and then apply the cream to hold it in.

There are generic creams available that cost less. We also used vaseline with my grandaughter. The creamy vaseline was absorbed better and was less greasy. Applying twice a day should be sufficient. Same for cortisone cream. I would apply cream more often during the day when needed. One has to not over use the cortisone because it can thin out the skin.

My granddaughter's doctor prescibed a special cream to use instead of the cortisone cream. It worked wonders. My daughter's sister uses a coconut lotion wothout perfumes or preservatives that helps keep her daughter's eczema at bay. However, when the eczema is active a thick cream works best.

I've been a foster mother and known other foster parents. The state will pay for further testing if the pediatrician recommends it. And you do not need to wait until November to talk with his worker. Providing the best care for him is ongoing and can't be sceduled.

What is AA?

I've never seen eczema treated effectively using topical creams or lotions or baths. You've got to watch the steroid creams anyway, and as you've noticed, it's particularly difficult in a small child - they move, and you don't want them touching the cream and then putting their hands in their mouths or on their food.

Besides, you're just treating the symptom and not really addressing the cause. It's really caused by an imbalance inside the body, and with the skin as the body's largest organ, there are lots of ways for the imbalance to manifest as a skin problem (eczema being one of many). All of the nurses, moms, and even pharmacists with whom I work use nutritional supplementation much more effectively. I think you can be much more effective and get other benefits as well.

My dd has had exzema and I have a combo cream that I make myself:

equal parts of:
1% hydrocortisone cream
Vaseline (or Aquaphor)
Benedryl anti-itch cream
Zinc Oxide cream (You can just use Desitin with 40% zinc oxide)

Mix together in a small jar like a tiny baby food jar. It works best if you wet the affected skin area down with some cool water, then apply the cream and lock the moisture in.

I've been doing this for years and it works like a charm. Also, before my dd swims or even before she takes a hot bath, I apply a thin layer of cream and it works as a barrier so the water doesn't irritate or dry the skin.

Hi,
I just read your question about eczema in African American skin. I am African American and the mother of three boys ranging in age from 8 years to 1 year old, all of whom have severe eczema, food allergies, asthma & environmental allergies.

Eczema presents differently in African American skin than it does in Caucasian skin due to an increased amount of melanin in AA skin. My sons have it primarily behind their knees, in the bends of their elbows, on their hands & necks. I'm sure you have researched how eczema affects AA skin, if not you may want to start there.

Aquaphor is not just for AA skin & I do agree it is gross. I have used it for years on my boys & all of their bed clothing is stained from it. I have also used Dove soap for sensitive skin on them since they were babies. I have recently started using African Black Soap with shea butter and Neosporin Eczema Essentials with great success. The Neosporin Eczema Essentials cream is not greasy & it helps with itchy skin. I think they make a body wash too but I have not tried it. Zyrtec is also great to use along with a lipid cream like the Neosporin for the itchy skin. We also see a dermatologist who proscribes steroid creams as needed but they are not good to use every day.

Since I know my kids' eczema & asthma triggers, I am able to control their flare ups better. However, since you are unable to have him tested it will be harder for you to control flare ups. I give my boys baths each night (but I don't let them soak too long in the water because that is not good for eczema) to wash away any environmental triggers. I also use Aveeno oatmeal baths sometimes to sooth itchy skin. Aquaphor or any emollient should be used as much as needed & not limited to 2x per day. Eczema skin needs a little help with keeping moisture in & since the skin is our first line of defense from illness, it's super important to keep it healthy. I hope some of my tips help your little one. I usually don't answer post but yours hit so close to home that I felt compelled to post a reply.

While your getting a prescription, get it for 2.5% hydrocortizone, and ask for the ointment not the cream. Eczema is not just your run-of-the-mill dry skin- it's an allergic reaction to something. Until you can get him allergy tested, the best thing you can do is what you have done so far. I would also go completely fragrance and dye free on detergents and soaps. And label watch it also. Just because it says free and clear doesn't always mean fragrance free. And no clorox in the laundry, either. Hope this helps.

My son was prescribed a steriod cream for a while. The main issue though was milk - dairy. He is 5 now and can drink and eat dairy in moderation without issue. However, once we switched out the milk (used rice milk) he did SO MUCH better. Best of luck and see what the pediatrician says. :)
Also, put the aquaphor on right after the bath while the skin is still moist. One other lotion I had luck with - that isn't as OILY is Cetaphil (in the tub).

Bathe him in Dreft detergent and apply Betadine douche solution.