Seeking Advise on How to Cure My Sons Eczema Naturally

Updated on February 13, 2008
J.R. asks from Pottstown, PA
35 answers

I trying to find a way to treat my 4 year old sons eczema without having to use medications and/or over the counter creams. I have tried the lotions and all he does is scream and say they burn.

How do other moms with kids treat their eczema?

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M.G.

answers from York on

eczema can come from food allergies and/or enviromental like laundry detergent, etc. Try removing milk for a couple of days and see if that works. Also try using a dye free perfume free detergent but not at the same time so you know what works. I have twins with food allergies and chemical sensitivities and this worked for us...
M.

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E.M.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Does he drink milk? or use any other milk or dairy products? If so more that likely it is an allergy to the lactose.

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S.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

My daughter had eczema, she would scratch her back till it bled. I tried every cream/lotion/bathing method/allergist out there, and NOTHING worked. In despertion I then tried lanolin(like lansinoh, breast cream) and it worked immediately. It's very thick and sticky, so a little bit goes a long way.

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A.Z.

answers from Reading on

My husband has eczema and this cream is the only one that has done anything for him. http://www.londonfrogg.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=AllNat...
The woman behind this stuff is a SAHM. I don't remember which one it is though and the label is off his current supply, but if you email her I know she wiill be able to help you. Hope it helps!

1 mom found this helpful
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A.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

Hi J.,

I just read your request and honestly wanted to jump out of my chair. I am a WAHM for a wellness company that is KNOWN for their lotion. For many people it is the only thing that cured their eczema. Please contact me if you would like to find out more about the business and how to get the lotion. Good Luck,

A. M

1 mom found this helpful
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C.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

for my daughters eczema i have tried and loved straight shea butter it clears it up and she loves it she is three. I also if she gets a really bad outbreak give her an aveno oatmeal bath and use the shea butter. it also is very cheap i buy a half a pound for like 5 dollars.

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C.S.

answers from Philadelphia on

ARBONNE!!!! Use it, it is all natural and not that expensive. I don't sell it but I think some other mom's on here do and they can give you more info on it but take it from me, I am not trying to sell it to you personally but it DOES WORK and it is all natural your child won't smell like some strange cooking product when you put it on him.

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A.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

I know someone who said she used olive oil on her kids and it cleared them up... they too said the lotions burned and that's why she tried that.

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J.T.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Hi J.,
My husband uses seaweed. There is a local man here that makes it into a soap. Because we were curious, we asked our ped. if it was safe to use on our daughter should she ever develop it. He said it was.

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G.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

My pediatrician recommended Aquaphor (which is expensive) but is similar in consistency to vaseline. I would also look into what type of soap/wash you use...we use Aveeno baby wash (its made for sensitive skin).

Hope this helps!

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S.

answers from Philadelphia on

Hi J.,
Try Eucerne's Calming Lotion
or Aquaphor (it's made by the makers of Eucerine) It's really thick like A&D ointment. It works great.
My youngest daughter has really bad Eczema and that's what I use on her when she has a flare up. It doesn't burn and it helps with the itching. I don't really like to use the prescription cream that I got from the doctors office because it has steriods in it.

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L.B.

answers from Philadelphia on

J.,
My son had a problem with eczema a few months ago. I use Arbonne babycare products which also work for adult eczema and it cleared up within 2 weeks. If you would like to try the products email me and I will send them to you at no cost.

Thanks,
L.

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E.S.

answers from Philadelphia on

Arbonne. It's the best out there...I promise. The products are pure, safe and beneficial, are botanically based, and are vegan certified. They help the skin retain its moisture banlance.

Let me know if you would like to try free samples.

