Coconut Oil Vs Other Products For Eczema
A person might wonder how coconut oil compares with other eczema remedies found in supermarkets, such as mineral oil or petroleum jelly.
A small 2019 study of adults with very dry skin found that virgin coconut oil was better at increasing skin moisture and easing symptoms than mineral oil.
Petroleum jelly, commonly sold under the brand name Vaseline, is another inexpensive, widely available product that people often use to relieve eczema symptoms. People generally tolerate it well, even those with very sensitive skin.
Petroleum jelly is thicker and greasier than coconut oil, and it creates a barrier that can help seal in moisture.
Experts classify coconut oil as an emollient, an oil or lipid that hydrates dry skin and improves skin softness, flexibility, and smoothness. Petroleum jelly, on the other hand, is an occlusive, a substance that coats the skin and physically seals in water to keep the skin hydrated.
Both may help ease eczema symptoms, such as a burning sensation, itchiness, and discomfort from cracked skin.
Below, find answers to some common questions about coconut oil and eczema.
Can I Do Anything To Prevent My Baby’s Eczema Flare
- Keep your baby’s fingernails trimmed, to reduce any damage to their skin when they scratch. You could also consider buying some anti-scratch mittens to help protect their skin .
- If your little one gets a flare-up when they wear certain fabrics, dress them in natural materials such as cotton instead . Avoid wool though, as this can also be a trigger .
- Replace soaps and bubble baths with an emollient wash , which is kinder to your baby’s skin .
- There’s no evidence that using non-biological washing powder can help, however many parents say it works for them . You can also use a double rinse cycle to make sure that any detergent residue is gone from your baby’s clothes and bedding before they use them .
- Keep your home cool, especially your baby’s bedroom, as getting too hot and sweaty can cause a flare-up .
- When you take your baby swimming, rinse their skin well with fresh water afterwards to remove the chlorine, and moisturise them thoroughly after that .
- If being around your pets seems to make your baby’s eczema worse, keep them out of their bedroom and vacuum the rest of the house regularly . It’s also a good idea to wash and groom your pets, and their bedding, frequently . If your child’s eczema is particularly severe, you may even want to consider rehoming your animal . As tough as this can be, it may be the best option for your baby.
How To Help Prevent Your Babys Eczema From Recurring
Always follow your healthcare providerâs advice on treating your baby’s eczema. Your provider may suggest taking the following steps to help prevent eczema from recurring or getting worse:
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Bathe your baby no more than three times per week.
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Keep bathtime to no more than 15 minutes.
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Use only mild, unscented soaps.
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After bathtime, moisturize your babyâs skin with a fragrance-free cream or an ointment such as petroleum jelly or one prescribed by your healthcare provider.
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Moisturize your babyâs skin at least twice a day . Diaper changes can be a good time to do this.
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Launder your babyâs clothes in mild, unscented detergent.
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Dress him in soft clothing. Avoid wool or any rough woven fabrics.
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To help protect your little oneâs skin, keep his nails clipped short so that he canât scratch himself. You could also slip cotton mittens on his hands before bedtime to help prevent him from scratching.
If your baby has eczema, it can look scary, but with care from your provider supplemented by effective at-home treatment, your little oneâs skin should improve in time. In the meantime, keep showering your little one with lots of love and kisses.
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How To Cure Baby Eczema & What Is The Best Treatment
The treatment of baby eczema shares specificity with that for allergies yet, there is not just a single all-valid remedy, and doctors usually prescribe more complex combined treatments.
Some of the basics homeremedies for baby eczemainclude moisturizing, careful bath times, avoiding detergents, using cotton clothes, being careful about the babies diets, and keeping pets away. Besides, make sure your babys environment is dust-free, and always cut the babys nails short to reduce scratching.
Fortunately, There Are Several Remedies And Treatments For This Skin Disease.
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What Can I Expect If My Baby Has Baby Eczema
Eczema causes your babys skin to be dry and itchy. Your baby might try to scratch their skin to relieve the itchiness. While it may be difficult to prevent your baby from scratching their skin, scratching can make your baby more likely to get an infection. An infection occurs when bacteria or a virus enters your childs body. This can make your childs symptoms worse. Visit your childs provider if their symptoms get worse or if they have an infection.
