Very Dry Skin on Our 4-Month-old Daughter's Face

My 6 month old son has had the same problem. Its expensive but triple cream has helped a bit. Do not use triple paste that is for diaper rash but triple cream is for the face. Hopefully when the weather gets better these skin issues will go away.

Hi, L.. Dryness just happens in winter. :) When my son's cheeks get dry, I use Aveeno cream and hydrocortisone as you mentioned. The other day at CVS I noticed that Johnson's makes something for chapped cheeks--it looks like a mini deodorant stick, and you roll it on. It was in a green box. I haven't tried it but I think I will.
Hope this helps. :)

My little guy has baby eczema and the dr. gave him an ointment called desonate. We put that stuff on and then put cetaphil on. It works over night.

L.,
I wanted to let you know the same thing happened to our son.It started at 4 months as well. And our son was breast feeding too. But he is now 15 months old. We have been to dermatologists, and an allergist. He has severe eczema. And allergies, food and environmental.Steroid cream is a temporary fix at best. We have had him on everything. And just like you aquafor and eucerin does not work. We had some tests done and he has a severe allergy to dust mites, cats and dogs, and other things as well. Just like you no one in our family has this history. I have two other children that dont have anything like this either.The doctors can do blood test to check for allergies at this age. Our son is on Zyrtec now. We did have a cat and a dog, that sadly we had to find other homes for. And we had to replace our carpets with hardwood, we also implemented other preventatives for the dust mites. It has been a long hard road for us to get where we are today. If I could shed any light at all on this for you that would make me happy. Hopefully you wont have to go through all we did. Ask you Dr. about the blood work. And do you have any pets?? They could be the culprits. Our Dr told us that they didnt think a child this young could have allergies. But our allergist says children this young DO and can have allergies. If you have any other questions, please let me know. Eczema can be treated and children do get better the older they get, but our son will always have to fight this. Our son is also on a moisterizer called Atopiclair. It is very expensive but it is working. Our allergists told us not use Aquafor any longer. Also we dont use any soap at bath time.
Anyway, I hope this helps.
My son was born Nov too, in 2006 though.

D.

First of all, since you are breastfeeding, I would rub a little breast milk on the areas as it will help prevent infection and should help clear it up. Also, try the Baby Aveeno line of product. My son had really dry, flaky skin behind his ears, and on his eyebrows when he was younger. Also, he got cradle cap and it was scaly and yellow, like you described. I also very carefully used some head and shoulders shampoo in the areas where he was having the trouble - like maybe once a week or less. You can use the Aveeno baby wash (unscented) and gently try to exfoliate the area with your finger tips, not working it too hard to cause it to get raw. Then right after bath time apply the really thick Baby Aveeno cream (not the lotion). That cleared up my sons problems. I have atopic dermatitis and that sounds like what your daughter has.

There are two schools of thought when dealing with dry skin. I have lived with psoriasis all of my life and have tried everything under the sun... literally. Treating a baby however we think of delicate skin and to run amuck with different Dermatologists and what works best might be a trying situation for you. I have dermitis on my face (eyebrows and around my nose) where it is dry, red and flaky. I use PURE Vitamin E oil that you can buy OTC at any drug store for $8 or so. A drop or two on a guaze pad at night is what I do to help the relief of the flakyness and redness. At times I used to put a warm wash cloth with salt on it to help relieve it, however, if the skin is broken don't do this because it will burn. One more suggestion is to go to Oprah Winfrey's website and try and find Dr. Oz's link... he had some great suggestions and might be able to answer your questions as well. I also suggest you contact your local Dermatologist as well. They are the experts especially dealing with such tender skin. One more side note, when you start feeding your baby solids stay away from Strawberry's, Tomatoes based products and grape based juices these are the most common food allergies that occur with skin allergies. Good luck!

Hi L.! I am an Arbonne Consultant and have had several clients, including my son, that have had great success with our ABC Baby line! I can send you a sample if you would like to test it out before purchase. You may not even need to use the entire line - just changing her soap and lotion may be enough. I could send you enough to get you through a couple of weeks if you would like to try it out. Also, if you would like to investigate about Arbonne you can visit their website at www.arbonne.com. If you would like a free sample call or email me at ###-###-#### or ____@____.com you the best of luck! M.

