Soap/Shampoo Recommendations for Infant W/ Eczema

My DS had cradle cap when he was newborn and we used Mustela. I belive they have a line of soap as well. (The Mustela we bough was Shampoo) Good Luck!

Dear K., My daughter, now 28 years old, had a similiar problem as an infant. Folks would look at her, say What a beautiful Ba---yow!! and walk away like she was diseased. I felt terrible. Fortunately, I was told by a doctor to use a Tar-Based shampoo on her head every other day. (I had to hold her like a football to keep the stuff from going into her eyes.) It worked!!! She had other skin issues as she got older, but seems fine now. (She avoids 'cheap' perfumes and lotions.) Another fine 'non-soap' to try is Cetaphil. It doesn't foam which seems strange, but it is great for 'allergy' type kids and adults!
hope you all get relief! Y.

My little girl has Excema and we ended up switching to Eucerin Aquaphor Baby body wash/shampoo. It is the only thing we've found that we can use on her and keep the excema under control. You can find it in the baby section of most pharmacies (usually on the very bottom shelf).

For laundry, we use ALL free and clear with no problems. We were also told to stay away from any fabric softener.

Good luck!

Hi there. My little one presented w/ eczema at 12 weeks; our pediatrician recommended scentless Dove and lubriderm, which we've been using and works wonderfully. Not sure if you're nursing or using formula, but the eczema could be from a food allergy. If you're nursing, you may want to consider cutting down on cow's milk and eggs....

Definitely switch to one of the "free" detergents (I use Tide, but was told they are all the same); they are much better for eczema for Dreft. Make sure you wash new clothes twice-- they can have a lot of chemicals on them. I like Aveeno creamy wash and Aquanil for bathing and hair (as little bathing as possible) and Aveeno unscented lotion. I use Aquaphor for flare-ups and a little hydrocordizone (sp?) at night on trouble areas. I bet you will see it get better when you switch to a detergent without scent.

Besides what you've already tried (and limiting the number of baths) I don't have any lotion/soap advice. However, I would strongly recommend looking into the possiblities of allergies having an effect on her eczema. Both my son and my sister's daughter had tons of issues as infants and we didn't realize they were all related to multiple allergies until they were toddlers. My son was exclusively breastfed, but was allergic to everything I was eating - nuts, eggs and pork. My sister's child has multiple allergies as well. It may not be the answer, but it's certainly worth looking into. I wish you luck because it's no fun to have an unhappy baby. If you have any questions about allergies, I'd love to answer what I can. Take care
H.

Good Morning and Happy New Year to you! My two sons had mild cases of eczema when they were babies. Their pediatrician recommended that I lather them up with olive oil or crisco. Yes, I said crisco. I used both and they worked great. However, olive oil penetrated their skin much faster and had a better sent. If your skeptical then she also said I could use mineral oil with vitamin E, which you can find in CVS for about $4. Ask you doctor for a shampoo for her scalp.Good Luck. Olive oil really does help!!!

I have a 4 year old daughter who also suffers from eczema. I found that (white) Dove works great for her skin, and Kids Suave plus dandurff works great for her hair. Suave is tear free. Also a good moisturizer after bathing is Eucerin Moisturizing Cream. A less exspensive just as effetive brand that I use is Equate Dry Skin Cream with added moistuizers (Walmart's brand). I hope you are able to find some of this information helpful for your little one. I know how frustating it can be for them and you. Take care.

Hi K.,

Just wanted to write you quick and let you know you are not alone in this fight against eczema!!! :) I have four little ones; my oldest is four, then I have a little boy who was just three last week and I have 6 month old twins. ALL my kids get the horrible eczema during the winter months! We have done everything you have so there is no secret remedy is really is what works best on your child. We find that the Cetaphil cream not the lotion works best on them, lathering them up a few times a day. I did find a Aquafor bath wash at Riteaid, I can only find it there. It's in the baby section where the diaper rash creams are. You can use it as a wash and shampoo. That really helped us with the baths. I copmes in a small shampoo like container as is kind of expensive for its size but it does help with the baths. Our doctor recommeded the dove or ivory body wash but I didn't think it did that much.

Hope this helps.
A.

My daughter also has eczema, but she is older. We us a product called Tar that we bought at CVS. It says it is for Psorisis, but it works. I do not know the minimum age, so I would check with doctor since your baby is so young.

Good luck

California Baby Tea Tree and Lavender Shampoo and Body wash. it is amazing and has no artificial crud, but especially no Sodium Laureth Sulfates! Very dangerous stuff and in almost every soap and shampoo as it is what causes lather. The issues here are really not about what brand but what each brand (including organics) has in it. If you see SLR's or SLS's you will NOT want to use it--these additives are toxic and really should not be used by ANYONE in the family. Dove, Tide, Aveeno, really most all of the ones you will find readily are going to have SLR's or SLS's in them. Where the children are involved, you want to remove toxins--so take the time to find organics that REALLY work and are truly safe for your precious baby's skin and body.