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L.D.

answers from Reading on

Hi J.. Im just responding to your concern about your son's eczema. I am a consultant with Arbonne and we have a cream which is all natural which people are having amazing results with. I can send you a sample so you can see how it works. Also if you would like more info on our opportunity since you are looking to be a wahm I can send you info on our co. The co has been around for almost 30yrs and allows you to stay home with your children and make your own hrs - you can visit www.arbonne.com and check it out and please let me know if I can be of any help my cell is ####-###-#### I live in the West Lawn area. Good luck. L. DeBlasi

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R.G.

answers from York on

J.,

I second the recommendations for Shea butter, Emu Oil and anything 100% pure and natural. You will never cure the eczema without knowing it's source, but the more natural product you use the better your chances of helping to sooth it and reduce outbreaks. I have had great success with the lotion that Aria speaks of, I buy from that company as well, but I really think natural is the way to go.

It may also help to understand that cause of the majority of eczema is believed to be rooted in food sensitivities, the largest culprits are casein from pasteurized milk products, including ingredients you find in packaged foods and gluten. That's not just agrivators, but root causes. The other predominant belief is that it comes from over sensitivity from chemicals in our environment. A good detoxification program might offer him the most relief.

Homeopathy is another route you can consider. There are two great products from Native Remedies that might provide some relief for your son.
<http://www.nativeremedies.com/tpp/clearskin-e-cream-smoot...;
<http://www.nativeremedies.com/tpp/skindr-cleanse-purify-b...;

Here's a great company for detoxification
<http://www.liddell.net/fordetoxifying.asp&gt;

Best of luck finding something that helps.

Blessings,
Rolinda
Wife, Mother, Friend

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J.B.

answers from Utica on

calendula is supposed to work really well. it made my daughters cradle cap disappear, and it has quite a few other uses. but from doing a google search, alot of people use it for eczema. it's totally natural, from marigolds...

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G.T.

answers from Philadelphia on

Hi J.!
My girlfriend's little boy has eczema and his doctor recommended she use extra virgin olive oil. The same stuff you buy at the supermarket to cook with. She did and it worked! He hasn't had a problem since. Hope it helps!

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L.N.

answers from Pittsburgh on

My daughter is 4 and has that too. I've noticed that if I wash her with the dove body wash, he skin is much smoother, and I used cocoa butter cream,(the thick stuff) on her bottom last night and she didn't say a word about it burning. She used to get horrible red/white patches all over her legs, butt, feet, but they seem to be less and less now.

I hope that works for you as well.

L.

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S.F.

answers from Philadelphia on

Hey J.,

My children have horrible eczema too. I use oatmeal bathes, which seem to help alot and I also use baby oil right after their bath even before you towel them off, this helps lock in the moisure. If it is really bad use should try giving a bath everyday as opposed to every other because it can help keep moisture in the skin. Try those things and see if they work. If you have anymore questions or you want to try and rack our brains for more please email me at ____@____.com

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C.G.

answers from Allentown on

I know this sounds crazy, but when daughter was a baby, she had patches of eczema and our dr. told us to use crisco (the kind you cook with on it) because it's a great moisturizer and it's safe to eat. We've great luck with it- cures her eczema quickly.
Good luck!

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M.G.

answers from Philadelphia on

My daughter is 4 and it turned out that her eczema was an allergic reaction. I think the Dr. said that eczema indicated allergies. We brought her to an allergist and were told to avoid egg and oat. Her skin is perfect now. While we were waiting for the eczema to clear up, we found that Lubriderm doesn't sting. We were also told to limit the baths to 2x/wk. We didn't like this idea, but she's clean and not itching! Hope this helps - good luck!

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C.Z.

answers from Philadelphia on

Hi J.,
My son is also 4 years old and has had eczema on and off since he was about age 1. we tried Eucerne and Aquaphor and they didn't work great. we were finally told to try using dove body lotion and wonder of wonders it worked! i found that if i used johnson and johnsons head to toe, he got the eczema back the next day! sun screen and really cold weather still bother him a little and we use 2 types of cream. the doctor prescribed Acid Mantle cream with a mix of hydrocorisone in it. I have since discovered that i can purchase the Acid Mantle cream without the hydrocortisone in it and it works really well. you ask for it at the pharmacy counter as it is expensive ($35 for a big tub). i have used it for myself and for my daughter (currently 9 months) and we have had great success with it. My daughter suffers too and we found that she can't even use the arbonne stuff as she gets a rash from it!

