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I’m sure many of you out there have or know someone with eczema and know it’s not very pleasant at all, especially for the sufferer. But boy it can be stressful on the family, well mummy finds it stressful, so everyone feels mummies stress.

Our 11 month old wild child Zahra, who by the way should live fine amongst wild animals, has childhood eczema. She hasn’t had many flare ups (touch wood), but when she flares, it’s a stressful time. She was diagnosed a week after her 4 month immunizations. I, of course thought it may have been her immunizations that triggered it, but I’ve been told otherwise.

Now, finding a product that works, is like finding a needle in a haystack, you may actually have more luck in finding the needle. We went through countless products, organic, generic, endorsed by some celeb etc, nothing was stopping this little animal from sitting in the corner of her cot itching at her fleas, sorry flares, yes flares. I eventually HAD to duct tape her socks that were on her hands to her long sleeved shirts. She still managed to itch but not break the skin, so much. I really didn’t want to be dealing with a skin infection from all the itching and broken skin.

We did eventually find that the prescribed Dermaid Soft 0.5 applied at the first sign of the skin flaring, actually made the flare up milder. She was also restricted to baths every few days. It’s hard keeping a baby like Zahra out of water. So once the skin was under control, we decided to let our little monkey venture back into her water. BOOM, she wakes up the next day scratching like a mad dog.

I’m starting to go bald. This is so stressful. I eventually find Ego QV Eczema Bath Oil, I’m sure there was some sort of heavenly light shining down on it in the chemist aisle, or I’m really sleep deprived. So home I go, me and my oil. Miss Zahra being restrained by her big sister while I fill her bath is dropping dried skin flakes on the floor. I add the bath oil, plonk missy in, bath her, pat her dry and bed. I did not sleep a wink, she did. Up early, low and behold, no flares, no itching, just some flaking and tender spots from the recent flare. Yeah baby, this mummy has does it again. A word of warning if you decide to use bath oil, it can get very slippery, be prepared for a very very slimy slippery baby. Not, the best when you’ve got a wriggly monkey like Zahra.

We also found that Moo Goo eczema works great for her, but we’d go through a tube a week and at a price of $19, it was costing us. Also we use skin basics aqueous cream, which is an intense moisturizer and cleanser, and costs $6 for a large 500ml tub.

A heap of things change when you have eczema, you have to find the right lotions that will help the skin, just because it’s for eczema doesn’t mean it’ll work for your skin. You have to also find the right laundry substance too. We are lucky, I’ve always used purity liquid with the girls, and it didn’t do anything to bubs skin. Bed sheets, all her bed sheets are either cotton, or even better but more expensive, bamboo. And zero synthetic clothes, all cotton. Some people get triggers from food, but this isn’t our case. Oh and if you have an eczema sufferer, try placing a salt lamp in their room. It’s worked wonders for Zahra.

Some tips, try to use things that DO NOT contain fragrances, cut fingernails short, attempt to keep skin moist, nag your doctor if your not happy with their first suggestion that didn’t work, try not to go completely nuts and remember one day these little cherubs will move out and pierce or tattoo this precious skin your attempting to keep healthy.

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Posted by 220606, 1st May 2013