Let’s talk skin.

The post you’ve been looking for, a raw glimpse into pediatric eczema and helpful links to products that a real mama recommends and has used on the most sensitive irritated skin.

When my daughter was about 5 months old we noticed she had some rough patches of skin, mainly on her ankles. At her routine wellness visit I had brought it up to her pediatrician. She said just to use 1% hydrocortisone cream, brushed it off as just baby eczema and that it would likley clear as she gets older. Well, you guessed it. It just got worse, I dove into all things eczema, what I could do to ease her itch, her discomfort. I started with the basics.

The little I knew at the time.

Oatmeal baths, breast milk baths, creams not “lotions”. I took everything scented out of the picture. The baby products I thought would help were often loaded with extra ingredients that were actually irritants, some of the most popular detergents that are marketed towards babies are loaded with fragrances. Who would’ve guessed that? Definitely not this first time mama.

Her eczema kept getting worse and coming back, like an eczema wack-a-mole. Find one thing that worked, eczema would just come back and sometimes the flare would be even worse than before. After going back to her pediatrician multiple times, being given steroid creams and a few trips to the ER for food allergies I was finally done with the back and forth.

Mama bear mode, activated.

I took her to see an allergist and a dermatologist. To no surprise my little one was allergic to some common allergens and some, not so common. One of them being oats! So here I am, a desperate mama trying to cover her in these non steroidal eczema creams that had colloidal oatmeal in them not knowing it was only contributing to her itchiness. My heart broke. I felt defeated, and in a way, I still do. Now knowing some of her allergens, that not only made navigating her skin issues that much more difficult, but finding a skin regimen that would work for her that didn’t contain her allergens was near impossible.

Near impossible, but not impossible.

I found that a combo of using Vanicream, and aquaphor helped so much during the winter months. Vanicream is honestly the best thing I have found for a moisturizer that is fragrance free, no extra ingredients. It’s literally just cream, you can get it from Target and Walmart but I always order from amazon, it’s just whats easiest for me and usually a little cheaper too Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream with Pump Dispenser – 16 fl oz (1 lb) – Moisturizer Formulated Without Common Irritants for Those with Sensitive Skin We eventually got her on a prescription non steroidal treatment but until then, this is the combo that worked for us. I still had to use topical steroids when her flares were serious, but in absolute minimal amounts. The fear of TSW (topical steroid withdrawal) is very real, and very serious. It has and was always a worry I had at the top of my mind every single time I have to treat her flare ups.

Bath time changed too, I was using all tubby todd products and I genuinely love their products and they did help my daughter in the beginning but because of her oat allergy. I couldn’t use their creams anymore. I do plan on using them for my little one on the way. Thankfully I still have a jar of the all over ointment, thats my favorite. Now I just use a hypoallergenic wash from dove and that seems to be working just fine for us and the ingredients are pretty basic.Baby Dove Sensitive Skin Care Baby Wash For Bath Time, Moisture Fragrance Free and Hypoallergenic, Washes Away Bacteria 20 oz

Some things I learned along the way is that, it’s not just what you put on the skin matters but also what you wear. Your clothing, I learned bamboo and 100% cotton clothing items were a huge factor to keeping her skin calm. So not only was I reading food & product ingredient labels, I’m reading clothing labels too. At night I put her in thee softest sleep sacks, you can find them here KYTE BABY Unisex Rayon Sleeping Bag for Babies and Toddlers, 1.0 Togas a mama who sincerely searches for the best products that are worth it, and don’t fall apart in the wash. I cannot recommend these enough. These sleep sacks will be used for my next baby girl on the way. I have a collection of these now and I cant tell you how much her sleep changed once she was actually comfortable. She sleeps through the night more often than not now. The added sleep it gave me alone was worth the purchase. Kyte in general is every eczema mama’s dream.

The last part in some of my crunchy changes were her diapers, I was using some of the most common and I would say iconic brands that we all know. BUT I learned that these have harmful dyes, chemicals and irritants that just simply shouldn’t even be in diapers to begin with. I’m not at the place of cloth diapers, but if you are, then mama, I salute you. I found coterie diapers have been absolutely hands down amazing for us. I haven’t had any issues with leaks, blow outs or rashes. They are on the more expensive side for a diaper but, if it saves me from a cranky baby with a diaper rash or eczema flare then sign me up. Coterie Baby Wipes + Diapers Kit, Size 1 (99 Count) & Size 2 Diapers (186 Count), 4 Pack (224) Baby Wipes with 99% Water, Plant Based Materials, Hypoallergenic for Sensitive Skin

In closing, theres so much to learn about what works for your little one. The market is so saturated with “clean” ingredients but it truly comes down to you as a parent to read and find what works best for you and your little. It’s the small choices over time that make a collective difference. Personally, at night, i’ll still put on my scented vanilla hand cream once my baby is down for bed just to give myself a little treat. My “me” time is sacred and like I always say, it’s all a balance. I sincerely hope that these links guide you to the products that are right for you and give your little some relief.

Until next time,

Kinda crunchy mama.