L.,

I noticed the same thing with my 7 month old, although not as severe, just very dry skin. I agree with the other moms, just wipe her face off with water, no soaps or wipes. I used Noodle & Boo ultimate baby ointment:

http://www.beautyexclusive.com/nobooulbaoi.html

I got it as a gift and it's kind of pricy, but it works great for dry skin! It's a petroleum jelly based cream and is really think but not greasy like petroleum jelly. You can also try Aveno lotion (the original formula, none of the fancy ones). I myself have skin sensitivity to soaps and lotions and this is the only lotion I can use that doesn't cause me to break-out in a rash. My pediatrician told me it was fine to use on babies.

N.

I would suggest trying the ABC line of products from Arbonne International. I have sold the line in the past and highly recommend all of their products. The ABC line has been designed for babies and people with really sensitive skin.

Arbonne has a history of high-quality products that produce results. You can go to the website (www.arbonne.com)and read about the product line. There is a lotion, oil, body wash, sunscreen (I use this for my kids and their ages are 6,9,13)and diaper rash. You will have to order through a consultant but the website can connect you with someone in your area.

Good luck! B.

Hi L.~
What I've found is that the Aquaphor and Eucerin are great for creating a barrier against moisture getting in (like for drooling, etc they keep more drool off the skin) but to really treat the dry skin you want to truly hydrate the skin with a lotion and/or body oil that does not contain mineral oil (because mineral oil doesn't get absorbed by the skin). I'm an Arbonne consultant and would be happy to send you a free sample pack of our ABC line (Arbonne Baby Care). It contains a little packet of the ABC Hair & Body Wash, Body Lotion, Body Oil, Herbal Diaper Rash Cream and Sunscreen SPF30+. I think by using the sample packet you'd get a feel for how you like it and whether it looks like it's helping! :o) My daughter had severe cradle cap that prescpription shampoo and Neutrogena didn't help, but using the ABC line cleared it up! If you're interested, you can contact me at ____@____.com or ###-###-####.

Hi L., I am a consultant with a company called Arbonne International and we have an herbal and botanical baby line that is pure, safe and beneficial. I have many friends with babies and children with excema and other skin conditions that use our baby products (wash, lotion or oil) and have awesome results by healing the skin in a much more natural way! I can send you a free sample of the baby line for you to try on your daughter and see if it helps. If it works for you, I can ship you some. You can look it up on www.arbonne.com if you would like to see the products. E-mail me at ____@____.com or feel free to call me ###-###-#### I live in Indiana. I will need an address to send the sample to. I hope that I can help you and your daughter. P.

My son and daughter both had eczema when they were infants and then grew out of it. I used Aquafor all the time (I still do on my daughter's legs). Another thing that helped was using Selson Blue dandruff shampoo on their heads. My children both also ha cradle cap, which left their scalps and behind their ears yellow and crusty. Their skin also broke out on their backs. My pediatreition recommended using Selson Blue to clear up the cradle cap. When I used Selson Blue to wash their hair (every other day), it cleared up their head, behind their ears, and back. Clearing up their heads also helped the other skin areas on their bodies, even though I only used the Selson Blue on their heads.

Also, try not to use any of the baby body washes that have any fragrance, like the Johnson's bedtime bath. Only use the baby wash in the yellow bottle, or you can also use Dove frangrance free body wash. I use that on my kids and that works well with their sensitive skin.

I hope you get your litle girl's skin to clear up! :-)

It is most likely eczema, I have it and my 22 month old son has had since he was born. It was really bad on his cheeks and his forearm at the elbow. He also had cradle cap that I just couldn't get rid of. His pediatrician prescribed a steriod cream for the eczema for when he had a bad breakout and told me to use Aquaphor cream and body wash. Then, when he was about 8 or 9 months old he still had the cradle cap so she said I could use Selsun Blue and then put hydrocortisone cream on it, after doing that twice his cradle cap was gone. But he still has the eczema and probably always will like I do, but it does get better. The summer months is when it clears up the most. Hope this helps!

A.

