If you're looking for a good baby eczema lotion, this is the post for you.
Both of my babies had horrible eczema, especially my second, and I FINALLY found a eczema routine that cleared him right up.
Sharing what worked for us in today's blog post!
Oh eczema...how I loathe thee.
Both of my boys have it. My toddler had it super bad behind his knees and my baby had it all over. He was actually almost unrecognizable.
BEFORE
NOW
That first photo makes me so sad, cause he's scratching his little scalp, which was covered with cradle cap, and I can see all the eczema patches on his body that must've been so itchy.
His hair was falling out. You can even see scratch marks on his cheek where he had gotten himself.
I was keeping his hands covered with socks at night but sometimes he was able to pull them off or randomly scratch himself during the day when I wasn't paying attention.
It was a nightmare.
Which lotion is best for baby eczema?
I researched high and low everything there is to know about eczema. And everyone had a baby eczema lotion that was the only lotion that worked for their baby or toddler.
I came to a quick conclusion that there are several ways to get rid of eczema, but you just have to find the right baby eczema lotion for yourbaby. And for us, that was Cetaphil.
For my toddler, I had been using Aquaphor every day to no avail for months. Aquaphor just sort of kept it the same, not worse but not better (although we did keep using it on top of the Cetaphil because it helped to keep him from scratching himself so bad).
He was starting to scratch it so bad that there would be blood on the sheets when he'd wake up from a nap. Once we started using Cetaphil and putting it on every few hours, it cleared up within days.
For my baby, same story. I was using Aquaphor and had also tried Gentle Natural's Baby Eczema cream. His eczema was just getting worse by the day.
His cheeks were actually weepy and the patches were quickly spreading over his entire body.
I started with the Cetaphil twice a day and didn't notice a drastic change until I started putting it on almost hourly (this is the key). Once I started putting it on every hour or two at the most, it was gone in about a week.
How do you moisturize cradle cap?
My baby's cradle cap seemed to worsen and flare up at the same time the eczema did.
I tried coconut oil (I was using refined at first), Gentle Natural's cradle cap solution, baby oil, breast milk, Selsun Blue and Head & Shoulders (halfheartedly because I hated the chemicals).
I would use one of these just mentioned and let it sit on his head and then comb it off (not the shampoos, they were a different process). Yet by morning, the cradle cap was back, all oozing and gross.
Once I started getting the eczema under control, I said screw this cradle cap torture routine we do every night, I'm just going to put unrefined, virgin coconut oil (this one is my favorite) on his head every day all day, like with the Cetaphil, and it was gone within a week as well.
Our Daily Eczema Routine
1. Cetaphil hourly if eczema tries to get crazy. I stop it in it's tracks now.
2. A bath every night and baby/toddler lotioned up with Cetaphil within minutes from being removed from water to lock in moisture.
3. Dr. Bronner's pure castile soap, the baby unscented version {this stuff is amazing - you barely have to use any at all for it to become sudsy}. I had previously been using Burt's Bees.
4. Coconut oil on scalp hourly only if cradle cap is present. If scalp is clear, I may just dab some on after his bath as a preventative but I skip it a lot of days.
5. All Free & Clear laundry detergent and about a cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle to get off any remaining soap residue. I want to make my own detergent soon but for now this is working for us.
So, that my friends is how I keep my kids' eczema and cradle cap under control and at bay. I'd love to hear from other moms who have dealt with this what works for them.
If nothing has worked for you so far, hopefully some of these tips can help.
With love,
Jessica
Jessica Dimas is the author of the book "Sacred Self-Care for the Highly Sensitive Mom."
Cropped Stories
Hey there! Here from the blog hop and just wanted to let you know I liked you facebook page! I hope you'll get a chance to visit mine here :o) Hope you're having a great Monday!Faceboo khttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Cropped-Stories/615495055132216Blog UR Lhttp://www.croppedstories.blogspot.com
Jessica
Thanks Elena!
Blair Francis
Coconut oil was a god send for us! After only 2 application, the cradle cap AND eczema was practically gone! We kept it up for a while but our girl seems to have grown out of it for now... come winter we may be singing a different tune.
Jessica
Yes, coconut oil is amazing! Love that stuff! I hope your daughter doesn't get it again but at least you know what to use to stop it for her.
