Eczema Remedies

Hi loves! Eczema Remedies is one of the most highly requested topics from you all. Unfortunately, many mother’s have babies and toddlers that are dealing with the hard reality of this skin condition, including myself. Eczema is also known as atopic dermatitis – atopic refers to conditions of the skin that is overly sensitive due to allergens in the environment. These allergens include pollens, molds, dust, animal dander, certain foods and more. Dermatitis means that the skin is inflamed and/or red and sore.

I know I took longer than expected to bring this topic to light on the blog, but it is only because I wanted to be sure of the treatments, products and remedies I’ve been using. Now that I am confident in my own routine with Miraj, I am sharing everything with you.

To read about the signs and symptons of atopic dermatitis, eczema and infantile eczema, click here.

My Story with Eczema

Both of my children, Surah and Miraj were born with eczema. Surah’s was concentrated more on her cheeks and it subsiding after only 3 months. However, Miraj’s eczema was more severe and is till this day, he still suffers from flare ups. Eczema was an unknown territory for me – no one in my family had a history of this. Naturally, I brought it up to his pediatrician’s attention a couple of times in Los Angeles, she didn’t take it too serious and just kept advising me the same thing –

1. Always moisturize using Aquaphor’s Advanced Therapy
2. Not let him scratch himself as it would flare up
3. Reduce his baths.

I assumed she was telling me the “correct and only method” of treatment and remedy. Instead of questioning her,  I began doubting myself; maybe I am doing something wrong at home – there were even nights that I cried thinking I am such a bad mother that I can not help alleviate my son’s pain and discomfort. Miraj would scratch all night long and it affected his sleep majorly, and hence my sleep. But of course, we mother’s think more of our children than ourselves.

I had to always dress him up in footed onesies so he cannot reach his skin to scratch and hurt himself. I cannot forget that one morning I woke up to see blood on his sheets and his face because he had scratched so hard in his sleep that his ripped his skin open and it bled. I took him to the emergency and the doctor there gave him a high dose of steroid to help alleviate him (temporarily) and advised the same thing as his pediatrician.

That was it for me – I had to find new ways on my own. I stopped believing in the pediatrician’s advise – I had to solve this on my own if no one else seems to know of alternative products and methods.

Finding a Solution

I shut my mom guilt trips and turned into protective  mama bear real fast. I wasn’t going to accept what someone else (no matter what title they hold or no matter what education they have) tell me there is nothing more I can do for my son. I began researching, talking to other moms, spoke to brands that developed products for treating baby’s sensitive skin, and began reaching out to Canadian doctors.

This research and my journey to finding a solution on my own led to the routine I currently developed for Miraj to help alleviate his pain, urge to scratch, manage and heal his flare ups. And today I want to share with you that I have tried many many methods and many many products, but the ones that I will share with you today are the ones that I truly believe topped it all.

Management, Treatment and Healing of Eczema

Management:

1. Keep nails short
2. Bathe every other day for short periods of time
3. Moisturized 6 times a day(Tip:it was easier to remember to moisturize at every diaper change)Do NOT use Aquaphor AND keep him/her in a footed onesie if the weather is warm/hot. It is better in a colder climate but it is more irritating in a hotter/warmer climate. Instead moisturize them enough and keep them in really light weight but covered clothing such as a onesie made of muslin cloth – keep their bodies cool yet covered in a warmer climate.
4. Try to dress them in 100% cotton clothing and any blankets, bibs and burp clothes also need to be 100% cotton
5. Wash all new items before it comes near their skin – including clothing, blankets, burp cloths, bibs, and toys, especially teething toys. Anything synthetic or foreign chemicals can causes flare ups and exacerbate their skin
6. Reduce exposure to environmental allergens
7. Be aware of the clothing you are wearing or anyone taking care of them such as dad, grandparents, family or friends and even the nanny/babysitter – let them know of their skin condition and if you child rests their head or face on their shoulder, they will either be irritated if their shirt it contaminated with synthetics or chemicals or even daily germs  or if the material is not baby friendly (i.e. sequence), the baby/toddler will begin scratching their face against that fabric and it only exacerbates their condition. So ALWAYS use a burp cloth or their own approved blanket over the shoulder of the person holding the child.
8. Avoid public pools with chlorine- instead find a pool near you that has salted water if you must go swimming. Chlorine is a harsh chemical for this vulnerable skin condition.
9. Only use quality baby products, choose especially from brands that specialize in sensitive skin or baby’s skin.- Prioritize products that are chemical free, dye free, USDA approved organic, vegan, etc.
10. Always use sunscreen when outdoors
11. Be sure your child is drinking plenty of water – it helps with keeping the skin moist
12. Cut out gluten, dairy and stick to a highly alkaline diet – this helps with the inflammation in the body (This was advised by Jilliene Andrews of Emerald and Herb).

