Help with Eczema

Updated on June 12, 2008
K.W. asks from Mendham, NJ
42 answers

My 5 year old son has a slight case of eczema around his mouth. We have been using Cortizone to treat it fairly effectively. Does anybody have a less harsh treatment idea? I hate putting cortizone 10 on his face every night!

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A.L.

answers from Albany on

Egg whites. Beaten to foamy. Dab on. Great for all rashes and bites and under the bra in summer(get my drift?). Eczema is usually best treated by increasing liver and kidney function. When he gets older, you can do that. Actually, you can use Flax seed oil on face as well(you should be on 1200 a day as all of us ladies should), and grind up seed and add to pancake mix, cereal, muffins, Choc Chip cookies, etc.

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S.C.

answers from New York on

Hi K.,
I see that you already got a lot of responses... just wanted to add one more. Just before my son's 1st birthday we found out that he has eczema across his cheeks. The doctor decided to try him on a non-steroid cream before prescribing something more severe. The cream is called Atopiclair (Rx, not OTC), and it has worked great! I only use it when he really needs it; other days I just use Eucerin. And when he gets really red around his mouth, I use Baby Aquaphor. Before I found out he had eczema (I thought his cheeks were just chapped all winter!) I even went so far as to use A&D ointment. I was reluctant to use something on his face that belongs on his butt.... but the ingredients are actually lanolin and petroleum jelly - and it helped him a bit! Anyway, the Eucerin and Aquaphor can be a bit pricey, most store brands have the same ingredients for a more reasonable price. Best of luck to you!

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C.K.

answers from Albany on

I now you've had a ton of responses but I just want to let you know that when my daughter had eczema the California Baby brand Calendula Cream was the only thing that really helped. After bath I use the Weleda Calendula Oil. It's non-toxic as well - unlike cortizone cream.

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R.D.

answers from New York on

Try Aveno Oatmeal Lotion that seems to work for my son.

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M.K.

answers from Syracuse on

I use a combination of products on my daughter: Baby Aveeno oatmeal moisturizing cream, Baby Eucerin, Gentle naturals Excema Cream. That all work greal and are not as strong as cortizone.

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S.M.

answers from Syracuse on

Hi K.

I have a lotion that works wonders! My neighbor has sever eczema, he borrowed it and he raved about it, comes back to get more. My husband and daughter have sever dry skin, some patches of eczema occasionally but basically alligator skin. My husband being the skeptic he is, wouldnt try the lotion, so I would put it on him every morning when he got out of the shower. It only took a week for him to start doing it himself!

Wonderful lotion called Renew from a wellness company. Works great on psorosis and Rosacea, helps with diaper rash and those little rashes babies get under the chin from drooling to much also. It has been proven in a double blind clinical study to beat Eucerin hands down! Its not greasy and rubs right in.

You can contact me and I will send you all the info.

S. M.
###-###-####
www.EmpoweringWomenForSuccess.com

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S.B.

answers from New York on

http://www.gemplers.com/product/WWC2/2-oz-Wool-Wax-Creme

Gemplers sells wool wax cream 2 oz for a couple of dollars.

It is pure lanolin, and although I am sensitive to the lanolin alcohols used in most beauty products, this is exactly what my grandparents used on my horrible (fair, rashy, sensitive) little skin nearly 40 years ago, and I use it on my son (also fair and rashy) still.

it'a all natural, inexpensive, etc - and it works!

S.

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J.O.

answers from New York on

california baby , calendula cream works well for me!

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B.M.

answers from New York on

My son is 6 and has had eczema since he was born, it was at its worse from 3-6 mths. Now he gets a flare up every now and then but not that severe. Recently we took him to a Pediatric Dermatolgist and he advise us to use Cetaphil soap/cleanser and lotion on him. Sometimes he gets the eczema around his mouth also. So far the Cetaphil seems to work. Perhaps you may want to try it since it is over the counter.
Good Luck

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C.B.

answers from New York on

HI K.,

I second Susan's suggestion. You need to look for the underlying cause. By using different creams you are only treating the symptom.

All the best

C.

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M.L.

answers from New York on

I went through this with my duaghter on her cheeks - for the first year of her life. After cortizone, aquaphor, I finally took her to the detrmatoligist...he said continue the cetephil creme, which I always used and then use plainn old vasaline!!! It was cured in no time! Good luck.

