Itchy Skin - Saint Paul, MN

Hi D.,

Have you heard of a company called Arbonne? I am a consultant and their products are botanically based, no mineral oils or animal bi products. I have family with psoriasis and eczema and these products help with and relieve their pain. Call me and I can help you. V. ###-###-####

I normally don't recommend Melaleuca products (for many reasons) BUT the Renew lotion is AMAZING.
Do you have pets? I personally cannot touch a cat or dog without my skin itching horribly.

Hi D.,
Sorry to hear about the rash. I had one a lot as a child. Try and keep her nails trimmed. Caledula can be helpful. Keep her water intake up. We also use a number of products from Melaleuca.
Best of health,
S.

Have you looked into the type of laundry soap that you use? Does she come in contact with any household cleaners, like in the kitchen right after you clean? Do you use carpet sprinkles? Is her skin rashy at all or just itchy? Maybe try oatmeal type products for bath time. There are things like Aveno and other products for sensitive skin. I think some of the mystery though is to see if there is some kind of trigger at all. Do you have pets? Sorry asked a bunch of questions, but maybe something I asked might help you solve the mystery. I have an allergy to Dawn dish soap, I am not sure what is in it, but it makes my hands break out. Hope this helps you think of what is making her itchy. Good Luck!

mabye she has become allergic to the laundry detgerant or fabric softner. my husband has very sensitive skin and we have to use purex free and clear so that there are no perfumes or dyes in it and i use the same for a fabric softner. my son gets kinda dry skin and i have found that eucerin lotion and bath wash works great for him.

My nephew developed a problem like this around the same age. After allergy testing they said he was allergic to cats with where not in the home. after paying closer attention my sister found the problem to be stress related. He breaks out in hives and starts scratching when he gets nervous/upset. He is 9 and has just had to deal. If you want to know for sure you can have her tested. you can try lotion, tell her every time she wants to scratch to put lotion on the area instead the action of lotioning it might keep her form scratching.

Wow!! Lots of great suggestions - my first thought was laundry detergent or possibly even an allergy to fabric dye. (My father-in-law can't wear a new shirt unless it's been through the laundry about 6 times!! Whew!) My biggest suggestion for you is to only change one thing at a time. Choose what seems like the most likely culprit based on the family history available, give it a few days or even a week and then if that didn't help go on to your next choice....wishing you and your little one quick success!!

check your laundry detergent/softeners/bleach. Try 7th generation on her clothes and see if that helps.

I use only fragrance free products in our home for that reason - you may want to try an aloe based lotion - they work great. If you would like a couple of recommendations feel free to contact me ____@____.com.

D.,
My daughter had chronic itchy skin as well, until she was 4 and we FINALLY figured it out. She didn't have eczema, but she would itch until she had bleeding scratch marks and went through gallons of lotion. After swapping out every product we touched and testing for food allergies, we finally figured out that she was lactose intolerant (not allergic). She also had soft stools and was always gassy, but not to the point we were concerned. Finally, when she was old enough to complain of tummy aches, we took her off milk. This also completely and almost immediately affected her skin. We were not expecting that, but it was a nice surprise! Good luck.

There are a lot of good suggestions already--natural products are a good idea. I also wanted to mention flaxseed oil. My kids have very dry skin--especially this time of the year--and I give them a flaxseed oil supplement. Then they're also getting the omega-3s that they need!

Aquaphor works wonders. You put it on right after a bath when the child is still damp. It helps to lock in the moisture. It's a vaseline consistancy. I used it for my daughter with eczema. Her skin would get dry itchy patches and would sometimes get cracked and bloody. Aquaphor worked great. We would use mild body soaps like caress and dove. Also perfume and dye free laundry detergent. They also suggested using cotton clothing- nothing synthetic. I hope this helps.

My kids and I both get excema off and on, sometimes pretty bad. I don't like the really thick stuff because it is too oily and just doesn't feel good on my skin. The products we use that work really well for us are Aveeno products. that make a nice fragrance free body wash for in the bath and I they have a lotion in the baby section that is called Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream that is fantastic! It is thicker and really moisturizes without being oily and greasy. Love it and it works wonders! Also if we have heavier patches of excema we have used a hydrocortisone cream, you can even get prescription strengh from your docter if it is bad. That helps the itching. We also switched to a frangrance free detergent. I use all free and clear. Hope you get some good suggestions and find something that works for you. Dry skin and excema is no fun!

When my sister was a baby, she had horribly sensitive skin. I remember my mother giving her Aveeno oatmeal baths and using Aveeno lotion (and lotions that the doc prescribed) on her to help calm her skin. You may want to consider taking her to the doctor. She may have developed a skin condition. (I developed skin eczema a few years ago after doctors failed to find a fungal infection that lasted over a year. Finally on the third doc, we figured out what was going on. I still have to deal with the eczema though, so time may be a factor!)

never ever use fabric softener, not on clothes, sheets, blankets, coats, anything she touches. when i was pregnant, i became highly sensitive to fabric softeners, or dryer sheets, or laundry detergent. as long as i use things that are free and clear, and no softeners... im ok.

also, make sure she is drinking a LOT of water. dehydration can cause a LOT of skin problems, especially drying and itching. lots of water.
if all else fails, baby oil! after a bath or shower, use baby oil to see if that helps.

My son had skin rashes - took him to the doctor and he was clueless. I switched to fragrant/dye free Tide and that didn't help. I now use Cheer (regular) and he doesn't have problems with that - so be sure to try more than one that's labeled "dye free" or "fragrant free". Try organic type soaps. Recently on Oprah they did a segment about skin and what types of things to look for in your lotion - vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E are good for the skin. See if you can find info on her website (although I think it's meant for aging women's skin, it might be helpful).

