Eczema is a chronic skin condition that causes it to become dry, itchy, and inflamed. This blog will provide advice on how to treat your child’s skin.
The most important tip is to keep your child’s skin moisturized.
Use warm water (not hot) and a gentle cleanser when bathing. Avoid scrubbing the skin with a washcloth or loofah. After bathing, pat the skin dry. This will leave the skin damp. Moisturize the skin from head to toe immediately to lock in the moisture.
Too many people do not realize that lotioning should be part of their daily skin regimen. You should apply lotion to the skin at least twice per day and even more if necessary (e.g. your child became sweaty after an activity). The lotion should be hypoallergenic and fragrance-free. You may use Aveeno, Aquaphor, Eucerin, or CeraVe. They have thicker ointment options that come in round tub containers. Use the thickness that suits your child best.
Steroid creams/ointments should only be applied when your child has an eczema flare where the skin is inflamed and irritated. Overuse of steroid creams can thin the skin. My suggestion is to use prescription steroid creams as directed by your health care provider.
Other options for treating itchiness are calamine lotion, aloe vera, and oatmeal baths. If your child is still itchy, you may give Benadryl every 6 hours as needed, but it can cause drowsiness. Claritin, Zyrtec, and Allegra are options that cause less drowsiness and can be given once per day as needed.
