AIBU?
To ask for your eczema cream recommendations please
eczemahelpplease · 31/10/2018 21:13
Sorry about posting here for traffic.
I need eczema cream recommendations please for my daughter who is 18 months old. Aveeno was working but it seems to have stopped now. I have some prescription cream from the doctors for when it is really bad but I need a better everyday cream to try please. I've googled but there are so many I don't know where to start.
Thanks in advance
Isleepinahedgefund · 31/10/2018 22:36
I've always used Aveeno but can't get it on prescription anymore so have recently been branching out now I have to pay for it myself.
The two I've tried so far are the First Aid cream - really, really good but so very expensive. And then a cream by Mixa which is marketed very much as a rival to aveeno. It's about the same price and sold in Boots and Superdrug. I've used up one bottle and found to goes further than Aveeno as needs less for the same result. I found it absorbs quicker too. I went back to Aveeno after I finished up the bottle as I have some Aveeno to use up, and my skin definitely felt better after the Mixa cream.
I did notice however that one very stubborn patch of eczema persisted with the Mixa cream (but didn't get worse) but cleared up within a couple of days when I switched back to Aveeno. But generallly my skin felt much better after the Mixa one. I notice now I'm back on Aveeno that my hands are constantly dry and cracking, with the Mixa they were lovely and moisturised.
Wandaaa · 31/10/2018 22:38
Your GP should prescribe emolliant cream for everyday use. When DD's eczema was severe when she was younger my GP prescribed Oilatum for the bath, Hydromol for all over and Fucidin H for when it became worse and infected.
I once saw a different GP who prescribed hydrocortisone 0.5% it didn't work and when I returned to usual GP he said you have to treat it with the strong stuff.
Her skin is fine now with an occasional flare up when she is ill and she has to be careful what she puts on her skin, nothing with sodium lauryl sulphate in.
DeRigueurMortis · 31/10/2018 23:07
Eczema sufferer here (from childhood). DS also suffers.
Things that make a difference.
- Washing powder. Even that designed for sensitive skins can cause irritation. My big investment was a washing machine with an allergy wash cycle. It's made a big difference. Think about having clothes/bedding next to your skin that are potentially irritating.
2. Bathing. Baths can dry your skin. Nightly bathing isn't a good idea. Obviously you need to keep clean but (in adults/older children short showers are great) try and keep baths to twice a week and use soft cloths to wash in between. When you do bathe don't use detergents. I also found bath emollients ineffectual. The best (i still use regularly) is oat baths. Simply tie some oats into a muslin cloth and Chuck in the bath. Squeeze the pouch you've created 3/4 times so the water turns "milky". I also used to wash hair separately from bathing to avoid the detergent in the shampoo contaminating the bath water.
3. Moisturiser as per your original question. My own experience is that it's a minefield. What works for me doesn't always work for my son. Equally, as you've experienced, what has worked suddenly stops doing so (tip: often if you take a break from it an go back in a few months it works again - so don't assume that something that did work previously won't do so again in the future). Generally I've had poor success rates with emollients from the GP. I've found brands like Vaseline (the intensive repair), Aveeno (see point above about taking a break from a product) and Neutrogena to be good. Not had much luck with E45. Equally I've found putting sudocream on very sore patches effective (sweat - even your child's own can be a trigger for eczema, it's why "creases" like behind the knees/elbows etc can be sore places) so a barrier cream can help. I also use Oat oil - you can buy on Amazon - most often. Generally the simpler the product the better.
Hope that helps. Upshot is it's about finding what works for your child, but eliminating irritants as far as possible goes a very long way.
DeRigueurMortis · 31/10/2018 23:23
Sorry just to add - cleaning and vacuuming....
Small children spend a lot of time on the floor.
Dust can be a big trigger for eczema so ideally vacuum those areas they play daily and have a no shoes indoors policy.
Cut down on cleaning chemicals as much as possible. I use microfibres cloths I simply dampen to dust with.
Try and use natural products to clean with as much as possible - example if you clean the bath with xyz bathroom product and I bathe in it afterwards I'll know. The residual products seep into the bath water.
I use a lot of vinegar, lemon juice, bicarbonate etc to clean my home!!
TheWiseWomansFear · 31/10/2018 23:34
A Reno stops working because of the oatmeal, the body gains a resistance.
Have you been to the doctors? I use Diprobase ointment - it's gross and like wax but it works for bad flare ups and then I move onto diprobase or cetraben cream when it's cleared a little.
You can get hydrocortisone steroid cream over the counter to calm bad flare ups but talk it through with the pharmacist.
TheBananaStand2 · 01/11/2018 00:01
Selcura junior bioskin rescue cream. It doesn’t contain steroids, and is very natural but has worked to completely eradicate my son’s eczema patches on his legs, and, interestingly, his cradle cap too. Use every day until the flare up has gone and they do a daily spray to keep eczema at bay for after that. It’s so good!
eczemahelpplease · 01/11/2018 06:51
Hi everyone, thank you for your replies and advice. I think the general message is we just need to keep trying different things until we find one that works.
To answer a few questions, yes we have been to the doctors and have steroid cream for when it does get really bad. I'm happy to buy an everyday cream to use rather than having it on prescription as I'm aware how poor the NHS is and I'd rather the money be there for people who can't afford to.
I've realised we have recently changed from persil to a different washing powder so I'm going to change back, in case that has affected it. I think we'll try some child's farm creams first and see how it goes, if that doesn't work I'll move onto the others. And I'll have to start to think about limiting her baths I think.
Thank you for all your help it is very much appreciated.
WyrdSisterWeatherwax · 01/11/2018 07:05
Hydranure hydranure.com
My friend's been using it on her 9 month olds eczema and it's worked really well.
emma2939 · 01/11/2018 07:33
We’ve tried all sorts for my LO from doctors and found all of them either worked for a very short while and stopped or made it more itchy!! Steroids would calm the redness/bleeding. Tried dream cream from lush which worked for my LOs eczema on body but I think was too rich on face, then tried childs farm and never looked back, fantastic stuff which we have used for over 4 months now and still works just as well. We bathe LO in child’s farm bath stuff also. Deffo give t a try!
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