Exzema/dry Skin on My 22 Month Old

My daughter was diagnosed with eczema when she was less than a year. The dermatologist had us calm it with a corizone and then switched to protopic. It is thick like tar and looks like vaseline. It was a real pain to apply but was easier if you mixed it with a lotion. When she got older it became less effecitve and the dermatologist switched us to elidel which helps now with her flare ups. Good luck.

My daughter had really dry skin when she was a baby, what I used on her was a cream called Eucerin, it worked really good. My dad has extremely dry skin and that's pretty much all he uses, he's used it for years.

All 3 of my son's have experienced this . I think that you should try some eucerin I think I spelled that right . It seem's to help it a lot compared to anything that i used.

So sorry about your frustration! I personally have these type of reactions on my hands when I eat or drink milk products (I have been tested "allergic" by a naturopath to milk and corn.) Maybe she is eating something also that isn't right for her body...might help to test her with help of physician (might not get much help with a general doctor here, but you can try on your own as long as you are sure that you are supplementing anything you "remove" from the diet with a corresponding alternative type food....ie--if you remove "milk products" to test her, supplement with rice or soy and greens (if she eats them) to make sure she's getting enough calcium, etc...)

Generally, when you test yourself by taking out a type of food, you do ONE at a time, and remove it completely for three weeks and watch if the "symptoms" you know are disappearing. Then, reintroduce the food, and watch closely for reactions of any kind.

Also, for the immediate "irritation" of the eczema on my hands, I have found that "Aquaphor" is great for me! Recently, I have discovered a new name in "health" in America....."Jordan Rubin"---His website is great (www.makersdiet.com) or also (www.jordanrubin.com), and has incredible testimonies of people with all kinds of health challenges, diseases, medical mysteries being overcome through diet changes and so forth. I had already been doing some of the things he suggests for my own health and have really improved, so I believe he's on the right track!

Hope this helps! Don't forget that prayer helps, too! God made you and your baby, and is always there to help us when we need wisdom! ...and trust your own maternal instincts, too! Sometimes with my own children (I have four---ages 13, 11, 8, and 5) I have been too dependent upon the doctors when I knew the answers already and just needed to follow my "knowing."

Take care and God bless you both!

J. P

I have a friend who was unhappy with skin treatments for her toddler so she actually went to school for naturopathic healing (I think that's what it is called) and designed her own skin care line! She has used the cream on her own daughter and it works amazingly! (Pictures are on the website) It's all natural and contains no steroids. Her website says, "CREATOR OF "COMPLETE SKIN AILMENT CURATIVE" TOTALLY ORGANIC, TOTALLY NATURAL AND TOTALLY EFFECTIVE. CREATED BY A MOTHER DETERMINED TO FIND RELIEF FOR HER DAUGHTER'S PERSISTENT DIAPER RASH AND ECZEMA. COMPLETE SKIN AILMENT CREATION IS ALLERGEN FREE SKIN CARE FOR RELIEF FROM THE SYMPTOMS OF ECZEMA, PSORIASIS, DIAPER RASH, ITCHY SKIN, DERMATITIS, DRY SKIN, CHAPPED SKIN, JOCK ITCH, YEAST RASH AND MORE."
Here is a link to her website. She is probably the sweetest person I know.

http://www.my-mamas-love.com/

Good luck!

I had the same problema with my son and is doctor gave me Euceryn: it worked! Make sure that you use it daily and like my doctor told me "use it like it's free!"

My son was born with the same condition. He is now 17 and unfortunately still has very dry skin. Anyway, his pediatrician turned my onto a creme called RexEme. It worked wonderfully as long as he used it. Here is a link http://www.brunlabs.com/retail.htm

Hi L.. My niece has severe exzema. I recommend you going to a naturalpath. If you have insurance, most insurances now a days cover a percentage of a naturalpath doctor. I could reccomend Dr. Anthony Calpeno, I have seen him several times, and you'll be surprised how safe and effective the treament is. He is one of the most caring doctor that I have come in contact with. Don't get me wrong, I do believe in going to a dermatologist may be very helpful as well, but i would recommend the safe and natural way first, and if you find that his remedies don't work, try a dermatologist. There is also a naturalpath down town in Pot orchard, I think across from KFC. I know that if you don't take care of it now, if it is as bad as you say, you'll have to deal with it later, and it's no fun for babies or anyone for that matter. Call first and tell them the situation and ask how much they charge before you go. I hope your baby gets the the help she needs. Hey and if you go or not go to church, you can always ask for healing, He is in that business for sure.

My doctor calls himself an old school doctor my son has really bad eczema and a couple other skin disorders. he suffers from really dry itchy skin, I tried all the creams including eucerin it wasn't until I saw My Dr., who is a specialist and he said simply bath the child at least 2x day for at least 20 min each and just pat dry and use plain vaseline no perfumes and grease him up and put his pajamas or clothes on and promised me if I did this within 3-4 days you would see a huge differece and use the cortizone cream on the really bad spots and apply vaseline on top the vaseline keeps the moisture from the bathe in and keeps the cream from rubbing off and keeps all the dirt away. It is greasy but my child no longer suffers from his eczema and other skin problems as long as i continue this remedy. my pediatrician however told me he was surprised it worked he advised against baths but water is a natural moisturizer itself and the vaseline locks the moisture in. my son was 5 months old when we started this and is now 19 mon and he gets !-2 baths a day and his skin is baby smooth. It really is amazing that something that simple and cheap worked so well. I would also make sure your child is not allergic to anything, my boy ended up being allergic to dogs cats and dust which attributed to his problems as well. Good luck
T.

Hi L.,
Just wanted to respond about your daughter's excema---I actually had a mild form of excema when I was growing up and my mom did all those creams that you're talking about and I'll tell you what---I HATED them (they were always gooey and greasy) and they really didn't help. I am trained as an acupuncturist, and in Chinese medicine itching like that is frequently linked to damp-heat. So any greasy or overly fatty foods, or dairy, could be contributing to such a condition. You may want to see if making some mild dietary changes help. I definitely think that the Omega-3 fatty acids are a good idea, and you could even go a little step further and do cod-liver oil. It's one of the most beneficial dietary supplements---helps boost the immune system, and all that oil helps moisten from the inside. I give it to my 14-mo. old daughter (1/4-1/2 t. a day), and have since she started eating solid food. The coop where I live sells a very high-quality codliver oil that has a "great lemon taste", and I just mix it in with some fruit or yogurt. She's never balked, and she also doesn't have dry sort of scaly patches on her arms and legs like she did when she was 0-8ish mos.
Good luck, and never be afraid of beneficial oils! We're almost all deficient in them!
Jennifer

I would definitely say to limit baths. I not sure why parents feel the need to give there small children and babies daily baths, it is so drying to their skin. I only give my daughter (13 months) a bath twice a week and she still has the softest baby skin. I will "spot clean" her :) if she happens to get into something. I have a lot of friends with babies with really dry skin that had made a daily bath part of their evening "routine".

Something that might help is giving her oatmeal baths. Not all the time, but mainly when she flairs up. My son has had eczema since he was about 1 yr old. He'll be 5 in May. We talked to the doctor and they helped give us a cream to use on small areas. But, if that doesn't work, at home, we make sure not to use any perfumed bath washes/bubble bath soaps...etc. We've also been using Lanolin and Gold Bond Intense Lotion. These things seems to help a bit. Not sure if this helped you out, but hope it did. :D Good luck! :D ~B.

My son also has exzema and his doctor has given me prescribed hydrocortisone and then he prescribed me Desonide for when it gets really bad. I also use Eucerin Lotion - Daily replenishing lotion every night on him. Well I hope this helps.

I had exzema as a baby. My parents didn't know what it was and gave me oatmeal baths to ease the itching. I do know that citrus aggrivates it for me. So I don't drink much orange juice. Cortizone is honestly the only thing that has worked for me, I apply it 3-4 times a day when I have a patch bothering me. Good luck!
G. R

U-Lactin is a miracle worker! My son's skin is like that too and has been rough since the day he was born. We tried everything and nothing helped. He spent two nights at my sister's where she put her son's U-Lactin lotion on him and he came home with baby soft skin for the first time EVER!
It is sold behind the counter, so ask your doctor if he/she thinks it might be a good idea for your son.

L.,
Our 7yr old had bad eczema when he was little and my husband had it bad on his scalp as an adult. We omitted dairy from their diets and that worked. We don't drink cow milk ever and we rarely have yogurt and cheese in the house. On occasion our son will have a grilled cheese sandwich, Cheeseburger or Gogurt, but not very often. I think he has outgrown it, but since my husband has it too and it is prevelent on my side of the family, we are careful. I hesitate to suggest Bag balm because it is thick, stains and is water resistant which makes it difficult to get out of fabrics, but it works so well for many things including diaper rash.
Check out the dairy intolerence and other food intolerences possibly related to eczema.(A naturopath is very knowledgeable about these things.)
Good luck
A.

