itchy, itchy eczema! (part II) : by jean

I'm back!  Well, sort of.  I've been meaning to post and have all these things I want to write so I can remember for later, but there's NO time!

As Amy mentioned in her previous post, I too had another baby. (CRAZY!) Her name is Jordan, and she has had some mild eczema from about 3-4 months old.  It started to get a little bit worse so I had asked my doc for a prescription ointment.  Every time we went in for Jordan's check-up, her eczema was getting better so our doc told us to stick to OTC stuff.  I ended up trying out a bunch of different products, so I figured I would share!  But keep in mind, when it gets really bad, I think prescription hydrocortisone is really the best way to go.  Amy also mentions that here.

In the end, I finally called my doc for a prescription, and she finally ended up giving me one, but before she did, I was desperate and took some of my friend's kid's prescription. (shhhh!)

2 products to live by when you have eczema: Cerave Cream & Aquaphor.  (FYI Cerave is $12.50 at Costco- much cheaper than at your normal drugstore). This is more of a repeat to Amy's previous post but I can't emphasize how great this combo is.

Cerave & Aquaphor

Coconut Oil is one of the new products we've been trying. Too many people have raved and raved about it so I had to try.  I got a jar from Trader Joe's.  They also sell a huge jar at Costco for $15.  Make sure to get organic, unrefined/raw.

Trader Joe's Organic Coconut oil

I normally use Cerave, everyday as my face cream.  After I got coconut oil, I've been using that as my night cream.  At first, I have to admit it was a bit weird to smear it all over my face and smelling a bit like a pina colada.  But it makes my skin SOO soft. I've been using it also to remove makeup (the two times I've worn makeup), and using it on my cracked heels and cuticles.  These days Jordan does this itch dance as soon as I take her out of the bath so I slather coconut oil all over her since it starts absorbing right away and then put a layer of Cerave and then Aquaphor on bad patches.

I also came across Vanicream

Vanicream

Vaniply Ointment

and Vaniply Ointment ...didn't seem too much different from the usual Cerave & Aquaphor.  Vanicream def feels a little bit more greasy after you apply, I'm wondering because it doesn't absorb as quickly?  Vaniply Ointment seems like a good in-between if Aquaphor and Vaseline had a baby.  Its not as thick as Aquaphor but thicker than Vaseline. Because the thickness is in between, its very easy to apply.  The National Eczema Organization link is a great resource for anything eczema-related, especially for products.

My doc also suggested Sarna, which is a steroid free anti-itch lotion. To be honest, I don't think it works that well...Jordan still does the itch dance and scratches herself even after I apply. I don't know if it takes some times to settle in?  I've been using it sparingly here and there, just to test it out. Only if she can just tell me if it works or not...!

Sarna

I also read somewhere about Curel's Itch Defense lotion.

Curel's Itch Defense lotion

It says it is pediatrician-tested and good for babies 6 months and up...gentle enough to use on face, so I got it.  Again, similar to Sarna, not sure how well it's working but I do think sometimes it's nice to switch up products once in a while.  I still religiously use Cerave and Aquaphor but in between, I try out these other ones on areas like Jordan's legs where she doesn't show much eczema but still scratches.

And last, but not least...A&D!

A&D

I've only heard of using A&D for cuts and diaper rashes but when Jordan's eczema started to ooze, Amy recommending trying A&D.  Aquaphor is also great but I found A&D better for areas where her skin started to break and was oozing.

What are some other products you have used?  There's so much out there, would love to hear all about them!

itchy, itchy eczema! : by amy

'Tis the season for peppermint hot chocolate, Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown classics and...eczema.

The dry air that winter brings can be tough on baby's sensitive skin.  Logan always had very sensitive skin even even in the humid August air when he was first born.  Initially, we thought it was just newborn rash, which was partially true.  After months went by, a few stubborn patches just wouldn't fade away.  His eczema was very apparent on his face and eventually spread to the creases by his elbows and behind the knees.

Here are some things we used/did to help alleviate Logan's eczema:

1) Breathable, loose-fitting, soft cotton onesies and separates were the most comfortable for his skin. 

2)  The doctor said to avoid liquid soaps/shampoos since they dry out skin over bar soaps (even if they say they're for sensitive skin, which meant I couldn't use the bottles of California Baby and Mustela that I had gotten as gifts).  He recommended Dove Unscented moisturizing bar soap, which we still use to this day.

3) Don't bathe him too frequently.  Newborns don't really get dirty anyway.  So we bathed him 2-3 times a week and washed his bum with warm water when he had an extra nasty diaper.  Now, we bathe him 3-4x a week since he gets pretty gross at day care.

4) When you do bathe him, make sure the water isn't too warm and you don't keep him in the warm water for too long.  The warmer the water, the more it will dry out his skin.  I've become a pro at quick and efficient baths!

5) Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!  We moisturize Logan's face about 3x a day.  The morning and night regimen is as follows:

a) CeraVe

This stuff is the ish.  Before I discovered Cereve, we were using tons of Aquaphor and Eucerin, but it wasn't helping much.  My husband's co-worker recommended this, and it has been an absolute skin-saver.  According to the company website, it has the following special technology: The unique, patented Multivesicular Emulsion (MVE®) delivery technology in CeraVe Skincare products provides multiple layers of skin-nurturing and protective ingredients to the skin slowly over time.

So it slowly releases its "stuff" into the skin over time.  What is the "stuff"? 

• Ceramides, which help repair the skin barrier
• Hyaluronic acid, which attracts needed moisture
• Emollients, which moisturize & soften skin

This cream definitely feels different from other moisturizers.  I accidentally got some on my lips once and was amazed by how moist and soft my lips felt, even after wiping it off!  We were told not to purchase the lotion, but the CREAM.  After his bath, we dry him off and immediately slather the cream all over his face and body to lock in the moisture.  You can find CeraVe at most major drugstores, but just a heads up that one jar of this will cost you about $15-18, but it's totally worth it!  You can even use it yourself as face cream-- very gentle on skin like Cetaphil and not greasy at all.

b) Aquaphor

Who doesn't have Aquaphor in their medicine cabinet?  We went through tubes of this stuff in the beginning before we discovered CeraVe.  Logan also won't stop drooling (starting to worry that he'll be 18 and still drooling...) so I always have tubes of Aquaphor in every bag to protect his mouth area and chin.  We put on a thin layer (after the CeraVe) on specific eczema-problem areas where it's extra dry, and especially before we put on any...

c) Hydrocortisone

Prescription hydrocortisone.  This is the one that Logan's pediatrician prescribed.  I'm told that the 0.1% is very weak and completely safe for babies when used correctly.  We only use the hydrocortisone when it's REALLY bad, or if there is a very sudden flare-up.  The doctor says to first put down a layer of Aquaphor and then a very thin layer of the hydrocortisone, 2x a day.  Typically, when we use the hydrocortisone, we see results by the next day, so we don't use it consistently-- maybe only a few times a month. 


Before I ran out of it, I also used this lotion on eczema patches before the Aquaphor layer:

Neosporin Eczema Essentials

I wanted to give this a try, so I used it during the day time on his arms and legs (not after baths).  At first, I couldn't tell if this actually worked or if it was just my rigorous moisturizing regimen that was improving Logan's skin.  But after using it for a week, I did notice a difference, even without having to use Aquaphor as a top layer all of the time.  I've been meaning to buy more of this stuff for the winter.  Get a $3 off coupon here at Neosporin's website!

What helps your baby's eczema?