5 Tips for managing your child’s eczema

My eldest daughter has suffered from eczema since she was a baby. Over the years we’ve tried so many different things to try and manage it, finding different things to soothe it or attempting to minimise how bad it was. She still suffers from it today, though thankfully it isn’t too bad right now. There have been times though when her skin was red raw, bathing was a no-do as the water makes it 100% worse, and she hated wearing summer clothes as she was so self-conscious. There were also times when she was at school that comments were made about how her skin looked, which left her feeling really low.

If your child has eczema, there aare things you can do to help ease it, though often it is a case of trial and error, and what helps one person may not help another.

Avoid chemical and frangrance laden products

We’ve found the more natural the better. We use an eco egg for washing her clothes – no detergents or conditioners, as they make it worse. Use a gentle, fragrance free shampoo, and body wash. We avoid things like bubble baths and bath bombs, the fragrances irritate her skin and they also dry it out even more.

Keep skin moisturised

Keeping skin moisturised at least twice a day is essential, whether they have a flare-up or not. Emoliant’s can be great to rebuild the defective skin barrier.

Stop them scratching

As itchy as eczema can be, the worse thing you can do is scratch it. The more they scratch, the more damage to the skin they cause, and you will end up with infected sores. Keeping fingernails short to minimise damage, and covering skin are great steps. These Scratchsleeves are fantastic for preventing babies and toddlers from being able to scratch, and the soft cotton and silk won’t irritate skin and will allow it to heal.

Investigate if food allergies are the cause

There are some common food allergies that could be creating, or exacerbating eczema. Dairy, eggs, and peanuts are the most common ones to look at. It is worth speaking with a doctor if you think this may be the case.

Avoid wool and nylon clothing

Nylon and wool are the worst offenders for aggravating eczema. Instead go for soft, breathable fabrics such as cotton that won’t irritate skin.