MIH Janise
Great tips! Stopping by to say hi. I'm co-hosting THE Collective Social Blog Hop this week. If you want to grow your blog and/or meet new friends please stop by at http://mamainheels.com/2013/06/30/the-collective-... xo,Janis ehttp://MamaInHeels.com
Jessica
Thanks Janise!
Laura Flaute
All Free & Clear should be good. I use it all the time, and we never had an issue. Great tips and good luck! Poor baby: so great that he is better nwo
Jessica
Yeah, I have used it since my toddler was born and we've never had any issues either. And thank you! 🙂
Melody
Aww, your babies are adorable! It seems coconut oil is good for just about everything! Stopping by from Friend Connect, and now following 🙂
Jessica
Thank you! Yes, coconut oil is amazing!
Noor Unnahar
Oh girl , thanks a lot for sharing it . My sister has Perioral dermatitis which is much like eczema . We haven't tried coconut oil but I'd recommend her for sure .Visiting from The collective and now following along .Noor @ Noor's Place
Jessica
Oh I'm following along on your blog before I noticed this comment lol. Thanks for commenting, I hope the coconut oil helps your sister. Definitely get the unrefined, virgin coconut oil 🙂
maswaim
Isaacs face before looked like a bad case of poison ivy. I'm so proud of you for finding the solution. (and releived) Way to go Jess!
Jessica
Thanks Dad!
Justynn Yagiela
wow. that worked like a charm! amazing.Thanks for linking up the to Friend Connect Blog Hop today!Co-Host // JustynnCreative Life Antics
Jessica
Yes, it definitely worked like a charm, thank GOD!
Areeba
I'm truly glad he's good now. I had perioral dermatitis months ago & it was unbearable. Cetaphil & virgin coconut oil really works like magic! I also had physiogel to repair my skin & vitamin e. Plus, he looks like a handsome little dude now! :)x
Jessica
Oh yes, I've heard about putting vitamin e on the skin! Thanks so much for commenting 🙂
Stacy Makes Cents
Visiting from Lady Behind the Curtain - that change is amazing!!! Good for you, mama!
Jessica
Thank you!
Michelle Levine
Wow good job ! the before and after pics are awesome - so it looks like you solved the problem already 🙂
Jessica
Yes, and so glad I did!
Journeys of The Zoo
So happy that you got that under control. Poor kid. both my 3.5 year olds have cradle cap and my doctor says it's because they wear hats all.the.time. It's either that or skin cancer. I have psoriasis so it's probably a bit of everything.I'm a new follower of yours via BlogLovin. I’d love it if you linked up to my weekly BlogLovin Hop http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4064788/journeys-of...
Jessica
Skin issues are no fun. They are so worrisome.Thanks so much, I'll definitely link up!
Leanne Williamson
Good morning! I am newly following your beautiful blog via the Blog Hop! Looking forward to connecting with you *hugs*Leanne xhttp://www.oh-mydaze.blogspot.com
Jessica
Thank you Leanne!
Stacey @ Chasing Clo
Oh my goodness! I wish I had known about this little eczema routine when my son was younger! He also used to get really bad patches behind his knees, and occasionally on his face. I was so glad my daughter didn't seem to have eczema, because it made him so miserable.BTW, I found you on the Happy Aloha hop 🙂 Following you now on BlogLovin'.
Jessica
I hate eczema, so glad your daughter doesn't seem to have it! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Crystal
My youngest suffered from horrible eczema his first year of life. It was bad, bad, bad. He ended up with multiple staph infections and even a MRSA infection. He was miserable and all of the medicines were expensive and harsh. People would stare at us anytime we were in public and the Texas heat amplified his condition. As he has gotten older, and now that we are aware of what he is allergic to, things are under control. However, still at the age of four we struggle with a more mild case on his neck and in between his fingers. When we do not stay on top of it skin infections occur again. I LOVE this solutions and will totally be giving it a try. Thank you so much for sharing it and I have also featured it over on Facebook with my community!
Jessica
Ugh I feel for you :/ I really hate the looks and unsolicited advice! My MIL will tell me the basic advice like to use a good detergent or wash new clothes before I put them on him (DUH). I really hope something works for you. Definitely try the hourly moisturizing, I really think that's what made the difference for us. Good luck!
Crystal
Of course this was one of the top viewed posts from last week! You made the Best Mom Advice list! Check out your feature here: http://www.crystalandcomp.com/2013/07/best-mom-ad...
Jessica
Woohoo! Hope this helps some mamas who are dealing with eczema.