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R.H.

answers from New York on

California Baby has some great products that are all natural. A friend recommended the California Baby® Calendula Cream. It works for eczema, cradle cap, diaper rash and much more. I just got some and have noticed a difference already as my 12 month old has sensitive skin and deals with all these irritations. http://www.californiababy.com/calendula-cream-2-oz.html

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L.G.

answers from Rochester on

My son has a slight case as well. The derm. suggested vasoline. It works well, and it doesn't cause him any discomfort having it on. My son is 4, so I know that putting on any creams can be trying when they cause any tingling or he thinks that it will hurt at all.

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D.M.

answers from New York on

I have a 14 month old boy and a 3 1/2 yr old boy and they both have very dry skin, especially in the winter. A friend from college told me to try the baby line of products by a company called ARBONNE. All of the prroducts are botanically based, with no mineral oil and no animal products. I have been using the baby body wash, the baby oil and the suncreen and I absolutley love it. It does not have any perfume smell to it and my kids skin is so soft and smooth.

If you want to know where you can find it let me know.

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D.D.

answers from Syracuse on

Hi K.,

Try Eucerin Cream. Both I and my 3 year old have eczema and I only use the cortizone in the most severe cases. The Eucerin is a little difficult to rub in, but works wonders, in fact the only time either one of us has a flare up is when we don't use it it for a while.

Can't hurt to try. Hope this helps.

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D.G.

answers from New York on

Did you try Aquaphor or Eucerin? It helped my son's eczema

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K.L.

answers from New York on

Have you tried aquaphore? For mild cases of eczema, it works great.

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L.S.

answers from Buffalo on

Hi K.,
Contact me and I will happily give you a sample of the best lotion available for treating eczema. It is truly worth your time.
L. S.
www.LiveTotalWellness.com/L.
###-###-####

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A.M.

answers from New York on

Hi K.,

I suggest you keep a food diary. When you talk to holistic practitioners, they will tell you that eczema is solely a reaction to food. I find that general doctors don't say this. But I know first hand because if I (breastfeeding) or my daughter eats certain foods, she gets eczema, if we stay clear from these foods, she's eczema free. If I happen to eat some (soy, strawberries, eggs, corn) by accident, I use Acquaphor to help sooth the spots until the eczema clears up.

Best of luck to you.

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J.S.

answers from Syracuse on

My son has slight eczema from time to time on his face as well. Some things that have worked for us are baby oil or vitamin E oil. We just put a little on before bed and his skin smooths right out. (I've only done this when I have only just begun to feel his skin changing...he hasn't had a real outbreak of it in a long time.) I've heard conflicting things about using the vitamin E, but have never had any problems. Both treatments have solved the problem almost immediately for us. I hope one of them works for you!

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D.M.

answers from New York on

Dear K.,

I'm a mom of a 2 year old.
Like me and my husband, he has dry skin since birth.
Our pediatrician recommended to use Aquaphor and apply it all the time to keep his skin moisture. And that's all we can do about it.
I believe that Cortizone is too strong for a child, specially applying it around his mouth.
Once a doctor told me that if the use of cortizone for a long time can cause damage. Check this website for more info: http://arthritis.about.com/od/cortisone/Cortisone_Cortone...
If applying Aquaphor and still doesn't help I suggest to take your child to a doctor.
All the best,

D.

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A.M.

answers from New York on

Check him to see if he has food alelrgies. Sounds like he does.

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G.S.

answers from Rochester on

My grandnephew has had severe eczema since infancy. Aquaphor, an over-the-counter ointment has been really helpful. I, too, use Aquaphor on a daily basis and find it to be wonderful. I have had severe eczema since I was very young; I'm sixty.

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L.D.

answers from Albany on

Hi K.,

Arbonne’s Baby Care line is second to none in my opinion. Our motto is Pure, Safe, Beneficial. :)

I can absolutely swear by the products. When I joined Arbonne, I was just trying to find something to help my (then) two sons with their eczema as nothing else had worked. I tried over the counter things (Eucerin, Aquafor, Caldesene on diaper rash, Lotrimin, and more), direct sales products (Melaleuca for instance), and prescriptions (ointment and oral). Nothing worked and it had gotten to the point where my oldest had dry patches like the elbow patches on a man’s sports coat and rashes on his stomach. My now middle son had what looked like rashes all over him especially on his lower back and upper bottom, diaper rash every day from the day he was born to the point it would bleed, and a huge spot on his left cheek that would result in blood everywhere after every nap because he would scratch it even in his sleep. I had become so afraid that 1) it would never go away and 2) even if it did, he was going to be left with a horrible scar.

