First off I’d like to point out that I am not a doctor and this guide is what worked for my personal family. While I understand every person is unique, I believe in sharing what worked for us as it may help someone else suffering from this same condition. I felt so lost when searching for relief for my kids and wished I had some sort of guide to help me. This is just my way of giving back what I’ve learned (:
My daughter has always had sensitive skin since the day she was born. She was fair skinned and blue eyed (which eventually turned green like her dad’s). Every time I would ask the Dr. about her rashes he would just say “She has baby eczema, or her skin is just sensitive.” He would recommend a humidifier, gentle soaps and lotions and avoid too much heat exposure (which is pretty much impossible with the valley summers). However, we tried what he recommended and hoped it would help. I knew what having sensitive skin was like because I too suffered from eczema myself. For some reason though, no matter what you’ve gone through it feels much worse watching your child go through the same. As a parent it pains you to see them suffer, even though you feel you’re doing everything you can to ease their discomfort. The moment she turned about 6 months is when her skin became really reactive, and we were in for a long few months of literally trying everything we could to calm her rashes, all while losing sleep in the process. Her eczema was spreading all over her face, tummy, chest and back.
We had seen her primary multiple times with no relief and finally I sought out an allergy specialist who recommended a topical steroid and hydrocortisone. Keep in mind she’s only 6 months, can’t yet communicate with words and not sleeping because she’s constantly scratching. When I went to pick up her prescriptions the pharmacist went over the basics, since they were both new drugs. Until he realized after asking some questions that the ointments were for her and not myself. He then told me to be very cautious using the ointments and put almost nothing on as it was a very strong ointment. Curiously, I asked if it was better to just not use it and try something else. He replied, “Your doctor prescribed this because they believe the benefits may outweigh the risks but I would never put this on my own kids”. I should have taken his advice that day because that’s when everything took a turn for the worst.
I had never heard of TSW (topical steroid withdraw) until my daughter was full on inflamed, raw skin and swollen from only less than a week of using the ointments. She hardly slept and each morning I would have to change her bloodied onesies from scratching all night. And because we co-sleep, neither my husband nor I got any sleep. We were tired, we were stressed, it was a literal nightmare. I called the Pharmacy to ask about the reaction and he told me to immediately stop the ointments because it sounded like TSW. I looked up the name of the prescriptions only to find article after article of children & babies having such a terrible reaction to these drugs. Why didn’t the specialist inform me of this when prescribing it? Why do they not disclose the dangers and reactions that these steroids have on the users? Why did I feel betrayed by someone who I am supposed to trust for the health and wellbeing of my child? I was so angry and felt helpless and ashamed that I had made my daughters condition worse by trusting people who knew her less than I did. I began really researching and digging for answers on how to heal eczema naturally, what to avoid and what helped other people. We tried oatmeal baths, Aloe Vera plant gel, and other remedies to name a few. Although some tips worked, they didn’t really ever get rid of her eczema, they only calmed it temporarily and then it would show up again. We knew we needed to make some changes, so we kept looking and testing different products until after months of healing we finally created the perfect routine. She is now 3 1/2 and the past year her skin has been the best it’s ever been. No scratching, no eczema in sight and baby soft skin the way she was meant to be.
1. Remove Unnecessary Ingredients (Fragrance)
While I was learning to manage my eczema, I had an allergy test done and found out that one of the ingredients I was allergic to was fragrance. There are many different names that fragrance mix chemical can be found under; such as Cassia Aldehyde, Cinnamic Alcohol, and Euginol to name a few. Luckily the Allergist that performed my test gave me printouts of the ingredients I should avoid. Fragrance is an irritant for some people and I thought maybe my daughter was having a reaction to the fragrance in her products. Looking at her body wash, shampoo, lotions and even hair detangler I noticed fragrance was in ALL of them! Why companies feel the need to add fragrance to every single item (Especially for babies delicate skin) boggles my mind. So I tossed them out and searched for fragrance free products. We had tried Happy Cappy, Tubby Todd, Vaseline, Vanicream and Aveeno. These products seemed to help slightly but she was still dealing with dry itchy skin.