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D.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

Hi

Avon has this Skin So Soft Oil that works really well. My niece has eczema and this is all my sister uses on her. It comes in a big bottle and costs $9.99. Try it-I hope it works.

Good Luck!

D.

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V.B.

answers from York on

Hi, J.. We have not been able to cure our son's eczema, but it has gotten better over the years. He is now six and a half and has had it since he was a wee babe. Food allergies are definitely a trigger. Like other moms, I would recommend that you see an allergist. Plan on spending lots of money experimenting with creams and oils as well. Unfortunately we have not been able to find anything that my son is not allergic to that is natural and has worked, we're still using straight Vaseline, but there are some new things from responses to this email that we may well try, so thanks to all for sharing. We also have had to eliminate lots of bathing b/c he says the water burns. We do sponge baths and head washes regularly, and only rarely actually do a tub or shower. Cream immediately after washing each part.

Does your son scratch a lot? Teaching him some coping skills like using slow, deep breathing may be helpful. We really geared my son up for having to deal with his itchies himself in kindergarten. We used to send socks to use as gloves with him to preschool and he was allowed to sit on a chair rather than the carpet, as some carpet chemicals would set him off. Also you might want to try a double or yes,even a triple rinse cycle with his laundry. Detergent residue may be a contributing factor. There is a new blood test available for celiac, which is an intolerance to gluten, so you might want to ask your pediatrician or the allergist about that if you pursue food allergies. Good luck! There should be a support group for moms of kids with eczema. It can be very stressful! A great community resource is Sonnewald's Natural Foods store in the Stoverstown area. They were godsends in working with my son's allergies, etc. It is definitely worth a trip. Be sure to talk with the helpful staff there!

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M.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

Hi J.,
I used to be in your shoes! My daughter (who is now 6), had awful eczema when she was younger. It was just gross...oozy... yuck!
Anyway, I use Arbonne's baby care line of products. They are awesome...and herbal and botanically based! I fell so in love with these products and the results I saw in my daughter and myself (I had adult acne...ugh), so I became an Independent Consultant for the company.
So, i would definitely recommend the products, and I would encourage you to also look into Arbonne for a job where you can work from home. I love it...I work from home part time, making full time money, and I get to help others realize their dreams and benefit from these amazing products.
Feel free to message me. I would encourage you to check out the website- www.arbonne.com for more information. And let me know if you would like me to send you a free sample of the baby care line, I'd be happy to help you find something for your little guy...I know just how awful that can be! :(
Take care and good luck!
M.

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C.M.

answers from York on

After 5 years of my son having eczema and 9 years of my own eczema problem I have finally found the cure. Hydrocortisone cream has worked everytime and I have tried everything including the arbonne. After a year and a half of my son having a big red circle on his cheek I tried hydrocortisone and it worked right away and it doesn't burn at all. My son used to scream everytime I put any kind of cream on him that it burned but he never said a thing. I to am more into natural cures but I don't know of any that work so far I think the eczema is mor of a allergy then just dry skin because I have been trying all natural and very expensive creams and lotions for 5 years and nothing works I thought for sure the Burts bees products would help some because they did help my very dry skin but I tried several of theres also with no succces well I hope you'll try it you won't be sorry I promise.

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L.D.

answers from Philadelphia on

J.
I don't know much about eczema at all but when I saw that you were from the willow grove area, I thought of the store Nature's Harvest on Moreland Road. They can be helpful when looking for natural products.
L.

