Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think there must be SOME cream that works on dry itchy toddler skin !

141 replies

CheshireDing · 04/09/2013 21:38

PFB is 20 months and had lovely skin until she got Chicken Pox in May, since then her ankles, wrists and elbows are just a mess :(

She has been to the walk-in centre and the GP and has various vaseline type creams, a steroid (but we can only use that sparingly) and the GP gave her E45 (which did nothing).

Tonight she has been trying to get to sleep but scratching and saying "ankles, elbows, sore, more cream, a little bit". I feel really sorry for her but am also losing my mind over the scratching too and the lack of GP help. He just said it's eczema and she will grow out of it.

I honestly cannot believe there is not SOMETHING out there that actually works, surely she (and I) don't have to put up with this until God knows when?

If DC2 wasn't due in December I would seriously be on the wine :(

OP posts:
MrsSheepiness · 04/09/2013 22:08

Cetraban (prescription) works best for our DD's we tried pretty much all of the other emollients and this was the only one that worked for us.

tinypolkadot · 04/09/2013 22:09

Try dream cream from Lush, honestly it's amazing. Check out the reviews on their website (parents have used it with children too). I had a bad attack of eczema a couple of weeks ago, I'm pregnant and needed something mild. I tried aveeno which didn't work for me, emollient cream etc.

With dream cream it started to ease within a day and totally calmed down by the third day. No sign of it anywhere now. It's a little bit in the pricey side but worth it.

tinypolkadot · 04/09/2013 22:10

Oops x post! Smile

Grittzio · 04/09/2013 22:11

We use Aveeno and double base, and both on prescription. Double base twice a day and my DD now has showers, we rub the Aveeno all over her and give a quick rinse, has been much better.

poppycock6 · 04/09/2013 22:15

My DD is the same. We've tried all the creams but the one which works best for us is Hydromol and when it's really bad we use Actifast bandages on top which keeps the emollient on and stops her from scratching. Viscopaste wet wrapping also helps when it's bad. DD also had antihistamine daily. Hope things improve soon x

Original poster
CheshireDing · 04/09/2013 22:16

Wow thank you everyone ! :)

I am going to write down EVERY SINGLE suggestion and work my way through them.

Also might try the GP for the prescription for "myself" as I am pregnant of the Aveeno.

Liking the Coconut Oil idea too as she was always smell like we are on holiday then Grin

We have a friend in Australia so am going to get him to send me the Aussie cream suggestion and I will look at Lush too.

As somebody said some of them only seem to work for a bit (I did wonder if that was my imagination at one point as her skin had improved a little but back to square one now).

Feeling a bit more positive now thank you :)

OP posts:
littlemisssarcastic · 04/09/2013 22:18

DS had eczema, and if he was as uncomfortable as your DD, I used the steroid cream.
It's not right that your DD can't sleep for the itching, and I'd be making another appt first thing in the morning at GP's, and even asking for a second opinion if need be.

There are many treatments for eczema. It's very much trial and error though I'm afraid.

Really hope your DD manages to get some sleep, and you find something that works really really soon.

FourGates · 04/09/2013 22:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CookiecutterShark · 04/09/2013 22:20

I used to use eumovate and eumobase (now called eumocream) on my hands when my eczema flared up. I think eumovate is steroid based so no good for babies, but the eumocream is excellent. It doesn't exactly moisturise the skin (doublebase or similar will do that) but it immediately takes away the itch. Could be useful for bedtime, just to let her get to sleep. If it helps I used to scratch and scratch until it bled between my fingers, the cream helped loads and then I kind of just grew out of it - there is definitely hope!

Jinsei · 04/09/2013 22:24

I found that we had to change creams every now and then, as they would work for a while and then stop. Aveeno was probably the best one we tried, and we were able to get it on prescription. Oilatum made dd's skin much worse.

The best thing I tried, though, was a tip from MN, and it worked a treat! Porridge oats in the bath!! Put them in the end of an old pair of tights, and squeeze! DD's skin is way better now than it used to be, and we don't have to use creams on a regular basis, but I still give her a porridge bath from time to time if her skin looks a bit dry.

Wearehamandcheese · 04/09/2013 22:26

A'kin replenishing body moist. You may need a steroid cream to clear up the really sore bits but this cream has the. A miracle got us. It's really easily absorbed, doesn't sit on the skin like the thick emollients which make it 50 times worse

It's expensive but out of over ten different creams we have tried this is the one that has worked. It's available online just google it.

nickelbabe · 04/09/2013 22:27

coconut oil - get the pure stuff from a health shop
youcan't get one on prescription.

we've also found a cream will work for a while then just stop.

DoItTooJulia · 04/09/2013 22:27

Your Aussie friend needs to look in independent pharmacies for you. My sister gets it for me in the most unlikely local chemist! They do quite a range, but the best one I have used is the dry skin one...but I am slowly working my way through the range! I will try and find a link for you.