Your daughter sounds like mine did- nasty exzema! She had trouble all through her toddler and young grade school years, even now, at 11, can still have patches on her face and elbows. We also tried everything (natural remidies, too)and finally found a perscription strength product that worked- and still does- HYDROCORT VAL .2% OINT 0.2% Its hydrocortizone and we applied it at bedtime when she was young, after she fell asleep, becuase we didnt want her to have to feel it in case it stang. Now she apllies it herself as needed. CAll your Doc and good luck!

My naturopath advised me to have my son take 1/2 tsp. of orange flavored fish oil ( I mix it with yogurt or applesauce and it tastes good, it really doesn't taste fishy at all). This helps his skin and helps keep ear wax down.
Also, a cream that works great and it's natural is Calendula cream by California Baby (at Whole Foods,PCC or online) That brand also makes an excema cream that i've not tried but I'll bet it's great!

I have a friend who's daughter had exzema so bad she still has scars on her arms from when she was 2. She finally went to Bastir as a last resort and their treatment which is homeopathic, I think, worked. She tells everyone! Its worth a try. Whenever she has a slight flare up she treats her with a little pill and it goes away! They still put on a lot of lotion to moisturize her skin after baths, but no more RX creams! Hope this helps! L.

Fish oil helped my skin.

I used bag balm on my daughter right after her bath, before bed. I would put it on and then put jammies on. Her skin cleared up in a few days.

HI L.. With my daughter we either put lubiderm (if we catch it jsut starting) like every 30 minutes on her, and put it on real thick. Her toes even get bad and just PEEL and crack open.. we put a bunch of lotion on her feet, rub some in then lather some up and put socks on her and let her sleep all night with it soaking in.
Also, when it's bad we get the little tub of Cetaphil, it does EXCELLENT. Doctor said that if it doesn't help there is one more option. But I will ask my mother-in-law, who is a nurse for my ped., and let you know what the doc. would prescribe for her if it came down to that.

If she has eczema, she needs eucerin cream. Her skin is just naturally more dry than normal. My daughter and I have it. Apply the cream, yes it is oily, twice a day. This will prevent her from breaking out. Scratching makes the rashes worse so try to keep her nails down and file them to smooth them so the edges wont scratch her.

Two of my five children had the same problem. Believe it or not, Vaseline works better than anything. I took my kids to OHSU and they said to bathe them a couple of times a day and as soon as they get out of the tub, pat them dry and rub Vaseline on the dry patches. It works wonders and is very inexpensive. The baths don't have to be long, just enough time to open the pores and let them play for a couple of minutes. Also using Vaseline doesn't put all the chemicals and steroids on them. Try it, you will be amazed as I was.
Let us know your results

Have you tried diet changes. My 2 yo has gluten allergies causing her to brake out in dry patches.

Hafdis

Most often skin issues in babies and kids are allergy-related. All the topical treatments in the world won't do a thing until you look at the diet. Omega fatty acids are a good idea, but my guess is that they will help but not "cure" the eczema.
A. Anderson, ND

I agree with Michelle G. Eucerin cream works great! Both of my boys (2 y and 8 m) get dry patches on their cheeks and backs of their arms and legs. A doctor recommended eucerin. It is oily, but it really works! Definitely give it a try!

An essential fatty acid supplement is an excellent thought. If you see a naturopath, get one from him/her; Udo's Oils from JVee's or Randy's pharmacy work great too. You'll want a complex with balanced EFAs (Omega-3,-6,-9). For eczema, consider her digestion. Foods that irritate her intestinal lining can compromise her immune system. Removing wheat products and cow dairy could help alleviate the symptoms. If all else fails with that, a natural antihistamine could keep the immune system in check and minimize the topical inflammation.

You may want to find an Arbonne consultant (I'm one, but don't want to pressure you!) and try out their baby line. I've seen some amazing results for both babies and adults with eczema. The baby line isn't very expensive and is perfume/mineral oil/soap free which can make quite a difference. I know at least one dr. at Pediatric Associates that is recommending the line for a try besides cortizone.

You can learn more at Arbonne.com or contact a rep for free samples. another great perk is that the product comes with a 45 day money back guarantee if you find that the product isn't working fro your little one.

Hi, there.

My son who is now 13 experiences the same symptoms with his skin.

We use the cortisone cream as well, but I have also found that a moisturized called Cetaphil works great. It is very moisturizing and fragrance free. Our doctor recommended putting it on after his shower because the hot water tends to dry the skin out.

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Marie

My children's pediatrician recommended Olive Oil, and it worked fantastic. Rub the Olive Oil on the places that are dry and that will clear it up.

Take care,

D.

My son suffered from exzema when he was little but luckily he is growing out of it. Winters are still tough though. We found that eucerin cream worked the best. We also used hydrocortisone cream once or twice a day. Bathing less often (every other day instead of daily) helped and also running a humidifier in his room (found this trick out by accident-we ran it while he had a cold and his skin improved and when we stopped using it, it got worse again).We also stopped using fabric softener and changed our detergent to one without dyes or scents. Good luck and hopefully your daughter grows out of it as well.

Hello, I'm a very busy mom as well. I'm very into the "natural healing" approach to things. My husband has psoriais. Something that has been amazing for his skin:
run a warm bath
soak a few minutes in the water, then add
1 tall glass of milk with 2 teaspoons of olive oil
when done soaking, just blot dry DON'T rub
He tends to need this about once or twice a week.
We live in Alaska - it's extremely dry here

One of the books I use is "The Doctor's Book of Home Remedies" by Sid Kirchheimer
Others I use as well:
Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
Natural Cures and Gentle

Good luck! I understand how unconfortable dry skin can be.
Pre

I use Melaleuca's Renew cream on my 4 year old. It works like a charm.

Go to the Doctor maybe they prescribe something better. I use Cetaphil for soap that helps. Eucerin is also good.

Her itchiness could be because of a food allergy. My daughter was the same way. We had her tested for a tree nut allegie because of a reaction she had and in the process they asked if her skin was dry and if she itched or scratched a lot. They explained this is common for even mild food allergies.
Good luck,
S.

Just took my 2 yr old son to the dr yesterday for same thing, she suggested cetaphil, they have a non soap wash that you can rub on to wash and not have to rinse, i already use this as a face wash, works great and i guess they also have a cream and lotion which i will be picking up today for my son. good luck

I use Arbonne International's ABC baby line for my son. He's had eczema since he was a baby and this is the only thing that keeps his skin clear. I also sell the product, now, after researching the products and company. I can offer you my wholesale price with s/h is $14.00 for the lotion. They also have a 45-day money back guarantee if you aren't happy with it. Just let me know. ____@____.com or ###-###-####

L., my son (6) has had ecsema since birth and we have to watch it closely or it can turn ugly quick. I have it also in very dry weather. My wife has used a combination of ingredients that have helped tremendously. Her name is D. Jo. You can e-mail her at ____@____.com and talk about this with her. She's quite the lady.

It looks like you have heard this from others here already. There is good evidence that eczema is related to food allergies, the most common food allergens are wheat and dairy.

Figuring out food allergens requires a bit of on going detective work. If you can eliminate the offending foods from the diet, you can slowly reintroduce them to see if this is the issue.

Many of the products recommended in previous messages have harmful cancer causing ingredients and are made from petroleum based ingredients.

If this is an issue for you, then you might want to consider moving away from chemical based products to all organic products that do not contain paraben preservatives, petroleum derived ingredients and chemical ingredients.

When looking at products to consider, make sure there is a complete ingredients list to review, any claims of organic and natural are meaningless without a complete ingredients list that you can review BEFORE you purchase the product. If there are long chemical names that you cannot pronounce, then the product is not organic, no matter what it says on the label.

You can learn more about ingredients and look up specific products on a great site by the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. They have a great database of thousands of chemicals and products that you can look up. The site is called skin deep: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

If you want to move away from chemicals on your body and on you child, who is more likely to be affected in a greater way from these chemicals I hope you will take a look at my recommendations below.

I do also know that you can get very good success by using a high quality probiotic. I have a testimonial I can send you with photos of a young girl with very bad eczema that cleared up with the use of the probiotic that I sell.

I also have four very good products to help, until you can deal with the food issues. All the products I sell are certified organic, with no chemicals in them.

While the cost may appear to be more than you are used to spending, if it relieves the itching and gives your child comfort and keeps you from spending more money on Doctors and chemicals based medications, you will be ahead in the long run.

It's best to keep the skin from drying out, that will really help with all of the itching and dry skin.

what I can recommend is sunflower body wash: http://elyorganics.com/products/13201/

intensive body cream:
http://elyorganics.com/products/13420/

and soothing cuperose gel
http://elyorganics.com/products/11501/

A very good probiotic that can be mixed in some apple juice:
http://elyorganics.com/products/15101/

I am happy to send you a copy of the testimonial with pictures of the dramatic difference the probiotic made for a small child that used it. Her body was completely covered with red itchy spots and over time (a couple of weeks) it completely cleared up with the use of the probiotic.

