hi there
We've had a horrendous first year eczema wise, and you really do have my sympathy and empathy. It is utterly exhausting both from an emotional point of view seeing your little one covered from head to toe in itchyness but also the physical effort and uncertainty of whether what you are doing is helping or hindering.
But, over the past couple of months things have been improving for us. Our son has just turned one, and his skin is at the moment so much better, I've actually typed up this to give to our GP as an update for his medical notes. So here it is for you now:
For skin - everyday
Aveeno Oil for bath, Aveeno Cream, Dermol 500 lotion, (for washing), soft white paraffin
For skin - flare ups
Hydrocortisone 0.5%, Hydrocortisone 1.0%,Eumovate cream, Timodene(for flare ups in nappy area)
[like other posts, we've actually found being confident with use of the steroid creams has been most effective- even though its not a nice thought doing it]
Other
Neocate LCP formula [he has dairy and soya senstivity which manifested in all over eczema/ hives]
This is how we use the creams:
Washing - Daily Bath. Aveeno Oil in bath. Wash skin( and hair 1-2 times per week) with Dermol 500 lotion (dermol 500 helps control bacteria on the skin that excema prone people can sometimes struggle with apparently)
After evening bath- Use soft white paraffin on body, Aveeno cream on face. Cold pressed coconut oil on head (this has been fantastic in soothing his head).
In morning, and throughout day - Aveeno cream on face and body. Use of soft white paraffin as a balm to protect any chafed areas, and in creases (neck, armpits, backs of knees) if red. We also find it good as a protective balm for any areas we know rub, eg front of knees due to crawling.
We currently apply cream roughly at each nappy change - 3-4 times a day, more if skin is flared.
Other tips:
His environment:
Laundry - A big step forward has been the advice of the Colchester Hospital dermatology nurse who advised we wash everything on as hot a temperature as possible, using detergent. She said it needed to be 60 degrees whenever possible to
?get rid of any irritants such as dust or pollen
?to effectively wash out any remains of the lotions we've applied to his skin
We obviously cannot say for sure, but this seems to have made a huge difference to DS's skin. We are now ironing all his clothes/sheets etc. We think this also helps 'sterilise' the laundry.
Washing detergent -
We now use Persil non bio liquid which seems to cause no irritation to DS.
We have previously tried Surcare(made us all itchy) Fairy (Alex- rashy) and eco balls (didn't wash laundry well enough)
Skincare
? For days or nights where he scratches badly, we have found 'scratch sleeves' a god-send. These are like a little cardigan with scratch mitts built in - like 'un-get-off-able' scratch mitts! www.scratchsleeves.co.uk - we have three pairs so one could be worn, another washed, and another drying all at same time. They are well worth the money.
? We 'hug' him dry with a towel rather than even pat or rub him.
? We try to tumble dry his towel where possible as it makes them more soft to his skin. Tumble dryer balls (rather than fabric conditioner) help make the towels fluffy.
? We try to keep his skin as cool as possible. Use lightweight cotton layers. Cotton pram blankets etc etc.
? We line his car seat with a muslin square. We always take off his cardie/ coat in the car, as he gets very warm in the car seat.
? We only use cotton clothes. H&Ms sell a very reasonable range of short sleeved vest suits and long sleeved vest suits which are 50% organic cotton and very soft.
? Pyjama weight trousers are good for the house - Tesco's, Sainsbury's sell these.
? We use a cotton sheet or fleece blanket on the floor for him to play on, which can be washed regularly at 60 degrees.
? We did find the cold-pressed coconut oil more effective on his scalp than coconut oil, which is much lighter. But now his scalp is much clearer we use coconut oil more often.
? Nappy changes - we try to use cotton wool and water whenever possible for nappy changes. We also use some aveeno cream as a cleanser if needed on cotton wool. We've found the Boots 'Expert Senstive baby range' good for nappy wipes which do not upset his skin, for when we are out and about.
sorry this is very long, but if anyone finds this useful, I'll feel that I've at least had something positive come from the epxerience of endless docs, differing advice eetc!