Good luck OP.

peanutMD · 04/09/2013 22:30

google "gamrie goat"

The lady Hand makes everything in Aberdeen using natural products abs her goats' milk :)

My son and I have awful bowts of Eczema and the Goats milk face cream is amazing!

The soaps are also great fir sensitive skin and so creamy.

EssieEttie · 04/09/2013 22:30

Oh, poor thing. You and your daughter have my utmost sympathy. My son is covered from head to toe with eczema and the constant scratching drives him (and us) to distraction. We have had everything under the sun prescribed, but the staple regime seems to be a steroid to control the flare and an emollient to keep the skin hydrated as others have suggested.

We have (reluctantly) been using steroid cream on his skin (including the face) for the last 7 months (he is now 9 months) so maybe chat to your GP about using it for longer if you feel the flare hasn't been brought under control in the standard 7 days. We weren't helped much by our GP sadly, it was only on referral to the hospital that we began to get anywhere. Some practices may have a GP with an interest in dermatology though, fingers crossed there's one at yours!

We currently bathe him (quickly) in luke-warm water using Epaderm cream as a soap substitute, and use something called '50:50' to moisturise as well as applying steroid twice a day.

Ps. A pharmacist once told me not to use E45 on itchy skin conditions as it contains lanolin which causes itchiness! Ridiculous!

epic78 · 04/09/2013 22:32

Aveeno or doublebase although doublebase is dead greasy.

epic78 · 04/09/2013 22:32

Cetreben ok too.

Kewcumber · 04/09/2013 22:33

wash are you using to wash her?

Make sure it is laureth suplhate free.

I used Liz Earle body wash on DS and it worked a treat, hardly any extra cream needed after a little while

MrTumblesSpottyBum · 04/09/2013 22:33

I don't think I've seen these mentioned yet, but Scratch Sleeves really helped alot too.

MrsSchadenfreude · 04/09/2013 22:36

La Roche Posay Lipikar cream. I also use Anthisan bite cream on my and DD1's eczema. It stops the itching instantly. You are not supposed to use it on eczema - I said to my doctor, that unless he could give me a very good reason not to do so, I would carry on. He said there was no harm it could do, but it was seen as treating the symptoms and not the cause.

Original poster
CheshireDing · 04/09/2013 22:37

Do you think she has a shower too often? She has 1 in the morning and 1 at bedtime (or a bath is she has been swimming).

The shower is really quick - I reckon less than 2 minutes but she is a hot little thing and as she has a nappy full of wee in the mornings I couldn't imagine not showering her then. At bedtime it's because she has been busy running around and all sweaty from nursery. We do use a very basic eco gentle shower gel on her (because of the scratching) and it's not all over her body just ankles, elbows, wrists.

The rest of her skin is lovely again now, except for the Chicken Pox dents

OP posts:
Bakingtins · 04/09/2013 22:38

Another vote for Aveeno cream and Oilatum in the bath.

ClimbingPenguin · 04/09/2013 22:41

Piriton for the itching and you can use steroid more than most GPs say. Really though keep going back to GO, find a registra as they are up to date or get a referral to a local clinic. Just keep going back until you get something you are happy with.

We shower using one if the creams, very infrequently but some people say regular baths are good as you can puts loads of moisture back in?

EssieEttie · 04/09/2013 22:45

We have been advised by several dermatologists at the hospital to bathe (in our case) daily, but to use an emollient as a soap substitute and to keep it quick and cool-ish (not hot anyway.) Moisturising immediately afterwards is also key. Hope you find something that works soon.

adagio · 04/09/2013 22:49

My LO is smaller than yours (8months) but as with many posters, alternating creams and putting it on really often - i.e. 10+times a day is the way forward.

I use a really cheap one called Emollient 50 at the moment - it's basically slightly runnier vaseline. I like it because its cheap, easy to apply, and due to the slip factor makes scratching have less impact (she can't get a grip very easily!).

I also have tried loads of others, E45 was useless, Diprobase stank, Aveeno I wanted to like as much better absorbed and smells marginally better than Dipro but to be honest, did sweet FA for her skin. Doublebase is good but a slightly weird texture, I am still using it off and on if I can't face sliming her properly with the Emollient 50.

I also slap on the emollient, then bung her straight into a baby gro and socks on the hands so the is in a moisturising all in one number for the nighttime and the socks prevent scratching for some of the night (until she pulls them off).

I think you just need to get a decent GP and try lots of different ones until you find what works. I have tried about 8 different emollients on scripts; oh and I have 1% Hydrocortisone (steroid) to be used sparingly for flare ups. 1% is quite strong I think - it comes in 0.1% and 0.5% too that I am aware of. If you get the impression your surgery is getting the hump with the cost then at least try and get the one I use off them - its generic unbranded so cheap.