I'm sure someone else will have good recommendations on how to start to eliminate/remove the offending foods from her diet as well.

Best of luck,
E. E.
http://elyorganics.com

HI L., I have two little ones with Eczema. We use Eucerin Calming Cream Day and night. I used to bath my son every day but that was very drying as well so I had to switch to every other day or even less. I hope this helps! One other thing...coming from my good friend who has had eczema her entire life...do not use Hydrocortozone creams often, espially on young skin, it thins the skin over time and can cause more problems later.

Hello, i just read your post and was like i hope i can help with some of this. my self has had dry skin since i can remember(baby).i am now 30! ihave used all didnt kinds. right now i am using Aveeno. they make it for little kids also. do you bath her with soap? well i found out that dry me out more so i stoped. i ony would use hair shampoo. i also know that you dont take hot baths, take like warm to cold. if its hot or wamer side it make her dry out more. keep using the cortzone on her every day up to twice daily and use Aveeno on her daily. there are other ones out there you can use. i use to have to put a havey cream on me when i was going up cause i had it bad. did your doctor say this is what she has? she could also have the sister to it which my uncle has and he would use BAG BLAM on which some people use it for diaper rashes. i hope i can be of help. good luck. J.

My son was diagnosed with exzema, he was really bad when he was younger. He is 2 years old now. This is just a suggestion of what we have tried. Fill the tub as you normally do, put 1/4 cup of Baking soda in the tub mix well. We also applied AquaPhor lotion all over before bedtime, under his PJ's and that seemed to work for us. Good Luck.

My son gets this on his face whenever there is dry weather, & his dr recommended Aquaphor. I put it on at night & his face is cleared up in the morning. It sounds like you daughter's is worse than I've dealt with, but I would try Aquaphor. I have had great results so far. Good luck!!

For my kids the Eucerin calming cream works really well. If you haven't already, you might consider looking at what you are using when in the bath (shampoo, conditioner, body wash) and fabric softner & detergent. My dermatologist said those can affect it as well. Good luck!

Hi, my two boys have problems with excema. My oldest who is now two got it about 2 months (even though I breastfed). We took him to a naturpathic and it is gone now, though his skin is still a bit dry. My youngest who is almost 6 months has it all over, even behind his ears. It doesn't seem to itch him much but it flares up bright red sometimes. Anyway, for him I am thinking it could be a dairy allergy. So we are working on that.

It it doesn't clear up within a year, I intend to take him to the naturpathic doctor. They are wonderful, gentle and perfect for treating the WHOLE body instead of the symptoms.

Try to find the source of the rash, don't just TREAT the rash, treat the whole body. Experiement with allergies: common allergies are tomatoes, wheat and diary and preservatives and chemicals in food.

Another thing I have found that helped my oldest's dry skin was Turkey Red Oil which is a dispersable oil, mixed with essentials of your choice (no more that 3 drops) in their bath. It is really moisturizing. My favourite place for buying cosmetic equipment is www.lavenderlaneforever.com and wwwsunburstbottles.com

Some books that will change your world and deal with chemical dangers and food facts: Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Chemical-Free Kids.

Some other things I'm experiemtenting with is essential oils. A fabulous book about them is: Aromatherapy: A Lifetime Guide to Healing with Essential Oils by Valerie Gennari Cooksley.

Also, look into very pure oils and creams. I personally make my own creams and oils. It is expensive ($500 to start up with the basics) but overall it is cheaper. For instance, I can make my own citrus lip balm for 78 cents. And it is fun. Anyway, the above book also have cosmetic stuff but my favourite book it Natural Beauty Basics by Dorie Byers.

Finally, as far as I can tell, goat's milk has non-allergenic and that could be an option. Just pasturized milk itself can be absolutely non-healing and clogging and dangerous.

Happy healing!

My Girls have the same problem, Medications help a little, but the real way I have found to tam the exzema beast is to only bath them every other day, unless something happens and they need an extra bath. I limit there time in the tub to no more then 10 min. It sucks for them but in the summer they get longer baths because there rashes are not as bad. Nov- March seems to be the worst months. I also apply lotion on them 5-8 times a day,when they were little it was everytime I changed a diaper, when break outs are bad. Once I seem to be getting them under control I slack off a little, but always to a morning and night rub down.
Good luck, it is a problem that will last there whole life. Oh Dairy products have been linked to break outs according to some medical journals. So try backing off those, it will take 2 weeks to really see the results.
A.

I would suggest taking her to a dermatologist. My niece has had the same type of problems. They are using an UV - Light treatment on her and there has been a tremendous improvement. Best of luck.

Hi L.,

My 17 month old son is prone to eczema. He gets it in dry patches almost everywhere. I found the thing that works best for him is Calundula Cream by California Baby. I use it sometimes too (he gets the eczema from me) and it always works. I order it online from Babycenter.com but I've seen it at Target too. I hope this helps.

C.

I have a daughter who also suffers from eczema/dry skin. We tried EVERYTHING on her!!!! And nothing really seemed to work consistently. I soon came to find out that they are MANY causes to dry skin and sometimes even the skin can be so sensitive that it can react to things you wouldn't even think would cause a problem. Did you know that even the detergent that clothes are washed in can cause the skin to be irritated?? Where you also aware that the cleaning products you use in your house can cause a reaction to the skin??

I didn't think it was possible either, but I totally changed what I was using around the house and let me tell you it made a HUGE difference!!

So I started buy pure and natural products. Ok I'll say it, I am a Melaleuca consumer and I LOVE it. Their products are all natural with no chemicals, fillers, or preservatives.

Just think about how sensitive our kids skin is and think about all the chemicals being used to clean up around the house. Is it really necessary to expose our kids to this kind of harsh environment? It sometimes is more than just what goes into their bodies, sometimes has a lot to do with what is touching the outsides of their bodies.

So my daughter's skin will periodically become red, but that's only when she has been in the bath too long and she didn't get ReNew- the awesome lotion Melaleuca sells- on her skin that night. But I have to tell you it's the best thing I could have done for my family. I know that I don't need to put her on a heavy dose of steroids or other medication.

Check it out. It never hurts to investigate.

(FYI: contact Mandi H. on this forum she's the one who hooked me up.)

My Step daughter had really bad eczema as a little girl and we pretty much just kept her creamed up with the Eucerin lotion and also used a cortizone cream for the itching. A few times the Ped. gave her some special cream for eczema but I don't remember the name of them. You might check with your Ped, now days there may be better creams or treatments available. It does get better as they get older esspecially if you teach them to keep under controll as they get older.

It sounds to me like she has psoriasis. (Pronounced sore-eye-ah-sis) If it is psoriasis, you'll need a doctor's help. It's nearly impossible to manage on your own. B. T

Aquaphor Healing Ointment works for my boys exzema. All three of my boys 4,2, and 2 months get bad cases of exzema on their face during the winter.

My daughter has moderate exzema. What you need to do for the dry patches is give her a bath and let her soak for a while (if the itching is bad use an oatmeal bath). Once you pull her out pat her dry (within 2 minutes) and slather her with Eucerin cream. But don't rub the cream all the way in...let it soak into her skin naturally.

If she starts getting "hot spots" where the skin breaks, you may need to get a steroid cream from the doctor.

My 1 year old has really bad exzema too. The Doctor had prescribed us some ointment but also told us to use Vasaline over that after every bath. All of my daughters rash and dry skin was gone with in a week. We dont use the ointment anymore but we still use the Vasaline after every bath and her skin has remained clear.

Hi L.

From our experience as Wellness consultants, skin dryness, exzema issues can be caused by a lack of nutrients in the diet and/or the body has trouble cleansing toxins. There are some products we recommend that may help. glyconutrients and phytonutrients. You can go to: www.8supersugars.com to order or educate yourself. www.pregnancybydesign.com is a great resource also.

I would also look at her diet. Some children need to be on a strick organic diet because their little bodies don't do well with pesticides and other artificial junk that is often times in our food today.

Hope this helps!
Amy Jo

I recommend that you take your child to a pediatrician, preferrably a pediatric dermatologist. She may very well have psoriasis or eczema, and you'll need different treatments for those.

I also suggest you hold off on the cortizone a bit. It IS a steroid and it DOES lead to a thinning of the skin if over-used.

Don't give her too many baths, and when you do bathe her use tepid water -- not too warm. Don't rub her dry, but gently pat w/a towel, and put a gentle baby lotion on her.
Also make sure she is drinking plenty of fluids during the day, esp. water to keep her skin hydrated.

Good Luck!

I had a problem similar to this and found out it was an allergic reaction to Vitamin C. Once I got off of Vit. C and steered clear of citrus foods and anything that contained acid (soda pop has a lot of phosphoric acid in it)it cleared up. Using Shea body cream is natural and soothing to the skin.

