How to Treat Baby Eczema
Nature’s Divine was created when we were struggling to find relief for our youngest child who suffered from eczema as a baby. The insides of their elbows, knees and around the groin was red, angry and itchy. Our little one was suffering, and we were being advised to put increasingly stronger prescribed creams on their delicate young skin. Everything inside of me was screaming that this was not the way to ease their discomfort!
So, we turned to natural remedies. I started researching natural anti-inflammatory ingredients and found my way to the helpful healing plants I still use in my organic skincare products today. Our learning about the benefits of plants has been applied to both our organic baby skincare products but also applied to organic skincare products for men and women. We champion a plant-based, vegan, cruelty-free approach to skincare and it has changed the lives of our children and our customers.
Let’s take a closer look at the skin condition that started it all – eczema.
What is Eczema?
Eczema or atopic dermatitis is a skin condition that causes dry, itchy skin. It is more common in children, but adults can suffer from it too. The term atopic refers to a group of medical conditions that includes asthma and hay fever and those who suffer from other atopic ailments are more likely to have eczema or have children that have eczema.
There are different types of eczema including contact dermatitis, where contact with environmental triggers causes eczema, dyshidrotic eczema, that can lead to blisters and a burning sensation, and seborrheic dermatitis, which we more commonly know as cradle cap, that generally only affects babies.
These different types of eczema manifest slightly differently and have different triggers but generally cause the same dry, itchy skin that we commonly recognise as being eczema.
What Does Eczema Look Like?
Eczema most commonly appears on the backs of knees, as dry skin on elbows and on hands but it can appear in other places too. Baby eczema may also appear on the face.
It is characterised by dry, cracked, crusty, scaley or thickened skin. It can manifest differently in different people. It will be itchy and once scratched can look angry, red and contain raised red welts or spots. Depending on your skin tone, patches of red, white, purple or grey eczema can appear that may blister or bleed when itched. More information about symptoms can be found on the NHS website.
What causes eczema?
The causes of eczema are not known. If one or both parents have eczema or asthma, you may be more likely to suffer from eczema. Equally, irritants or allergens may exacerbate eczema such as pets, soap, dust mites or certain foods.
Physiological factors such as skin infections and hormonal changes can affect eczema sufferers, as can stress or changes in ambient temperatures.
While it can be hard to pinpoint the exact cause of eczema, there are plenty of ways to relieve the symptoms which when used consistently can make a huge difference to your eczema.
How to Treat Baby Eczema
Nature’s Divine was created when we were struggling to find relief for our youngest child who suffered from eczema as a baby. The insides of their elbows, knees and around the groin was red, angry and itchy. Our little one was suffering, and we were being advised to put increasingly stronger prescribed creams on their delicate young skin. Everything inside of me was screaming that this was not the way to ease their discomfort!
So, we turned to natural remedies. I started researching natural anti-inflammatory ingredients and found my way to the helpful healing plants I still use in my organic skincare products today. Our learning about the benefits of plants has been applied to both our organic baby skincare products but also applied to organic skincare products for men and women. We champion a plant-based, vegan, cruelty-free approach to skincare and it has changed the lives of our children and our customers.
Let’s take a closer look at the skin condition that started it all – eczema.
What is Eczema?
Eczema or atopic dermatitis is a skin condition that causes dry, itchy skin. It is more common in children, but adults can suffer from it too. The term atopic refers to a group of medical conditions that includes asthma and hay fever and those who suffer from other atopic ailments are more likely to have eczema or have children that have eczema.
There are different types of eczema including contact dermatitis, where contact with environmental triggers causes eczema, dyshidrotic eczema, that can lead to blisters and a burning sensation, and seborrheic dermatitis, which we more commonly know as cradle cap, that generally only affects babies.
These different types of eczema manifest slightly differently and have different triggers but generally cause the same dry, itchy skin that we commonly recognise as being eczema.
What Does Eczema Look Like?
Eczema most commonly appears on the backs of knees, as dry skin on elbows and on hands but it can appear in other places too. Baby eczema may also appear on the face.
It is characterised by dry, cracked, crusty, scaley or thickened skin. It can manifest differently in different people. It will be itchy and once scratched can look angry, red and contain raised red welts or spots. Depending on your skin tone, patches of red, white, purple or grey eczema can appear that may blister or bleed when itched. More information about symptoms can be found on the NHS website.
What causes eczema?
The causes of eczema are not known. If one or both parents have eczema or asthma, you may be more likely to suffer from eczema. Equally, irritants or allergens may exacerbate eczema such as pets, soap, dust mites or certain foods.
Physiological factors such as skin infections and hormonal changes can affect eczema sufferers, as can stress or changes in ambient temperatures.
While it can be hard to pinpoint the exact cause of eczema, there are plenty of ways to relieve the symptoms which when used consistently can make a huge difference to your eczema.
How to Treat Eczema
When eczema flares up, in babies and adults, it can be uncomfortable, even painful. The following is a list of things you can try to aid the treatment of eczema. This list is not exhaustive, but in our experience the following steps should help to alleviate symptoms and prevent further breakouts for sufferers of all ages.
