Share your tips and tricks for managing your baby’s eczema-prone skin. - £200 voucher to be won

[EllieSmumsnet]

Are you struggling to manage your baby’s eczema-prone skin? Perhaps you’ve discovered some fantastic tricks along the way, or maybe you’re still on the lookout for that perfect solution to soothe those dry patches. Whether it’s finding the right bath time routine, dealing with flare-ups, or searching for the holy grail moisturiser, we’d love to hear your questions, tips and experiences! Skincare expert Rebecca Bennett will also be getting involved in the discussion.

• Share your tips and tricks in the thread below to be entered into a prize draw
• One lucky MNer will win £200 voucher

About Rebecca Bennett:
“Rebecca Bennett has worked with skin and skincare for over 25 years, listening to and learning from key skincare experts including dermatologists and paediatric dermatologists about baby skin and how best to care for it. "

Here’s what AVEENO® Baby has to say:
"AVEENO® Baby is the UK’s No.1 Recommended Baby Skincare Brand by Pharmacists (1) and is Paediatrician & Dermatologist tested.
AVEENO® Baby products nourish, soothe & protect sensitive* baby skin from the first use and are specially formulated with high quality oats specially selected to preserve their protective, moisturising and soothing properties. We unlock the power of oats with our science and transform it to provide daily to soothing care to help keep your baby's skin feeling healthy."

1. Online survey of 200 UK retail pharmacists, conducted by IQVIA for Kenvue, May 2023. Participants were self-selected with geographic quotas to ensure national spread.

*AVEENO® Baby Calming Comfort range is suitable for delicate skin.”

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

Insight T&Cs apply

Short T&Cs:
UK residents, 18+. No purchase necessary. Enter from 3:50pm on 16/09/2024 to 11:59pm am on 14/10/2024. To participate, share your tips and tricks to be entered into a prize draw. Only 1 entry per person. Prize available is 1x £200 VEX voucher (available to use in selected retailers, subject to its own T&Cs: vexgiftcard.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360021492600-VEX-Gift-Card-Terms-Conditions-Of-Use*).

Ecover non bio wash liquid, no fabric conditioner and and extra rinse at the end of the wash.
Bath only every 2-3 days in plain water, wash with cotton wool and aired boiled water and use child’s farm shampoo
Child’s farm cream on every nappy change.
Keep going to your GP if creams don't work and push for intolerance tests if the ecxema comes back and bathing and high street creams are not working as they should

Manage ezxcema by not bathing, use water wipes for a gentle wash, use cotton clothing and scratch mits, check your detergent is non bio,

Put some rolled oats in a sock and tie it over the taps when running baby a bath. The cloudy water is so soothing to their skin.

I agree that water alone can sometimes be enough, but water alone cannot remove greasy substances such as milk or food residue, or poo. A proven mild and gentle cleansing wash can be really helpful when necessary. Always choose from specific baby products, and look for key words and phrases including mild, gentle, soothing.and clinically or dermatologically tested.

This is a great tip, and has really highlighted key areas for irritated skin. Always use enough moisturiser/emollient to ensure the skin feels moist and never dry. A balm emollient can be useful in smaller areas, and these usually contain higher percentages of ingredients that lock moisture into the skin, and keep even vulnerable areas protected. Thanks for the tip.

Oatmeal baths have been used for many years to help soothe dry and irritated skin and it's great when you find something that works isn't it? Aveeno have used oat in their products for over 75 years - bath, and wash products and moisturising creams too, and we really understand how to get the best from this amazing ingredient.. Itching really is tricky especially with babies and children, and using socks on hands is a really great idea to help stop scratching. Thanks!

Thanks for your comment - it really helps show that not every product is right for every one and it's important to find the one that really works for you and your child. This can take trying several products, so try to get hold of mini or sample sizes to help reduce costs, and only invest in large sizes when you are sure the products suits. Again different treatments for eczema are available but always follow the recommendations of your healthcare professional if you or your child have a diagnosis of eczema. Really glad Aveeno wash is working for you, and great tip on cutting down the amount of different products used - it's easier to check what is and isnt working. Thanks !

My LO is 21 months now, and has very mild eczema on her belly of all places. I'm conscious of it as DH suffers badly from eczema.

We tried many different forms of "tummy sauce" and have found Baby Aveno the best. It's almost all gone now, but we still do "tummy sauce" twice a day to be sure!

Great to hear that Aveeno Baby Dermexa has been helpful for you - it's made with triple oat complex and ceramides to help soothe and relieve very dry, itchy skin. Great tip to look for offers on moisturisers and emollients, and stock up where you can, once you have found something that really works for you and your child.

Happy that Aveeno Soothing Baby Soak has been successful for you and your child- it's made with colloidal oat which is clinically proven to help soothe skin. And using a barrier cream is a great idea too - although sometimes using a moisturiser/barrier cream before the skin is fully dry can help seal moisture into the skin - it's whatever works best for your child's skin! Thanks for your tip.

Great tips on clothing and laundry here - some fabrics can be quite irritating, and look out for labels too, especially at the back of the neck, as this can be a sensitive area. Extra rinsing is a great idea too, and do not add any fragrance enhancers such as fabric conditioner. Oats in the bath are a very traditional remedy for soothing sensitive skin - if you dont keep oats in the house, you could always try Aveeno Soothing Bath Soak too, which contains very finely ground oat flour. These are easy to use, and do not make baby or bath slippery!

