The plan was to wait until Eczema Awareness Month, in November, to talk about this. BUT now is as good a time as any to get prepared and stay prepared for the dry Winter months. In this post you'll get tips to manage flare ups on baby's skin or how I managed at least.
In another blog post, I shared about pregnancy surprises but then there are also surprises way after the 4th Trimester (Quarter or Quartmester if we’re literally speaking haha). Like surprise - your baby has eczema! Have no fear mama - this is quite common in babies nowadays and can be managed with a combination of home care products and or prescription medication. (Although I’m sharing what products have worked for me, always consult with your child’s healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and a treatment plan).
What is Eczema?
Eczema is (as you would have found out) a skin condition that may result in irritation, itchy skin, scaly skin, red or lightened patches (depending on skin tone) etc.
In order to manage eczema, the dry and inflamed skin needs to be soothed and moisturized.
3 Step Plan for Managing Baby Eczema
1. Daily bath of no more than 15 minutes using a gentle paraben free formula with as little fragrance and irritants as possible.
2. Dry areas prone to moisture and sweating and pat dry or air dry areas prone to dryness and apply vaseline to the dry areas. Vaseline is great for locking in moisture and helping to heal dry skin. It's also good to use on baby's face. While regular use of vaseline, on the face, would cause an adult face to breakout it doesn't do the same for babies.
3. For stubborn excema that does not get better with the above two step moisture lock, I used prescription medication and applied according to the directions.
Products I Used for Baby Eczema
1. Aveeno Baby Eczema Care line of products. These work because they contain colloidal oats and other herbs that have soothing properties.
2. Cetaphil Baby Eczema line of products
3. (Diluted) Dr. Bonners Baby Castille Soap
4. Live Clean Baby line of products
5. Vaseline (as mentioned above) to lock in moisture.
For cold and wintry countries that rely on heat be sure to make sure that there is enough humidity in the air to prevent babies skin from drying out. A vaporizer or humidifier is useful to ensure that there is enough moisture in your home or baby's room.
For a list of other products recommended by the Excema Society of Canada visit: https://eczemahelp.ca/seal-products
