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Highlights about treating eczema and dry skin:

• Only use Aquaphor, Eucerin, CeraVe, Cetaphil, or Vanicream FROM A TUB

• For dry hands or feet, apply lotion then sleep with cotton gloves.

• Any product with natural ingredients can cause allergy development

• Moisturize 2-3 times a day and ESPECIALLY within 3 minutes after bathing (“soak and seal”)

• Take short, lukewarm baths when bathing is needed.

• OK to apply Hydrocortisone 1% sparingly on rashy spots twice a day until rash resolved (or your prescription steroid cream). Apply the tub moisturizer AFTER the steroid/prescription.

• You never need to exfoliate skin or lips

• Chapstick, vaseline or the tub moisturizers are the best thing for moisturize lips

I have a touch of very aggressive eczema on my hands. Now that I have Cohen, eczema is really common in babies and I was bound and determined to find the “perfect” solution for this painful skin problem. I had seen so many ads for trendy baby skincare and wanted to figure out if they were really recommended or worth the big bucks.

Eczema is also known as “Atopic Dermatitis.” What triggers eczema (in general, and flares) is still unknown. Rarely it can be related to food allergies in infants, such as a sensitivity to milk. In the majority of cases, there are no allergic or dietary triggers.

Eczema can be treated with prescription steroid cream or ointment, but over time steroids thin the skin and can make new problems. The best treatment is prevention and the best way to prevent eczema is to keep your skin (or your baby’s skin) VERY moisturized. This includes a full slather-down of lotion TWICE A DAY and within 3 minutes after EVERY bath/shower. The lotion you need to use should come from a TUB (nothing from a pump bottle because if the lotion is thin enough to be pumped it has been treated with alcohol to thin it and because it’s lightweight it will evaporate and not help).

The market of products to treat and prevent eczema is a billion dollar industry. I spoke to Dr Zaba, a practicing physician specializing in dermatology at Stanford, and I have to admit- I was a bit depressed with her answers. She said that if you are trying to prevent eczema, you should avoid any product that contains antigens. What is an antigen? All of the wonderful smelling, fun ingredients such as coconut oil, beeswax, olive oil, lavender, eucalyptus, etc. She only recommends Aquaphor, Eucerin, CeraVe or Cetaphil, or Vanicream in a tub. (note as above: TUB is important as well).

It makes sense… because you need to moisturize so often, you don’t want to expose yourself or your kiddos to anything frequently that they can become allergic to. This is why many people will rave about a product and then a few people with eczema will write in with a one star review stating that the product made their rash/eczema worse. It is because they have exposed themselves to that antigen frequently and developed an allergy.

As Dr Kari Nadeau (Author of The End of Food Allergies) says, “Through the Skin, Allergies Begin. Through the Diet, Allergies Stay Quiet.”

Dr Zaba said if you are managing skin conditions such as eczema, you should only bathe your child only 2-3 times a week as necessary. Avoid super warm water and be sure to moisturize after. If they have any rash or eczema, no bath additives such as tub tints or bubble bath. If their skin is intact (no rashes), it’s OK to use ONE bath additive (California Baby Bubble Bath is a favorite).

Another questionable issue is probiotics, as they MAY help prevent eczema. Dr Nadeau recommends fermented foods like sauerkraut and kefir.
Do your best to decrease stress to reduce the chances of flare-ups.

A note about lips: Carmex is addicting and actually dries out lips. Menthol (mint) is also drying. The best products to use are Aquaphor or plain old chapstick! if you want to go a more natural route, you can use any other lip balm, but just know you can develop an allergy to the ingredients over time.