After a few months of testing different products, we finally found the routine that worked best for her. For her bath we use Baby Dove Fragrance Free Moisture Sensitive Skin Hypoallergenic Wash. This gentle creamy baby wash cleans and lathers well. I’ll even add a few drops in her bath for bubbles. Other alternatives are Eucerin Baby Delicate Sensitive Skin Wash and Shampoo (fragrance and soap free), and Aquaphor Cleansing Baby Wash and Shampoo (also fragrance free and paraben free). We’ve also used Noodle & Boo Newborn and Baby Soothing Baby Wash-Fragrance Free. These washes were all gentle enough for her skin and worked well but our personal preference happens to be the Dove brand. For Shampoo, we either use the same Dove wash I just mentioned, or we’ve also used Noodle & Boo Newborn and Baby Extra Gentle Shampoo- Fragrance Free. For Conditioner, we’ve recently added Real Root Deep Hydration with Jojoba from Sprouts. It detangles, smells nice and doesn’t give her a rash. As a moisturizer she uses Cerave Moisturizing Cream Unscented (the one that comes in a tub). This product is a regular staple in our household since I also regularly use it myself. Costco sometimes has a 2-pack on sale which is when we usually stock up. For sun protection she uses Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sensitive Skin Zinc Oxide Sunscreen (Unless she’s going to be constantly in the sun ex: Zoo Day, Beach or Disneyland we rarely use this). For baby wipes she uses Costco Kirkland Signature brand Baby Wipes -Fragrance Free. These have never given her a rash and we usually stock up on these when they have them on sale as well. Up & Up Diapers from Target are our favorite brand and sometimes Target has promotions where you get a gift card when you purchase a certain amount. (This mama loves deals; If you can’t already tell) Other brands would give her a slight rash but the Up & Up brand has been our go to since she was only a few months old.
It has taken a lot of time and patience to finally find the products that work for her without irritation. Now that she has her “Holy Grail” product list we no longer have to stress about whether something she uses is going to give her a breakout and start making her itchy. All we do now is restock when needed. Upon restocking I do however glance over the ingredients just to make sure the company hasn’t reformulated or added in anything unnecessary. It has happened once or twice where we’ve had to stop buying a product because they changed the ingredients or discontinued, so I’ve gotten into the habit of checking. This step was by far the hardest and most tedious, but I promise once you nail down what works for your child it’s much easier for the next steps.
2. Shorter Bath Times (5-7 Minutes or less)
Yes, you read that correctly. We keep our bath time at most 7 minutes. On days when I don’t wash her hair, they run less than 5 minutes.
How is this possible? We use a no-nonsense approach to bathing now. Our problem was she was spending way too much time in the bathtub. She loved her bath times and always got so excited for them. She had bath toys, and she had her bubbles that she loved. I would use this time to relax sitting next to her. But unknowing to me, the longer she sat in the bathtub the more her skin was drying out. I really disliked the thought of cutting her time short in the bath because she really enjoyed it. I mean this was one of the few times (other than naps) we were both able to sit there and relax, and now I’m having to shorten that time? I had to make some changes that would still let her enjoy her baths and keep them short.
What helped us at first was no longer buying toys for the bath. Most of them have tiny holes anyways that can harbor mold in them if not cleaned and dried correctly (another problem you don’t want to have). Now, she has the option to take 1 toy if she chooses for bath that day (which she rarely does anyway). While her bath is filling up ill drop maybe 1-2 pumps of her Dove baby wash to get some bubbles going since she loves those. Once her bath is filled with lukewarm water and bubbles, I’ll help her get in the bathtub. I’ll rinse her off with a small cup and start washing her hair (I only shampoo & condition every other day unless she’s been really sweaty; usually in the summers). As for conditioner, I recently started using Sprouts’ Real Root Honey Almond Deep Hydration with Jojoba. It detangles her hair nicely, doesn’t have artificial fragrance added and she hasn’t had any reactions from this one. Then after rinsing out her hair, I’ll begin to wash her body with a small soft baby towel and a pump of her Dove wash. The newborn small towels are perfect and soft enough for her skin. I usually bring 2 in the bath because she likes to wash herself as well. Then I’ll rinse her off once more and she’s ready to get out of the bath. I towel dry her hair and let it air dry. She spends about maybe 5 minutes total in the water, and we’ve been just fine with it. It did take some getting used to at first but after a few times it starts to become routine. The way she sees it now is, a quick bath means more time to play.