To prevent side effects like an infection on your babys skin, keep your babys skin moisturized with creams, ointments or lotions designed for a babys skin. Rehydrating your babys skin can reduce their symptoms and prevent itchiness.
Is there a cure for baby eczema?
No, there isnt a cure for baby eczema. Treatment is available to help your babys skin heal and make their symptoms go away. Some cases of baby eczema go away by the time your child grows into an adult, but they may experience skin sensitivity or minimal symptoms of eczema throughout their life.
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Did My Baby Develop Eczema Because I Couldnt Breastfeed
As eczema is caused by genetic factors, bottle-feeding a baby definitely cannot cause eczema. In fact, current research is divided, with some studies showing positive effects of breastfeeding and others showing no significant effects at all.
Neither is there enough evidence to advise pregnant or breastfeeding women to avoid specific foods to protect unborn children from atopic eczema or any other atopic condition.
Use These Natural Remedies For Baby Eczema And Help You Baby Find Relief
Mama, I know its hard to see your baby suffering from the discomfort of eczema. Its especially hard when they are experiencing severe itching or widespread inflammation. But even a small flare-up should be addressed so that it doesnt get worse.
Remember, its important to try to figure out the root cause of your babys eczema to keep it away. However, the 7 natural remedies for baby eczema discussed here will help get your babys skin clear and comfortable quickly.
Do you have an additional tip or natural remedy youve used for your babys eczema? Share your success below!
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Benefits Of Coconut Oil
The antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of coconut oil make it quite useful for treating eczema in babies. The presence of lauric acid and Vitamin E and K help in reducing skin inflammation and promote its healing.
Precautions
Always do a patch test as babies skin is susceptible and might get flared up by any trigger. Look for organic and pure coconut oil for a better result.
Diagnosing Food Allergy And Eczema Flare
- Your child’s doctor may suggest the steps listed below:
- Remove the suspected food or foods from your child’s diet for 2 weeks. The eczema should greatly improve.
- Then give your child that food when the eczema is under good control. This is called a “challenge.”
- If the food is causing flare-ups, the eczema should become itchy and red. The flare-up should occur quickly within 2 hours of eating the food.
- If this occurs, avoid giving this food to your child. Talk to your child’s doctor about the need for any food substitutes.
- If the eczema does not flare-up, your child isn’t allergic to that food.
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Complementary And Alternative Treatments
There are several natural treatments that have been shown to be effective controlling eczema symptoms. Many of these studies looked the effects on adults, so be sure to consult with your childs doctor prior to starting any natural treatments for eczema.
- National Eczema Association | 505 San Marin Drive, #B300 | Novato, CA 94945
- 415-499-3474 or 800-818-7546
Instructions To Soak And Seal
Dont limit moisturizing to just bath time. Slather it on your child throughout the day whenever their skin starts to itch or feel dry. Try using an ointment or a cream rather than a lotion and apply it with your palms, stroking lightly in a downward direction.
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What Can Make It Worse
Each baby is different. But there are some common eczema triggers to avoid, including:
Dry skin. It can make a baby’s skin itchier. Low humidity, especially during winter when homes are well-heated and the air is dry, is a cause.
Irritants. Think scratchy wool clothes, polyester, perfumes, body soaps, and laundry soaps. These can all trigger symptoms.
Stress. Children with eczema may react to stress by flushing. That can lead to itchy, irritated skin. And that, in turn, ramps up their eczema symptoms.
Heat and sweat. Both can make the itch of infant eczema worse.
Allergens. Itâs not certain, but some experts believe that removing cowâs milk, peanuts, eggs, or certain fruits from a childâs food may help control eczema symptoms. Remember that your baby can get exposed to these foods if their mother eats them before they breastfeed. Find out the connection between food and eczema flares.
Is Coconut Oil Safe For Babys Skin
Virgin coconut oil is like virgin olive oil. Its less processed than regular oils and comes from fresh coconuts. According to medical research, this might give virgin coconut oil stronger health properties than other kinds of coconut oil. It has more germ-fighting and inflammation-soothing powers.
Extra virgin coconut oil is safe to use on the paper-thin skin of premature babies. In fact, medical research has found that using this kind of coconut oil on premature or low birthweight babies helped protect and thicken their delicate skin.
Even though virgin coconut oil is considered safe, its possible to be allergic to coconut oil. Discontinue using it if a skin reaction occurs.
