Toddler with Persistent Red, Dry Rash Around Mouth, Chin and Nose

Try lanolin, like Lansinoh. It's safe for little ones to ingest, which is important near his mouth.

yeah, you have to be careful with steroids and petroleum products, especially around his mouth where he can ingest it. but sometimes it's necessary. it's medicine, you use it sparingly and only at need, but don't discount it altogether.
it's a pity the doctor didn't offer any help. i suggest you go to a dermatologist.
going to an allergist, keeping a food log and coconut oil were all really good ideas. i absolutely get why you want a naturopath, but again, this is a skin issue. why not go directly to someone whose training and expertise is right where you need it?
khairete
S.

lanolin! its thicker than aquaphor so it will stay on longer. and its safe for littles to get in their mouths.(i use it every night at bedtime to prevent chapped lips. )

I'm sorry your son is having this problem.
I'd stick with pediatrician and/or allergist recommendations.

Naturopathy is something I don't trust.
QuackWatch has this to say about it:

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Naturop...

"Natural" doesn't make a thing good or bad or better - arsenic is "natural" but it's still a poison.

There's nothing wrong with a steroid cream - it's not an anabolic steroid - which seem to give all steroids a bad name.
There are all kinds of steroids and the kind that reduces inflammation is fine when used as a doctor prescribes.
When I get a poison ivy rash - nothing will stop it except prednisone - and I waited 2 MONTHS for the itching to stop on it's own before I finally couldn't stand it anymore, saw a doctor and prednisone stopped the itching within a few hours.

If 'natural' is what you're looking for - then steroids are natural - and you should have no issues with using a cream to help your child get over his rash.

My son gets a red ring around his mouth every winter from licking around his mouth. The best thing I have found for it is rose salve, and vaseline at night to keep him from subconsciously licking while he falls asleep.

Here's the names of what we use:

Hydrocortisone 1% (we use twice daily and takes 2-3 weeks to get it fully under control) and the tub is Hydrous Emollient (Aqua, UCRN and Glycerin).

If my kids don't use the hydrocortisone, it never gets better. I have one who had exactly what you describe. Always around his face/mouth. Red. Within days of using the hydrocortisone the redness was gone. I have another child who gets eczema on hands. Same. And another who gets it where hockey skates hit his shins. Same thing. It works on all these different spots/caused by different things.

One of my kids gets it from allergies. Did they also test for dust mite allergy? But not all my eczema kids have allergies.

So we typically use the hydrocortisone until under control (within a week typically, usually within days) then we go to twice a week to keep it under control. Followed by the tub stuff. Just coat that on. You're supposed to submerge in warm water first then apply this stuff after blotting dry.

Talk to a dermatologist - I think that's your best bet. That's who we saw, but our family physician is also super and they both agreed on the course of action. It's prescribed, so you will need a prescription to go this route. We tried everything under the sun, but this worked the best for us. Good luck :)

I truly would tell you to push fluids and see if he's dehydrated. I would get rings around my mouth when I was young and it was because my face was dried out and itchy so I'd rub it. So hard that I'd crack the skin and rub it raw.

If that doesn't work then I suggest you take him to a dermatologist.

My grand still does this every once in a while -- get some Aquaphor and use it. It is kinda like vaseline, but hers usually clears up in a day or less. Since he is so young, you may have to apply it a couple times during the day since it'll likely get wiped off.

Sounds like his face is chapped from him licking it. I would put Vaseline on it. Vaseline can sometimes work wonders. I can sometimes tell the difference in just a couple of hous.

My son and my mom both do this. It happens when they don't have enough liquids in their bodies. The more dehydrated they get, the more they lick, and the worse it gets. I push a lot of drinks, and at this point, if it pees out, it counts. I put Aquaphor on it, or coconut oil, and it heals within a day or so. If, it isn't the dehydration causing it, then my guess is that it is an intolerance. These don't always show up to allergy testing, because it is not a true allergy, but, a reaction to it. My kids both react to any dairy protein (casein) and peanuts. But, they don't have an allergy to either one; instead it is the way they react to the intolerance. I hope you find an answer.

It means he is dehydrated. Make him sip water ALL throughout the day. The little kids in New Mexico get this all the time if their parents don't really keep on top of them drinking water because it is so dry. Once their lips get chapped they start licking and then they get more chapped from being licked. Which makes them dry and itchy and they keep licking. The only solution is to start making them drink water constantly. My daughter just started getting this above her upper lip over the holiday and so I basically carried around a water bottle all day and had her take sips constantly. You can put some vaseline or something over the dry skin too if you like. That makes it feel less dry and itchy. But make your little guy drink lots of water and it will go away.

I had a thumb sucker - her face was always chapped from spit.

Does he use a pacifier?