These are such great tips - thank you so much! Having eczema yourself, as you say, has given you extra insight into managing your child's condition. There are different eczema 'triggers' for different people/babies, and working out what does trigger eczema flare can really help. The National Eczema Society has some great information and advice for those new to the eczema journey - and I can always still learn something from their website too. They suggest that if you do suspect that a particular food does trigger eczema flare, work with your healthcare professional and/or a dietician to make sure that any diet changes are made in a healthy and sustainable way. Thanks for getting in touch - your advice is really helpful.

I am glad you have found something that works for you - eczema, and how to manage it, can be very personal to the individual and what works for one might not work for another. Essential oils can be tricky - especially with babies and young children, as some of the oils can be sensitising. If your child has an eczema diagnosis, I would always suggest checking the use of essential oils with your healthcare professional - to ensure that these are safe and helpful.

Completely agree that what works for one might not work for another, and finding one that really suits can be a long journey! Try finding mini tubes or samples to trial a product before investing in a full size - although do remember it can take some weeks before you can fully appreciate the benefits of a new product on skin. And not bathing too often is a good tip, especially babies who hopefully dont get too dirty anyway! To help gently cleanse and soothe the skin during bathtime, look for products that are labelled mild and gentle, and those that nourish the skin too. Thanks for your comments.

These are lovely tips - thank you so much for sharing, and delighted that Aveeno is one of the products that works for you. And specially great tip for moisturising a toddler - when they are old enough not to comply if they don't want to! Havent come across the scarecrow idea before - it's lovely, especially the 'cannot move a muscle' part - that's genius! Other ideas include allowing them ownership of their moisturisers by decorating them with stickers etc, or drawing pictures on them with moisturiser (let them choose hearts, flowers, lightningt bolts, etc) and then asking the child to rub them out (in!). Thanks again!

Avoid over bathing, a gentle wash with cotton flannels can be enough unless there's been a poonami. I am also really careful with detergents and other household products.

Avoid topical steroids at all cost.
Please look up topical Steroid withdrawal.
It is absolutely shocking what these creams do.
Please research and look at adults with eczema who have used these creams and have so regretted the damage they have done.

Really not good at all.

There are different treatments. For those who want a cream based non-steroidal treatment- Child’s farm non fragrances moisturiser works amazingly.
for a purely natural approach- organic coconut oil straight after washing down with just water, no body washes. You can also mix in a small amount of calendula and aloe Vera for extra relief.

Lastly is a laminar airflow machine. This is almost guaranteed to clear up eczema and allergies and asthma along the way. The machine itself is expensive but most companies will provide the machine as long as you are contracted to buying the filters from them. I’ve personally used this and it was truly life changing.

My tips are to wash the whole families clothes in a non bio, Aveeno has a vast range - check them out ! My go to is the Dermexa Emollient Cream and the Dermexa Good Night Emollient Balm. Scratch mits, and a relaxing night time feed after a walk or car drive, to make that initial sleep deep and long.

Apply emollient generously and often. And if it doesn’t seem to be helping try a different one.

Talk to your doctor for advice obviously first and trial and error is my tips..What worked for others may not work for you, so try on recommendations. I swear by oatmeal baths, and using the creams same time everyday so it becomes a routine to follow.

See a dermatologist if you can afford it. We really struggled with getting my daughter’s eczema under control and GP had run out of options. Saw a dermatologist who prescribed different creams and she was clear within a week.

now we use an emollient in the shower and Aveeno baby daily care to keep things under control and the steroid cream from the dermatologist for flare ups which clears her patches within days.

Cetraben was the only cream that helped.

People are also obsessed with bathing their baby. Unless they got covered in poo, mine only had one bath a week. We just cleaned essential areas - mostly just with water - otherwise. We were a big fan of Pure wipes too. We tended to use a tiny drop of shampoo for the bath. People also forget you can use Aqueous Cream for cleaning too so this is also an option but they get slippery!

Fairy non-bio was the go-to for washing although these days, I'd probably try own brand as I'm a huge fan of Waitrose super-cheap non-bio.

Try to figure out any triggers; foods, washing powders, air fresheners, soaps/cleansers, etc. Creams only manage the symptoms, much better if you can figure out what triggers, or aggravates it. For my baby it was cows milk, also even sensitive baby wipes gave her blotchy hot skin. Reduce the 'chemicals' in your immediate environment, you'll be amazed at how much stuff we are exposed to that's actually not good for us.

Hi, I am a new mom to a 3-month-old baby and he has developed eczema when the temperature was starting to drop. Reading everyone’s tips make me less worried and stop blaming myself. Since he was born, we have been using Non-bio detergent and extra rinse at the end. We’ve been also using extra virgin coconut oil and Aveeno baby Daily Care products and since his eczema is worse these times, might switch to Aveeno baby Dermexa products. The chemist gave us antifungal ointment 4 days ago and to apply Vaseline afterwards but I could only see very little improvement. The rash is still weeping and inflamed and it hurts me a lot to see my bubba having this.