Hi D.!! I have three little ones myself and LOVE the Arbonne baby care products. They are botanically based, PH correct (could definitely be a solution to the dry, itching skin) and no mineral oil (which is in most everything and actually draws the moisture OUT of the skin). I use a hair and body wash, a lotion and then there is a fabulous oil for dry patches!! I have several others, besides my own kids, that have had great results with these products! I would be more than happy to send you a sample and you can let me know what you think.

Email me at ____@____.com

Talk to you soon, D.!! ~ H.

It sounds like your laundry detergent to me. I would try Arm and Hammer or Dreft. Tide also seems to be alright for many with sensitive skin. Try using around half of the recommended amount, it could be a detergent build up issue, also.

Sounds like sensitive skin. You may want to go to a Dermatologist. Try Cetaphil bar soap,continue using Vanicream, wash clothes with ALL Free&Clear, Bounce Free. Eliminate everything with perfumes. In addition, there is a whole Vanicream line, including shampoo, conditioner, and sunscreen.

Are you sure it isn't allergies? My son has asthma, allergies and eczema - which he doesn't get on his face either. She could have extremely dry skin (eczema). You could try oatmeal baths. Hydrocortisome on the bad spots is something to try too. Make sure your use a fragrance and dye free laundry detergent too.

Sounds like excema, which is contact dermatitis, or irritated skin. Our son had the itchy spots on his arms, legs, and tummy til he was three. Your doctor can tell you if that's what it is. Over the counter hydrocortisone cream 1% (Walgreens, Target, etc.) will take the itch away. A good layer of Eucerin lotion at night will help keep the skin from drying out and reduce the itching. We also quit using any shampoo, soap, or detergent with perfumes that could cause irritation. I recommend Target's Baby Wash for the bath (it's hypoallergenic) and 7th Generation for laundry.

My daughter had a terrible time with dry, itchy skin and the doctor finally told me to use Ivory, it is the purest soap. As she got older, she informed me that Aquaphor Cream is what she uses for all itching at her house. It really works on dry, winter skin itching. Good luck, I hope it works for you.

This is probably a lot like other responses but after having itchy skin my whole life I know how miseralbe it can be, my son ended up with it to. We use only fragrance/dye free laundry detergent and NO dryer sheets, you get the dryer balls (use more then 2 to get better results). You can't just switch your daughters laundry to this, you have to do the whole house b/c the other products leave coatings on the washer/dryer that can transfer in the next load. We use aveeno, aquaphilic and aquaphor in our house. I try to use as much natural for my son as we can so he has burts bees in the tub and we only use that 2-3 times a week, otherwise its water only. Showers are best b/c they aren't sitting in water for a long period, but baths can be so much fun that we switch back and forth. If she is really itchy buy the oatmeal bath packets and put that in the tub, that will help to make her feel better then coat her in lotion when she gets out. Good luck, winter usually means more skin problems around here.

As for the itching, it could be numerous things. Allergies can be set off by touching things, too. For example, did you know that playdough and markers have gluten in them? I didn't until I found out my kids had to be 'gluten free'. It could be soy or many other things. It could be stress induced. It could be staph infection. Are you changing her sheets/pillow case often? For my son w/eczema I have to change it every 3-5 days, or the staph comes back.

For products, I would try Arbonne. It is pure, safe and beneficial. Arbonne has a line for babies/small children. It is also used by many adults, it's so good.
With Arbonne, the products are researched and tested over a panal of 100 people. If even one person comes back w/a reaction, they go back to the drawing board w/the formulation. It is formulated in Switzerland~where the standards of formulation are highest and manufactured in the US where manufacturing standards are highest.

If that doesn't work, talk to your pediatrician about Atopiclair. It's expensive, but it works. We use it in conjunction with a steriodal cream~only when it gets very bad~to keep it in check. Most of the warmer months, I just use Arbonne.

If you would like some Arbonne samples, information or some products feel free to email me ____@____.com or check out my ____@____.com

As said below, be sure and choose something natural and safe.
Good luck!
J.

Hello I best lotion out there for that would be the Renew that you can only get from Melaleuca and they have many other product that would also help with her skin problems if you would like to learn more please visit my website at www.mommieathomewithkidos.com and I will get right back to you.

there are several things it could be, allergies being the main one. when my son was little, I'd noticed a rash on him, it turned out to be eczema. a couple years ago, I'd noticed itchy blisters on myself - turns out, I have also developed eczema, but it's a little different from my son's. I was told to use aquafor, avoid scented/fragrant items, & we now use as much dye-free stuff as possible.
another thing to gauge is if it's mainly during colder weather or year round. if just in the colder temps, could just be very dry skin, which the aquafor will help with, also.
good luck & I hope you can figure it out quickly!

I think talking with her pediatrician is important. Getting rid of the fragrance and soaps is also important. My daughter has a similar problem. Vanicream has good products for sensitive skin/eczema. Also, I like to use Aveda's beautifying oil on the itchy skin. When the scratching leads to breaking the skin it can get infected easily. We've had to get antibacterial creams and other ointments by prescription.

Good luck

D. - many chiropractors can test for allergies. Even though it's not on her face, it could still be a food allergy. It could also be an allergy to the laundry detergent. Many of the products in the grocery store are very harsh and filled with perfumes, etc. There are some good natural choices made by Melaluca (sp), Amway, and Norwex. I know people who sell these products if you're interested in looking at them.

I would also highly recommend my chiropractors office in Eagan if that location works for you.

D.