Sunblock for Baby with Eczema

Updated on July 17, 2010
L.L. asks from San Marcos, CA
21 answers

My 6 month baby, Noah, has eczema on his arms, legs and under his chin. Now that we are in the middle of summer I was wondering if any of you knew of any special sunblock that won't irritate his skin. I've been using Coppertone Water Babies but I think it's only making his skin worse. It could be because of the heat too. But I was just wondering what else is out there and would love recommendations.
Thank you in advance :)

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H.M.

answers from San Diego on

Aveeno baby worked well for us. We had the same problem. Arbornne and banana boat didn't work at all. Good luck.

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E.S.

answers from San Francisco on

I swear the Badger SPF 30 sunscreen was the final step in clearing up my daughter's eczema. I could be wrong because I was making a lot of changes trying to make it go away. And hers was a mild case. But the stuff leaves her skin soooo soft.

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M.T.

answers from San Francisco on

My doc recommended Aveeno, I must say it works pretty good!

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M.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

I would suggest only using zinc oxide, also, what about adressing the reason why your son has the eczema. You may want to have him tested for food allergies. My daughter is allergic to wheat, soy and and a few other items. When she eats more wheat products during the day, her skin gets worse, and when i feed her more protein for meals, it tends to go away.
Just something to look into. Good luck!

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K.M.

answers from Detroit on

L.,
Arbonne's ABC Baby sunblock works. Also the ABC Baby Products work great for Eczema. All of Arbonne's products are Mineral Oil Free. My grandson had it and the meds the Doctor put him on only made the Eczema worse we got him right back on Arbonne (they had ran out go figure Grandma is a consultant) and it went away. Private message me for my info and web site.
Kay

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S.L.

answers from Dallas on

My 15 month old has eczema as well and it can get irritated very easily. I bought several kinds and the only one that worked well on him was the Neutrogena Pure and Free. Even Aveeno made his worse.

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J.G.

answers from New York on

California Baby has a great line of products for babies and people with sensitive skin. The calendula cream cleared up my son's eczema within 24 hours- no exaggerating! They also have an all-natural sunblock. Only spf 30, so you might want to pair it with some of the sunblock clothing the other mothers suggested. I found the best price at Target, but you can also get it on Amazon.com. Whether or not you go for the CB sunblock, if your little one has eczema, invest in CB baby wash and Calendula cream. It will be the best money you spend on him. ( and they last, too. A little goes a long way!)

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C.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi L. - You've got to try Arbonne's baby product line. I don't sell it but when my kids were babies I used it and it is by far the best baby products I ever used. Ingredients are pure, safe and the products worked wonders on eczema too. I still use the sunscreen on my boys today at 7, 9 and 12. They even still ask for the diaper rash cream because it sooths and heals any rashes they may get anywhere on their body. A friend of mine who sells it can tell you more. You can contact ____@____.com
or at www.lucyyeager.myarbonne.com for more information. I think you'll be surprised with the results for your baby.

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C.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

Sunscreen is actually super easy to make. My guy has very sensitive skin and has not had one reaction with our homemade version. BTW: this recipe was given to me by our pediatrician. It's actually posted on her website!! She is truly awesome.
blog.drbar.org/?s=sunscreen
Most everything can be purchased at your local health food store. I was able to get powdered micronized zinc (used for skin) on Amazon for about $7 for a very large bag. It should last me a good 5 years or so. :)

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R.V.

answers from Los Angeles on

It took me a couple of years to figure out how to control my sons eczema. After trying many products-I finally found Vanicream-I use all their products for both of my kids. I also found a great shampoo, conditioner, body wash-that is great for their skin-It's called Free & Clear shampoo...sorry don't have thelinks to these products but just search them online. these are the best.

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J.R.

answers from Miami on

Hi L.,
A. ask your pedi about:

blue lizard
california baby
neutragena pure and free stick

B. also look into hi SPF hats and clothing so you can use less sunscreen. There are many Australian companies that do it well and they are imported into the US.

HTH.

Jilly

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E.P.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi L.. My older daughter, now 5, has always had sensitive skin. What we use is California Baby Sunblock. There are also other products out there that doesn't have the chemicals that can irritate our baby's skin. I found this site, vitacost.com, which sells tons of natural/organic products, including sunblocks for babies.

