Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Aveeno Canada. As always, opinions are all my own.
As the weather cools down and we enter the cold winter months, it’s a great time to share some information on what eczema is, and share some ideas on how to make life easier if you are dealing with it in your little one. My oldest son struggled with eczema. It appeared as a patch on his face when he was 3 months old. He also developed it on the inside of his elbows, and his scalp. He was so itchy, and I was so worried! I took him to his pediatrician and built a skin routine to help calm his flare-ups, and make him more comfortable.
Eczema is a skin rash that affects about 10% of children. Eighty-five percent will have eczema developed within the first year of life. It is a skin rash that appears dry, and scaly, or can look like tiny red bumps clustered together that can ooze, blister, and are often very itchy.
Eczema can appear on a baby’s forehead, cheeks or scalp, though it can spread to the arms, legs, chest, or other parts of the body.
We still don’t fully understand the cause of eczema, but we think it is more common in children with allergies and that there may be a genetic component.
If you notice these symptoms on your child’s skin, take them to your health care provider to have it looked at. From there, they will help you develop a treatment plan.
Eczema can come and go, and often is “triggered” by things that make the flare-up appear. Some examples of these triggers include:
- Moisture – drool and sweat are two examples.
- Dust
- Irritating clothes
- Pet dander
- Cigarette smoke
- Strong scented soaps and detergents
If you are looking for ideas to manage your child’s eczema, here are some tips to consider building into your baby’s skincare routine:
- Warm baths daily. Some believe baths can dry out your baby’s skin, but they can help! Not too hot and not too long! Use warm water and let your child stay in for about 10 minutes. You can use soap, just ensure it is gentle and not overly scented. Put the soap in the tub for the last few minutes of your baby’s bath. When my son was little, I used Aveeno Eczema Care wash every day. It’s gentle and contains colloidal oatmeal, which is clinically proven to clean eczema-prone skin without over-drying. It was such a relief to find a soap that didn’t make his symptoms worse!
- Once out of the bath, pat dry! Don’t rub and don’t dry all the way! Leaving some of the water on your baby’s skin will help prevent dryness.
- Lock in the moisture after a bath with thick cream or balm. The trick is to not dry the baby all the way prior to applying. I used Aveeno’s Baby Eczema Care Moisturizing Cream with my son and noticed the difference. It helped relieve the redness, itchiness, and dryness due to eczema. This quickly became our go-to cream.
- Apply the cream as needed if you notice your baby is having an eczema flare-up.
- Dress your baby in soft, cotton clothes. Make sure there are no tags or fabric rubbing on your baby’s skin, as this can cause irritation.
- Keep your baby from overheating. Sweat can make eczema worse. Same with drooling! Around four months, your child will naturally begin to drool more. Prevent the drool from irritating your baby’s skin by patting dry with a soft cloth.
- Keep your baby’s nails short to prevent scratching.
- At night time and nap time, consider using cotton jammies or a sleep sack with built-in hand covers. The soft cotton will allow the baby to rub if they feel itchy, but not further irritate their skin.
- Incorporating these tips may help your child’s eczema, but it is important to see your healthcare provider if you are at all concerned!
If you are working through managing eczema in your little one, I feel you! It felt stressful, and I worried he was itchy all the time. He is older now and has not had an eczema flare in a long time. But, in these dry winter months, we still use Aveeno Eczema’s Body Wash and Cream on minor irritations and to keep his skin soft and moisturized.
Try these ideas and let me know how it’s going! Sending you so much love and support, mamas!
Always read and follow the label.