My daughter was born October of 2006...so that winter we started seeing yellow skin flaking from her scalp area. During that winter we washed her hair with Head N Shoulders (our pediatrician actually said this was ok...she also recommended baby oil - but she was born with a full head of dark hair - so that wasn't happening). We did use the head n shoulders by holding her above the sink when washing her hair so that the soap had no chance of going in her eyes. This helped immensely and when winter was over, so was the dry scalp.

Also, her skin in general was dry, but not to the point of yellowing and peeling/cracking like her scalp. Instead of using regular baby wash, we started using moisturizing baby wash. This worked like a charm. Once winter was over, we went back to normal baby wash.

And when this winter (2007/2008) began, her skin started getting dry again so we went back to the moisturizing baby wash again. Luckily, we only have to worry about this in the winter. So our routine now consists of normal baby was in spring/summer/fall and moisturizing baby wash in the winter. Fortunately, the dry scalp cleared up and we don't have to use the head n shoulders on her anymore.

We even double up sometimes...moisturizing baby wash and baby cream on really dry days.

I hope this helps.

It could be an allergy to something you are eating - my son (5 months) was having skin problems, my ped asked me to eliminate dairy to see if it cleared up. After three weeks of no dairy, his skin cleared up. While waiting for it to clear up, I used Lansinoh on his checks and chin - it seemed to help some.

Hi L.,

I'm a physician assistant, but not actively working in that field. It sounds as though she is sensitive to her skin products such as bath soap and lotion in addition to potentially your laundry detergent. About 90% of the time it was those things. You definitely do not want to continue the hydrocortisone cream, not a good idea. Can you tell me what you are using for those items. Besides the medicine side, my daughter was very similar and I can tell you what I found out with her.

Thank you for your time,
G.

Have you tried Aveeno yet? That is what my daughter puts on her daughter since she was little and it really helps.she has exzema all over her little body,she is 2 years old now. I hope this helps out..let me know if it does! Make sure you get the unscented aveeno my daughter said to tell you..they also have an Oatmeal bath that may help too.

Could it be a variation of baby acne? My daugther had that and it was heartbreakingly disgusting. Have you talked to your pediatrician about this? Did they recommend the hydrocortisone? Have you tried eliminating anything from your diet? If you haven't already, talk to your pediatrician!

Its funny you mention she is breastfed! My suggestion is to actually rub some breastmilk on her face everyday!! It is very good for skin!!

L. - my daughter has had excema since she was about 6 weeks old. She is now 3. Last May I started her on an all natural nutritional supplement and her skin problems are about 95% gone, only flaring up with sudden weather changes. We, too had been using perscription strength hydracortezone and it just wasn't doing the job. Email me at ____@____.com if you would like more information.
Best,

J.

My son's face is the same way, but only during the cold months. Once it gets warm out it will go away for my son. Maybe it will go away for your daughter once it gets warm out also. If not, I would take her to the pediatrician for advice. Good luck! I try everything on my son also and it just never goes away until it's warm outside again.

Hi L. my name is Rose. I would like to suggest using the Jordan Essentials Baby line and see if that helps. Baby's skin is so sensitive it needs specially formulated products. Please be sure to check with your pediatrician after viewing the ingredients to make sure she is not allergic to anything. You can order these products online and have them delivered directly to your home. There is also an unscented line if you would prefer it...also...try drinking more water so that you are sufficiently hydrated. While breast feeding it is best to stay away from coffee, pop, tea and not excessive amounts of juice...etc because it does transfer to our breast milk. Because it's on her face and not her whole body suggests it's something locally so be sure when you hold her especially on your shoulder that you use a baby cloth/receiving blanket washed in baby laundry detergent, she may just be reacting to what is coming in contact with her face. I wish you all the best!! I can be reached at ###-###-#### if you have any questions about Jordan Essentials. www.jordanessentials.com my rep ID is 8047. I've been using and selling their products since July 2005 and love them. It's the only product line I found that doesn't leave my skin feeling sticky and like it has a film on it. TAKE CARE!! Rose D.

Hi, My daughter has the same thing (5 mos old) although not quite as bad. I'm finding that if I give her a quick little bath every other day it doesn't go completely away but I can maintain it at a much lesser amount. I use Burt's Bees baby soap and shampoo. I ive her a light scratching all over her head but I never pick at the scales. for her cheeks I use a cloth with water to relieve the heat and redness and put a little raw shea butter on them. I'm also exclusively breastfeeding but I have found that if I eliminate sugars and processed foods from my diet, it really does show improvement in her condition. Good luck. It's horrible to see our babies with little issues that we can't simply fix for them, isn't it!