A friend told me about Arbonne’s Baby Care line and I showed the ingredient lists to our pediatricians. Both were very happy with the products and liked that they did not have any fragrances added to them.

I began using Arbonne’s Baby Care line (wash, lotion, sunscreen, and diaper rash cream) and their Rejuvenating Cream. (The lotion and Rejuvenating Cream could be used on your son's face.) I could not believe how quickly I saw results!! Both boys’ skin cleared up quickly and beautifully. I read about a lot of parents who talk about what they use that works but they have to apply the lotion twice a day. I can’t imagine having to hold my children down for that every day. That is something else I love about the products is that now that their skin is cleared up, I only use the lotion when they are starting to look a little dry or if they start to get a bit of a rash which I think has happened twice in the past year and a half if not two years.

The wash works so well that I once put regular children’s soap on my now 7 ½ year old and he immediately opened the curtain and said, “That was NOT Arbonne!” I asked how he knew and he said because his skin began itching as soon as he started washing with the washcloth. I use the products on all three of my sons regardless of their ages and I swear by the sunscreen just as much. They are in the pool at least 3 times a week and every summer they end up with very nice tans. They don’t burn AT ALL.

Please feel free to check out the products at my site: http://APerfectMoment.MyArbonne.com. In the fourth row of thumbnail pictures you will see the one that says Baby at the top. Click there and you will be able to see the products. If you look at the products that are showing and decide it is something you would like to try, I would be happy to send you a sample.

Please don't be concerned about the prices and know you can save 35% off anything you purchase for a year with NO monthly requirements or minimums. You buy what you want, when you want.

By the way, I would also be happy to send some before and after pictures. Just email me at ____@____.com.

I wish you the best!

L.

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M.D.

answers from New York on

I've had good experiences with Aquaphor ointment and Eucerin. Good luck!

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K.B.

answers from New York on

If the eczema isn't terrible, sometimes California Baby Calendula Cream works (my 2 yo has it, too). I usually try the creme for a few days to see if it will work before I hit the cortisone. You can buy it at Foodworks in Guilford, Drugstore.com, and sometimes Target (certain CA Baby products).

Hope it helps!

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P.D.

answers from New York on

Hi K.,
It could be that your son is reacting to a food. My daughter had this reaction when she ate bananas. Organic bananas seemed better. After a while, I tried giving her a piece of the banana out of the peel and she was okay. Now that she's a little older, she can eat it holding the peel although I still try to do organic when possible.
P.

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K.M.

answers from New York on

I've been a customer with the wholesale catalog company. Their products are natural, safer for your home & family. I used to have Ezema but after I switched to their product and especially their skin lotion cured mine. If you are interested, I can show you how you can shop with them. My email address is ____@____.com and ph# is ###-###-####.

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T.B.

answers from New York on

try aquaphor. My husband has eczema and uses this - we just found it. He said it works the best. In the past he used vaseline. Anyway - this stuff is great. Hope it works for you! Good Luck

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S.R.

answers from New York on

Consider this analogy when treating your child's skin issue with lotions ( cortisone, arbonne, organic or anything in between)

When you're in your car and a light goes on on the dashboard. Do you put a bandaid over it and keep driving? Or do you check out the reason the light is on?

I strongly suggest that you look to the source of the problem. Our bodies are extremely wise! They are telling us things but are we listening?

check out the connection between eczema and food allergies. and the connection between eczema and gut flora. Has your child been on antibiotics in the past year? That will seriously impact the bugs in the gut.

I hope you look beyond the bandaid for the solution to the cause of the problem, not just the symptoms!
Good luck

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J.P.

answers from New York on

Our doctor prescribed a lotion called MIMEX. It is made mainly of olive and vegetable oil and works really well. My son had a serious problem with eczema and it is now cleared up!! Good luck!!

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J.W.

answers from New York on

Does your son suck his finger or thumb? It could be something other than eczema, my second daughter used a pacifier and during times of teething got a rash around her mouth that kind of looked like eczema (my son suffers from it now). The cream isn't such a hot idea around the mouth area. If it is eczema then there's a good chance that he has a food allergy of some sort, milk or dairy in general, we use a cream that has a petroleum base right after his bath and it locks in the moisture and has helped A LOT!! Good luck.

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A.M.

answers from New York on

DON'T USE CORTISONE!!! Especially if it's just a mild case. Use what I use! It's called Renew. It is AMAZING and safe to put on your son's face. It's by Melaleuca. If you want to find out more about it take their virtual tour! Go to Melaleuca.com and the email me at ____@____.com and let me know what you think!

