home remedies for eczema?
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at
2:42 am
both of my children have really bad eczema and they have been to the doctors but the medicine doesn’t help
they have it all over there stomachs they are 3 an 4 does any one have some good home remedies for eczema that actually work and that are safe to use on babies
also they have sensitive skin!
Filed under: Eczema Treatment
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Aveeno products. There’s Aveeno bath/shower oil, moisturising cream and even a soap I think! It’s made from colloidal oats, and is very good for my eczema.
Tea tree oil is good too, stings abit though.
im sorry i no u asked for home remedies but i don really no any… although mayb u cud try some aloevera as that is cooling and usually helps any skin problems.
have you tried cortopin cream though? i no u said medicine doesnt work, its just that i find it brilliant, and you can use this on babies, just member to use it in moderation thats all….. hope this has helped you, i no how terrible eczema can be…. your poor babies
Limit bathing. Daily bathing isn’t necessary, and it tends to make already dry skin even drier, says William Epstein, M.D., professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. ”Instead, you can sponge bathe the parts of the body that really need it–the hands, face, neck, armpits and (for babies) the diaper area.” When you do bathe your child in the tub, make it quick–don’t allow time for splashing or playing. ”Get your child in and out quickly,” says Bill Halmi, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.
Try a soap substitute. If you use a soap substitute such as Neutrogena Rainbath shower and bath gel, your child can bathe daily, says Robert Rietschel, M.D., chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the Ochsner Clinic and clinical associate professor of dermatology at Louisiana State University and Tulane University School of Medicine, all in New Orleans. ”It does an excellent job of keeping the skin relatively free of bacteria,” he explains, ”which in turn helps cut down on secondary infections.”
Another good soap-free cleanser is Cetaphil, says Karen Houpt, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Don’t expect it to lather up like regular soap, however.
Choose unscented products. A moisturizer or soap can contain fragrances that will trigger a flare-up of eczema. ”Look for products that state that they’re fragrance-free, such as the soaps Neutrogena and unscented Dove, and moisturizers like Neutrogena Norwegian Formula and Eucerin,” says Dr. Houpt.
Keep it warm. Water should be warm enough to keep your child comfortable, but no warmer. ”Hot water is more drying than warm water and tends to remove the oils from the skin,” says Dr. Halmi.
Wash gently. Try to wash affected areas with water only or water and soap substitute. ”But if you need to use a washcloth, be very gentle,” says Dr. Houpt. ”The tendency is to take soap and washcloth and really scrub the rash down, but nothing could be worse.” Scrubbing and soap irritate the skin and dry it further.
Apply moisturizer liberally. Right after bathtime, while your child’s skin is still wet from the bath, is the perfect time to apply moisturizers. ”Mixing the oil with the water on the body will help hold some of the moisture in,” says Dr. Epstein.
Dr. Rietschel recommends a cream such as Eucerin Creme rather than a lotion: ”Creams are heavy enough to seal the skin and keep the moisture in,” he says. Plain petroleum jelly will work, too (although it produces a rather slippery child). ”Be sure to apply any moisturizer all over the body, not just to the affected areas,” says Dr. Halmi.
Add cool compresses. ”After applying oils or moisturizers, top with a cool compress for particularly itchy areas,” says Dr. Epstein. ”It helps soothe the skin.” A washcloth soaked in cold water makes a good compress.
Keep nails short. To help limit the damage a baby or child can inflict on an itchy outbreak, keep fingernails clipped short and keep the edges of nails rounded, says Dr. Epstein. Another way to decrease nighttime scratching fits is to put mittens or socks on your child’s hands at bedtime.
Keep ‘em cool. Avoid overdressing or bundling up your child unnecessarily at night, because getting too hot can make the rash worse, says Dr. Halmi.
Choose snug PJs. ”Loose-fitting pajamas can actually cause more rubbing and irritation to the skin than close-fitting ones,” says Dr. Halmi. So choose knit nightwear over floppy, button-down PJs.
Opt for cotton. Cotton clothing is the best choice for your child to wear against sensitive skin, says Dr. Halmi. Avoid wool, which can especially irritate eczema.
Double-rinse clothes. Because detergents can irritate skin, run your child’s laundry through a double rinse cycle to help remove detergent residue, says Stephen M. Purcell, D.O., chairman of the Department of Dermatology at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and assistant clinical professor at Hahnemann University School of Health Sciences. Also, avoid fabric-softening dryer sheets, because they put chemicals in the clothing that can irritate the skin.