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S.L.

answers from Philadelphia on

my son had eczema when he was young the doctor told us to not use any bath product that has fragrance in it because eczema happens because the childs body dosent produce enough oils in there skin naturally the doc pretty much told us to reduce the amount of baths we gave him and after every bath and before bed time lather him up with vasoline aveno makes wonderful fragrance free bath products plus the good news is after the first year of doing bathtime and bed time this way his eczema cleared up and he has never had an outbreak again

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T.O.

answers from York on

My 6 year old has eczema and we actually have her on an antifungal cream from a dermatologist. I know it isn't fun taking kid to the doctor and having to use medications, but with eczema we didn't really have a choice, sometimes you don't, we took her and she was put on medicine that had a steroid in it and it wasn't helping..it was actually feeding fungus....due to the kids touching things that aren't exactly clean and touching their skin. now she is on an antifungal cream that we use 1 time a day when she has the spots. I recommend going to a dermatologist to make sure your son does not have a fungus in the eczema.

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J.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

My daughter has really bad eczema and I use Aquaphor on her every day after she takes a bath. Basically, I just douse her with the Aquaphor. It got worse before it got better but now it's better and the Aquaphor serves as a preventive measure so that the eczema isn't coming back.

E.A.

answers from Erie on

My dd had severe eczema up to the age of 4yo, it cleared up after that. We found she was allergic to a bunch of foods, mostly citrus fruits, as well as dairy, soy, msg,among other things...check his diet. We started with an elimination diet and went from there.

As far as topical treatments, every kid is different. try different products, find two or three that work and rotate them. These kids tend to become sensitive to products if they are used for long periods of time.

good luck. I hope your little guy grows out of it like my dd did.

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R.B.

answers from Philadelphia on

An obvious plan is to stay away from substances that cause reactions. Keep the skin as healthy as possible. When bathing, use soaps that are not harsh to the skin. Do not use any cortisone products that contain steroids. Steroid-bases products are known to have many side effects and should be avoided. Natural products containing herbs should be used.

Diet is very important. Some common foods known to contain allergens that can aggravate the body are daily products such as milk, cheese, ice cream, and yogurt. Eggs should be avoided. Crustacean meat should be greatly reduced or avoided altogether. Lobster, shrimp, squid, prawns, clams, oysters, and other crustaceans can cause allergic reactions. Salmon should also be avoided along with calcium supplements and color dyes, especially Yellow #5. Additional allergens are products containing NutraSweet. Mushrooms sometime cause reactions to eczema patients and should not be eaten. Hot,spicy foods can cause intestinal inflammation which can cause outbreaks of eczema.

These may work for you:

* Shea Butter Face & Body Lotion - for the treatment of eczema and dry skin..
* Eczema Salve - this eczema treatment salve contains Calendula to soothe irritated skin.
* Cocoa Butter Body Lotion - a moisturizing butter for dry, cracked skin.
* MSM Pain Relief Massage Cream - helps alleviate joint pain caused by severe eczema.

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M.D.

answers from York on

Running a cool mist humidifier in the Bedroom and also in the entire helps! My daughter has it and I have found that this works better most of the time then meds

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Y.L.

answers from Philadelphia on

Evening primrose oil is supposed to be good for that. You might need to talk to an herbalist for dosage though.

Y.

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L.S.

answers from Lancaster on

J.,

Try Emu Oil. I use it on my son for any sort of scrape or rash, so it is safe for kids. You only need one or two drops to really saturate an area. It is a thick oil, sort of waxy. It cleared my eczema up...and I had tried everything. You can buy it online. It is like $12 for 2 oz. but you only need a few drops, it lasts for a long time. Do some online research, and you will see that people use it as a natural treatment for many things.

As someone who works in, and is educated in the alternative health field, I have learned that there are many ways to handle eczema. Diet may play a role, and watch the kind of soaps, and laundry products you are using. Most commercial soaps and laundry products are FULL of irritating chemicals and fragrances. Alternative Medicine magazine has a good article this month about fragrance additives. (You can pick up a copy at Giant or a bookstore) or try www.alternativemedicine.com.

I applaud that you want to find a way to work and be at home with your family - just watch out...you will be inundated with 'direct marketing' salespeople trying to add you to their roster of home party consultants. If that is what you want and it makes you happy, great! Just be sure to find a company and product you REALLY believe in.

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