P.S. Your laundry detergent plays a big part in the condition of your skin too! Melaleuca makes that as well! :)

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A.G.

answers from New York on

Hi Kim,

Arbonne's baby line is AMAZINNGG for excema!! The baby oil works wonders and everything we have is Pure, SAFE & beneficial!! You are right about not putting harsh ingredients on your son - what we put on our skin absorbs into our bodies! Arbonne is 100% botanically based! Check out the before & after pics on their website & email me if you want a free sample - www.theskinyourin.myarbonne.com

:)
A.

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M.D.

answers from New York on

My son is going thru the same thing right now. I find that certain foods exacerbate the irritation (oranges, tomato sauce, mac & cheese). I have been using lavendar oil at night & calendula gel during the day. It seems to improve alot especially first thing in the morning. But as the day progresses it comes back a bit. Stay away from baby oil. It has fragrance thats irritating & mineral oil isnt the greatest thing either.
I agree w/ Susan 100%. You need to find the root cause of the eczema. My son was treated for reflux by a chiropractor who specialized in chinese medicine. At the time my son had bad eczema on his right arm, & shoulders. These areas corresponded to problems in his large intestine. We then found out thru blood test that he is allergic to milk. He was on the homeopathic remedy sulphur for a few months & it worked. He still has dry itchy skin but has not has the bleeding, oozing breakouts.

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S.K.

answers from New York on

If you are truly concerned about what you use on your children's skin, I HIGHLY recommend Arbonne's baby products. They are botanically based, vegan, ph balanced and are extremely gentle. They also have many testimonials about how incredibly the products work for eczema. I, myself, used the Baby Oil on my daughter's eczema that she had on both hands.

The products can only be purchased through consultants, which is why I recommend www.ForTheCause.net. If you like what you hear, it is worth a $29 fee to become a consultant yourself to buy products at wholesale. Best of luck to you!

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T.R.

answers from New York on

Gold bond lotion worked well for my daughter.

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A.C.

answers from New York on

my sons excema has cleared up since i started giving him all raw milk products instead of pasturized/homogenized.
all the best!

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M.R.

answers from Syracuse on

Hi K., I had eczema as a child and so did my daughters. Horrible stuff. I found this new lotion made by Melaleuca called Renew! It is all natural and made w/tea tree oil. Check out this website to find out how to order it. www.livetotalwellness.com/mmr. I hope this helps you as it did my family.
M. R

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A.W.

answers from New York on

I wrote in about eczema a few months a go and I can't believe how many people respond trying to sell us lotions! Anyway, check his diet. I was so upset about my son's eczema that I brought him to a pediatric allergist and he tested positive for all dairy and eggs! I would have never figured it out on my own and once I eliminated it from our diet, his skin cleared up overnight!

C.O.

answers from New York on

K.,

I have 2 boys myself who also had issues with eczema here and there. I started to do a lot of research on products that are out there and what is available to us for our children. I found some scary information. For example the Breast Cancer Fund sent out a press release advising that many over the counter baby shampoos have an ingredient in them (big name products) called Dioxane which they are now saying is a known carcinogen, meaning cancer causing! Scary stuff.

Once I found Arbonne, who formulates products with ONLY botanicals which are pure, safe and beneficial for our bodies, I was hooked. Now ABC: Arbonne Baby Care is all I use on my kids. Even though my oldest is 6, that is all I use in his bath, on his skin. Once I made the switch all skin problems including itching and the eczema stopped completely.

Be sure to know what ingredients are. For example Lanolin is really just an animal by product, and therefore not really the safest for your skin. Mineral Oil is occlusive which means it suffocates the skin and doesn't actually treat anything.

I would love to share any knowledge I have if you are interested in learning more. You can contact me via mamasource or email.

You can visit my website below for more details.
www.christienne.myarbonne.com

Good Luck whatever you decide!

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O.S.

answers from New York on

K., I have been using the Aveeno Eczema Cream for my daughter it has been wonderful and very helpful when nothing else works. The only drawback is that it is very hard to find, I buy it at Target and/or Walgreens they don't display it where all the creams are they put it with all the anti itch creams and the over the counter cortizone, so when I see it I buy a lot of it. I love this lotion for my daughter's eczema it has helped her a lot and b/c it doesn't have steroids you can use it as often as you want. I highly recommend it. Hope this helps.

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