S. M

Could be food allergies. Biggest culprit is usually wheat. Omega 3 is a great supplement, you should put her on it regardless. Our 8 year old would get patches that turned into horrible rashes all over her hands that looked scaly and painful. We finally realized that she has food allergies. Wheat, soy, peanuts, food coloring, chemical sensitivities. The list goes on. I would try wheat first.
Good luck!

My daughter has always had very sensitive skin also. When she was about your daughter's age she used to get these rashes in all of her creases. I tried everything and eventually found an Arbonne product that worked. I purchased the rejuvinating skin serum and Re9 Lotion. It finally cleared her skin up. It is expensive ($40), but worth it. She is now 3 and I use regular Aveeno or ABC baby lotion again. When she gets rashes now or really dry skin I use Gentle Naturals Baby Eczema Cream. It helps sooth her skin and really helps the dryness. I also don't use bubble baths or regular soap, that seems to dry out her skin.

I have a dear friend who suffered with exzema all of her life, until 3 years ago. If you want a contact name who can give you the details, contact me at ____@____.com of my daughters had exzema as a toddler, as well, and nothing the doctor gave me helped so I know what you are going through. God bless

C. Branham

Hi,
Sounds like you are getting lots of advice from people in the same situation. Although I haven't dealt with exzema, my allergist said there is a strong link between exzema and the development of asthma. I don't want to alarm you, just keep this tidbit stored in your brain, so at some point it will be easier to identify and get medical help if breathing issues develop. Finding the source of allergens and eliminating them will help keep the exzema and asthma from advancing. If the exzema is as extreme as it sounds, I would highly encourage you to consult an allergist and testing (either a blood test or the scratch test) to help identify what is going on. Good Luck!

I'm a mom with life long environmental allergies and asthma.

Have you heard about Arbonne? I am an Arbonne consultant and have seen and heard many testimonials about the ABC(Arbonne Baby Care) line. I would recommend checking out the website: www.arbonne.com and read about why our products are different. If you want more info, I would be happy to get it for you. I also have samples available. I hope you find something that works for your daughter.

I've been batteling eczema on my 23 month old for several months (well since birth pretty much). She has spots on her arms, on her cheeks and occasionally on her thighs as well.

I use cetaphil lotion and a new lotion I just found in the baby ailse at walmart called 'baby eczema cream' (it's made by Gentle Naturals and mine has a baby pooh bear and baby piglet on it). I apply it as often as I can (when she wakes up, after a bath, during diaper changes, if I see her scratching during the day, when I put her PJ's on at night, and then again right before bed. (I try to apply it to the worst spots at least 4 times a day.)

A few things you can do: pat, don't rub, areas dry after a bath and apply lotion or cream immediately after their bath. Weather (especially cold and dry) really affects my daughter's exzema so I always try to cover areas (long pants and long sleeves) during the day. I also think that keeping it covered with a breathable material (like a cotton shirt) helps keep moisture in, but protect the area.

Hope that helps some :)

There is a reason your little girl's skin is dry. I'm not certain what it is without asking more questions and I am not a doctor yet. However what I am fairly sure of is that creams that "work" do so just by masking the symptoms. They can make the dry and itchiness go away but do not address what causes the dry and itchy. There are a few things you could try:
1) fish oil as suggested by a few others. Add it to her milk or stir it into food. It is often used by naturopaths for skin problems
2) get her tested for food allergies. Allergies to dairy and eggs are especially known for causing skin problems,. If she is allergic to either of these, you will have to use alot of very strong cream if you keep feeding her the things that cause it.
3) take her to see a naturopathic doctor. the creams that allopathic doctors prescribe are usually based on steroids. that's how they work. They relieve symptoms and so are very helpful for stopping the itching and giving short term relief but they do not treat the cause and they are not good for us, especially a 2 year old.

I hope you find good answers
Good luck

try increasing her water intake - dry skin is usually a sign of needing more hydration. It probably won't resolve it by itself, but that combined with the topical creams/oils may help.

hi there,
she may be allergic to something in her diet. Often allergies come out in the form of exzema or other symptoms. We are battling food allergies now and one sympton of my 5 year old is exzema as well as acid reflux. He has had both since birth but I wasn't aware until recently of the link between food allergies and his symptoms. Did she spit up a lot as a baby? It's worth looking in to! Good Luck!

Everyone I know who has that kind of exzema, including my friend with a 3 year old and a 5 year old who both have it, use Eucerin. They SLATHER it all over right after bath without much towel drying. also avoid bathing often and non soap soap.

Hope this helps.

Oh also this could be related to allergies. you may take her to a dermatologist to have her tested, but a big allergy is to milk products, specifically cow's milk. You may try goat's milk or rice milk and see if that helps at all.

I have a 5 year old who has had eczema since 1 1/2 yrs and even when he does not have eczema, he has very dry skin. Most lotions sting him except for Eucerin. I am not sure if they have several varieties, but get the one that has no fragrance. It really seems to help when I lather him up after the bath when his skin is still damp. Do not dry the skin completely.

Watch closely for eczema. The longer you let it go the worse it gets and it can get very painful. If over the counter 1% hydrocortizone does not work after a few days, I use the strong hydrocortizone prescription we have and it clears up in 3 days or so. My 2 year old just got her first eczema last week. I was so hopeful that she would not have to deal with this too.

Also, I use California Baby shampoo/soap for super sensitive skin. It is wonderful. They sell it at Target now. The baby soaps can be so bad for dry skin. They sell it at Target now.

Hi: my youngest daughter was bothered the same way and here are some things I learned: cortizone CREAMS are more drying than ointments; go to the store and pick up some EUCERIN moisturizing cream in the large jar PLUS some EUCERIN lotion and use it all of the time, several times a day; she doesn't need a bath every day, just a washing of personal places and hands and face daily. Here's a favorite of mine that my doctor told me "go to the grocery store, buy a can of CRISCO, rub it on her for moisturizer. Pure, white, Crisco!!" But do try Eucerin and try Crisco--they both work and use ointments, not creams in the cortizone. Good luck.

Aquaphor turned my little boy from a lizard back to baby-soft.

Hi L., alot of times when skin issues develope it's a result of something else going on inside the body. Most likely the digestive system is being compromised or some kind of food allergy, possibly. I have several testimonies from parents and people dealing with Exzema and the products they found worked for them. If you are intersted in me sending them to you email me ____@____.com Alot of times there needs to be healing on the inside first. I hope you find a solution for your daughter soon. I have other info that may be helpful too, you can email or call me ###-###-#### M. :)

My Dr. recomended using Nivea lotion. My son has had the same problem since he was born and his Dr. said to use the lotion after every bath and it would help, and it did. My son loved that time after a bath when I would rub the lotion on his dry spots, he says it takes the itchys away...lol

Hi L....my 9yo daughter has had excema since she was a baby....we have tried almost everything!!...good news is they are coming up with new products all the time....meanwhile....oil, any kind is great to use,even olive oil...jojoba is great...dab it on with cotton balls....put it in her bath...mix it with a good lotion and put on after her bath-all over....remember to just pat dry, want to get the lotion on before she starts to dry out again. Aveeno baths are good also...soothing, and their latest lotion to come out has been accepted by the National Excema Association and will bear their symbol of acceptance....go to NEA on the web at nationalexcema.org
good luck, let me know if anything helps

Not sure that there's a one size fits all remedy. My oldest had eczema when a baby (wrists, elbows, back of knees mostly). Humid environments helped her skin and, if we went somewhere in the winter for long enough (generally 3-4 weeks), it would clear up and stay away 'til fall. If you can't travel, then maybe a humidifier? Hers went away around 3-4 years and gradually turned into asthma. I understand they're related. All the best.

My friend went through the same type of thing with his son and it turned out to be a food allergy. They tried every cream out there- even perscription creams and nothing worked, so they had allergy test done and found out it was eggs and peanuts that caused his skin to be that way. Just a suggestion. Good luck!! :o)

my daughter aslo had exzema, and the best thing i found is something called- emu oil. you can get it at a health food store. You can put it on topically and give it to her orally. I did both. Emu oil is one of the best sorces of omega.

I had tried everything under the sun to heal my exzema, but the most effective thing that I have found (and I am obsessed with it!!!) is goat's milk soap. But I would highly suggest getting an all-natural one...not one that you can buy at Rite-Aid or Walmart. It's all I use on myself and my 5 1/2 month old (who also has sensitive skin and would break out with anything else.)
Beyond topical solutions, you may have her checked for food alergies. My skin gets worse if I've eaten tomatos or too much milk. There may be a certain food she is alergic to.
Hope you find success!