Peace,
Lara

my oldest daughter had the same issue,
after a soaking warm bath use a semi dry terry cloth rag wet with both baby oil and water or a soft-baby brush rubbed in genital circles till all the dry skin is removed. the skin will be very pink. Then place a Vaseline base, neosporin or "Bag Balm" LIGHTLY on the pink areas for 24-48 hours until it heals.

What feeds the cradle cap, eczema and may other dry skin conditions is the over use of oils on our skin. Doesnt seam to make since but it's true. Are bodies are very smarter than you think. of you constantly keep an area covered in oil, the brain quits telling that part of the body it needs it. This is only one of several types of dry skin. do not use soap unless you HAVE TO. Sodium laureth sulfate is what makes bubbles in soap by pushing molecules apart to effectively "make water wetter" this make the water molecules smaller and able to penetrate dirt and oils (and air making bubbles) spreading them apart and making them easier to remove. It does the same thing to the natural moisturizers in our skin.
the dermatologist at UC medical center in Cincinnati, directed me to only use soap and things that contain alcohol if I had to and them never more than a every other day. Head and shoulders dry scalp shampoo is great. Not the dandruff shampoos they dry out excessive oils that skin builds up on.

There are many Many different types of dry skin. if this dose not work for you please see a different dermatologist.

(THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO THE HANDS< FEET AND ARMPITS AND PRIVATE AREAS DUE TO THE TYPE OF SWEAT GLANDS WE HAVE FOR THEM) This helps the body adjust to the correct balances it needs to maintain healthy skin.

My daughters had eczema, no one in our families did. other dry skin conditions

There are several different types of dry skin.

Hi L.,
Even breastfed babies can react to foods that Mom eats. The biggest culprits are whole wheat, chocolate, oranges, shellfish and cow's milk. You might keep a food log and see if you can find a pattern with her flare-ups.
Have you changed soaps, laundry detergents, shampoos, etc? Do you have new pets in the home? Is she wearing clothing that is made of wool? Any new snuggly toys? Any of these may be a factor.
Hope things get better for her soon,
A..

I had the same experience with my second baby. I tried every home remedy and over-the-counter product I could think of. She had bumpy rash allover that would clear up for a day or two with the products and then come back. At her 4 month appt I showed the doc. I was sent to the dermatologist(and our awesome pediatician came along)who diagnosed her with both fungal and yeast infections. The names of the meds (topical) I can't remember, but after 2 days her skin was markedly improved. Bottomline, if you have tried all you can, ask your doc...I wish I wouldn't have waited so long.

Our son has the same thing! His is only on one side and under on his neck. The doctor said it was eczema but I don't know. He's breastfed also. I've been doing the same exact things you have been doing. It really doesn't help. And it gets real bad when he gets upset and starts crying. But I've noticed that when he has clothes that rub against it, it gets bad and when the shirt doesn't it gets better. Maybe try and put stuff on her that doesn't rub and see if it gets any better.

Do you guys use wet wipes on her face?My son had the same problem and we noticed it was from the use of wet wipes and the juice we gave him.He was very sensative and his cheeks would get so red and rashy.It could be a food allergy from what you eat and pass thru your breast milk.
http://www.loveyourbaby.com/foods-to-avoid-while-breastfe...

L.,
Our daughter had the very thing that you are describing and I know how frustrating it can be. Unfortunately, we tried the same things you are trying (suggested by our doctor) and none of them really seemed to work. Hers was so bad at one point that her cheeks would actually bleed. Although I don't have a special remedy, I want you to know that hers cleared up on it's own right around her first birthday, and she had not had a problem since then. Hang in there I am sure your daughter's will do the same.

I would suggest talking to an allergist or dermatologist. Our 4-year-old has had eczema since she was about that age, and we have prescription creams to keep it under control. You are doing great with the Eucerin and Aquaphor--highly recommended by our allergist! Good luck and hopefully she will outgrow it.