Skincare products
The fastest and easiest way to treat the symptoms of eczema is by applying a topical cream to the affected areas. If you seek medical advice, they will typically prescribe steroid creams for bad flare ups. We would recommend trying something gentler and more natural first, like our organic baby oil, before putting harmful chemicals on your skin, especially when treating baby eczema.
It can be tempting to opt for a stronger, faster solution but natural emollients such as jojoba oil, coconut oil and shea butter have all the moisturising power your eczema needs with none of the nasty chemicals.
You can get soaps for eczema, but by their very nature, soap can dry your skin out rather than put moisture back in, so look for a skin balm or body oil instead of a soap based product.
Our award-winning baby oil is recommended by mums for treating baby eczema in particular but is gentle enough to be used by children and adults too. With jojoba, hemp seed oil and calendula this helpful little bottle is an emollient, deeply moisturising and anti-inflammatory too!
Diet
For children, adults and babies over 6 months old who are eating solid foods, eczema can be managed to some extent through diet. Eating foods rich in anti-inflammatory ingredients such as nuts, oily fish, berries and probiotic food has been shown to reduce the symptoms of eczema although this is a more long-term way of managing symptoms. For fast relief from flare ups, using topical treatments in conjunction with an anti-inflammatory diet is best.
Warm baths
To relieve the itch of eczema, a warm bath will help soothe your skin. Don’t add any bubble bath to your bath and don’t make it too hot as this may aggravate rather than calm your eczema. Instead, use a calming bath salt, one packed with essential oils that will moisturise as you bathe. We particularly like calendula bath salts as they help the inflammation and smell divine. As soon as you are out the bath and dry, apply a soothing eczema cream to lock in moisture.
Natural fabrics
Allergens and chemicals we come into contact with can exacerbate eczema, things like washing powders and manmade fibres can be particularly bad.
Instead opt for plant-based detergents and clothing made from natural fibres such as cotton, linen and hemp, that lack the petrochemicals that are found in synthetic fabrics such as polyester, acrylic, elastane and nylon, which can irritate your skin, especially if it is dry and sore already. Wool is a natural fibre too but it tends to be rougher than cotton so may irritate rather than sooth itchy dry skin.
Avoid irritants
As mentioned above, our skin can come into contact with all kinds of nasties, from the air around us to the foods we consume. Avoiding contact with unnecessary chemicals will help keep your eczema from getting worse. Things like perfume, solvents, some cosmetics and washing powder, as mentioned above, can irritate your skin so try to avoid direct contact with anything that isn’t necessary.
Eczema Healing Stages
Eczema usually manifests in three stages. Acute eczema occurs when the skin becomes irritated, either by an allergen or irritant and the eczema becomes itchy, dry, painful and red.
When treated your eczema will enter a subacute eczema healing phase where the irritation begins to subside but can still flare up again if treatment is stopped or it becomes irritated again.
Chronic eczema is the name given to the lifelong condition of eczema. Most sufferers will experience flare ups throughout their lives, but these should be manageable with treatment and can be avoided largely by staying away from known irritants and allergens.
Chronic eczema may look like normal skin where affected, it may appear bumpy or rough to touch but not look red, or it may look raised and a different colour to the rest of your skin. Eczema will affect different people in different ways but the most important thing, besides prevention is ensuring treatments are continued until symptoms disappear.
Eczema in babies
Eczema in babies is most commonly inherited from one or both parents. Baby skin is so delicate and the change from being inside a nice warm, moist womb to the dryer, colder environment outside of mum can be a shock to the system for new little people.
In addition, washing detergents and environmental allergens can all irritate baby’s skin worsening baby eczema. As a parent it is hard to watch your baby suffer, especially as they get a little older and are able to scratch or rub themselves when they itch.
GPs will prescribe steroid ointments usually for baby eczema but applying harsh chemicals to your baby’s skin is not the only way to relieve symptoms.
Natural plant-based ingredients have anti-inflammatory properties, like calming calendula, relaxing lavender and antibacterial citrus. We use these helpful healing plants in our organic baby products to alleviate irritation, reduce inflammation and soothe your baby at the same time. Eczema treatment for babies doesn’t have to be made from steroids to have an impact and understanding the benefits of natural alternatives means there are more options to help treat eczema babies.
Midwives may sometimes recommend applying breastmilk if you’re breastfeeding to eczema as it has potentially helpful oils contained within that may help reduce irritation. Equally, using any of the suggestions above for treating eczema may help your baby find relief.
Top tips for how to treat baby eczema
- Try to avoid synthetic baby clothing
- Use plant-based or gentle washing powder
- Opt for warm baths with either no products in or a gentle emollient bath salt
- Use a natural, gentle baby eczema cream to treat flare ups
- Avoid known irritants coming into contact with baby skin, such as pets or harsh chemicals
We don’t claim to be eczema specialists, so please make sure you find an established eczema clinic if you seek specific medical review and advice for your baby. What we can speak to is our own personal experience of baby eczema and how using nature’s own ingredients made a world of difference for our little one.
Nature’s Divine makes organic, vegan, cruelty free, plant-based skincare products for the whole family. We find the best cream for kids’ dry skin is our organic baby balm. This is mild enough for baby but equally suited to children and adults too. Apply after your bath to lock in moisture and use on irritated skin as required.