I was told to cover my daughter with vasaline right after she had a bath to hold the moisture in her skin, and to let her air dry NOT towel dry. I did this for a while (and yes I had a very hard time bringing myself to smear this all over a clean child) and it seemed to help. But with your little one being almost two, I have another suggestion. Still let her air dry,or pat dry (don't rub) and cover her with AVON Skin So Soft Oil. It comes in spray bottle so it is easy. Just spray her down and rub it in (this also repels fleas and other insects that may bite her). This worked wonders on my daughter! Another thing to concider is that cortizone can also dry out the skin if used alot. Oh yes, there were a few other things that I found that helped for the bad spots. Vasaline Intensive Care for Severe dry skin, it is more like a oily lotion, it worked wonders (sorry I cant remember the exact name of it but it came in a tube not a normal lotion bottle). The other I can't remeber the exact name, Utter Creme I think (the container is black and white like a cow). It works great on severe, damaged dry skin.
This is a bad time of year for eczema and she may even outgrow the severity of it!! Also if you are having no luck at all try talking to a dermatologist.

My daughter had exzema when she was little. Her skin was like sand paper for the longest time. I did find this wonderful lotion called "VANICREAM", you can order it at any pharmacy (I got it from Rite Aid). It was highly recommended from the Mayo clinic in Rochester Minn, they are the ones who made it and all. It works great, I have seen it bring tremendous relief to alittle girl whose skin was so bad, it was impossible for her to walk. Try it. It costs about $16.00 for a pound. It has worked better than any prescription my daughter was given, along with eucerin and any over the counter swear bys.

Have you used Aquaphor? It works very well on my granson's exzema,and he used to scratch until it would bleed.

So glad that you are open to other options other than toxic creams and prescriptions that don't work. I have a very good solution for you. It has been tried and proven and put up against Eucerin on a double blind test and it came WAY out on top!!! I have a friend whose little one had exzema and they had it gone in a month!!!
You can go to healthyhome.womensdreamteam.com, that is my web site. Or call me at ###-###-#### and I would LOVE to tell you about it and get her healed up! J.

Hi,
Exzema is directly related to allergies. For a while our doctors never told us this. We were prescribed medications and could never seem to get it under control. My friend had a baby that suffered from severe exzema almost from day one. She finally found a doctor who clued her in to the food allegy connection. Throught testing she discovered a milk and egg allergy and during the time she was breastfeeding , she had to avoid consuming dairy and eggs- this helped tremendously to clear the allergy up.

I would suggest quitting the cortizone and other pharmaceutical creams- they are not good for baby- your skin is an organ and everything it absorbs has to be processed by the liver. Besides that, you are only treating the surface and are not dealing with the root problem- in the case of allergies, if you only treat the exzema through topical treatments and never remove the offending food she will be put at risk fo serious damage to her gut and digestive system which can lead to learning disabilites, menatl health issues, diseases relating to stomach and gut, cancers and other problems..
We had my daughter tested for allergies and since we have taken her off of the offending foods she has had no trouble with exzema at all. My friend's daughter , now 5, still cannot have dairy in any form but she has no trouble with exzema as long as she stays away from it.

Some of the possible, more common offending foods are citrus, dairy, eggs, wheat, shellfish and chocolate.

You can either try an elimination diet or get her allergy tested.

In the meantime, to soothe the exzema until it is being cleared up from the inside out, you are on the right track with the Omega 3s,
berries (if not an allergy problem ) have good antiinflammatory properties, giver her lots of blueberries.
garlic and onions contain nutrients that are beneficial to the skin
lots of dark green leafy veggies
vitamin C

externally, after a bath (an oatmeal bath is good ), while the skin is still damp (not dripping wet) rub some benefial oil on her skin- olive oil or a mixture of olive oil and other oils such as avacado oil to lock in moisture and soothe the skin.
There are other herbal treatments you can do to help soothe the skin but all of it, without getting to the root of the problem will only be a temporary fix.
Feel free to email me and I will send you some information from my favorite 'go to' resource when my children have an ailment: "Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child"

Another thing you want to look into is probiotics- this will help restore healthy flora in the gut to help repair any damage done by undiagnosed food allergies and restore allover good health.
feel free to email me as I have been dealing with mild and severe food allergies for over 2 years now and am blessed to have a great support group aiding me in restoring the health of our children.
____@____.com

** I just read the response about the connection between exzema and asthma- this is true IF you only treat the exzema topically- the asthma is a result of the root problem continuing to wreak havok while the obvious symtpoms are appeased. Your child can be very susceptible to asthma if the allergies are not being dealt with- they may also have a bout if exposed to very strong environental irritants . My friend's daughter (the one I mentioned) wound up having a battle with what was diagnosed as asthma when they moved into a temporary home that had mold and mildew problems. My friend treated her with herbal and homeopathic remedies and kept it under control, since the moved from that house she has not had one sign of asthma- these things are treatable if the root is dealt with rather than the symptom.

Dear L.;
This must be hard to deal with. Your poor daughter. First I think it is important to get it diagnosed, many different illnesses can present with a rash/or itchy dry skin like Celiac Disease.
I am a pre-graduate student of Naturopathic medicine and from what I know Excema is more often caused and cured by identifying and eliminating food allergies than by ANYTHING Topical. Any type of moisturizing is only keeping the symptom at bay and the underlying problem is not being addressed the proof is if you stop appling the cream the excema returns.
The top three food allergens are wheat, eggs and dairy[they are hidden in lots of processed foods as well]. For one case I saw eliminating wheat was all that was needed and the rash cleared.
A local naturopath could test your daughter for food allergies, and look at the dry skin and be able to tell if it is something else other than simple dry skin. Good luck and don't forget to tell us what happened!

I have exzema and have found and lotion with laurly sulfates, alchol or petrolime by products drys the skin more. A doctor actully recomended crisco as a good lotion. Also just pat dry the skin when your done bathing. It could be caused by food allergys so you may wnat to get that cheched out.

Try this out. Attached is the link to emily skin soother. I tried it out on my kids and it works well and they love it. It's all natural. See the link below and let me know what you think after you tried it. Hope it wells with your daughter.

http://www.emilyskinsoothers.com/

my 4 1/2 year old gets mild dry spots when he uses soap in the bath too much. I put some Burt's baby oil in the water. Also, Burts diaper ointment is amazing. Love the stuff .

www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SubCategoryDi...

I know all about the eczema. My son (now almost 4)had it when he was little. Thank goodness its gone now, but I always had to use some kind of eczema cream like "Gentle Naturals" Baby Eczema Cream, or A&E Ointment. Anything that's REALLY greasy and I would put it on right after his bath when his skin would absorb it best. I also had to stop using dryer sheets and use a gentle laundry soap. And for his bath I used really gentle soap, and didn't wash him unless he really needed it. Sometimes I would just put the soap in the bath instead of directly on him then rinse him off real good before taking him out. Hope this helps :)

Sounds like this could be due to an allergy to dairy. She may be deficient in Probiotics. Don't try to get them from yogurt. Supplementing is better in this case. You want the good bacteria to be ACTIVATED upon ingestion.

I order ours via ADVOCARE. It is in a powdered form and reminds me of Pikie Sticks. You can add it to any liquid or cereal etc. Send me a message if you want more info on ordering.

My daughter had numerous allergies that did not show up in a standard ped. clinic test. Even the ones from the Allergy Clinic were not as accurate as the one we did through a naturepath.

In addition, I recommend being careful about what you use as far a creams, etc. STAY AWAY from creams that have mineral oil, petro-chemicals, and other synthetic chemicals in them. There are too many harmful chemicals in our cosmetics . I've got a booklet called "Rub A Dub Dub, Is CANCER In Your Tub?" It was a wake-up call for me! Now that I'm INFORMED, I am ACCOUNTABLE. I highly recommend researching the products first.

Essential oils such as Theraputic-grade Lavendar, Elemi--"poor man's Frankencense", and others work wonders! I've been getting them from Young Living Essential Oils out of Utah.

We have not used RX Meds for 4 years. My daughter is even using the oils to deal with asthma as well. I am AMAZED at the healing power of plants. God is good!

D.,

I would definitely start some sort of Omega Three supplement. Plain old Cod Liver oil would do the trick. Nordic Naturals makes a great toxin-free one with a very neutral flavor. Also try treating her topically with olive oil. It's a bit messy, but has very healing properties

My first daughter had this and we tried all skin related creams etc, and then at 4 we had her tested for allergies. She was allergic to wheat and dairy. Two weeks after changing her diet, her skin was so smooth, I felt like I was touching a different child. Also, she slept better and seemed calmer and when off the wheat and dairy.

Add baking soda and little baby oil to her bath, that way it gets everywhere and you won't miss a spot.

Also, when I changed laundry detergent getting color and dye free, that helped as well.

Hi L.,
Our son had very dry skin too and the doctor recommended using Dove body wash. Worked great....just watch to make sure you don't get it in the eyes. Good luck!! :)

We have had lots of that with both kids. Sometimes work to put Eucerin on over hydrocortisone cream twice daily. But you have to be religious about it. When that didn't work for us, our pediatrician said to use Aquafor twice daily. It's so greasy we'd only do that at night with pajamas, but it helped. Also, finally had to have the pediatrician prescribe Triamcinalone for the one who gets it the worst. If you haven't worked on it with your pediatrician yet, you might try a trip to the doctor.