California baby has a great line of products and if you want a tremendous detergent to wash all the families clothes in--check Bi-O-Kleen--again, no SLR's or SLS's and you only need a tiny bit to wash a large load. We have been using this for years and with my 9 children all who have differing skin issues, this is the best. I also recommend Bi-O-Kleen to my clients for their families. There is a wonderful Mommy friendly website www.juliesstuff.com and she sells the Bi-O-Kleen products--we use the laundry detergent, Bac Out (nothing gets stains and odors out of clothing and keeps mold and mildew off showers, doors and curtains like this stuff--superb for cloth diapers), and all their cleaning products. We carry California Baby but you can find it reasonably priced online as well. I use it for all of my children (even my teens).

You will love it.

I have no recommendations as far as a soap/shampoo go. I can only offer what I would do. I think you should google homeopathic remedy for eczema and see all of the info that comes up on a more natural end. These days we and our doctors tend to suppress symptoms instead of cure them thus leading to even bigger problems later on such as asthma. I know a woman who has had eczema her whole life, most of which she has been on steroids for the condition and she is now 28. She is just now deciding to go to a homeopath so she can go another route. I hope you are able to find some help. I can suggest you read, read, read about it before you allow medication to be given. Good luck mama! HUGS

The dermatologist had me use Dove liquid soap on my baby for his eczema. Seemed to work on him better than the other stuff. Also bath should be limited to no more than 10 minutes in warm water.
Good Luck.

I also use the Arbonne baby wash and my son got horrible dry skin this winter. I started to use the Arbonne oil when he was still in the bath and ready to get out but still a little wet then put lotion on him. That worked a little more but I did find Johnson and Johnson "soothing naturals" which is all natural and safe for babies and has deep conditioning for dry skin. With in a few days he was nice and soft again! I use it every night after his bath and if he feels a little dry in the morning I use it then too. Hope that helps!

The best thing to do is find a soap with no fragrance. I personally think Johnson and Johnson's is the worst. Aveeno makes a pretty good eczema skin care line. Also, don't wash her every day. The water really dries her out and she is not getting dirty. If you have a really hard time getting it to clear up, you may need to look into your diet. Food allergies can show up as eczema. If you are breastfeeding, it could be something you are eating. If she is on formula, it could be the milk. Good luck! I know how miserable she is... I hope you get some good advice.

back to basics

if you can find it I would try Ivory Snow Liquid Laundry Detergent for your little angels clothes.

Ivory also makes a body soap. Or Dove soap. Also check with her dr to see if you can use Neutrogena shampoo. I gave some to a friend with a 2 year old with eczema and it has cleared up. But I would check with her dr first.

From what I have had experience with actually bathing less often sometimes works also. Try to keep her as "dry" as possible, rather keep her comfortably "cool" bundling up only when you need to go outside in the cold.

I hope you have success finding some comfort for little Kate!

Blessings for a great new year.

The best types of lotions and soaps to use on a child with excema are Cetaphil skin cleanser, Aveno bodywash, Aveno lotion, or Eucerin lotion or cream. Also for breakouts keep some hydrocortisone 1% around. Other soaps that might work are Dove and Caress. Also when ever using water to bathe your child add baby oil to it, this forms a barrier over the childs skin, helping to keep the water from drying out the childs skin. Both my kids and I have excema.

A lot of time dairy foods can be the culprit for a lot of exzema. So, you may want to try switching to soy milk or cheese to see if this helps her flareups. Milk is notorious for promoting exzema. Aside from that, I would stay away from any cleansers with artificial dyes, perfumes,parabens and sodium laureth sulfate. You may want to consider an organic cleanser like Dr. Bronner's Magic soaps. This is located at any health food store, trader joes, online, or sometimes at a foodlion in the natural section. My kids can't use free and clear or any soaps for their bodies or clothes that have anything like that in them. It is kind of funny, because they can use any of the Dr. Bronner's or organic soaps and lotions even if they are scented. (I think it has to do with all the chemicals in normal soaps....even the hypoallergenic stuff). Try it, please. The good thing about Dr. Bronners is that the whole family can use it, and you can use it from cleaning your countertops to washing clothes. It is also fairly reasonable. SLS's and parabens can cause alot of problems even when there are no dyes or perfumes. That is why you are still having issues despite the myriad of soaps you have tried.

