Sensitive Skin/Diaper Rash/Eczema

My daughter has the same problem - not eczema, but SUPER sensitive skin that keeps us constantly fighting diaper rash.

We were controlling it well for a long time by cleaning with soapy wipes (I cut up microfiber cloths and keep them in a solution of bath soap and water - or I keep a bottle with the solution in it and spray it on her and then dry her off). The ONLY thing that will remove fungus and bacteria from skin in the diaper area is SOAP.

So, my suggestions are: don't use commercial wipes during a rash - if you do, rinse them out first to prevent the chemicals from further irrritating the skin. After all the solids are off, wash with soapy solution (either homemade wipes or rinse with spray bottle), and DRY really well.

Over-the-counter anti-fungal (athlete's foot cream - works as well as prescription most of the time - you can get a 4oz tube at walmart for $5), and then a barrier cream on top.

My daughter is now 20 months old and the rashes are getting more persistent. The doctor added a compounded prescription that is a "bile binder" that should help keep the acidic/irritating components of the BM off of her skin. When her BMs are a little less solid, I use that and it really does help.

I found this online: "For stubborn cases of contact diaper rash, a prescription cholestyramine ointment works by binding up the bile acids and pulling them away from the skin." (http://www.metrofamilymagazine.com/July-2011/Diaper-Rash-...)

My daughter's skin will turn bright red from nearly ANY contact with BM.

I used to use a barrier cream called Calmospetine and it did a good job, but I saw that another cream called Pinxav (pronounced "pink salve") was highly recommended by moms who used it and I really like that one, too. Seems to be doing a good job on her sensitive skin. Has a somewhat strong pepperminty-smell.

So - to sum up, make sure you're cleaning with SOAP after each BM; don't further irritate already rashy skin with chemical, commercial wipes; use an antifungal and a barrier cream (really slather it on); and if all else fails, ask your doctor about the bile binder prescription.

Good luck! I know how much it hurts to see your little one in pain when you're doing all you know how to!

Added: Oh! And during a bad rash, put some baking soda in his bathwater.

An excellent product to use for skin irritations such as a diaper rash is called Calmoseptine, it's in a big white tube with green letters. A drugstore like Rite-Aide or Walgreens will carry it and it's usually kept behind the prescription counter, but you don't need a prescription for it, just ask. I think it's around $7.00. My babies diaper rashes would clear up overnight after using this.

My son also had eczema at 6 months and we used Aveeno eczema therapy bath soap along with creams in place of lotions. For some reason, my doctor said that lotions will irritate it.

I can also tell you that switching from cloth diapers to regular diapers helped his skin tremendously, but that was us.

When he had a bad flare up, we used hydrocortizone ointment to clear it up. I also briefly switched to soy milk, thinking it could be a milk allergy. At age 2 now, his eczema has completely cleared up. Hope this helps!

You might want to look into NAET allergy elimination technique. It cured my son's fungal rash, and I have read hundreds of testimonials about what a miracle it is for skin rashes and for allergies in general. It cured my allergy to wheat, eggs, and dairy too. I am really pleased with it. You can look it up online. Good luck!

Depending on the severity of the problem this might not work, but it did for a friend of mine who had problems almost identical to what you describe with her son. Coconut oil is a great way to treat eczema. It has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. Plus it makes a great diaper rash cream that is cloth diaper safe. You can just buy a jar of organic extra virgin coconut oil (it is solid at room temp) keep it on the changing table and slather some one his butt after you change him. It is pricey for oil, but compared to diaper rash creams and eczema creams it's pretty cheap.

My son had "butt burning" diarhea that was caused by an immature gut that could not process dairy or fruit. We could not get his diaper off of him fast enough, he was blistered everytime he pooped until we limited his fruit to 1 serving per day (no juice) and took him off of dairy. Our gastointerologistic said that because his reacation was so severe that he actually considered it a dairy allergy, not just an intolerance. He has mostly outgrow it at 6, although he still does not tolerate milk or ice cream.

I truly think it is an imbalance of his body's normal flora (bacteria and yeast). I would suggest either adding organic yogurt to his diet a couple of times a day or probiotics. Neither can hurt! You might already know this but when either the yeast or bacteria grow more than the other, that's when you either get a yeast infection or a bacterial infection. For instance, when a female takes antibiotics and kills off the good bacteria along with the bad, she can get a yeast infection. Hope this helps! Let me know.