Jessica @ The Wonder
Hi Jessica,Thank you so much for this! My little one has severe eczema. My hubby and I have lost sleep because of it (the scratching at night). We've been to a dermatologist and now we're getting ready to take him to the allergist too because they think it might be something environmental that's causing it. Been using the aquaphor and not doing a thing. I will definitely do the cetaphil next and try the hourly application too. I was just at Costco today looking at some coconut oil too. I think I will pick some up tomorrow. Thanks again and as always, love that you are linking up with us @ My Favorite Posts SHOW OFF Weekend Blog Party! JessicaThe Wondering Brain
Jessica
Yes, try the Cetaphil and the hourly application. I really really really hope it helps your son out. Thanks for commenting!
Keisha Evans
Thanks for sharing! This is so helpful, my niece is 4 years old now and barely experiencing eczema.
Keisha Evans
I'm a new follower also I found your lovely blog on a blog hop :o) So happy I found you!
Christina and Jacob
Thank you so much for sharing this. I was/am dealing with eczema on my son's bottom, and it was just so reassuring to me that you didn't give up and find something that worked. Thank you for encouraging me!
Jessica
Thanks Christina, I really hope your son's eczema goes away soon, that's got to be painful and annoying to have it on his bottom 🙁
Heather May
WOW!! I am addicted to coconut oil and put it on everything - even bug bites. Kudos to yo for being a proactive mommy and finding something that worked for your baby! I know this will help others! Thanks for sharing at the Friday Follow Along! I hope you will link up again! http://www.ffflinkypals.blogspot.com/2013/07/frid...
Jessica
Thanks Heather, yes I LOVE coconut oil. We use it daily for everything!
Melinda Collazo
Pinning this one! We love Dr. Bronner's!
Jessica
Us too!!
Stephanie Pass
We do love Dr. Bronner's, and that's what I wash our laundry with sometimes, especially cloth diapers. We also use All Free detergent. I can't use the fragrant detergents due to my own allergies. I never thought of using coconut oil, that might be good for my husband as he has skin issues. Dr. Bronner's seems to be doing the trick for him lately. All 3 of mine had cradle cap forever. I just let it take its course and used mild baby shampoo. It seemed to be a mild case in all of them and it never bothered any of them. My oldest daughter would get eczema on her face as a toddler whenever she ate strawberries and tomatoes. We stopped those foods, but the eczema would not leave. I tried OTC things at home, but I finally went to the pediatrician, and she gave us Elidel ointment. It disappeared almost immediately over night. Anytime it flared up, I would pull out the Elidel, and it would disappear again. She eventually grew out that problem and can eat strawberries and tomatoes now thank goodness. But, I noticed my youngest daughter, who is 3, started getting a red rash a few days ago on the corners of her mouth after she bit into a tomato slice. Thankfully a quick wash with water and paper towels make it disappear, but I think we will be avoiding tomatoes now.
Jessica
My husband and I have been using coconut oil on ourselves now for a few months, we love the stuff. You guys should definitely try it! It's so weird, as soon as I got the eczema under control, the cradle cap was much easier to get rid of. Although I agree if it's mild, there's really no point in trying to get rid of it since it will go away on it's own.Thank you so much for sharing your experience, I'm going to keep that medication in mind as well as the strawberry/tomato thing. I stopped giving my toddler strawberries during this time while I was trying to clear his eczema, but recently reintroduced them. AND HE HAD A SPOT BY HIS MOUTH! Totally didn't even think that's what it could be, so THANK YOU 🙂
Jessica
That is an amazing transformation!
Jessica
Yeah he looked like a brand new baby, thanks Jessica!
Accutane
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Amy @ Wildflower Ram
I love this! I have tried everything too -- my son's has been wonderfully under control until about two weeks ago when it flaired up so I might ahve to try Cetaphil..... Here's what I use....
Amy @ Wildflower Ram
http://wildflowerramblings.com/information/how-t-...
Jessica
Cool, thanks Amy! Gonna go check out your post right now 🙂
2justByou
My son is 7 years old and has had severe eczema all his life. We've tried just about everything, and we always have to rotate treatments because nothing stays effective for too long. We haven't tried Dr. Bronner's soap, so that's now on my list of things to buy. We LOVE Cetaphil! We also use Aquaphor & coconut oil is great too. Keeping the flare ups under control is important and the daily routine is a must.~KimPS - Now following via bloglovin too (was already a GFC follower).