Look at all ingredients of all soaps. If they aren't listed, don't buy them. Jason's soaps are pretty good, burt's bees, Avalon Organics. Just be very careful. It should have no dyes, SLS, parabens, or any othere chemicals. I was surprised to discover that my pantene shampoo had ether in it! So, be very careful. Check out safecosmetics.org. They have a list of safe soaps and cleaners.

Hi,
My daughter had eczema when she was an infant and we took her to see a pediatric dermatologist who recommended bathing her every day with Cetaphil soap, lotioning her twice a day with Cetaphil lotion and shampooing her hair every other day with Head and Shoulders. This regimen worked very well for us and we were even able to cut back the lotioning to once a day after a few weeks. She is now 14 months old and we are still using the Cetaphil lotion and soap and the Head and Shoulders. She always has her humidifier on at night and we have radiators which I think helps her out. Also, we use Dreft to wash her clothes and nothing else. We had to stop using dryer sheets and that made a big difference in her skin. Good luck finding a system that works for you. I'm not sure where you live or if you need a baby dermatologist but I highly recommend Dr. Deborah Englert and her nurse practioner, Chris Englert. They are located off of York Road, north of Hunt Valley in Sparks.

Good Morning K.

When my son was baby ( 2001) he had a serve case of eczema. His skin would get so dry that it would crack and bleed, he was just uncomfortable. I took him back and forth to the doctor for some relief. They gave me some thick vaseline looking stuff. ( didnt work). Then they switch him to a thick white paste. ( didnt work)
I decide to find something myself to treat my uncomfortable baby. I went to wal-greens and there i found EZCEMA Wash ( it was in a teal green box with little acorns,leafs and teddy bears on it)
I wash him it that same night. within days I started some relief in his scratching pattern. he wasnt scratch at all.
I continue to use it for about month and half it cleared it up.
He is 6 now and doesnt suffer with a serve case anymore. however when it gets cold, he scratches alittle . I can lotion him down really well and he would be fine.
Please go to walgreens and try it. I forgot the brand name of it , ( i thinks by walgreens) and get the ezcema wash in the teal green box/bottle with teddy bear, leafs and acorns. it would be in the baby section.
I hope it works for you like it help us.
Take care and good luck.
H.

I am not a mother yet (currently pregant w/my first), but I've had eczema all my life and I'm 37! Switching to All Free and Clear is a good idea, but make sure you chose a free and clear fabric softener as well (if you use one) - Bounty makes one. Try looking for soap and shampoo with out frangrance - it's difficult for adults, so probably more difficult in baby products, but fragrance can be a big cause of eczema. Last year I was in Hawaii and found an oil that is made for eczema. It's made by Oils of Aloha (www.oilsofaloha.com), and it's Kukui Oil - the fragrance free one. It works wonders! If you don't want to go that route yet, you can try giving your daughter a warm (not hot) shower/bath, and while still damp, apply vaseline on her skin and then baby oil on top. Yes, very greasy, but it works. If you don't want to use so much vaseline, try w/just baby oil at first. Make sure the clothes that are put on afterwards are cotton or pours and hair folicals will get clogged (tiny zits can form).
I hope even just a little bit of this helps.

Hello K., My name is J. and have a son named noah. He too has the same problem. I have found out that the spots on the body are easier to deal with but as for the head and facial area you have more problems. I have been using a shampoo called subsodux. You can get it at the drug store for about $16.00. My spelling may be off. It is safe for infants. noah has been using it since he was 1 month old. Do not get it in the eyes. When noah was about 2 months old he didn't have to use it every bath. just when i see some spots i'll wash him with it. and as for the face i gotten a cream from his doctor and did touch ups along his eyes, nose and mouth areas. he is now 22 months old and i still have cortizone in my pocket. his poor skin is so sensitive. I money is well worth it. be super pushy and tell your doctor to give you some darn cream for her face. they might not understand your concern. sometimes the say that the skin is still young and she will grow out of most of it. But if you know it is bothering her or her looks are bad, i would be real pushy. i know how if feels. Hope this helps.

Hi K.,

I have been getting my products from a wellness company for 2 years now. They have helped many families with eczema, asthma, and allergies. The chemicals in the products that we buy from stores can aggravate the symptoms of these disorders.

If you're interested in more info, you can visit my site or just let me know!

K.
www.OurGreenerChoice.com

my daughter had a similar problem. We use J&J moisture care soap for her. Also, our pediatrician told us only to bathe her twice a week. THat really helped.

K.,

My son also had excema, but not to the extent you describe for your daughter. My pediatrician recommended using Dove soap since its a moisturizing bar. I used that and slathered him down with baby oil after his baths. And, I usually only bathed him 2-3 times per week to keep from drying out his skin. I also used Dreft. This seemed to keep his excema at bay. This was helpful for me, but again, he only experienced a more mild form. Good luck trying to find the right formula!