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S.O.

answers from San Diego on

I would definitely recommend figuring out what is causing the eczema first. My oldest (5)gets seasonal eczema, while my daughter has year round eczema that flares up even more whenever she eats something that she is allergic to. With her, the eczema started up when we started her on solids. She is allergic to wheat and nuts. Wheat is is most of the baby food jars (yep, even in the pureed carrots and other stuff you wouldn't even think of). It's a pretty common allergy in young children, so you might want to consider removing wheat from his diet for a few weeks to see if that helps clear up the eczema. Other things to consider are pets, pollen, etc.

With that said, for my daughter, once we figured out what she was allergic to, her eczema is much better with only occasional break outs.

For sunscreen we use California Baby, and another brand that we get at either Sprouts or Henry's Market. I have heard that Badger is great too. But we are pretty limited on which products we can use because of my daughters nut and wheat allergy, and my allergy to wheat, soy, nuts, and citrus (since I am usually the one applying the sunscreen).
The regular baby ones make my daughters eczema worse.

But those products that are all natural tend to make my son break out in non-itchy raised bumps all over his body. So on him we use Banana Boat Tear Free Baby sunscreen.

Unfortunately you will just have to buy a few and test them out on your son a few times to see if he has a reaction to them.

We also use rash guards on both kids so Imostly apply sunscreen to their face, arms, and neck. Neither of my kids will wear a hat though.

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D.W.

answers from San Diego on

Hi L.,

Arbonne has a wonderful baby sunscreen that is safe and will not irritate your little one's skin! It's all made with pure and safe botanical ingredients - I highly recommend it!

Have a look at Arbonne.com and let me know if you'd like to give it a try.

D.

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M.C.

answers from Honolulu on

Poor little guy having to deal with Eczema at such a young age. Have you tried changing his diet? Some kids have food intolerances that show up in their skin. You might want to try eliminating foods from his diet, or yours if you are breasfeeding (dairy, soy, nuts, wheat, citrus, eggs) it is kind of a pain, but once you figure out what is causing it, he will be more comfortable.

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M.C.

answers from Phoenix on

My son used to have eczema as a baby too (now he's 4 and will only get a flare-up if I go too long without applying lotion on him after bath/shower), and finding a suitable sunscreen for him was a nightmare.

I learned that a physical sunscreen (such as Jason Natural Sunbrella Chemical Free Sunblock) is more gentle on the skin than a chemical one. The disadvantage is the white cast that you'll often find with the application of a physical blocker. MyChelle offers a nice sunscreen that I use on my kids' faces. See http://www.vitacost.com/MyChelle-Sun-Shield (I like Vitacost). I never had a chance to try this one by Vanicream, but I use and love their body lotion/cream for me and my kids. See http://www.amazon.com/Vanicream-Sunscreen-Sensitive-Skin-....

I hope that helps. I know how frustrating it is to find products for sensitive skin. Good luck!

I'd also look for a sunscreen that does NOT have fragrance or alcohol.

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A.H.

answers from Los Angeles on

I would first recommend to call your pediatrician and/or maybe a dermatologist for advice. My three children do not have eczema, but I apply sensitive sunscreen for babies and also have them wear rash guards - check out Lands End for kids, L.L. Bean for kids, Billabong, Quiksilver, etc. for different styles, colors, etc. Most of them have an spf rating of 30+. They all three wear them (short sleeve in the pool and long sleeve for the beach). Don't forget your hat too! Good luck and happy summer!

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A.P.

answers from Las Vegas on

My daughter also has eczema, but we've found that Baby Blanket sunscreen spray has worked really well for her. I'm not happy about the fact that it contains methylparaben and propylparaben, but it's the only thing we've found that has not made her itchy or irritated her skin in any way. We've tried every other thing that the other moms have recommended (except California Baby - that will have to be our next purchase). Hope you find something that works.

Y.C.

answers from New York on

My baby had eczema, and used Aveeno baby sunblock, make sure to give him a shower as soon as he is back home and proced with what ever is your rutine (creams).
Also they have clothes in Land's End that have sun block on it, you could buy him some and I think that should help him keep him protected.

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

If you do a Google search on "sunblock for babies with eczema" lots of tips will come up.

You'd want a "paba" free type and hypoallergenic etc.

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M.H.

answers from Atlanta on

Hi L.,

Sun Shades sunscreen is basically a clear microfine zinc oxide. I have recommended it to others with eczema and they thought it was wonderful. I used it on my 92 year old Dad when he was living with us, but we got rid of the eczema first. There was no residual irritation.

M.

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