The best moisturiser for super dry skin

[tikki]

TBH, with eczema the best plan of attack is to try and find the cause and eliminate it; it's not always easy nor apparent nor just one thing, it's certainly not always an easy road, and sometimes if they're like my DH it's not always something they like to eliminate
But if you're not taking that approach all you're really doing is treating the symptoms, and will continue to do so; it just becomes a cycle of one cream/ointment after another.

As Bec suggested, it's also worth looking at environmental factors. Some common environmental eczema triggers;
1. I'd change detergents, you've always used it which suggests it could be an issue as she's had it since she was so young.
2. Do you have any pets? Are they inside?
3. Wash all sheets and bedding in hot water regularly to eliminate dust mites.
4. Does she swim in a chlorinated pool? Chlorine is a big baddy for most eczema sufferers.
5. Heating ~ try not to use any heating that blows out hot air, it's too drying.
6. Limit baths, and keep them cooler. Too much bathing dries the skin. As Michelle said, twice a week is sufficient.

I agree with Bec, I don't think constipation is a normal thing for toddlers, it's not something we experience here. Dairy and wheat are generally your common eczema food triggers, but again some "professionals" will tell you foods don't cause eczema. From my DH's experience, that certainly isn't true; it does and the eczema may be the only symptom that exhibits.

[becboo]

Ying - what do you think would happen if you didn't buy anymore of the special formula? Did a specialist/doctor prescribe it for her? Maybe that is what is making her constipated and the formula might be contributing to her E? I know that a friend (not a very close friend so I don't know the exact details) had issues with her bub with skin probs and found that formula was flaring it up. What sort does she have? Just a thought. At her age IMHO she really needs to start eating a range of food and she won't do that if she is given an easy option of formula. Just because she likes milk doesn't mean she should have a lot of it - we are parents for a reason, to guide them to the best choice. If a doctor has prescribed the formula just ignore me as I know it can have its place but I strongly believe that 'toddler' formula should be prescribed and not something that should be relied upon to provide nutrients in lieu of other food in 'most' cases.

Glad that her bum is a bit better. Maybe opt for something like Planet Ark re: washing powder? AFAIK it is quite good for people with allergies (my XDH has quite mild E but it really improved when we started used this) but someone else might have a better option. It can't hurt and it might end up saving you some money too. Another REALLY big one for my XDH was the fabric softener. Do you use that? You can replace it with a little bit of vinegar and lavender oil?

Bec.

[kirrily]

Originally Posted by Ying

My goal isn't for her to have eczema free..I know there is no cure.

Ok, my eczema has never been bad, but since I cut out wheat it has completely gone, so I'm not sure that there is no cure! The cure for me is to not eat wheat. You just have to find what it is that's causing it.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that (I think) these things don't just happen for no reason. I used to think that some people just had eczema or asthma or headaches etc and there was nothing you could do but treat the symptoms. I now know that there is very likely a cause for these things, it's just not always an obvious cause. And no doctor has ever suggested that I look at my diet to fix these things.

I am really trying to change my way of thinking about a lot of things, from treating the symptoms with medication etc, to avoiding them happening in the first place.

[Ying]

1) What detergent do you recommend Tik?
2) no pets here inside or out.
3) I'll be washing sheets more often from now
4) No, I thought it might too so we avoid taking her to swim in chlorinated pool.
5) We rarely use a heater, only in the morning when DH is freezing and he has to turn it on but I turn it off the min he leaves to work.
6) Will definitely bathing her less often.

Yes a lot of professionals we've seen tell us foods have no relation to eczema. I'm not 100% convinced though...I just need to try and see if it works in our case.

[*Tracee*]

Abbey is free of excema after having it up til she was 3 yrs old so it is something you can be free from if you can find Becky's triggers Ying.

I'm thinking it's something to do with dairy as at 3 months old her system would have been well loaded with formula, but that's probably 'cos both my girls reacted badly to cows milk once they first tried it so it's always my first thought!

[Ying]

JUst saw your posts, Bec & Kirrily

Bec, no the formula isn't prescribed. She just likes it but we're now cutting down the amount and start giving her normal cow's milk which she takes fine. So we'll be stopping it very soon and perhaps just let her drink rice milk or A2 milk. She's currently drinking S26 toddler & Pediasure. I suspect the S26 gives her a bit constipation too so I'm cutting it way down.

We also use fabric softener when washing clothes occasionally (not with nappies though) so I'll stop doing that.

Kirrily, what do you substitute wheat with? And what kind of food has wheat?

[kirrily]

Wheat is in soooooo many foods. But it's not in fruit and vegies and meat!

Substitute corn/rice pasta for wheat based pasta
Substitute gluten free bread if you can stand it - I can't so I just don't eat bread
Substitute corn and rice based cereal for wheat based ones (and check the labels - kelloggs rice bubbles and cornflakes have wheat or something I can't have so just because it's rice or corn doesn't mean it's ok)
In baking I use rice/corn/tapioca/buckwheat/potato/millet flour
Fast food from big chains- pretty much all out. Except fries from McDonalds.
Check out what there is at the supermarket. In the health food section there are lots of things - gluten/wheat free biscuits (including outback animals which are just like tiny teddies, minus all the nasties), rice porridge, cereals, pasta etc.

You just have to read labels on everything and make most of your own food... I would think that with all the Thai/Asian food you make, you could avoid wheat fairly easily (but you should buy Tamari instead of soy sauce because it has no wheat. There is a gluten free soy sauce available, but it has wheat in it).

[mokster26]

Ying we use QV oil in the bath - flare up if we have one otherwise normal oil and QV repair cream each night. The best defence for us is to not let the skin dry out. We have eidel prescribed by our paed if we have a flare but only use that very rarely nowdays. Maxies triggers seem to be dust mites, industrial detergents and anything with what I call 'dressing' (like a new stroller, toy, clothes, cushion cover, quilt, pillowcase etc basically anything fabric that we havent had a chance to wash). We have had it under almost complete control for over a year now - of course some kids seem to grow out of it a bit so that might have also helped him along. I hope you get some sort of resolution soon - it's not nice when their skin is all inflamed

[kirrily]

Oh, I forgot, also there's wheat in things like sausages and rissoles. There are gluten free sausages available, but I'd be careful of the ones from Woolworths. They have nasty colours and preservatives in them that affected me really badly. Not saying they would affect you or Becky, but just incase.

It's in other stuff like gravy and seasonings as well.

[Ying]

Thanks Kirrily, where can I buy wheat free bread, sausages and such? I don't know any butchers in our area that may have gluten/wheat free meat, nor the bakers. Becky loves bread so we need to have bread in this house. And no I can't make bread myself...I'm hopeless.