My Top 5 Eczema flare-up villains

tomatoes-3-1532477-640x480When my daughter was small she suffered badly with eczema on her legs, and now she is older occasionally she gets flare-ups behind her knees, on her thighs, bottom, arms. She is not as a bad as some children I’ve seen, but nevertheless it is uncomfortable for her and infuriating for us.

We found it frustrating, not knowing exactly what was causing the flare-ups, but in time and through a process of elimination we found a few things that most definitely made things worse.

Now, not all children are the same and if in doubt and if your child is in serious discomfort and pain, I would always advocate getting professional, medical advice from your doctor. However, here are my Top 5 Eczema flare-up villains based on our own personal experience.  Give them a go and let me know how you get on.

  1. Johnson’s baby bath – Or, to be fair, any children’s baby bath.  We tried several types, organic and non-organic, but for some reason they really do not suit our daughter.  Instead, I turned to an adult shower creme, which works a treat! 
  2. Tomatoes – The acidity of tomatoes really plays havoc with a child’s fragile Ph balance.  One or two cherry tomatoes can be fine, but just be warned. Oranges and other citrus fruits, and indeed strawberries can be bad too.
  3. Children’s sun cream – This caused some horrendous flare-ups, but you can’t just deny your child their vitamin D by wrapping them up in multiple layers.  Thankfully we found a decent sensitive sun cream that works  perfectly with no side effects. 
  4. Eczema creams – Sometimes less is most definitely more.  Slathering our daughter in slimy cream actually made things worse on more than one occasion.  Sometimes it really is a good idea to just give the skin a break from lotions and potions, bathe your child in just plain water and pat them dry. If needs by give them some antihistamine to help with the itch-scratch cycle.
  5. Climate – Yep, in the same way that the seasons can affect our moods, so they can affect eczema.  Central heating and low humidity really plays havoc and I think that is why our daughter’s eczema has flared-up recently now the heating is on.  Using layers rather than ramping up the thermostat is a better, and cheaper, option.
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8 thoughts on “My Top 5 Eczema flare-up villains”

  1. Hi,

    My son is now 11 and still suffers from slight eczema. I still can’t get to the bottom of it and because its not very bad I’m probably to blame for not investigating this more. None of the 5 you mentioned above actually apply to him (I wish i could get him to eat tomatoes!!) but your article as prompted me to delve into this more.

    1. Hi there
      It is a trial and error I’ve found. Even the doctor and paediatrician have said I needed to try several different emollients as some can make it worse.
      Good luck!

  2. Hi Amelia

    Your site is like a breath of fresh air, I love it! I feel myself agreeing with everything you say regarding the constant worries of am I doing the right thing, should I be spending more time with my baby, and it goes on!

    Funnily enough just recently my little boy has had a touch of eczema mainly on his face but also a little on his body, I have just recently switched to Child’s Farm products which I have to say seem to be very good although I have only used once or twice so far. I have also just bought Oilatum cream which seems to help also.

    I will definitely be looking to read more on your site.

    1. Hi Dawn,

      Thanks for your kind words. It is a never-ending spiral of worry, and things like eczema are so infuriating when you can’t pinpoint the cause.

      I’m glad you’re enjoying my site – I’m very honest and pretty blunt. I speak from the heart and that in my view is the most important thing.

      Fingers crossed the Child’s Farm and Oilatum resolve your little boy’s current bout.

  3. Hi,

    My son is now 11 and still suffers from slight eczema. I still can’t get to the bottom of it and because its not very bad I’m probably to blame for not investigating this more. None of the 5 you mentioned above actually apply to him (I wish i could get him to eat tomatoes!!) but your article as prompted me to delve into this more.

    1. Hi,

      Sorry my 5 don’t relate, but I’m glad it has prompted you to look a little further into it. It is amazing how things like skin complaints can lead to constant frustration for the sufferer – and for children, they will rarely ever investigate it to the same degree as their parents. 🙂

  4. I know a friend with this condition and she has tried everything to get rid of her eczema which has spread almost on all parts of her body.
    She told me that she does not play any sports because sweating makes it very difficult for her to stay comfortable.
    Is there any way she could get rid of this condition permanently in time?

    Thank you,
    Suhail.

    1. It is difficult for me to say as I am not medically qualified, however I would suggest looking at her diet as my theory is that if nothing cream-wise is helping on the outside, then maybe it is something that she is putting in her body e.g. tomatoes, strawberries, milk etc. Getting referred to a dermatologist might be worthwhile. Sorry I can’t be more help.

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