Treatment and Healing

1. Over the counter Cortisone :
   cortisone is commonly used as treatment – also known as Topical Corticosteroids, it is a cream or ointment that medicates this skin condition – it’s often applied directly to the affected area twice a day. Depending on the severity of your child’s eczema, this may be the only thing you need. In my case, this helped minimally and temporarily – the “treatment” warded off real quick. And I was not looking for a temporary band-aid fix – I needed a long term treatment

2. Prescribed Ointments:
   Miraj’s Canadian pediatrician is by far my favorite pediatrician of all-time. She is such a hands-on doctor, the kids love her and she is always on high-demand. Even if her wait time is sometimes 2 hours long, parents from all over do not mind and do not bother to go to another doctor because I bet most of her patients feel SHE IS WORTH THE WAIT! Finding a good pediatrician is so difficult – many mothers I’ve spoke to feel the same so when you find one, you hold onto them for good. The moment his Canadian pediatrician saw Miraj’s skin, she quickly held him close to her heart and patting his hair and also looking at his skin and trying to diagnose him. She immediately told me to STOP with Aquaphor and the footed onesies. She prescribed Cortoderm 1% (a prescribed Hydrocortisone ointment)   for the face and neck and a Betaderm Ointment 0.05%  for the body. I applied these ointments three times a day as needed. So for days that flare ups occurred – especially when the eczema was severe – this really helped calm and heal his skin to a manageable level. If you need something immediately effective, these two ointments are your go to – but not over the counter – rather prescribed.

3. Prescribed Syrup:
   The same Canadian pediatrician immediately prescribed Hydroxyzine HCL 2MG – she emphasized that I need to start both the prescribed ointments and syrup together to alleviate his condition right away for the next two to three weeks – which I did and his skin condition immediately improved and became more manageable. His urge to scratch reduced significantly and we began putting him in shorts and t-shirts for the first time without worrying he will scratch his skin off. We gave him the syrup  3 1/4 ml 3 times daily when needed for 4 weeks.

4. CBD Salve :
   I came across Emerald and Herb on Instagram. I read about how their company offers CBD products that only have natural and certified organic ingredients. By now you know I am in alignment with everything natural and organic – so it goes without saying that it caught my attention – and what’s better is that they use HERBS. An area of personal interest for me! The founders have researched with top healers from around the world to develop products and recipes that have clean ingredients including healing herbs, and steam distilled, therapeutic grade and certified organic essential oils. By infusing healing herbs with plant-based oils, they optimize their medicinal value and enhance the Cannabidoil (CBD). I had to get my hands on this salve so as soon as I did, I began using it on Miraj right away – some of you may remember I shared this on Instagram Story and that is when I got an overwhelming response about this topic. And here is my honest review: THIS STUFF WORKS!!I saw a difference within only a few days and I used it for 2 weeks straight – Milad even noticed it right away and as parents going through so many trial and errors with our son’s skin condition, we finally were feeling better about his skin and that we are on the right path to treatment and healing.

5. CBD Oil :
   This relieving oil is from the same company – Emerald and Herb. When I spoke to Jilliene Andrews from Emerald and Herb, she suggested I use the oil and salve topically and I can also drop in 3-5 droppers full in  my son’s bath. (Side note: just be very careful because it can get slippery in the bath so keep an eye out or use a gripped bath math inside the tub). I use both the salve and oil as a combination, although you can use it separately but I’ve used it together and it has amazing healing capabilities. What’s unique about Emerald and Herb is that they take their herbs and infuse their oils on low temp for 30 days. The oil is then strained and used in their body oils and their salve recipes. So you are getting the healing benefits from all the herbs, oils and the CBD combined.

6. Healing Balms:
   I’ve also used The Honest Co.’s organic healing balm and this works very well to seal moisture in his skin – this ointment is specifically formulated for dry, chafed or sensitive skin.

So there you have it. I’ve tried a lot of products the market has to offer – but out of all of them, the 6 products above have effectively helped manage, treat and heal Miraj’s eczema. I use all the 6 above in our current routine.

Except in the past few months, I’ve completely stopped with the over the counter cortisone  because the effect was less than the prescribed. Although I still recommend it for those of you whose children’s eczema is not as severe as Miraj’s. And don’t forget to moisturize A LOT,  I always moisturize him daily either using the balm, the salve, or the oil. I use the prescribed steroids and syrup on a as-needed basis.

I pray no mother ever feels what I felt – hopeless for a short while until I took matters in my own hands. I have a lot of respect for our American and Canadian doctors – they have one of the toughest and most valued titles in our society. They are savers of many lives. But on the flip side, we mother’s can also be healers, it doesn’t limit us in doing our own due diligence for the sake of our child because each child is different and unique. It’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of a life. Sometimes we need to find the glove that fits our child instead of putting our entire trust in thinking only the doctor has that ability. You will be amazed at what small or big thing you can achieve. For me, finding the “correct” and “effective” method of treatment to alleviate my son’s health was a big achievement for our family.

Happy Eczema Treating! 

For more motherhood, lifestyle and inspirational topics, follow @sadiisohrab on Instagram

Disclaimer: Please first consult with your health care professional about your child’s eczema   – these are opinions and methods I’ve learned through trial and error and through my personal research.