On a side note, eczema is very highly correlated with food allergies. You might try eliminating some of the bigger allergens to see if that helps clear it up.

My goodness! It says you got 77 responses to your question about your daughter's dry skin! Well...if you read this reply as well...there is a wonderful, natural (from tea tree oil) lotion called RENEW. You can ask about it at
____@____.com
Best of luck!
:>) J.

Hi L., my son is 20 months and just recently started showing symptoms of eczema. The Dr. told me to put baby oil in his bath and let him air dry. Then to apply a heavy cream lotion. I use Aveeno baby. They also just came out with an eczema care cream. It works great, the rash is gone and no more itching. Also alot of foods are supplementing with the omega-3. We get the Horizon organic milk and it comes in that, also comes in the eggs we get.

Hi L.,

I have struggeled with excema for years and found that the best way to get rid of it was with rubbing vitamin E oil on it which seems to help a great deal. Also cutting back on refined sugar and dairy seemed to help a LOT for me. Zinc also helps a bit. I am currently pregnant and have had no excema for months! I think it's from all the great vitamins I'm taking.
Good luck!
C. M.

Coconut Oil has worked for some people. You need to stick to things that are not water based as they dry skin in the long run.

We have had the same problem with our little boy who is now 4 years old. We have found that soap is one culprit and causes him to 'break out' with very dry, red itchy patches of skin, so we have eliminated all soaps for now and will introduce some very natural, very gentle ones in the future if needed. We have also found that he is very allergic to cats and probably some dogs. Being around them makes his skin issues worse. We do have a prescription from his pediatrician that seems to work okay. It is heartbreaking to see him scratching away and being so uncomfortable. We haven't tried the omega 3 supplement yet but it is a great idea.

Hi:
My granddaughter always had dry skin about the same age as yours 'around the 2yr' We didn't have much luck with the creams etc. The one that 'seemed' to work the best was Aveeno and the Omega 3 that you mentioned should help some but that does take a while to 'build up in their system' but I don't think it would hurt at all.

Good luck

I use Arbone ABC Baby Care for my daughter. We use the body wash for baths. And the lotion at night. It makes a big difference. I do not sell it, so you can take my recommendation just as a testimonial to the fact that it works.

We also had to change to "Free" products for our laundry. We switched from Tide to Tide Free and we now have fixed a lot of the breathing problems and ecxema in our house. So look for those potential allergens!

Aquaphor several times a day works well.

My daughter also had extremely dry skin with red itchy pathes at the same age as yours and her doc prescribed a steroid creme which was useless and surely horrible to put on such a young child. I got online and was told to try bathing her in olive oil and I did! I also religiously (AND I MEAN RELIGIOUSLY!) put cream on her the second she gets out of the bath or shower or pool. We swim a ton so this is a lot of work. We have used many creams. When we run out, we use whatever oil we have in the house. Shea cream has been the best with chamomile coming in second but they all work and now her skin is lovely and she puts the creme and oil on herself the second she steps out of the shower or bath to seal in the water. She also helps me cover her baby sister with oil and cream so that we don't have to go through that again. What a difference! I also gave her Omega 3 supplements for kids for a year but did not see a difference but I figure those can't hurt. Good luck!

Exzema is so touchy, in that what works for one, doesn't for the other. I've had it most of my life. I can tell you some things to try. Heat really agravates it, so make sure her baths are barely warm. Aveeno bath will soothe it some. As far as what to put on it after the bath, here is a list of what has worked for me, and I know some sound very strange, but they work.
Bag Balm, Aquaphor, Vick's vapo-rub (yes, it smells, but really works) I think the one which worked the best for me was I bought some fresh figs and blended them with Extra Virgin Olive oil in the blender. It makes quite a bit of "ointment" then rub that on after the bath. As for Cortizone, it works for awhile to mask the condition, but the body seems to build up an immunity to it shortly, and it stops working. I hope you try the Fig and Olive oil, since I had such a stubborn case of exzema, and it healed it. Good Luck!

My daughter has had the same problem for years. I have tried everything. Cold and hot weather seem to make it even worse. The doctor has prescribed a lotion for her but she cries when we use it because it burns. Recently we have started using a humidifier in her room at night and it seems to be helping with the dry skin. Also, we use vaseline on the dry spots since it doesn't burn her skin.

I know a woman who had 2 of her kids go through this and they realized it was the products they were using on their kids (i.e. shampoo & body wash). They had to start using all natural products w/no animal by-products in them and that also did't include a few other things and that helped a Great deal. Good luck.

Hi L.,

I spent much of my childhood having problems with eczema. Are you able to go to a dermotologist? Over the counter medication rarely work on advanced eczema and the scars that result from itchy skin can take many years to go away. I had a really bad break-out when I was 14 and as a result had very bad scars for about 5 years, which were very hard to deal with as a teenager. I still use a medication that is very strong and probably not recommeded for children, but it clears up any problems that I have right away. Your primary care doctor can probably also prescribe medication, but I find that going to a specialist is the best way to go. I hope things clear up for her soon.

My son also had a horrid problem with this. The only thing that has worked for us was Bag Balm.

Hi L.,
I have a 2 yr old who has awful exzema all over his back and legs, he will scratch till he bleeds. Do you have hard water? If so get a water softener, I also use lavender bath salts that soften the water. I stopped using any soap on him that has sodium lauryl sulfate that really helps. You could also try a little olive oil in her bath water. My son also has a slite dairy allergy and I recently found out that exzema and dairy allergies can go hand in hand, I've noticed that the less dairy he eats the less exzema he has. My boyfriend has exzema and says that normal lotion or cream burns when he uses it so only use lotion for exzema. I hope this helps.

wash her clothes separate with a mild soap or non detergent laundry product with a double rinse to see if that makes a difference. oatmeal bath (avino bath) soaks help

Weleda and Hylands make very nice ointments. Whatever ointment you use, Calendula should be the active ingredient - it is a very gently skin healing aid. You should also try to find ointments without petroleum products whenever possible.

Outside of treating the problem superficially, skin issues that are as sever as you describe are often caused by food sensitivities. Once the offending products or foods (or combination of foods) is determined and eliminated from the diet (or sometimes, in the case of fragrances or chemicals) removed from the house, the condition should clear up.

My 3yr old has excema. You might need something stronger then cortizone to get the patches under control but you need a prescription from her Dr.. Oatmeal baths are great for calming it down too. I use the aveno oatmeal bath. but the #1 key is keeping the skin moisturised bathe every day!! after her bath IMMEDIATLY slather in aquaphor or vasaline. I use aguaphor this helps hold in the moisture from the bath. Gentle Naturals makes an awesome bath for excema that works great on my daughters skin. It comes in a blue bottle with pooh bear on the front. I use that everyday and the Oatmeal bath once in a while with flare ups. hope this helps

Oh my gosh, my little girl had this too. I thankfully had a fabulous health and wellness company with better safer products that really work. There cream really cleared up her skin fast and we have not had a problem with it since. Let me know if you want me to tell you more.
A.
____@____.com
www.thebest4yourfam.com

My 20 month old son gets eczema every winter on his legs, elbows, and cheeks. I use Eucerin cream or Aqua-phor. They work great. I've been using the J&J Naturals moisture stick on his cheeks. His eczema isn't as serious as your daughter's sounds. If you haven't tried it, do so. Also, try using gentle laundry detergents and stay out of the swimming pool for a while.
I also think you should contact your doctor.

My kids, 2 and 4, will scratch until they bleed on their legs and tummy so I started to use Gentle Naturals-Baby Eczema Cream and it seems to stop them from scratching and the patches are slowly going away. Hope this helps ;)

Hi L.,
My son also had bad eczema as a young child. I was given lots of conflicting advice and tried many creams. Through much trial and error I found a few things that relieved Max and kept the dry itchy skin at bay.

I started running a cool mist humidifier in his room regularly(and we live in Seattle!) Dry heat always caused his eczema to flair. I also put him on an Omega 3/fish oil supplement. Though you'll want to be sure and get a proper dosage given your child's weight. They make a child's version that is chewable and strawberry flavored. Also, cut down on bathing. I gave Max a bath once a week using cetaphil soap only. I would give him a "spot" cleaning with warm water and cetaphil soap in addition when needed. All this helped keep it at bay, but basically he had to grow out of it. He is 8 now and only has minor flair ups.

The other thing you should do is have her tested for allergies, such as gluton, wheat, dairy, etc. These are often big culprits in eczema and atopic dermatitis.

I hope my expereinces are helpful in your effort to relieve your daugther.
R.

My daughter had this too when she was little and we used Arbonne baby care products. All natural herbal and botanical. You can check them out on the web at arbonne.com
Good luck!

