Share your tips for how to manage children’s eczema with La Roche-Posay

[EmmaMumsnet]

This activity is now closed.

Eczema is a common skin condition amongst children and at times can be very tricky to manage and keep your child’s skin from being dry, sore, and itchy. It can be especially difficult to keep in check at night and can affect your DCs sleep. La Roche-Posay would like you to share your tips for how you handle your child’s eczema or what has helped you manage your child’s eczema in the past.

Here’s what La Roche-Posay has to say: “Here at La Roche-Posay we understand how eczema can impact quality of life for your child and the whole family. We ran a clinical study which showed that 9 out of 10 children with eczema suffer with sleep issues, spending up to ¼ of the night scratching, which can easily take its toll on day-to-day life. As we are committed to a better life for sensitive skin, we are encouraging Mumsnetters to share their top tips on looking after their children’s dry, itchy or eczema-prone skin, including bedtime hacks to reduce itchiness during the night.”

So what things have helped manage your child’s eczema? Are there any particular creams, lotions, or balms that have worked particularly well at soothing the itch? Do you keep the window open at night and make sure your child is wearing light, loose pajamas to keep them cool and stop them scratching while they sleep? Perhaps you avoid scented washing detergent to prevent your child’s skin from flaring up?

Please share your tips for coping with your child’s eczema below and you will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 voucher of your choice (from a list).

Thanks

MNHQ

Terms and conditions apply

[MissMoan]

Lactose seemed to cause the problem in my household, and a change in diet worked wonders!

[LucyBMumsnet]

Thanks so much to everyone that took part in this discussion. We're sorry that this announcement is very late - this one managed to slip through the net! The winner of the voucher is @happysouls - congratulations!

[Irisloulou]

Nettle soap really helped my daughter with a stubborn patch behind her ear.

Regular moisturising is the key, I think.

[Sleepybumble]

I our DD has a bath every night her eczema flares up. We try to minimise baths and have found we rarely need to use anything on her skin.

[tillymint21]

My 17 year old daughter has suffered all her life but the symptoms have definitely improved as she’s got older. Regular showers and use of prescribed cream keep it at bay but central heating in the winter can cause flare ups. We find a well aired room at night really helps, and I have cut out using fabric conditioner which seems to have made a big difference.

[Bemystarlord]

The best things we have found are to reduce the amount of showers, lather in lots of cetreban cream and to reduce the amount of dairy they consume. All this combine has made a significant difference.

[MadCatLadypuss]

For my DD she would only shower every other day and use the prescribed bath oil at least twice a week and moisturize twice a day when its really bad.

[Visioncroquet]

Swapping to a natural plant based chemical free washing powder was the key for us.

[helloautismresources]

My littlest one has flare ups which nothing ever really seems to help other than a particular bath bomb, which really softens him up and alleviates a lot of itching.

We did find that we need to bath him much less often than we were before though. Even with good bathtime products his skin just can't take it. Shame as he loves a bath, would be in there all day every day. There was this tendency for me to think that because he has eczema he needs to be kept super clean so that nothing gets infected and worse. I was wrong and this past 12 months have been much better now he's down to 2, maybe 3, baths per week.

Now he's a bit older, the shower is a better option sometimes too.

We make sure to prepare his skin before things like swimming too.

He chooses long sleeved pyjamas, even in summer, we're pretty sure that's because he finds the rubbing of skin directly on different covers and blankets irritating which makes the eczema itching even more intense. (He has sensory processing difficulties too, so this is heightened for him)

[Michie76]

My daughter has suffered with eczema since birth. We have tried numerous creams, washes and ointments. Sometimes they seemed to work but eventually the eczema always came back. A couple of years ago I was sat watching the programme This Morning, there was a lady on there talking about her daughter's experiences with eczema. Tge thing that work for them was Childs Farm products. I had not heard of child farm before and never really took advice from something seen on TV. On this occasion I decided to give it a go.My daughter's eczema started to clear within a week, we have not had any problems for at least a year and a half.

