Hi Jill,
All I think of is Renew from Melaleuca. After trying prescription for over 40 years, it's the only thing that has worked for me. Feel free to contact me for more info.
Blessings,
Sherry
Hi Jill - my son had very bad eczema when he was a baby at it started around 3 months old. At first we tried the baby lotion, then we took him to the dr and the dr didn't want to throw a prescription his way so soon. So he suggested Aquafor (found in lotion isle at target or walmart) it is really a greasy like lotion kind of like vasoline). The dr also suggested Vasoline- he even suggested using Crisco - which we tried and did not like. It turned out our sons eczema was more inflammed due to the onset of allergies to dogs and cat which we had 1 of each. We cleaned the carpets and vacuumed almost daily and the dr in the end did prescribe a steroide cream to use very sparenly which took care of it and in the end he mostly outgrew the eczema. He still gets very dry skin, but not as bad as when he was an infant.
I like your idea of not throwning prescriptions right away at him. That isn't good for their little bodies - Your case sounds very mild and I would start with the aquafor first -- one thing i did find though with aquafor there is a lotion one and then there is a vasoline type one - my son screamed when I put the lotion one on him when he was older and he said it burned - i tried on my dry legs and it actually hurt too and I ended up wiping it off with a wet washcloth.
Good luck!
Hey, Jill! I've suffered from exzema for many years. It can be really bad at times. If your daughter has it, you may start noticing as she gets older that she'll scratch the areas, often until they begin to bleed. It can be very painful at times. I don't recommend a prescription for it. A prescription will help clear up any breakouts, but it won't prevent them. The one and only thing I've found that prevents breakouts...I put Lubriderm Nourishing lotion with Oat Extract on every morning. For your daughter, I would skip the baby lotions, which are mostly water and won't help lock any moisture into her skin. If you use the Lubriderm lotion (has to be the oat extract version-the green lubriderm bottle), I would start by putting it on in the morning and evening until her dry patches clear up. After that, you should be able go down to just once a day. I've recommended this to several other people with young children and they've had the same results as I have. I haven't had any breakouts of exzema since I started using the lotion consistently, unless I've tried switching to a different lotion. Good luck with it!
Have you ever heard of Melaleuca, the Wellness Company? It's a wholesale catalog shopping system that focuses on preventative health. They have a lotion called Renew that is phenomenal at relieving dry skin and eczema. I love it! Oftentimes, eczmea symptoms can be aggravated by the harsh chemicals in personal care and cleaning products. Melaleuca's products help detoxify your home as well...which is really important with small kids around :) Feel free to contact me for more info on how to get the products, since you need a referral to shop with them.
Hi Jill :)
I was just at the doctor for my 1 years old 12 month check up and she had dry spots on her legs too. He checked them out and said they were just dry spots and to put lotion on them. No medicine required. I'm not one to throw medicine around either, so I was happy to hear this. Plus with the winter months coming putting lotion on your (and mine) baby will be more important to keep the dry skin away.
Hope this helps!
Janey
It's really hard to say at this point. If it continues to get worse for sure take her into the doctor. I would skip hydrocortisone until the doctor recommends it.
First, make sure you are not giving her too many baths. Every other day at the most. Use nonsoap type products on her. Aveeno products are an option. Califonia baby is another (they have them at Target). You could also use Cetaphil (it's in the adult section...dermatologist recommended it for me as a gentle, non-irritating cleansser.) Then before she's completely dry, slather on a good lotion all over her. Once again, Aveeno, California Baby, Cetaphil, Lubriderm, Eucerin, Curel. We use a wonderful lotion from Melaleuca, but you need to be a member to buy these products. You could put Aquaphor on the trouble spots, but I find it too goopy for all over.
Good luck!
My son has had the same issues since he was about 5 months and is now 7 months. The nurse told me to use Aquaphor or similar lotion that does not contain alcohol or water. She stated that the water and alcohol dry the skin out more. Most of the baby lotions I found have these ingredients. She also suggested using detergent that is FREE. Like ALL-Free or Tide-Free. If it persists she suggested contacting our dr to get an eczema topical ointment. They also said the lotions that come in tubs are better than ones in pumps. Hope that helps!
It probably is eczema. But you are in luck. I use Melaleuca Renew lotion that works wonderfully on my daughter who also had a small bit of it when she was about 3 months old. It works! I am like you, I don't want to use medicine for everything. This is your answer. Email me at [email protected], I can tell you about other products you may be interested in...safer, healthier!
My son had a huge dry/pink spot on one of his thighs when he was little and I was concerned about eczema too. He said lotion just like everyone else has suggested. We used eucerin calming cream. We applied it a few times a day and the spot cleared up within a week. You can find this cream pretty much anywhere (i.e. Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Target, etc.)
It does sound like eczema. Behind the knees is a very common site. My daughter had it very badly when she was little and I found being very proactive with the lotions to it was the best thing to keep it in check. We used aquaphor on it most times to keep it in check and then in the winter time when it really gets bad we used a prescription lotion that was non steroid ~ we saved that for very bad out breaks. It is very itchy and get so bad that it can crack, bleed and become infected even if left untreated. My daughter had a really bad patch on her face just under her mouth when she was teething from all the extra drooling. That was SO hard to clear up!