Everything you eat goes into the breast milk. My kids food allergies showed up while I was exclusively breast-feeding too. I think the culprit is more likely fabric softener or detergent. My first son always broke out if his face touched anything but his burp cloths or blankets.

Arbonne prod are pure & give great results, must be bought thru mlmarketing, I can help, Bless you, B.

This may sound so basic it's silly but have you tried baby oil gel? It's a gel so it doesn't run into their eyes. My daughter had dry skin on her head (cradle cap). She also had it in her eye-brows. Real yellow and crusty. If I would try to put anything on it like lotion it would turn fire red and not be better. We then tried just plain old baby oil gel and ta-da... Good luck L.

Sorry let me revise...try using hemp seed oil or flax oil on the spots i don't know if the sesame is anti-estrogenic. The idea i am working on by suggesting flax or hemp is that they are anti-estrogenic. Pesticides and other chemicals for example from plastic- which by the way they are now telling us that the toxins that leach from plastic do cause cancer - turn in the body into estrogen and/or estrogen-like substances which wreaks havoc on the hormonal system- the whole system in fact- creates obesity- creates dis-balance so natural foods tend to have all the chemicals a body needs...in India it is or was common to massage baby with sesame oil every day. and that is why when i was thinking cradle cap was the issue from not reading your question thoroughly i suggessted this: but online i am seeing that sesame is estrogenic so you might try a high lignan flax oil on the areas. oh yeah- you can also wash them with chamomile tea(it is anti-estrogenic) and then put on the oil.Take the oils (hemp and/or flax with lignan{that's like pulp in the O.J.})internally yourself and drink some chamomile tea. It is also interesting to note that chamomile is indicated for one who feels sorry for oneself to sooth and comfort- ~not that baby feels sorry for self but children love this tea and children do tend to feel sorry for themselves- i did anyhow- but again i am not trying to imply your little baby feels sorry for self but when we see baby in this state we say "oh poor baby" which to me says Chamomile:) if you do try this i would love to know how it works for you. everything after this is what i wrote when i was thinking cradle cap- the way you describe it is Just like cradle cap but cradle cap is usually on the scalp. one more p.s. jojoba oil is supposed to be closest to our bodies' natural oils so it might also be appropriate to add to the mix ( do not know if it is anti-estrogenic)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You don't have to put the chemical stuff on- just get a bottle of unrefined oil- sesame is ideal. Never use baby oil which has mineral oil which Dries out the skin. It's called cradle cap. My daughter had it for a very long time and kinda grew out of it- i did not address it very much- i don't know why( i was in an 'odd daze' for several years) but noone ever seemed bothered by it- but you can put a drop of teatree oil in a small bowl or cup of sesame oil and put that on the head. Sesame by itself should work though.

My first daughter had the exact same problem. She was breast-fed and we slathered on all the cream as you do now. Some days her cheeks were so red that people would stare and whisper at the grocery store! But my daughter also had a dairy allergy-and since I was eating cheese, yogurt, ice cream, milk, etc. so was she when I nursed her. Don't discount the allergy theory yet, although sometimes babies do just have eczema! Good Luck!

HI L.,

My dd had it pretty bad, although it sounds like your little girls may be a little more severe.

I used this oatmeal bath from Aveeno and no soap to bath her and it helped with the dryness.
I also had a prescription filled by my pedi, not sure what it was but ask your Dr. It really helped with dry patches.

I think it goes away on most newborns, she may always be sensitive but my dd only gets dryness now on her upper arms.

L.,
Actually, it tis possible that it is a food allergy. You are probably eating something she is sensitive to. I went through the same thing with my 2 year old. I exclusively breast fed her but she had problems with eczema, which is allergy related.
I started keeping a food log of what I ate and started removing high allergen impact items like peanuts, soy, etc. I went a week on a limited diet and then started adding things back in gradually, watching what I ate and her reaction in the next 24 hours or so. My daughter reacted to soy, strawberries, certain colors, and peanuts. When I finally took her to a pediatric allergist (around 1 year of age) the doctor said she was only allergic to peanuts, nothing else. Of course, some "sensitivities" don't show up as allergies. So, pay attention and believe what you see actually happenning.
Experiment. Also, stay away from anything with scent, even natural scents like lavender.
It will take a while but she will probably outgrow the probs.

