Eczema: Our solution

Merriam-webster.com defines eczema as: 

an inflammatory condition of the skin characterized by redness, itching, and oozing vesicular lesions which become scaly, crusted, or hardened

As I understand eczema, it is not curable but rather controlled or managed and is a common problem for many people with allergies.

Even before we knew of my angel's allergies, we began managing the eczema.  I guess that should have been a clue of what would later be in store but, as a new mom, I had no idea!  I had never seen eczema and I didn't know what caused it.  My sole concern was that my little angel's skin would be scarred forever by the little rashes that we battled daily if I did not find a solution.

I spoke with doctors, friends and family but none of their suggestions adequately managed my angel's condition.  So, I began my own search in books and on the internet, to find a solution.  By piecing together information from an endless variety of sources coupled with weeks of trial and error, we came up with a regimen that works for us.  When I asked the doctors about our ideas, they were familiar with the various elements of our routine but didn't know of anyone who had tried it all.  Once we began the following the routine regularly, we slowly notice improvements.  We first noticed that the irritations were not increasing before we actually noticed some healing.  After following the routine religiously for a few months, we began to receive comments from medical professionals about the good condition of our angel's skin.  At that point, it would have been hard for anyone to know that our angel had eczema, even under careful scrutiny.  And, as long as we followed this routine and managed her diet, we controlled the eczema.

While this regimen is a little time consuming and a bit of a burden, we felt that it was worth the effort to ensure that our angel would not be have scars from the eczema nor feel uncomfortable from the itchiness which accopanied the eczema.  We are not doctors and encourage everyone to share this routine with their doctors. Other friends, to whom we have recommended this regimen, have found success and also found the effort worth the while.  I hope that you find the same to be true for you.

Eczema Contol Regimen

1-Don't use soap or any scents to bathe. Cetaphil for sensitive skin (usually in a pump jar) seems to work well for hair and skin. Don't use warm water....just room temperature....warm water dries the skin.

2-After bath, don't dry your angel, just put hydrocortisone 1% (I like Aveeno with aloe) where needed and cover head to toe with aquaphor, paying special attention to knees elbows, wrists and ankles. Don't use lotions, they dry the skin. Creams are good but petroleum jelly based products seem to work best. Some recommend not using hydrocortisone on the face but I did it sparingly and had no problems.

3-The aquaphor and other petroleum jelly based products soemtimes clogged the pores on my angels face.  So, I often used a cream such as Cetaphil cream or Serave on her face.  I found that the lotions dried the skin more than creams or petroleum based products so I steered away from lotions.

4-Do this religiously every night or 2-3 times a day if the eczema is really bad. Some recommend not bathing unless needed, I thought that the cetaphil bath actually helped.

5-Be aware of products that contain things that might irritate like grains, soys, lavender etc. Your angel can react to allergens on skin or if it gets in their mouth. Read all labels paying special attention to the inactive ingredients.