Jessica
Oh man, that sounds so rough 🙁 Yeah, I've noticed that once a flare up starts getting out of control on his face, it starts showing up on his body. I really really really hate eczema. Thanks for sharing your experience Kim!
popcosmo
My son had eczema but not as badly as yours. It was more in creases - elbows, knees, anywhere where skin touched skin. It was painful and raw and had lots of discoloration. What we finally realized was that it was caused by food allergies and the effect was eczema. I'm not suggesting his are, but it's worth paying attention to when your child's flares up and what he ate - because I wish we had! Also, we used Crisco! We probably would have used Cetaphil (which we use now) or coconut oil, but this was 10 years ago! Dr. Bronner's is amazing - we love it. We steer clear of all chemicals and fragrances, but the best news I can give you is that he did outgrow it. Only the very occasional flare up, which is so minor he barely notices. Hang in there and I truly am glad you found something that works!!!xo ~kim
Rea T
oh poor little baby 🙁 both of my kids had eczema too and on my oldest, just like yours cetaphil within minutes after shower but i also used a cetaphil wash for him..now with my second child, cetaphil did not work with her at all! so we have this hydrocortisone cream that her pediatrician recommended..so we put her aveeno lotion after shower to lock in moisture then put the the hydrocortisone cream on top of it and every after 3 hours...well i'm glad that you have a system that is working for you♥huggies♥
Katie
Hi Jessica! Thank you for this great information. My munchkins have both been suffering with cradle cap for a while now. I'm definitely going to try using coconut oil on it tomorrow. I was wondering, do you have any ideas for getting toddlers to stop scratching at their cradle cap? One of my sons scratches his a lot, and I'm pretty sure he's scratching at it when he's in his bed. It seems like that's preventing his cradle cap issues from healing. He's too old for using mittens (they'd be off almost immediately!), and I don't know what to do to help him. Thanks for any advice you might have!
Jessica Dimas
Hi Katie, your comment totally took me back to times I had almost forgotten with my son scratching his eczema in bed until he drew blood! It was horrible and I know how you feel. Honestly the best thing my husband and I could come up with was keeping his nails cut short and rubbing his legs with aquaphor before bed so that he couldn't really scratch his skin that well. Not sure how that would work out for your son, especially if he has a lot of hair. I would maybe try rubbing something that's not irritating onto his scalp that makes it hard for him to scratch it and see if that helps at all. Aquaphor left our sons legs feeling kind of greasy so his nails couldn't penetrate to the skin.
Katie
Thank you, Jessica! I'll try the Aquaphor idea. 🙂
Cami
Totally random that I'm commenting, you might not even see this/ have already figured it out...but just in case... I love our Zipadee-Zip sleep sack to keep my one-year old from scratching her face while she sleeps. It keeps her arms inside the sleep sack and totally helped when she had eczema all over her cheeks!
Nika
Hi Jessica - I just wanted to say thank you so much for this blog post. I came across this post when I was scouring the internet for ways to help my little one who developed horrible eczema when he was around four months old. Your post gave me hope because my baby's skin looked so similar to the "before" photo, and as I read along our situation sounded so similar to yours. So I tried the approach you suggested of applying the Cetaphil hourly and slathering him in it. And...it worked for us too!!! 🙂 We use a hydrocortisone cream prescribed by his dermatologist for any bad flares, but it is really the Cetaphil covered by Aquaphor application that helps us keep those flares at bay. My son is now 14 months, and his skin is completely cleared, though we still apply a thick layer of Cetaphil covered by Aquaphor to him in the morning and before bed. (Not going to stop using what works!) 🙂 I really can't thank you enough for sharing your experience...just wanted to let you know that by sharing your journey you are continuing to help fellow "eczema parents" from all over!!! Thank you!!!
Jessica Dimas
Thank you so much for sharing this comment Nika!! I had suggested the idea to my doctor first and he was like "I just think that would make it worse" but my gut was telling me different. Now he says that he tells other moms about how I got rid of my sons' eczema because it worked so well for us. When my son was 14 months old we did the same routine of Cetaphil and Aquaphor, haha! Mainly to keep it warded off and so that he wouldn't scratch at all in case he did get it.