3. Check Your Laundry Habits
Before having my daughter, I bought a couple of the popular baby laundry soaps to prewash her clothes and blankets. They smelled so good, and the clothes seemed soft enough afterwards, but it was not skin friendly at all. I used to think because something was labeled for “Baby” it must be good, right? Unfortunately, I realized that wasn’t always the case. Majority of laundry soaps are heavily fragranced and have added dyes that are unnecessary and disruptive to the skin. I didn’t realize her clothes were what was adding to the cause of her irritation. We eventually made the switch to a dye and fragrance-free laundry detergent. Costco has their Kirkland brand and ALL Free and Clear work pretty well for us also.
I once saw a video on YouTube of a woman using baking soda and white vinegar in her laundry to clean and remove odors from clothes. As a sort of booster for her wash. I have also incorporated sprinkling some baking soda on the clothes before adding the detergent. And the vinegar we use in place of laundry softener. We buy all three in bulk because with a teen in sports and an active toddler, laundry is a never-ending story in our home.
After cleaning out our washer and switching our products I noticed the area around her neck and low back were not as red and inflamed as before. The area right where the shirt neck opening sits and the space right above where her diaper sits, on her lower back, is where she would usually get itchy. Those were the spots on her clothing that would get bloodied from scratching constantly. I never would have thought that her clothes may have been contributing to her skin rashes. Once we made these changes, her clothes weren’t bothering her anymore.
4. Find A Great Moisturizer And Stick With It
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream for the win! This face and body cream is such a staple in our household. It is the holy grail of moisturizers for my family and I. Not only do I use this myself, but it is gentle enough to use on my daughter as well. There is no fragrance, it doesn’t sting or pill, and it actually moisturizes. This helped calm down her dry skin so well, I really can’t even begin to explain the wonders of this cream. It’s a thicker consistency but smooths on so well and doesn’t leave a heavy thick feeling. I would rub this on her right after her bath and then get her dressed and it helped tremendously with keeping her skin hydrated. I would apply nightly and before dressing her in the morning. I did this for months, even after her skin fully cleared. Now I only apply as needed for extra moisture. My recommendation when testing new creams is to try a small area first to make sure there is no reaction. It’s best to find out in a small spot first, then to slather cream on an entire area and realize you just made the rash worse.
We tested many brands; Eczema Honey, Tubby Todd, Eucerin Baby Lotion, Aveeno Baby, Johnson’s, Dr. Eddie’s Happy Cappy just to name a few. You name it, we’ve probably tried it. While some seemed to work more than others, we couldn’t find one that kept her skin moisturized without having to constantly reapply. That was until I started using CeraVe moisturizing cream on her. Nothing and I mean Nothing kept her skin as hydrated and soft as this tub of cream. Once we saw that this was the one for her, we all switched over and now the whole family uses this stuff. I can shamelessly say I have at least 4 tubs currently in my home. My point here is when you find something that works, stick with it.
5. Food is Medicine
Now at 6 months usually babies start to get introduced to solids. Whether its store-bought baby food jars or homemade purees, as parents we are responsible for building healthy food habits in our children. We introduce them to the fuel that can either benefit them or cause harm in the long term. However, as many parents are now becoming more aware, we’ve realized not everything labeled for baby is necessarily “healthy”. There are so many over processed foods filled with unnecessary ingredients and with sweeteners added to almost everything (usually the snacks & finger foods). This is where we as parents have to take charge and realize we can take the step to create healthy habits in our children from the very beginning. What we put in our bodies radiates outwards, it’s our responsibility to provide the best nutrition for our kids. Studies online have shown what effects sugar, gluten and over processed foods can have on our skin. What better food can you give your child than the food you can make them at home.
