My poor kids and I have been lucky enough to have eczema. While all 3 of us have different symptoms and technically different types they all fall under the eczema umbrella. After seeing multiple dermatologists we eventually ended up at Seattle Children's dermatology for different issues but since I had a top pediatric dermatologist ear, I thought I'd get my questions in about eczema and diaper rash. She was amazing and spent 50% of the appointment talking with about eczema (which wasn't what we were even there for). After giving us a wealth of knowledge I thought I would pass it on. Please remember to consult your doctor before making medical changes.
Moisturizer
This was the #1 thing she said to do morning noon and night. She said ointments or thick creams will work better for the skins over lotions. They actually suggested using Aquaphor or Vaseline ointments or CeraVe and Avene creams as our everyday moisturizer. We have had good luck with the Avene cream on Monroe's face and diaper area as well then use CeraVe and Aquaphor on the rest of their bodies.
Unfortunately for us regular creams and ointments don't do the trick so if this is the case your child’s doctor may prescribe steroid ointment or cream (cortisone). This will help with itching, redness and swelling. Cortisone treatment is safe if it is not used too much. It can cause problems if it is overused, so it is very important to follow the instructions and guidelines your doctor gives you. For us they said to use it for 2 weeks take 2 weeks off and start again.
This was the #1 thing she said to do morning noon and night. She said ointments or thick creams will work better for the skins over lotions. They actually suggested using Aquaphor or Vaseline ointments or CeraVe and Avene creams as our everyday moisturizer. We have had good luck with the Avene cream on Monroe's face and diaper area as well then use CeraVe and Aquaphor on the rest of their bodies.
Unfortunately for us regular creams and ointments don't do the trick so if this is the case your child’s doctor may prescribe steroid ointment or cream (cortisone). This will help with itching, redness and swelling. Cortisone treatment is safe if it is not used too much. It can cause problems if it is overused, so it is very important to follow the instructions and guidelines your doctor gives you. For us they said to use it for 2 weeks take 2 weeks off and start again.
Soaps
It is important to avoid using harsh soaps and detergents for kids with sensitive skin. They suggested bathing our kids in a lukewarm bath and only soaping them up every 2 to 3 days. For Monroe since her skin is so bad they recommend just using soap in the area that her diaper sits and doing it at the end of the bath. They suggest using Aveeno or cetaphil gentle cleansing soaps, but we have made the switch a unscented goat milk soap and are really liking that.
Also if you can try and switch to fragrant free natural detergents and remember to moisturize after baths!!
It is important to avoid using harsh soaps and detergents for kids with sensitive skin. They suggested bathing our kids in a lukewarm bath and only soaping them up every 2 to 3 days. For Monroe since her skin is so bad they recommend just using soap in the area that her diaper sits and doing it at the end of the bath. They suggest using Aveeno or cetaphil gentle cleansing soaps, but we have made the switch a unscented goat milk soap and are really liking that.
Also if you can try and switch to fragrant free natural detergents and remember to moisturize after baths!!
Other Suggestions
Have your child try to avoid scratching their skin, scratching obviously makes the rash worse. So keeping your kids in footed pjs as long as possible. Sometimes the kids flare-ups get so bad and itchy that we give them oral medicine such as Benadryl. But just a reminder that these medicines can make some kids hyper, so we tried them first during the day to make sure they didn't have this reaction. Please remember to check with your child’s healthcare provider first before giving any type of antihistamine to your child.
Sunscreens- They recommend using a zinc sunscreen with no fragrance Aveeno Natural Protection Lotion Sunscreen and Avene Mineral Light Hydrating Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 are great ones that were recommended to us.
Lastly they suggested running a humidifier all winter long in their bedrooms and even in the house if we can to keep their skin from drying out. So our house basically looks like a nightclub from all the "smoke" coming for our 5 humidifiers around the house.
Have your child try to avoid scratching their skin, scratching obviously makes the rash worse. So keeping your kids in footed pjs as long as possible. Sometimes the kids flare-ups get so bad and itchy that we give them oral medicine such as Benadryl. But just a reminder that these medicines can make some kids hyper, so we tried them first during the day to make sure they didn't have this reaction. Please remember to check with your child’s healthcare provider first before giving any type of antihistamine to your child.
Sunscreens- They recommend using a zinc sunscreen with no fragrance Aveeno Natural Protection Lotion Sunscreen and Avene Mineral Light Hydrating Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 are great ones that were recommended to us.
Lastly they suggested running a humidifier all winter long in their bedrooms and even in the house if we can to keep their skin from drying out. So our house basically looks like a nightclub from all the "smoke" coming for our 5 humidifiers around the house.
Diaper Rash-
Monroe's diaper rash will get so bad it will crack and bleed, it is simply terrible. So what we have found to work is keeping her diaper dry as possible. We use honest company diapers when she does have a flare-up we don't use any wipes we just wash her off in the bathtub and pat her dry. The biggest thing is a barrier cream so the dermatologist hands down recommended triple paste and calmoseptine.
We have found great luck with calmoseptine we have yet to try triple paste, but it is in my cart on amazon. For this reason I might try and test out potty training a bit earlier than I did with Leo. The sooner I can get her out of diapers the quicker the rash will disappear.
This wasn't the most exciting blog post but for those of you who struggle with dry skin or eczema I hope some of these tips were helpful. My eczema now is between my fingers which the dermatologist says often happens in adulthood. I try and use the same ointments as the kids. It has been a learning curve for us and hopefully as the years progress we will get better at managing it.
Off to Seattle today for Frozen the musical with Leo. I am so excited for our little "date" night in Seattle. It'll be so fun (and easy) to spend time with just one kid.
Cheers,
Jess
Monroe's diaper rash will get so bad it will crack and bleed, it is simply terrible. So what we have found to work is keeping her diaper dry as possible. We use honest company diapers when she does have a flare-up we don't use any wipes we just wash her off in the bathtub and pat her dry. The biggest thing is a barrier cream so the dermatologist hands down recommended triple paste and calmoseptine.
We have found great luck with calmoseptine we have yet to try triple paste, but it is in my cart on amazon. For this reason I might try and test out potty training a bit earlier than I did with Leo. The sooner I can get her out of diapers the quicker the rash will disappear.
This wasn't the most exciting blog post but for those of you who struggle with dry skin or eczema I hope some of these tips were helpful. My eczema now is between my fingers which the dermatologist says often happens in adulthood. I try and use the same ointments as the kids. It has been a learning curve for us and hopefully as the years progress we will get better at managing it.
Off to Seattle today for Frozen the musical with Leo. I am so excited for our little "date" night in Seattle. It'll be so fun (and easy) to spend time with just one kid.
Cheers,
Jess