Childhood Eczema and Our Journey to Relief
My daughter was diagnosed with atopic dermatitis at about 3 months old. Neither myself nor her father suffer from eczema so we had no clue what we were in for. It started as a collection of bumps which was misdiagnosed as a heat rash. Those bumps eventually spread down her neck, to her cheeks, and abdomen in red inflamed patches. As a new mom, anything that appeared odd with my baby was worth a trip to the urgent care so I kept pushing for answers and something to get rid of it. We were given topical steroids and her skin cleared up beautifully! I was amazed and thankful that I had my perfect little baby girl back, but soon after weaning from the steroids, the eczema came back with a vengeance.
Our journey consisted of multiple topical steroid creams and ointments until we decided to stop them and try alternative methods. Below, are a few of the products we used along the way. Now, at the age of 3 my daughter’s skin is healing beautifully!
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Epaderm Ointment was an ointment that was recommended in a Facebook eczema group. My daughter was actually happy when we put this ointment on her because it didn’t burn. It works by providing a layer of oil on the surface of the skin to prevent water from evaporating from the skin’s surface. It’s super thick in consistency and can be melted and added to bath water to help maintain moisture as well.
2023 Update! Now that the eczema is controlled, we pair almond oil with the epaderm to smooth rough patches and keep the skin hydrated. This was a recommendation from a doctor and we are happy that it’s working for our family.
Our pediatrician recommended that we try Mustela products when our daughter was first diagnosed with eczema at 3 months old. We’ve purchased SO much from this brand over the years, so here are some of my favorites.
Mustela Stelatopia Skin Soothing Pajamas are made for babies and toddlers with eczema. Our daughter would scratch until she bled but these pajamas provided some relief and made it more difficult for her to roll up her sleeves and pant legs to scratch. The pajamas snap in the back so she couldn’t take them off either. The fabric is breathable and soothing, especially when paired with Mustela Stelatopia Emollient Balm. The fibers have microcapsules containing 100% natural ingredients and are clinically proven to improve baby’s sleep. Mustela Stelatopia Skin Soothing pajamas are also endorsed by the National Eczema Association…win! They may seem pricey, but they are much more affordable than other bodysuits made for eczema prone skin.
If you’re interested in trying out Mustela’s Stelatopia collection for eczema-prone skin, I’ve linked the bath time bundle. It includes the emollient balm, cleansing gel and shampoo. I HIGHLY suggest Mustela products.
Open wounds can lead to infection which none of us want! No Scratch Mitts provide a barrier to prevent you baby from breaking their skin when they scratch. This was great for our daughter while she was smaller. The Burts Bees mitts are 100% organic cotton and have built-in elastic that allows the mitten to gently cuff the baby’s wrist so that they stay on. If you follow the link you will see multiple color options including an all white 3pk if you prefer no color.
EVERYONE in the eczema community knows or has at least heard of Vanicream Moisturizing Cream. Vanicream has an amazing reputation in the eczema community and is recommended by many dermatologists and pediatricians. This moisturizer is safe for all ages, including babies. It has no dyes, no fragrance, is dermatologist tested, and is endorsed by the National Eczema Association. It’s an affordable moisturizer for eczema treatment and can be found just about anywhere. Amazon offers a subscription discount so that you can have it delivered on a schedule to ensure you never run out.
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is another moisturizer that we enjoy. This moisturizer is rich and contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid to help restore the skin barrier to promote healthy looking skin. Our dermatologist recommended this be paired the CeraVe Healing Ointment for optimum results. We found the ointment to be ok, but ultimately ended up picking the Epaderm Ointment as our ointment of choice instead. Both the cream and ointment hold the National Eczema Association (NEA) Seal of Acceptance. They are fragrance free, paraben free, allergy-tested, and non-comedogenic.
Tight clothing is a big NO for eczema prone skin. The friction from tight clothing as well as certain fabrics can irritate eczema, therefore it’s important that you chose the right clothing for your child with eczema prone skin. Ideally, clothing should be made of a natural material like cotton, bamboo, or silk, loose fitting, and cool so that the child doesn’t overheat. I found these wide legged bloomer pants for toddlers that I absolutely love! They are 100% cotton, breathable, and soft! My daughter is extremely comfortable in these so I give them a 10/10!
Wrap-E-Soothe Eczema body suits are available for children 6 months to 7 years old and are great for wet wrap therapy. The Wrap-E-Soothe Eczema Suit is USA made with soft, eco-friendly TENCEL material that’s breathable, soft, and thermoregulating on hot eczema skin. The eczema suit is made with flat seams and tags sewn on the outside to protect your child from additional itch or irritation.
Wrap-E_Soothe also has tops, bottoms, and leg and arm sleeves for older children and adults suffering from eczema. All of their products are accepted by the National Eczema Association. We purchased the bodysuit when our daughter turned 1 and she was very comfortable in it. I felt it was worth the price point and would recommend it to anyone in need of a good long-lasting suit.
In conclusion. I hope that some of these products help you on your journey. I can’t say that one product will do the trick but we definitely saw improvements while using these products. My daughter is 3 now and she only has dry patches that are shrinking! We are maintaining moisture with the afore mentioned moisturizers and keeping her skin covered as much as possible to prevent her from scratching. We believe this, in addition to good diet, is helping us to manage the eczema.