I hope this helps you...
E.
20% off every $40.00 order at
www.marykay.com/elissaward
____@____.com

Hi. My son is 14 months old. I use Baby Aveeno wash in the bath and Cinique's yellow mosturizer afterwards on his face. The redness in his face goes away with the Clinique. I have used the Aveeno bath treatment too.

Hope this helps.

S.

I've breastfed both of my babies until well past the 18 month mark, with introduction of solids after 6 months (and they weren't into solids much at all, really, until like 10 months). Neither of my kids has ever had formula.

And I hate to tell you this, but YES, even if you're breastfeeding, your baby *can* be reacting to proteins via your breastmilk.

I didn't think it was that common, either, until my 2nd came along and BAM, at 4 weeks, he had exactly what you describe (eczema, weeping, so dry and itchy), and within 2 weeks of my removing all cow's milk and soy products from *my* diet, my little guy has such smooth, creamy, clear, beautiful skin... I was *shocked* that it could happen like that.

Also, something to keep in mind is that if her skin is looking like this on the outside, what must her intestines look/feel like on the inside? She's reacting to something, and at her young age, it far more likely to be something via breastmilk than an environmental allergy -- the biggest offenders by far is cow's milk products, followed by soy, but there are other typical ones (eggs, wheat, peanuts, treenuts).

For some great support and encouragement and help in figuring out what's bothering your daughter, there's a wonderful online mailing list of breastfeeding moms who have all specifically dealt w/ babies who have food sensitivities/allergies via breastmilk -- check it out if it sounds like something you're ready to investigate:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/groups/foodlab

Also, here's kellymom's great link on babies and food sensitivities:
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/food-sensitivity.html

If you'd like in person support, consider attending a LLL meeting because I've met quite a few moms through LLL who have also had babies for whom they've had to eliminate cow's milk or some other food (and with wonderful results and healthier babies!):
http://lllofsouthbend.blogspot.com/

Hope this helps! All the creams won't solve the eczema - it's just treating the sypmtoms. Check out the possibility of food allergies to hopefully get closer to finding a root cause of the eczema. You can do it!

Try rubbing mangosteen juice (XanGo) on her face--it works miracles on dry skin (eczema & rashes, etc.). I put mine on with a cotton ball right out of the bottle, but i know some people who use it topically by putting some on a paper plate and letting it sit for a day or two until it gets pasty. (Thankfully the company is coming out with some skin care products this summer so we won't have to do this!) Some parents let their babies drink a tbs or two of it as most of these skin issues are really coming from the inside and show up on the outside. That definitely works for adults to drink a couple ounces a day for eczema and psoriasis :-)! She sure sounds sweet! God Bless You! :-)

First of all, just wanted to let you know that you put that your daughter was born in November 2008. I'm guessing that should be 2007.

We had a similar situation with our daughter, but we used Neosporin. It seemed to work like a charm.

Good Luck! =)

Eczema is MANY times from a nutritional deficiency. Check out the ENCYCLOPEDIA FOR HEALTH & NATURAL HEALING FOR CHILDREN by Weber and PRESCRIPTION FOR NUTRITIONAL HEALING by Balch. Lots of info there.

Hi, L. --

Have you tried Aquaphor's Healing Ointment, in particular? I think that's what it's called -- it's a different formulation of Aquaphor. We loved that stuff, primarily for diaper rash. There was just nothing like it!

Is there anything she might be coming into contact with that could be causing the problem... such as bath products that are too harsh or even your laundry detergent? I made sure everything I used for our daughter was dye-free and as low in chemicals as possible. I also always mention that the hardness of your tap water could be an issue. Without our water softener, my scalp used to burn whenever I'd take a shower...

Just some things to consider, and I truly hope they'll help!

Take care,
H.