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Baby Eczema And Cradle Cap Symptoms
- Darkened skin on the eyelids and around the eyes
- Changes to the skin around the mouth, eyes, or ears
Cradle cap causes symptoms not commonly seen in other types of infantile eczema, such as greasy yellow scales on the scalp that sometimes appear in a thick layer covering the entire top of the head. Over time, the scales become flaky and rub off.
How We Made Our Picks For The Best Eczema Creams For Babies
We relied on several different factors to pick the best eczema creams for babies. First, we analyzed a range of products and determined which ones were most effective, particularly seeking out options that were given a seal of accpetance by the National Eczema Association. The What to Expect editorial team also conducted research focusing on popularity, innovation, design, quality, value and ease of use for baby eczema creams. We also sought out input from pediatricians and pediatric dermatologists, and road-tested products at home with our own families. And no roundup would be complete without checking with parents in the What to Expect community to hear their thoughts on the best eczema creams for babies.
Here, the best baby eczema creams to help moisturize your little ones dry, irritated skin.
See registry advice and a custom baby gear checklist
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Eczema Treatment In Miami Fl
The Childrens Skin Center is South Floridas premier pediatric dermatology practice. We regularly treat eczema in our kid-friendly clinic. Our board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Ana Duarte, has advanced training in dermatology and provides comprehensive and highly individualized treatment for pediatric skin concerns. Dr. Duarte is very compassionate and communicates well with very young patients, easily gaining their trust and making them comfortable.
Our dermatology team will work hard to protect your childs skin and prevent serious complications. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Duarte, call our clinic today at 669-6555 or use our convenient appointment request form.
Try To Reduce The Damage From Scratching
Eczema is often itchy, and it can be very tempting to scratch the affected areas of skin.
But scratching usually damages the skin, which can itself cause more eczema to occur.
The skin eventually thickens into leathery areas as a result of chronic scratching.
Deep scratching also causes bleeding and increases the risk of your skin becoming infected or scarred.
Try to reduce scratching whenever possible. You could try gently rubbing your skin with your fingers instead.
If your baby has atopic eczema, anti-scratch mittens may stop them scratching their skin.
Keep your nails short and clean to minimise damage to the skin from unintentional scratching.
Keep your skin covered with light clothing to reduce damage from habitual scratching.
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How Does Baby Eczema Affect My Childs Skin
Baby eczema makes your babys skin dry, itchy and sensitive. This happens because your babys protective barrier on the outermost layer of their skin is weak and doesnt work as expected. Their symptoms can last for a couple of weeks each time theres a flare-up of symptoms.
Baby eczema is a chronic condition, where it can come and go unexpectedly. Some children grow out of the condition when they reach adulthood but will still experience symptoms of dry skin or mild flare-ups throughout their life.
Balancing The Skins Acidity Levels
Vinegar is highly acidic. The skin is naturally acidic, but people with eczema may have less acidic skin than others, which can weaken the skins defenses.
Applying diluted apple cider vinegar could help balance the skins acidity levels, but vinegar can cause burns if it is not diluted.
In contrast, many soaps, detergents, and cleansers are alkaline. They can disrupt the acidity of the skin, which can leave the skin vulnerable to damage. This may explain why washing with certain soaps can cause eczema flares.
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Bathing And Moisturizing Your Infant
Will My Baby Have Eczema All Her Life
In some babies with atopic dermatitis, the condition stays put. But, fortunately, eczema clears up in many babies by the time they turn 4 years old.
From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When Youre Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
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Baby Eczema: Diagnosis And Treatment
Your childs doctor will diagnose eczema based on symptoms, the appearance of the rash, family and individual medical history, and evaluation for potential allergies.
There is no specific test to diagnose eczema, but a doctor might order blood tests and skin tests to look for allergies or rule out other skin conditions.
What Else Is Happening At Johns Hopkins Today
We go out of our way to provide the comprehensive care our patients with eczema need. On a case-by-case basis, we communicate with one another whether in allergy, dermatology, psychology or infectious disease to put together the best course of treatment for each child.We are optimistic that future therapies and approaches to care for those with even severe eczema are going to be greatly improved with more research and that the creation of the Eczema Day Treatment Unit will help us conduct cutting edge research and answer questions we face every day seeing and treating patients.
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