So, taking a sidestep with this sun skin care stuff. Let's tackle another skin woe that affects many, many kids: eczema. I had it a bit after giving birth, and my kiddo had it when she was a baby. I was not surprised, as we are a family with loads of allergies and that is one of the main commonalities with this skin issue -- most kids (and adults) with eczema also have allergies or asthma.
I've talked with many moms who also have a child with this tricky (not contagious) skin condition. Having gone through it, I know you can get a gazillion different thoughts, bits of advice, and treatment options. Always, talk with your pediatrician about this kind of thing, but here's some good basics to know:
-- Avoid dry skin. So hard to do in the wintertime with heat and in the summer time when that sunscreen (though great for protecting your little ones) dries out the skin. Moisturize every night with an all-natural lotion.
-- Avoid hot, soapy baths. Lukewarm is great, but not too hot. And the soap, well see the next hint.
-- Avoid soap. It irritates the areas that are prone to flare-ups. Instead, choose a moisturizing soap. We love Cetaphil and have used it since my kiddo was a little babe.
-- Keep fingernails short. Especially if your wee one is prone to itching, keeping nails short means less damage, as well as less risk to breaking the skin and transferring germs, which can cause an infection.
-- Use a sensitive skin detergent. You would be surprised how much this helps. We use Tide Free, but there are many others on the market. When they are wearing clothes with perfumes or harsh chemicals for many hours a day, it can cause an allergic reaction, which can cause flare-ups.
What should you do when your child has a flare-up? If it is mild, you can treat it with a basic over the counter 1% hydrocortisone cream. If it is worse than that, has some oozing, your doctor may prescribe a higher dose. Again, check with your doctor on any treatment regimen.
Have you had to deal with eczema? Share your tips on keeping kids itch-free!
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I haven't had to deal with it, but I have friends whose babies had it while they were nursing and cutting dairy out of the mom's diet helped alot.... I don't know if that holds true for older kids who are taking in dairy on their own, not through breastmilk.
DS has horribly sensitive skin so I'm always careful what type of soaps and stuff I use for him.
I love that lotion, I use it on my legs after I shave and it's the only thing that keeps them from itching. Their chamomile lotion is really good too.
Quoting PoehlerBear1983:
Goldbond ultimate healing lotion is what worked best for my son
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- HeatherNYC
on Apr. 25, 2012 at 12:00 AM