Tips from an Eczema Mom

What I’ve Learned About Managing My Daughter’s Eczema

Both of my children have sensitive skin, but my 4-year-old daughter suffers from persistent eczema, which has changed the way I think about anything that touches her skin. As the summer months approach and the weather heats up, her eczema often becomes more inflamed and bothersome. Here are some ways we’ve learned to manage the flare-ups:

• Keep it dry – While overly dried skin can make eczema worse, we’ve found that humidty (sweating!) and not toweling off after the pool or the bath leads to major outbreaks. We insist on making sure she’s fully dry after the bath or splashing around in the backyard before she changes into fresh clothes or pajamas. She loves getting to choose her towel, so we invest in an assortment of them with bright colors, kid-friendly designs and her favorite characters. 

• Moisturize – After she’s fully dry, it’s important that we put on cream or lotion to keep her skin from flaking (which leads to itching and scratching). When her eczema is agitated, getting any lotion on her is a struggle because it hurts her. We love Bubbsi’s natural coconut oil balm and body cream for that reason – it’s extremely gentle and the packaging is fun, which makes her less likely to fight putting it on.

• Fabric –There is huge correlation between the fabric she wears and it’s impact on her skin, and we try to avoid having the first layer against her skin consist of anything that’s itchy, heavy or restrictive (sweat is a huge trigger). During the day, we encourage her to wear a 100% organic cotton pima t-shirt or long-sleeve as a base (often under a princess costume!), and at bedtime our faves are lightweight, breathable 2-piece long sleeve pajama sets (so she doesn’t scratch) also in 100% organic pima cotton. 12|12’s solid tees make daytime layers a breeze, and the range of modern but fun pajama print options keep us both happy at night!

• Sunscreen – Sunscreen is a must in our house, but the chemicals in it can cause her eczema to go into overdrive. We’ve found that sunscreen that has Zinc as the main ingredient is the best solution. ZincScreen from Supergoop! is our new go-to. 

• Educate – We bought this book off Amazon a few years ago and read it regularly. It helps her to understand the condition and makes her feel special. She loves it!