The best moisturiser for super dry skin

[becboo]

I would personally get her in to see a dermatologist if she is in pain from it. Fingers crossed they will be able to find a cause. I would also get your DH to go with you to the appointment so he can relate his experience as this might help them with Becky.

You say she developed e when she was three months old? Have you been using OMO since that time? Maybe try switching to a different washing powder to see if that is triggering it? I also don't think constipation is common in toddler so I wouldn't rule out food reaction due to things like that iykwim. I think chronic constipation is something that should be investigated tbh - maybe some diet changes need to happen to help with the constipation?

Hope you are figure out what is going on,

Bec.

[~Gullygirl~]

Hi Ying. OK this is what I have used for J in the past which worked really well. It is the natural base cream on the products page. Handmade Naturals by Corinne I have just started using a different one - the moisturiser base from perfect potion with some german chammolile and lavender eos added. IT is really lovely and has a nicer consistency . We are getting great results. Whatever you do definitely try and get a moisturiser that DOESN"T contain petrochemicals. Sorbelene, emulsifying ointment etc - pretty much anything you get form the chemist is full of it. NO good imo. Vegesorb is ok - you should be able to get it from any chemist. In winter it is good to get a nice oily ointment to use too. To keep J's eczema under control I have the following regime:

Moisturising his skin everyday (when he was little and it was BAD I did this several tiems a da) head to toe. Bath 2 times a week , not too warm. As soon as he is out of the bath I moisturise him head to toe. Then on top of that I apply an ointment. This seals in the moisture. I use the olive oil and calendula balm from handmade naturals (link above). You need to do it straight after gently towel drying to stop the bath from drying out the skin. Make sure you apply to healthy skin too, this can stop further flare ups. Eczema is dry skin which is itchy. The rash is cause by the scratching. SO if you can prevent the skin from drying out then you can prevent flare ups in most cases. It won't make it go away as it is just treating the symptom. Most often I believe it is caused by foods andor dust mite allergies and is irritated by other external things (like sand and synthetic fibres/ scratchy wool).

With the food thing, you may find that once the problem foods are out of her system her appetite improves. Well worth giving it a go?

[~Gullygirl~]

Moisture cream base - This is the cream I use now. If you order over the phone you can ask for some EO drops to be added, saves you buying a whole bottle.

[kirrily]

Hey Ying, you don't _have_ to do the failsafe diet to eliminate foods like wheat. I don't do it and I've eliminated wheat/rye/barley/oats and soy, as well as most dairy and a few other things which I've since realised are a problem.

[Ying]

Thanks Michelle, I'm having a look at that link now

Kirrily, what should I start doing then? How do I realise what the problem foods are? Like I said, there's nothing new in her diet although she has been having eczema since 3 months. It's only the past 2 months that it has been quite bad and persistent.

The one suspicious food could be dairy...she loves dairy and from the failsafe website they say dariy craving can be a sign of intolerance/allergy? She eats cheese and drinks milk quite a lot (not a lot a lot but more than anything else). What can I substitute those?

[Ying]

oh I tried lots of non chemical creams too but they didn't seem to help much. I tried paw paw oinment (not the Lucas paw paw that has petroleum), Nature Child's baby balm calendula oinment, Tinderbox calendula balm, Graham's calendula cream, etc. With moisturiser I use Gaia soothing lotion which seems to sooth her skin a bit. QV oil in the bath and sometimes Gaia wash.

[becboo]

Originally Posted by Ying

The one suspicious food could be dairy...she loves dairy and from the failsafe website they say dariy craving can be a sign of intolerance/allergy? She eats cheese and drinks milk quite a lot (not a lot a lot but more than anything else). What can I substitute those?

Do you want to substitute the liquid or the nutrients? If the liquid, water does the trick. And if it calcium this is pretty interesting reading - Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Calcium. Tofu, green veggies, yoghurt, cheese etc etc. I think we tend to have an over-reliance on diary (mainly milk) as the only source of calcium and I especially think with children that having a lot of milk is not a good thing as it can impact their appetite for other things. Milk is really filling and when you think about it is meant for baby cows

I don't have much experience with allergies but maybe you can schedule that derm appointment and elminate some of the possible environmental causes first (ie trying a new washing powder) then head down the food path with the guidance of a professional (medical or naturopath). It will take a lot of determination/discipline to cut out foods to figure out which one is inflaming it, and it isn't something you can do one day and then not the next iykwim, but at the end of the day if it helps Becky it will be worth it.

Bec.

[kirrily]

Originally Posted by becboo

I don't have much experience with allergies but maybe you can schedule that derm appointment and elminate some of the possible environmental causes first (ie trying a new washing powder) then head down the food path with the guidance of a professional (medical or naturopath). It will take a lot of determination/discipline to cut out foods to figure out which one is inflaming it, and it isn't something you can do one day and then not the next iykwim, but at the end of the day if it helps Becky it will be worth it.

I think that is great advice!

Someone with more experience can probably explain this better and more correctly, but re: eliminating foods... Find out the most likely culprits (eg wheat, dairy, maybe soy) and pick one and remove it completely from her diet for a few weeks. The time you'll need to remove it can vary (I think up to 8 weeks), but I'd give it 2 weeks to start with and see if things look better. Then you challenge it, by reintroducing it and see what happens.

I think that you could get help from a naturopath or a nutritionist etc for this so you don't have to do it by yourself with no guidance.

[*Tracee*]

I agree with so much of what Bec has written above.
There's soy (but I wouldn't swap cow's milk for that as it's high on the list of allergens) and rice milk, rice milk tastes a bit sweeter so is more accepted by children than soy.
I'm not a believer in making sure my girls have a glass of milk, piece of cheese etc as they eat enough other foods (tuna, salmon, green leafy veg, nuts) to get their calcium requirements in otherways. So don't feel Becky HAS to have 'x' amount of calcium a day.

Limit the baths, dress in cotton clothing, keep her skin moisurised all the time and maybe try and write down when her excema flares up the most - think about where you've been, what she's worn, what's she's eaten and write it in a book. You may just find a pattern appear.

Elmination diets are hard work, I don't think anyone will tell you otherwise, but there's a goal at the end you're working towards and that's having Becky excema free. I think her limited diet is actually an easy way to start, my girls would eat anything and then had to go down to just a handful of foods.

[Ying]

Rice milk might be a good try I don't feel that she necessary need 'x' amount of calcium or any other nutrients. It's just that she likes her milk a lot...she drinks water heaps but she still needs milk to go to bed. She doesn't eat lots of other food (no vegies, not much meat, no tofu, no fish) so I have to substitute with special formula. And yes I have tried cutting down milk so she wouldn't fill up her tummy and eat more food, but it didn't make a difference.

That's why I'm a bit dreadful to go down the food path...it's been a very difficult issue in this house as long as I can remember. I've seen a dietician once and to be honest, I don't think I learn anything from her...you guys are probably more knowledegable

My goal isn't for her to have eczema free..I know there is no cure. All I want is that it's not severe and is under control like it used to be. I'll see a derm and probably a naturopath and see what they can help (hopefully they can).

I just changed her nappy a few mins ago and her tush looks better I slathered some calendula oinment on the dry and peeling patches, hopefully that will help.

If I'm to switch a washing powder, what should I go for? I'm planing to hot wash all her nappies tonight so make sure they're all residue free. I'm also considering not using fleece for a while even though she's never had problem with fleece to see if it makes any difference.

Thanks for all advice