I am so, so happy that it worked for your baby. Eczema is horrible 🙁
Cami
Love this post! I have a question for you. What made you settle on Cetaphil? We've tried SO many lotions and none seem to be doing the trick... But I never thought to actually apply HOURLY. Was Cetaphil one that helped your son originally and you just decided to increase the applications to kick the eczema "in the butt" and get rid of it? I want to try this but I'm not sure which lotion I want to start applying hourly... Any tips? Sorry if this comment is confusing 🙂
Jessica Dimas
I think back when I was researching it, Cetaphil kept coming up in other forums on how moms were getting rid of it. So I bought it but I just wasn't seeing much of a difference, and I swear I had a gut feeling to apply it more often. My doctor said he couldn't see how that would work, but I started applying the Cetaphil (in the tub container) hourly to every 2 hours and it cleared it up within a week.
My doctor was surprised and he told me he tells other moms about it now because of how well and fast it worked for my baby. We were about to put him on some heavy medication and I wanted to avoid that.
Definitely try the Cetaphil that comes in a tub container and apply it about every 2 hours. That's what worked for both my baby and toddler.
Alyssa Kuhmichel
The pictures of your baby could be my son. We have been trying for 4 months to soothe his pain and are so sad and frustrated! I can't wait to try your routine! Once the baby got under control, did you still apply the cetaphil hourly? How is your sons skin today? Thank you for this post!
Jessica Dimas
Aw poor baby. Once I got the eczema under control, I only put the cetaphil on about 2 times a day, and then it went down to once a day. He just turned 3 and he's never had eczema since, it was just amazing. I really thought it was crazy the way it almost acted like some kind of wild fire that just spreads, but once it's under control it completely goes away. Honestly I wondered if the coconut oil even did anything or if the cradle cap simply went away because the eczema went away. Either way, I was just so grateful that that routine worked, his eczema was horrible and was only getting worse. And my older son who had it so bad behind his knees also has had clear skin! I hope it works for your son too.
Tricia
Do u apply cetaphil at night hourly when they are sleeping too? I shall try it out and c if it works! Thanks!
Jessica Dimas
Oh good question! I may have done it if I felt the baby's cheeks were dry (when I was still awake, so from like 7-11pm or whatever when he'd wake to nurse) but once I was in bed I don't think I did it.
Emilee
Thank you so much for this post! My son is almost two, and has suffered from patches of moderate to severe eczema his whole life. He has scratched himself bloody, as well. Within the past week, he's developed cradle cap, so I tried applying coconut oil in the bath and then gently brushing the scales away before shampooing. It worked a little, but left his hair very great looking, even after shampoo. Did you experience this problem at all with your son?
kate
My two year is the only one out 4 kids that has ezcema. He's had it since 2 months of age. I've used aaquaphor, baby eczema creams, lotions, and steriod creams up until I found something that would help dry it out. It's kind of like calamine lotion but it is made by Aveeno. It's the exact same pink color used for poison ivy and such and it has done him wonders. It's called Anti-itch concentrated lotion it's the same cost as aquaphor and works 10x better then all the other stuff.
Jessica Dimas
That's such a great tip! It sounds like a great product too, I know that pink stuff for poison ivy works so good. Thanks for leaving that comment, I'm sure it will help a lot of moms!
Alyssa
When did you start seeing results? I’m on day three of your suggestions for the eczema using cetaphil, aquaphor, and dr bronners. I haven’t noticed a difference of it going away but I do think her skin feels better. Just wondering if you didn’t really see it going away until the full week or if you started seeing progress days before that. Thank you!
Jessica Dimas
Sorry to be replying so late! It took about a week and once it began to clear up, it cleared up fast, almost like all at once. I hope your baby's skin is doing better.
Veronica
Hi, I'm battling this too and i feel like I'm going crazy. I would like to ask what your night time routine is. I can control it pretty good but seems like every morning I'm back to square one.
Victoria N.
Thank You for this awesome blog my toddlers eczema is now gone! We used Bronners at bath time and applied the cetaphil also applied hydrocortisone once and I can’t believe the results. So glad I stumbled across this! Thanks a bunch❤️
Famma S
My nephew has drool rashes on his mouth, neck, and chest. The rashes have started to blister, developed pus. He rubs off any ointment or lotion we apply. what shall we do?
Evelyn
Oops, I think I accidentally called you Jennifer. My apologies Jessica. 🙁 Exhausted and drained from dealing with my baby’s eczema. Thanks again for giving me hope that this can be resolved! X