There are baby food blenders out there that allow you to easily make your own purees at home. My regular NutriBullet blender did the trick for me. Steaming veggies like carrots, zucchini, Chayote or green beans and then blending them afterwards is super simple. Not only is this fresh but the best part is you know exactly what you’re feeding them. The problem I encountered was all those sweet tasting jars of baby food and finger snacks. It seemed that once I introduced those to her, she no longer wanted the bland tasting veggies. The yogurts and vanilla flavored foods were all she wanted to eat. She obviously wasn’t getting the nutrition she needed and while I did breastfeed, I still needed her to eat her veggies. I started blending my own purees at home and stopped buying all the sweet stuff. She still had natural sweetness from fruits. For example, bananas, apples, nectarines, and pears. The only difference was I was blending them fresh at home and making sure she was getting nutrients from ingredients I felt comfortable feeding to her. I did notice citrus fruits would cause her to have a reaction and a rash would form around her mouth. This was just a reaction though, not an allergy. I avoided these until her eczema fully cleared and then introduced them back in and she’s been fine. I also started adding in Mommy’s Bliss baby probiotic drops for skin support. This seemed to help in conjunction with what I was now feeding her. We used the drops for about 6 months give or take and as her skin cleared, we no longer saw the need to continue. She now currently supplements with a multivitamin liquid from MaryRuth Organics. We continue to eat clean and 95% of all our meals are homecooked with the majority being organic ingredients.
She continues to eat well and apart from the occasional birthday party or holiday get togethers, she rarely eats sugary foods. I don’t buy the fruit juices, chips, or sugary cereals. And I never keep soda or candy in my home. Not only has the change in food made an effect in her skin but it has benefitted in her overall health as well. She rarely gets sick now because I believe she has a great immune system from the nutrition she is getting. There are plenty of videos on how to make natural fruit juices, natural fruit ice pops and snacks for kids that are simple, tasty and healthy. Building healthy habits start at home and it doesn’t have to be difficult. Start slowly and do some searching online, I’m sure you will find better alternatives that will work for you and your child.
6. Advocate For Your Child (You know Them Best)
Now, I want to share that I have a great amount of respect for people in the medical field. There are Doctors who will listen, and I mean really listen to their patients because they truly want to help make a positive difference in their health. And then you have the doctors who see their patients as another paycheck and think their advice should never be questioned. I’ve had the opportunity to experience both sides and let me tell you, the second one didn’t have me very long as their paycheck. No one knows your child better than you do. We are trained to believe that because someone has a degree, we have to follow their advice without question. Who are we to question them right? Wrong. If it doesn’t feel right, or you seem unsure, don’t take someone’s word as a final answer. Get a second opinion, do your own research, ask questions! If you feel like your questions are not being answered or you feel like you’re not being heard at all, change physicians. Never feel silly, embarrassed, or ashamed for advocating for your child. Your child trusts YOU to make the best decisions for them and care for them the best way you know how.
It was important for me to question what I didn’t fully feel right with. I had to seek another opinion and to eventually trust my own instincts as her mother, to help heal my child. Had I followed the instructions of the allergist, not done my own research, not followed my intuition, sadly, she probably would have been in a much worse situation. I couldn’t sit still and watch my child suffer knowing there had to be another way to heal her. She is now 3 1/2 and I can confidently say I made the best decision I could. I now want others to have the same opportunity to help their child. Although this routine works for my daughter, you may have to pick and choose which changes work best for you. Some things may help, while others not so much. I’ve tried many routines and had to pick and choose what worked and what didn’t until we came up with the perfect one. What’s important is that you know your child the most. I hope this guide gives you the confidence to realize that as a parent, sometimes we actually do know what’s best. My advice, keep it simple and be patient. Happy Healing!