Keep the luke warm baths to a minimum, and slather her with a heavy duty lotion (aquaphor, eucerin) as often as she will allow it especially when it is cold and dry outside. Eczema is often a part of the eczema, allergies and asthma triad so keep an eye out for those too. You might want to delay exposure to high allergy foods until way later so she doesn't develop those as well. ( My daughter with eczema did develop environmental allergies as well as asthma too, they just all seem to go hand in hand) Good luck!
Hi Jill,
My two daughters have the same 'irriation' my doctor said to just use lotions with NO scents or perfumes. He said basically all "baby" lotions that smell good are not good for them. This way you don' thave to use medication...just some good lotion. Aveno is great. I have also used Eucerin, which is also good. He also added that the only place you should really use soap on babies is their bottom and neck/face area. This will help keep the dry skin to a minimum. I have also found right after bath time if you use an oil and then put their pajamas on the next morning their skin is really great! I use Arbonne baby line for their oil. It will last a long time too (it is kind of expensive). Hope this helps!!
Hi Jill,
I would was Melaleuca's Renew Lotion it is the best out there. One applcation is the same a 4 applcation of other lotions. If you would like some more info. you can email me at [email protected] or visit my website www.mommieathomewithkidos.com and I would love to help you out.
Julene
I agree that you want to keep baths to a minimum--I'd say two a week at most. Melaleuca's Renew lotion is good, or any of Arbonne's skincare products. The main thing you want to check on labels is that there is no form of mineral oil in anything you're putting on her skin. Mineral oil actually pulls the moisture out of your skin.
Hi Jill,
My daughter, who is now 10 months old, had this when she was little too. If you are breastfeeding you may want to eliminate or reduce dairy from your diet. This totally cleared up my daughters eczema which is what it sounds like your daughter has. If you are giving her formula look for a soy or goatsmilk formula. Dairy sensitivity is one of the main causes of eczema. Their little digestive system just can't handle the kind of protien found in cow's milk and the body indicates this through skin issues. There are many other possible causes too. Hopefully some other moms will be able to chime in. I am an advocate for finding the cause and eliminating or treating it instead of treating with medicine. Medicine has its place but not as a first resort in my book. Good luck!
My daughter used to have eczema as well. We did try all sorts of prescription creams and none of them made it go away. I ended up sticking with eucerin cream. My sister in law used hydrocortisone cream on my nephew's dry skin and that worked for her.
As for my daughter, we learned that she was allergic to dairy products and once we took them away the ezcema went away. That was 5 years ago! I also have a couple other friends with children that had eczema and learned of some type of food allergy. Might be worth looking into.
Best thing for eczema is to moisturize a ton. You don't necessarily need a prescription strength moisturizer. You can try vaseline (makes them a little greasy but works great :) Can also use Eucerin cream, which works well. FYI the eczema could be a sign of allergies - to food, lotions, detergents, soaps, etc - so you may want to try to pinpoint the offending agent and just remove that from the picture. Hope this helps.
Hi Jill,
Same thing happened with my daughter, it was eczema. Only serious cases need to be treated medically. We treated our baby's with Baby Aveeno Calming/Soothing Relief Lotion (with Oatmeal). We tried several others like Eucerin and creams but the Aveeno was the best and it is not greasy like the others. Apply lotion twice a day and only bath her like twice a week. Get the lotion on as soon as she gets out of the bath. Put a humidifier in her room. Trouble spots- apply hydrocortisone cream for a couple of days at the most. The key is to moisturize all the time and don't worry- she will probably outgrow it when she gets older. Good luck!!
my first son also had mild eczema, and the most effective (if a little messy) solution I found for those dry patches is Lansinoh - the medical grade lanoline to help with sore nipples when breastfeeding. It's available in the baby aisle of target or any grocery store. Works great on chapped lips and cradle cap, too. It does get a little messy, but comes out fine in the wash. It also breathes much better than petroleum products. After you get control of the dry patches, then it is all about prevention, as many others have said. Good luck!
Hi Jill,
The kids and I all have mild eczema too. I've had a prescription for any of us. We use mild soaps with the kids (Johnson's baby wash...and my oldest is 7!) during the summer and then if you notice a problem we use the Aveno liquid soaps. For lotions we slather on Eucerin (esp. around the back of knees). I've had some troublesome spots and will use Neutragena Hand lotion. It's an ointment and not really a lotion. You can also try mixing Eucerin (the kind in the tub) with Aquafor ointment. I worked in a pharmacy during college and the pharmacist would mix this up for some clients. I bet the Lansinoh would work great too like the other poster mentioned. I use Lansinoh to heal cuts on my hands all the time! Good luck.
It might be eczema but you don't need a prescription to make it better. I have 7yr old twin boys with eczema. 1st make sure you use fragrance free laundry detergent and fabric softener. Then I reccomend Arbonne ABC hair and body wash, ABC bab lotion and the ABC oil. I have used this for years and they rarely get any patches anymore. The doctor prescibed steroid cream!! And that didn't get rid of it but just treated the dry skin. Arbonne helped eliminate the dry patches all together. If you need a sample I would be more than happy to send you some.
Wrkng mom of 7yr old twins