[PorridgeAgainAbney]

Moisturising every day, Weleda baby oil after a bath, Neals Yard base moisturiser as all the prescribed emollients made it worse, weirdly the best pj’s are fitted and long sleeved/legged so he can’t get to the skin too easily, clipping nails twice a week, we use (minimal) Ecover washing liquid and powder and use the allergy setting on the washing machine which rinses for longer.

[duck22]

My son has dry skin which was caused by his allergy. Controlling this helps as well as minimising chemicals

[CanYouHelpFindThis]

The range "Childs farm"
It truly is amazing!!!!!

[pixiepoopoo]

Try rosehip oil. Certified organic Sukin works for my child. Brilliant for hand eczema

[Sleepybumble]

We will not do very quick baths here. It definitely helps to stop her skin drying out

[blueskiesrule]

I tried a scattergun approach to my daughter's eczema which means Ive never been sure which of the various different things I changed all at once helped (which obviously isn't very helpful!). However, the ones I had most faith in were changing all our household chemicals/toiletries to more gentle simple products, supplementing diet with omega3s and using a goats milk based skin cream. Sometimes I think the causal pathways are so complex that it's very individual what works for one etc.

[AlfieTheRailwayCat]

Keep them cool and moisturise with la Roche posay balm we were lucky enough to get a sample of this through Mumsnet and it was great! Worked really well overnight in particular.

[HannahLI]

We tried loads of creams before we found the right one, we use aquafor which is oil based, we found before that water based creams caused flare ups to often be worse or didn't make any difference. We now just use cream as and when needed so summer months we always need it more. The key with pajamas is comfiness for my kids so not too close fitting and a soft material and not seams in uncomfortable places.
I spent a long time trying different soaps to find one that they like and that their skin likes too, I also don't wash their hair more than once a week and sometimes go longer as one has lots of problems with his scalp. This helped.

[PorridgeAgainAbney]

DS has thankfully mostly outgrown his eczema which used to be awful, all over his face, ears legs and arms.
We still moisturise every day using Weleda baby oil and Neals Yard base body lotion.
Only bathes once a week, the rest of the time it’s just a strip wash.
Nails always kept really short - any sign of the white bit and the clippers come out.
Lots of things to minimise sweating:
Clothes are natural fibres only.
Bedding is cotton and duvet and pillow has a natural down filling.
Weirdly though, when the weather is hot he tends to wear long sleeves and trousers because it stops the skin to skin contact in the elbow and knee creases that always starts the scratching off.
Clothes and bedding are rinsed twice in the machine.

[OnePotMeal]

I used Pure Potions ointment on my son's eczema. It was also good on his thumb when it got all wizened from being sucked!

[UCOforAC12]

DD6 we used to use Dream Wash and Cream from Lush but they stopped making the wash so now use Radox shower gel (the white one) as DH and I use it and we have eczema and it doesn't exacerbate it. Dream Cream we now don't bother with and she uses DH's Vaseline Intensive (the white one) as the aloe vera one didn't suit her.

DD3 we use Aveeno (which makes DD6's worse) and 0.5% hydrocortisone cream. DD3's was milder at birth but it more persistent. DD6 rarely needs hydrocortisone now but DD3 gets patches on the top of her hands/wrists.

[SageYourResoluteOracle]

We use Child's Farm body lotion. It's brilliant, which surprises me as it's citrusy so you'd think it'd stings but it's lovely and soothing as well as smelling great.

[GetKnitted]

moisturiser is your eczema friend

[arimin]

For washing clothes just detergent for babies, just cotton on skin (no wool in contact), be properly dressed for the temperature you have, eating well (no prepared food), avoiding food with a lot of istamin and trying to enjoy everything we can ;)

[arimin]

She is 2 years old and she has it since she is just some months old