Humidify the surroundings. Dry air can contribute to itchiness, and most homes with central heating are too dry in winter. When the heat goes on, run a cold-air humidifier or place pans of water on or near heat outlets, suggests Nelson Lee Novick, M.D., a dermatologist and associate clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and author of Super Skin.
Reach for the hydrocortisone. ”Hydrocortisone applied to the affected areas can help relieve the incessant itching of eczema,” says Dr. Rietschel. Many hydrocortisone-containing over-the-counter products are available at pharmacies. Choose products in a 1 percent concentration and preferably ones that are ointment-based, rather than cream-based.
”The ointment-based form tends to boost the potency of the cortisone because it seals it in and then drives it through the skin in slightly greater concentrations,” says Dr. Rietschel. If you only have cream cortisone on hand, add a coating of petroleum jelly over the cream to produce the same effect.
Try an antihistamine. An over-the-counter antihistamine such as Benadryl may help quell the itch, says Dr. Houpt, but only give it before bedtime because it’s likely to make your child sleepy. Be sure to read package directions to make certain the product is recommended for your child’s age. For the correct dosage, follow package directions or consult your physician. Dr. Houpt advises against using an antihistamine product such as Benadryl Spray directly on the skin: The direct application may cause an allergic reaction.
Take stock of your child’s diet. ”There’s a 20 to 30 percent chance that a food allergy may be causing your child’s eczema,” says Dr. Sampson. Children with eczema are most often allergic to eggs, milk, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish and tree nuts, although a child is usually allergic to only one or two of those foods. ”If you notice a clear-cut pattern where a food consistently creates problems for your child, then it should be eliminated from his diet,” he says.
Reduce stress levels. Stress can trigger eczema or make it worse, says Dr. Rietschel. Encourage your child to talk about problems, offer help with homework and cut down on your child’s activities if the two of you decide there’s just too much in the schedule. And try to keep calm about the rashes themselves, Dr. Rietschel says, so your own worries don’t add to the child’s stress.
I use Johnson’s & Johnson’s baby body wash (but now I can’t find it anymore) and now I use Aveeno body wash in lieu of soap during a shower.
Also, I use Cetaphil or Aveeno lotions on my body.
These brands are made for sensitive skin and work wonders.
My sister swears by using Mary Kay istringent for sensitive skin…she uses it on my 3 yr old neice.
although i dont have eczema i have suffered from psoriasis since i was a child and the 2 conditions are from the same ‘medical family’
im no doctor but keeping the skin moist is usually a good thing so a very mild moisteurizer unperfumed on the areas may help
also there is nothing better for the skin than water so ensure they drinnk enough of it
i never have really hot showers/baths as hot water can irritate the skin so just be careful to have their baths/showers at luke warm
hope this help and good luck with it
also aloe vera is good…i used to snap a bit off the aloe vera tree when i vacation in spain…split the leaf and rub the lotion on any sores/bites etc….
Teaspoon of Cod liver oil once a day should clear it up. They need vitamin d
Dove unscented soap, any unscented lotion, apply as often as needed. Avoid any contact with any type of metals.
This is what I do for my 12 year old, she has been suffering with this for years. The main thing is to keep them moisturized.
On many people allergies will manifest themselves as eczema. A really popular allergy that manifests it’s self this way is dairy. Another one is wheat. Obviously it’s not a life threatening allergy, so it may just be easier to deal with the eczema. But you could try to eliminate dairy from their diet and see how it goes. There are MANY dairy alternatives that you can find at almost any grocery store so this is not a life sentence. I am by no means a professional, so you may want to go to this website for some answers:
http://www.holisticmoms.org/
Some of the things on this website are a little over the top, but there is also a lot of useful information
In the case of your child escaping baby eczema, breath a sigh of relief, but understand they aren’t out of the woods yet. It isn’t uncommon for children to begin showing the signs of eczema up to their fifth year. With an older child it will be more difficult to convince them to not scratch and further harm their skin. It will also be harder to keep the affected areas clean and covered with eczema creams or salves. The only advice here is to do your best at explaining what is happening to their skin and how important it is to treat it.
There are many cures for eczema your child’s doctor may recommend. If you prefer a gentler, natural approach, consider the Skin Original cream. It is safe for young skin and highly effective. Child and baby eczema has to be treated to get better and you want the least offensive stuff possible on your child’s skin. This eczema cream is the way to go for treating the symptoms of eczema at any age.
Not a home remedy- but a product that really worked on my granddaughter.
Its on http://www.katuri.com, a holistic product and I know its made specially for babies with sensitive skin.
She doesnt get it very much now- was very good -and I know they give samples to check if it works for you.