Eczema Dilemma – Effective ways to relieve the itch!

So our daughter was diagnosed with atopic dermatitis (eczema) and we are just clueless as to how to deal with it. Her pediatrician prescribed an anti-itch cream and one with small percentage of steroids in it for extreme flare-ups. Though the creams are effective in relieving the itch, eczema seems to appear again after a couple of days and we do not want to continue using creams on her delicate skin due to the unnatural ingredients in them.

We decided to deal with them in more natural ways that will not harm my baby’s skin. Here are the effective ways we are continuously doing to help relieve her eczema.

Avoid the triggers

• Allergens: she is allergic to wheat, rye, eggs, milk, soja and nuts hence avoiding these totally on her diet for the time being. Also, as I am breastfeeding her, I have decided to totally ditch them as I have noticed that she gets flare-ups when I breastfeed her after eating those food. Since then the nasty red bumps on her cheeks are gone, she also stopped itching her forehead.

Note: It is a MUST to do an allergy test to determine which food to avoid to minimize eczema.

• Irritants: this can be a clothing made from wool and polyester as they could really irritate once they come in contact with the skin, we always ensure that she wears mostly cotton. Bathing soaps and shampoos, detergent powders, fabric softeners and perfumes could also trigger the itch. We are only using very mild bath soap (lactacyd) and shampoo (mustella), diluting them first in water is better than applying them directly on skin. There are mild detergents that are made for baby clothings, we would normally do extra rinsing on clothes to make sure the soap is totally washed away.

• Dry skin: The sure thing to aggravate eczema is when the skin is dry so it is a MUST to keep your little one’s skin well moisturized. Three minutes after bathing, we apply the Aveeno Baby eczema moisturizing therapy all over her body to lock in the moisture. This cream is specialized with colloidal oatmeal that is proven to relieve eczema. We repeat the same whenever I change her diaper, I’ve noticed her skin is more smooth and moisturized. We make sure she is well-hydrated too by encouraging her to drink more water, you can purchase a cute sippy cup, she loves hers and at time she takes it around, takes a sip or 2 after every few minutes.

• Stress: whenever she cries and in distress, the eczema are so quick to turn red and itchy hence as much as we could we prioritize her comfort and needs above anything else. Keeping her happy is keeping the nasty eczema at bay. 🙂

• Sweat and Heat: it is a blessing that we are in Europe where most days are cold and breezy as this one will not be able to tolerate heat. It’s currently summer here and we make sure to keep her skin cool by making her wear thin cotton clothing, exposing her arms and legs. We also keep the windows open so fresh and cool air circulates freely in the house. Bathing her everyday in room temperature water helps a lot too!

Eczema sure is a hard thing to deal with but when you know the cause and the proper treatment that works for your baby, things become a lot easier. All the best!