Hi,
my kids and husband have eczema. I have tried several different things and the thing that I found worked best are aloe products. My husband started using aloe soothing day cream from The Body Shop and has been very very happy with it. His skin would get very red and almost raw looking. He hasn't had a problem with it since. I started using it on my daughter who has it pretty bad especially in the winter and it really helps her face too. She also has a milk allergy, so I don't know if they go hand in hand or not, but I breast fed her too and the doctors never told me to quite milk to see. The products I was telling you about are nature inspired with none of the chemicals that irritate. They go a long way, the 4 of us have used a 1.7 oz jar over the last 4 months and it is just now gone. I am a consultant for the Body Shop at Home and never thought I would find a good product for my husbands eczema let alone good for my kids skin too. You can check out my website and look, if you would like a sample, I would love to get you some to try and see if you like it. Just let me know. I understand it is hard to see that flaky skin all over your little one. I have dealt with it too. I did the baby oil on my daughters full head of black hair and everything else. This is what I have found works best especially on the angry red skin. My husband has dealt with that type of skin his whole life and loves the lotion I have just told you about.
my website is www.thebodyshopathome.com/web/aoaks. Let me know if you want a sample.
Good luck

My son had eczema issues when he was about the same age. Nothing seemed to help so I went to the doctor to ask for help. They gave me a steroid cream to try. It cleared it up great. I honestly can't remember the name of it but, it was safe for children. We only used it when necessary and it was wonderful. Ask your doctor. He is 8 years old now and has no problems. It went away completely after a couple months.

You probably don't want to hear this, but it could still be a food allergy. This happened to my friend. She had to cut all dairy out of her diet because it would transfer to the baby while she was breastfeeding. Some babies are more sensitive than others to dairy. So, if you really want to find out if that could be it, you have to eliminate all dairy from your diet for about two weeks. If there is no difference in the skin, then it probably wasn't the dairy. If it clears up, then you know it probably is. I know how hard that sounds, but I had to do the same thing for the longest time because my exclusively breastfed daughter would get really gassy with any vegetables or spices I would eat! Hope this helps!
A.

When our son's skin got really dry and chapped our Dr. recommended lubriderm because it is light and totally fragranc free and hypoallergenic. I didn't think it would work that much because it is such a light lotion, but it worked better than anything else we have tried. My kids have such sensitive skin that their own tears make their faces red and chapped, so we always have a bottle around.

Hi L., sounds like you are a very caring mommy. Both the products you are putting on your daughter would be great for a child without sensitivities, but they contain petroleum products, which causes a reaction in sensitive skin. Have you ever heard of a company called Arbonne? I am an independent consultant and use their products on my own children (as well as myself). They have an entire baby care line that is free from petroleum, alcohol, animal by products, perfumes, dyes, etc. We actually have a several pediatricians who are also consultants and recommend it to their patients.

I'm not trying to sell you anything, just offer an alternative that may help. If you are interested I can drop off or mail you a free sample (of course no obligation, just one mom helping another). You can also check out the website to read more www.arbonne.com.

Either way I wish you and your daughter the best, I hope you find a solution soon.

Best to you,
D. A.

Hi L.,
In my family skin problems are almost ALWAYS a result of food allergies. My son's eczema flairs if he comes into contact with citrus fruits. My own eczema gets worse when I eat corn or corn syrup. Even though your baby is breast-feeding, she could still be reacting to something in your diet. My own mom couldn't have dairy when she nursed me because I was allergic.
Some doctors don't believe in food allergies for a child that young, but I would still pursue testing with an allergist if you don't find relief with any topical solutions. I brought my son to a great allergist with bright flaming red patches all over his arms. Within 3 days of eliminating citrus from our home the eczema was gone and has never come back!
Just a thought! Hope this helps! A.

My girls have very sensitive skin and we found both aquafphor and eucerin to be very irritating. We fiinally found that calendula cream from a health food store helpful as well as Magic Eygptian cream (also found at various drug stores and health stores) or even vaseline worked much better. The only problem with the vaseline was grease, so we used a small amount and worked it in. Products with almond oil and zero fragrance seemed to help too. Do you have a humidifier on your furnace? That may help as well. Good luck.

My daughter had the same thing. She has a lot of allergies, and she could get whatever she is allergic to through breastmilk. You should probably try avoiding the main allergins (nuts, strawberries, shell fish.....)for a while and see if that helps. If it does, you can add them back to your diet one at a time and watch for a reaction. We also used diluted Selsin Blue on her face as a wash. This seemed to help more than anything. I got the pink face cream from Clinique and used that as a moisturizer. It is more gentle and contains less stuff that she could be allergic to than eucerin (which made my daughter worse). We did it all to try and help her. Please don't hesitate to mail me back if none of this helps, I have some other tips.
Mel.

