Could that red patchy area of skin be eczema? That's a question that often crossed my mind when either of my kids had patches of really dry skin, especially in the wintertime. Eczema can be the one of the worst things to have to watch your baby (or child) go through when you're a parent. It's uncomfortable, itchy, and the treatments for it can sound really harsh (bleach baths, anyone)? or only be somewhat effective. While I, personally, have never had eczema, I have seen family members struggle with it for years, and many of you have reached out looking for natural remedies for eczema as well. Eczema is a tricky issue because it can be caused by so many things, but here are five natural remedies for eczema that can be helpful and will work for your little one!
Before we get into remedies, what exactly causes eczema? - Skin irritants: This can be everything from cleaning products that contain harsh chemicals or irritants to hand/body soap, shampoo, hair products, lotion, laundry detergent, any anything else your child's skin might come into contact with. This post outlines the 20 most toxic irritants that are added to common body care / household products to avoid (and what to buy instead!)
- Allergies: But these can be hard to identify because they could be anything. Dairy, gluten, soy, eggs, and nuts are more common - but I had a mom whose baby was allergic to strawberries and that's why she had eczema all over!
- Cold, dry air: The winter is the worst!
- Imbalanced gut flora: 70% of your immunity is in your gut, and if your child's immune system is imbalanced, a probiotic can help.
- Inflammatory foods: Like sugar, fried foods and anything processed (or fast food) can cause eczema issues.
Some eczema is pretty common (e.g. cradle cap, diaper rash, or contact dermatitis) and 66% of kids will outgrow it eventually. But, many babies and kids struggle with eczema for years, having recurrent flare ups that are so hard deal with over and over again!
So what can you do about it? Here are my Top 5 Natural Remedies for Eczema in Kids or Babies:#1: Reduce the number of toxins and fragrances in your home. This post will guide you to figure out what to look for, what to avoid, and what to buy instead.
#2: Switch to a 100% clean, organic body regimen. That includes bath time, lotion time, and laundry time! If your baby or child has eczema, one of the first things I'd do is switch their bath/body products over to Pure Haven's line. Their products are free of ALL toxins that can irritate the skin, are 100% organic, and are made fresh to order! This is a regimen I have seen work for moms who have kids with chronic eczema (and it works every time!):
- Step 1: Use this laundry detergent for all of your child's clothes/towels/etc.
- Step 2: 4 times a day (and especially following bath time), alternate between using this boo boo stick on all eczema areas and this mom balm on all eczema areas (so you'd use each twice a day); and immediately follow it up with this dream cream.
- Step 3: Apply coconut oil 4 times a day to all affected areas. For coconut oil, I like this one from Sky Organics and also this one from Molivera.
#3: Give your baby Cod Liver Oil.This is because Fish intake in older babies has shown to reduce eczema.
#4: Eliminate allergens. You may even want to get your child tested for allergies to know which ones to eliminate (otherwise you may end up cutting out all of the common allergens - e.g. dairy, soy, gluten, etc. without needing to). If your baby is on formula, switch to an organic hypoallergenic formula.
#5: Try topical B12 drops and Vitamin D drops. Topical B12 has shown to help with eczema ( source). And low levels of Vitamin D are associated with eczema ( source).
Note: I am not a dermatologist and these are not medical solutions. These are simply my recommendations for natural ways to alleviate eczema. As with any medical condition, please consult your doctor or your child's pediatrician before trying anything new.If you have a little one struggling with eczema, I hope this post helped give you some natural solutions to try at home. The key things are to make sure there are no toxins or fragrances in any of the products you use that your child can come into contact with, to keep the affected areas well hydrated and moist, and try the natural remedies in this post! I know how worrisome it can be to have to watch your baby suffer through something like eczema, and the stress associated with finding something that works. So if you have any questions about any of the solutions in this post, don't hesitate to leave a comment or contact me here!