I grew up with horrible eczema all over too. The cortizone barely helped at all. The best things I have found over the years is using Dove sensitive skin soap for washing. Aveeno Creams (not lotion, it needs to be oil based to hold in the moisture). And for treating flare-ups use a thing called Resinol. You can get it from Pharmacy stores like Wal-greens. It comes in a white jar and is pinkish colored and almost like desitin creamy texture. It cures the itch almost instantly and drys the ooziness while moisturizing the dryness. It is wonderful stuff. For me, the excema came from a lack of Vitamin D, Iron and Calcium. Try putting your little one on a doctor recommended multi-vitamin that contains a good balance of these. I have stayed on my pre-natal vitamins since my first pregnancy and when I am on those I never have eczema problems. 2 of my 4 kids showed signs of having eczema early on and since I've tried these remedies on them (primarily just the soap and resinol) we haven't had any more problems. Good Luck and God Bless you!

We have had a lot of success with the Fish oil supplements that you are thinking of. OUr boy has exzema and we have given DHA for kids to him (strawberry flavored) since he was 4 months old. Now he thinks the capsules are like gum! Work up to the amount they recommend daily. We also bathe in epsom salt every other day. About 2 - 3 cups per bath (Costco carries the large bags for $2.50). Right after a bath we put hydrocortizon cream on affected areas and then a thick barrier cream (almost before he is even dried off). The key is to lock in the moisture as soon as possible. No hot or long baths as it dries out the skin. Plenty of water to drink also. Good luck. I hope one of these ideas work for you!

Hi - Crisco. Really. It's great - nothing is in it so she won't react to it. Also Cetaphil in the round tub.

And wash all of her clothes, sheets, blankets, in detergent that is "free" of everything, smells, softeners, etc.

I am an itchy girl myself - if she's really bad, she might need some benedryl to dry her out for a few days. But ask the doc, of course! Good luck! Being itchy is miserable! A.

My youngest has really dry skin, too, with patches that pop up on his legs and back, and really dry lips. We use Aquaphor on his lips and any dry spots on his face because it stays where you put it- it's clear and thick and rubs into the skin well. I use it myself for really dry patches.
When we took him to the Dr., she gave us a prescription cream to use on the driest spots and once they softened up (and on the less rough spots) we'd use an over-the-counter cream like Eucerin for really dry skin. It can be hard to remember to do it, but when we faithfully apply something- especially after bath- it really helps. And at night we can put it on, and cover them with pjs so it won't rub off and they sleep the night getting softer skin. It will help when winter is over!

My mom, me and 3 out of my 5 boys have exzema. I also have psoriasis. It is just terrible! But when my boys break out I use bag balm on the spots before they go to bed, after a bath, and in the morning. It helps a LOT! It even helps my psoriasis, but it does not cure it. I have learned from visiting many dr's that the creams only cure the symptoms. You need to see a dermatologist or someone that can help figure out what is really going on to get the right medication for it. Or else it will keep coming back.

Try using vaseline - it was the only thing that worked for our 2 year old after using all kinds of other (expensive) creams - and it really works. Put it on right after she gets out of the tub - also always add some kind of oil to bath water as baths are very drying to people with dry skin.

I use Aveeno exzema cream for babies on my 14 month old boy.It works great.

Hi L.,
I'm a local nutritionist and YES, get your daughter on omega-3 supps (the Nordic Naturals brand is what I recommend - they have the highest purity testing worldwide). Cortizone creams are steroidal and i would not recommend them for myself much less a baby. Creams (medical products, etc) also mask the symptoms of what is truely going on inside (and therefore showing outside - therefore the eczema) your daughters body. Look for all natural rash creams through PCC or Whole Foods for the itching problem (ask around - talk to the whole body personnel at the stores - my babies have never had eczema so i don't know what to use for itching).
Also, put your daughter on a whole, natural, organic (if possible) foods diet to decrease her amount of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides in her diet. This may help as well. No dairy milk these are a definite cause of eczema if sensitive - they're also just NOT good for our bodies unless in GREAT MODERATION - my daughter who is 29 months old only gets yogurt and apx 2 svg/week, and sometimes cheese as well). Give her rice or hemp milks and sometimes soy milk (if tolerated) along with a good multivitamin (I recommend the Rainbow Light brand).
Please take all or some of this advice depending on financial ability to change your daughters diet.
Take care! Good luck!

Hi L.,

My girlfriend had the exact same thing with her two toddlers. She tried everything, then tried a beverage that worked because it gave the body what it needed to heal itself.
Look at http://www.mymonavie.com/prosperandbeinhealth/product.asp

Very rich in Omega 3!

If anyone is interested, let me know and I will get you a bottle to try.

T.
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My 2 year old son has Exzema also, but only on his face. I recently took him to our natropathic doctor. She put him on 1/2 TBS of Carlson Cod Liver Oil Lemon flavored, every day (available at health food stores). You can just put it in a medicine dropper and do it the quick and painless way, or you can mix it into something like oatmeal or applesauce. This has helped him quite a bit.

I can feel your pain! Until my daughter was 3, she woke up several times a night from March through November itching like crazy! I found a few things that helped... Stay away from the prescription eczema creams. I'm glad that I was taking pharmacology and anatomy and physiology at the time and learning about the immune system and my instinct told me not to use the Elidel Protopic that were prescribed. Good thing because they're now both considered "black box" drugs!

First, I started giving her an antihistamine--eczema is an immune response to an allergen and the antihistamine really helped. Zyrtec just became OTC and doesn't make them sleepy.

Second, I know this is going to sound funny, but anything hemp seed oil based is wonderful for dry/itchy skin. It's full of omega three fatty acids and they go straight to the skin. I worked in skincare for years and while I was managing The Body Shop, I sold our hemp hand creme to everyone from little old ladies to nurses to chefs who all had dry,chapped, cracked hands. I had even the biggest skeptics come back in a week with their hands almost completely better.

Here are some products that I liked:
http://www.gaines.com/store/DrBronner/172403info.html
http://www.gaines.com/store/DrBronner/173203info.html
http://www.gaines.com/store/Kiss/523902info.html
http://www.jellyrollbaby.com/products.htm

If you're not comfortable with that, there are several salves out there that worked for us. One was this one: http://www.gaines.com/store/Herbs4Kids/399618info.html

Third, STAY AWAY from any mineral oil or petroleum (petrolatum) based products. They do make the skin feel better but don't really absorb into the skin-they just form a layer on the top. It will mask they symptoms but not treat the underlying problems. Think of it as using aspirin to treat a brain tumor. Plus, they come from the same thing that the gas and oil we put in our car. Ick.

Fourth, take an old pair of panty hose and cut them off and knot them and fill them with oatmeal and goat's milk powder and put it in the bath. Both are very soothing.

Sorry this is so long! I feel your pain and hate to see anyone go through the misery my little one went through :(

My son has had the same issue since birth - he's almost 3 now. Our doctor recommended cortizone on anything red and/or bumpy but then a good layer of moisturizer - Eucerin is great. I also found that Aveeno makes a body wash - I think it's called soothing creamy wash or something like that - it doesn't seem to be available everywhere but using that with every bath seems to have gotten the exzema under control to where I only have to use cortizone on elbows and knees every night with the lotion.

i use dreft soap for my kids clothes and use arbonne baby products. they have baby lotion,soap,sunscreen and diaper cream. my kids all have very sensitive skin and my middle daughter has excema. with any other bath products and sunscreen she itches and gets red all over. the doctors have a prescribed cream for her excema but it is very rare that we have to use it and when we do it is very little. my cousin sells arbonne if you don't already know someone who does. ____@____.com good luck

Hello, you don't know me but i live outhere in the valley, i would have to say that at home treatments are usually very effective but it is important to take your child to a pediatrician/dermatologist. Your daughter could have psoriasis or exzema or maybe a combo of the two, it could be an allergy to a food she is eating. There is a variety of things it could be. I am not a nurse yet, but i was an EMT for a bit and i have god children of my own, since your seeking answers i would maybe try Aquaphor for baby, it has moisturizers and it will help ease the itch and it will gradually help the rough skin smooth out, although if your child has psoriasis it is a Immunities dissorder, so get her tested before things get worse, it leads to arthritis and she has a lot of sites. It will continue to spread if it isn't treated and it will get worse and it will bleed from driness eventually. I don't want to scare you ma'am but i do want to say try the aquaphor until you can get her in to a pedi-derm. I am however curious if it is just isolated to the upper and lower extremidies, does she get it on her scalp or have what appears to be rough under her nails or on her hands at all? Please let me know, i may bebale to help.
as far as moisturizer creams work, the more you use lotion the more it is needed, lotions dry out your skin because your skin will stop producing its natural oils because of the repetition in the daily lotion use, if you use something like Cocoa Butter only on the sites it won't be as damaging to the other skin around it, plus the Cocoa butter is all natural and it won't burn like most lotions. always look around anywhere her skin may fold a little and make sure it isn't starting there too, In the bath tub and showers if you can limit them to every other day, and make sure the water is just warm not hot enough even to cause steam, this also dries out the skin. Check under her feet, knee pits, and scalp. Also if she is having joint discomfort that is a sign that she needs to be evaluated by a doctor. Don't use blow driers to dry off her hair and if she is using cotton sheets, you may want to try something like silk because cotton absorbs the natural oils from your skin while you sleep, that should greatly help.
Also, something that will help your dermatologist when you go it, note that if she gets scratches if they heal just fine or if they turn into another dry site. Also try to keep your daughter from picking at it, which i am sure will be hard and there really is so much you can do but, do some research on psorasis. you should visit the AAD (american academy of dermatology) web site.
*i have psoriasis and i've had it for some time and i didn't go get it diagnoised in enough time to get ahead of the arthritis and joint pain that goes along with it*
Also special diets have not been successful in treating psorasis except in isolated cases, the goal in the treatment of it is to reduce inflammation and to control shedding of the skin.
I hope this helps, like i said i'm not a nurse yet but i know a lot and i will be soon, head my advice L. and give the aquaphor a try! it will probably work the best. Thanks and good luck.. Lemme know how things work out for you. You sound like you have your hands full with all them kids :). Thanks again
E.