I know this might sound weird, but our daughter had a yeast infection that sounds just how you are describing it on her neck. The doctor told us to use Lotrimin AF (Antifungal, yes the same thing for athlete's foot) and Polysporin (not Neosporin). We put the Lotrimin on and wait 10 minutes then apply the Polysporin. Do this three times a day. My daughter's neck looked brand new in about a week. The only thing that we could think of that caused it was where she drools so much and the saliva got caught in her fat rolls. Hope this helps.

Hello,
My Mother had very bad dry skin. One of her doctors told her to use Criso lard, and if she didn't like the ideal of going to bed with it on, wear gloves on her hands, since it was also the worse place. After awhile, her hand were nice soft looking, so I tell all with bad dry skin, this story since she is so little, a small amount, and bandage around her face. So when she sleeps she won't be able to get this all over her and mainly in her eyes. But talk to her, and she won't think about what you are doing, and it's whats best for her, and doing it nightly, she'll be cute has a button in no time. If you want talk to your doctor about it. It took my mother years before she ran into this doctor whom told her.
God Be With You and Your, I will be praying for a fast recovery, for the sweetheart.
take care. L. A

Have you tried an elimination diet for yourself since you are nursing? It take 3-4 weeks for all dairy to pass through the system so you would need to be dairy-free for several weeks before you would know if that's the culprit.

Good luck! It is very heartbreaking to see your little one in discomfort, especially at such a young age.
PS Try to keep nursing as long as possible, at least 2 years if you can! It is soooo important, especially if she is likely to have an allergy.

L.,
My son has the same problems with his skin, we use "Bag Balm" it is very greasy, but it really works magic for his skin, we put it on him anytime that we see a spot developing and by the evening or next morning it is gone. We swear by it.You can get it at Wal-mart or any drug store.

My youngest just went to the doc last week for this... she is 16 months old. We tried all different types of lotion and soaps (baby soaps) It just got worse. So bad to the point that she felt like sand paper.. all over her body. She cried when you touched her. It hurt her so bad just because her skin was so dry....eczema, I have it and she has it also. since we tried every type of lotion out there... the doc told us to go to "Rural King" and buy some Utter Balm. Yes it is more for animals but it works great!! We have the hydrocortisone cream also but using both of these things worked! We also went to "soft soap" and "dove" liquid soaps. The baby soaps were also drying her skin out to much. Make sure that is is not to dry in your house. we have a total of 3 cool mist humidifiers running at all times in our home. I have notice a difference since last week.

Good luck!

Hey L.!

There is a wonderful product called CeraVe that you should get. It is actually great for the whole family. There is cream, lotion, and hydrating cleanser. It is excellent for dry skin or eczema-prone skin, as well as other skin issues. You can usually find it with the moisturizers at CVS, Walgreen's, or RiteAid. I do love this product and recommend it all the time, as well as use it on myself and my children. It is steroid-free and safe for any age.

You should use soap-free cleanser (such as the CeraVe or Cetaphil-they will not bubble up or foam up), and immediately moisturize after wiping/cleaning your daughter's face. Or, you can just moisturize her face with every diaper change also.

If you keep her skin hydrated and use these or other sensitive skin products, the problem (dry skin or eczema) will improve within days. If you keep it up, it won't come back.

It could be a food allergy, something that you are eating. Also, eczema is such a broad diagnosis, but the treatments are usually very similar. I would evaluate the soap that you use for her, as well as the laundry detergent that you use. She could be rubbing her face on an irritant. Hope that helps, have a great day.

Hayley

My son was strickly breast fed and had the very same problem from 1 month til 7 months (when we found out the problem). The Ped doc (and others also) kept saying it's cradle cap/eczema, but we got a second opinion from a new Ped doc and she allergy tested him (we have no family history of food allergies at all) and come to find out he is allergic to milk, wheat, peanut, and eggs!!! As soon as I eliminated the foods from my diet (and eventually switching to soy based formula) it cleared up. I would question about getting an allergy test done asap and go from there. Hopefully things will get better.