Hi K.,

My daughter who is 3 just saw the dermatologist for eczema and the doctor recommended using either aquaphor wash or cetaphil wash. Then she recommended CerVe lotion. We did what she recommended and it cleared up immediately. I didn't even know there was such a thing as Aquaphor wash. Also recommended using All Free detergent and NOT to use dryer sheets. Hope this helps!

Take care,
D.

My daughter also had eczema when she was that age. I can't say much works very well but look for something all natural, Johnson and Johnson makes some. I used this stuff when my daughter was little it was PURE Aloe. It comes in a clear bottle and the stuff looks like jell on the inside and it's GREEN. I believe the name on the bottle said "Para More" Pure Aloe Vera
What did that brought it on i realized was i used baby oil in her bath. I'm totally convinced that was what brought it on. They say keeping cold air off the area will help, WIND mostly. So what i would suggest is putting a form fitting hat on her that covers the area that's breaking out. Good new though my daughter is now 5yrs old and it just went away when she was about 2yrs old. I was happy to see it go. Good luck

Hi K.,

The company I work for sells outstanding baby products that really help with excema...in fact, alot of doctors are now reccomending it. It's Arbonne International. I'm not sure if you've ever heard of it. We sell botanically based products that contain NO dies, fragrances, mineral oil or animal byproducts. In fact we're vegan certified for every product we sell.

Here is some info:
These Arbonne products will help keep the skin moist and hydrated and people have had outstanding results with this. Once is day is all it should take. If it's really severe, she may want to apply twice a day at first. Also, there are no active ingredients or mineral oil in these products. Alot of people find this is all they eventually need. Also, they realize that everyone's skin is different, so, if it doesn't work,we have a 45 day Money back guarantee so there's really no risk to her!!

I know it sounds like I'm just selling my products but they really are some of the best products on the market for this and it's one of our product lines I believe most in!!

The products are:
1. Arbonne Baby Hair and Body Wash $14.00
(use this to wash body and face)
A gentle, mild, tear-free cleanser that is botanically-based for a baby’s delicate hair and skin. It moisturizes and conditions by replacing the natural oils as it cleanses never leaving hair and skin feeling stripped or dry. Antioxidants work to protect from environmental factors while natural herbs and botanicals help maintain the perfect moisture balance of hair and skin. Recommended for children from birth to 10 and extremely sensitive skin types )

2. Arbonne Baby Care Body Oil $18.00
Softens, moisturizes and protects baby’s delicate skin. A gentle formulation that conditions dry, chapped skin while providing antioxidant protection. Helps reduce redness and irritation while restoring essential moisture. Recommended for children from birth to 10 and extremely sensitive skin types.

Let me know if you'd like to talk offine to hear more. You can also look at my website at www.stacieott.myarbonne.com.

S.

My daughter also HAD eczema very badly. Her entire body looked horrible. It took months to figure out how to help her. She gets a bath every day. Her Dr. said that it helps her skin to regenerate because the new cells won't grow as well if her old skin isn't washed off. This really helped her. I had been told to only give her a bath a few times a week and she did get worse. I wash her in plain ivory soap, wash her clothes in all or cheer free and clear. I use bounty free and clear fabric softner and she's been fine with no out breaks for a year and a half. She did have a milk allergy. I took her off of milk and changed all the other things. You would never know she had had a problem. Good luck! I also used Jason's orgainic baby shampoo from the organic depot.

Hi K.,
You've gotten lots of great advice. Watch for "creams" that are prescribed because they most likely contain alcohol which can actually burn the flared up area (my 5 year old had TERRIBLE of eczema from birth to 4). A dermatologist finally prescribed an ointment for her face and a different ointment for her body. He also suggessted using vaseline all over the body to help keep moisture in. The Dr. advised to get baby/child out of water right after you use the soap. Playtime should be before the bathing. Good luck. It took us nearly 4 years to find the trick that worked for my daughter.

K.,

My second son had severe eczema. We used mostly just warm (but not too warm) water, with a touch of shampoo every week or 10 days or so, and vaseline worked better than any lotion. I'm not sure the brand matters as much as using as little soap as possible, and double-rinsing clothes. Ultimately, however, I had to cut a lot of foods out of my diet while I was nursing to prevent the flare-ups.

Hi I had a baby with eczema. I was told not to bathe her because the warm water aggrivated the condition. I used cetaphil twice a day just as a rub down. I gave her everything dye free including tylanol, ect. Juices when older. It seemed the warm humid weather was the worse condition. Dress her lightly too. Hope this is helpful.
P.