My little boy had the same thing when he was that age. The pediatrcian said that Johnson's/Baby Magic type baby products made it worse. I was told to use Dove or Aveendo on his skin in the bath - it made so MUCH of a difference. Afterwards I also used Aveno lotion, then due to cost switched to Target or Walmart brands that have the coloidal oatmeal, they work just as well. Later at the age of three I learned he had allergies to grass, dogs and peanuts, so you could also have an allergy on your hands. I also stayed away from perfumed laudry soap as well, stuck with brands like Dreft. Watch out for some of the prescription ointments, they can sting or burn their rash sometimes and when we first started using them he was too young to tell me that it hurt. My son is now 7 and his skin does get dry in the winter or if he uses regular soap/lotions that the other family member use, but near as bad as before. I do find that if he swims in the pool, he has to wash off afterwards with soap, to keep the dryness from flairing up. I hope this will help your sweetie!

Hi! I would use essential fatty acids. Cod liver oil from a pure source only like nordic naturals or carlson's available at health food stores. I would avoid most over the counter creams and just use a natural oil like almond, coconut, or even olive oil. Hemp seep oil has the most similar make up to our bodies natural lubricant. I would also look at diet and keep a diary of foods that effect it in both bad and good ways. Without over using the hydro cortosone cream i would continue applying it when necessary to relieve the burning and itching so she does not injure herself. Good luck.
H.

L.,
We used Cetaphil, which worked fairly well. Until we heard about Sensaria products. They havea nourishing moisturizer for dry skin that is made with azulene, from the chamomile flower. It's awesome and I'm now a Rep for the company, I was so impressed with their products!
Here's my website if interested...
www.mysensaria.com/jenn
Also, be sure you are using soaps that do not have sodium Laurel Sulfate, and make the baths short, the water can actually dry the skin out more. Then use a lotion that does not contain any mineral oil, it just sits on the skin and doesn't moisturize.
Best Wishes!
J.

My son has food allergies so i am always reading somethng to do with them. One thing that I read a few weeks ago is that exzema is almost always a sign of an allergy ,food or environmental. I had it really bad when I was little too. Turns out I am allergic to molds and dust mites. A trip to the pediuatrician should get you pointed in the right direction.

Our 27 month old has eczema and one thing the doc has us do which seems to help is as soon as she gets out of the bath tub while she's still damp is to cover her in baby oil.

Melaleuca has a really good moisture lotion product that you might try...it is called Renew. You can't buy melaleuca products in stores, I think you have to go through a distributor on melaleuca.com. I am a distributor but dont' do it as a business...just for personal use as I am trying to convert to natural products in my house instead of chemicals. T.

I have had great success with Arbonne Baby products and Aveno products because of the oatmeal. You might want to eliminate any soaps and go with a soap free wash.
Good Luck!
~L.

Since you mention that you have used a lot of different creams, you have probably already tried this one, but we use Gentle Naturals Disney Baby Fragrance Free Baby Eczema Cream and it works great on our 10-week old. They sell it at Fred Meyer in the baby aisle. If you can't find it at your local store, you can probably get it on drugstore.com. It is supposed to moisturize and soothe itching and it has aloe, calendula and vitamins. Sorry I don't have more advice for you. Good luck!

test for allergies and give her fish oil supplements.

Try baby oil or olive oil (a couple table spoons) in the bath tub. Greasy, but works well.

Also, careful with the cortizone as prolonged use may cause atrophy of skin.

Has your family doctor taken a look to rule out psoriasis?

Good luck.

Good morning,
When mine were tots I used the aveeno lotions...they werent too harsh for fresh skin but did the trick !

My little guy had eczema really bad when he was a baby, he had it mostly on his head and arms. I found a cream you can get at any drug store even walmart has it. It's called Gentle Naturals. It's really super greasy, and smells great (like a baby). Thankfully he didn't have much hair so I could grease his head up real good. I was also told by a dermatologist to only give him a bath every other day and not to make the water too too warm because that dries out the skin even more. I was also told to get Cetaphil soap, it has no smell and doesn't bubble. He is now for the most part eczema free at 4 he has a few bumps here and there but nothing like what he had when he was a baby. I hope this helps,
W.

There is a homeopathic remedy called Florosone. I believe the spelling is correct. It works wonders for dry exzema skin. I have never found anything that works, but when something does it is worth sharing. ALL THE BEST!

both my boys had dry exzema skin. First you can't wash her with soap. To this day we have to be careful of using soaps on our skin. They inherited their sensitive skin from me. Even being in the bath water is drying. The doctors had me bathing them once a week, twice at most, without soap. There are some non soaps (dove doesn't work) in the health stores, but even those had to be used sparingly. I just taught them to wash private areas, shampoo and rinse the rest. Shampoo is drying too, tip her back so most of it doesn't get on her skin. There is also taking a bath in Oatmeal that is soothing to the skin. Blend it in the blender to make a powder and mix it in the bath water. Cortizone 10 on the infected areas when you are desperate but this is not for long term. Lotion all over. Good luck. Let me know how it goes. P.S. I found that they would get worse after eating certain foods or playing on the grass bare legged.

My son had exzema when he was a baby and still has it and is now 14. I had to take him to a private doc and was prescribed better meds than cortizone. I also took him to an allergist when he got older and found out that he had a few allergies which were making him itch more than the exzema. He still has the occasional outbreak but mostly its due to the weather change. He likes to use Aveeno lotion, he says he feels alot better using that than anything else.

desowen or desonide works great. you need a dr prescription for it... my 18 month old gets dry patches sometimes and last summer she got some pretty yucky rashes in her elbow crease area. this stuff works amazingly well. i had tried all sorts of other stuff like you have and this is what helps.

L.,
My 18 momth old has very bad exzema and our doctor put him on triamcinolone cream. We have had problems for months and I am seeing great improvements. He did scratch at it and it was infected so he had to get an atnibiotic also. If it gets red take her to a doctor.
Good luck
S.

I have twin sisters and a brother that have fought exzema since they were little. The only thing that they find to work for them is Curel. They are allergic to lanolin, so there is very few lotions they can use. I also use this on myself and my 9 month old and it works great. Keeps our skin soft all day.

Aveeno lotions just keep putting it every hour and everyday.. and when it itches keep rubbin the lotion to the itchy part.. It will go away.. my daughter used to have it. thank God it's gone...

Have you had her tested for allergies? My nephew was like that and then they discovered that he was allergic to milk and eggs. Now he's doing a lot better.
Good Luck.

try Mstela Stelatopia moisturizing cream for Dry and Eczema- prone skin, Apply twice a day to clean and dry skin paying special attention to particulary dry areas ,massage in gently to help penetration of the cream.

My Dr told me to use vaseline....It is messy I know. He said to put in on immediately after they get out of the bath. Wash them last thing in the bath so she doesn't sit in soapy water. I also had to give up bubbles in the bath. I give my kids a bath (19 months and 3) and lather them up and let them run around in their diapers for awhile. I also use a thick cole cream that is a little less messy when they need to get dressed asap. Goog luck... And wow 4 kids 5 and under...I am impressed!

My daughter has had the same problems. We took her to the Dermotologist a couple of months ago and he recomended that we bath her nightly, and add a cap of bleach to her baths. After the bath pat her dry and cover the whole body in Vasaline. It has done mairicles, for us. He also gave us a perscripton for Triamcinolone Acetonide, but we have hardly had to use it. Hope this helps.

Have you tried Olive Oil? Olive oil just after a bath can moisturize quite well without all the additives of creams and lotions. Have you tried changing your laundry soap to a less abrasive, like Dreft, and try not to use fabric softener? Have you gone to a dermatologist? My sister and I grew up with exzema and my first child had a mild case when she was an infant but I used olive oil after baths, Dreft laundry soap and no fabric softener and she hasn't had any skin iritation since she was 18 months old. Good luck.