Battling Eczema and Sensitivities with Kids
We have our share of sensitive skin in this family. My husband battles mystery hives about 50 percent of times we go out for food and drinks, or try something new at home. I have been battling mild to severe eczema flares since childhood. We have both figured out a few things to help us avoid embarrassing and uncomfortable outbreaks. However, now that two of our kids have shown to have these issues too, it is a whole new game.
Luckily, my eldest daughter seems to have escaped the skin issues. Although, considering she dislikes the foods that cause flareups in the rest of us, maybe she does have the same sensitivities, but doesn’t get exposure often enough to notice. Both my husband and I come from families with corn and wheat intolerances. It wasn’t something I thought much about until other family members started embracing elimination diets to figure out their skin and digestion issues. It made sense. I’ve had tests done with an allergist and the results were a little concerning. I first went gluten free in 2005. In the 10 years since, I have moved us to gluten-lite as I call it and learned that soy and corn are far bigger triggers in myself and my kids. My son has horrible eczema on his face, and it started when he was just eight weeks old. Now his youngest sister is showing up with the sensitivities as well. Unfortunately, the things they react to the most are present in EVERY brand of baby formula!
So far we are attempting to keep it somewhat controlled with diet and hygiene.
Controlling Eczema Reactions
(Links sponsored by all free clear)
Diet
For dietary control, experiment and discover which types of foods lead to flare ups. I’ve used cookbooks designed to avoid the most common allergies (wheat, soy, corn, shellfish, etc.) to help with elimination diets. Once you have shaved a diet down to a point where flare ups stop, slowly add back things one at a time and wait for a reaction. Wait at least two weeks before adding another food back.
This is sooooooo hard with kids. Especially when other people scoff at the idea. Unfortunately, having your child’s cheeks break open and bleed down his face because of such severe reactions is nothing at which to scoff. Our biggest challenge is corn derivatives. Luckily, our infant is not as sensitive to these as our five year old.
Hygiene
For hygiene triggers, pay attention to which body and cleaning products trigger skin issues. Start only using baking soda and vinegar for general cleaning. Stick to lotions and soaps designed for sensitive skin and with as few ingredients as possible.
Your clothing and bed linens sit against your skin all day and night. Find a laundry detergent that is designed for sensitive skin and rinses clean. We use all free clear. All® free clear detergent (liquid and mighty pacs), fabric softener and dryer sheets have received the National Eczema Association (NEA) Seal of Acceptance™. Products with the NEA Seal of Acceptance™ are those that avoid certain chemicals, dyes, perfumes and residues that are known to be unsuitable for use by persons with eczema or a sensitive skin condition. We also use it on our cloth diapers and baby clothes. And it does make a difference. My son almost always come back from a night at Grandma’s with a rash, since she uses a detergent that causes him reactions. I like all free clear because it is the most easily accessible detergent that works for us.
Don’t Give Up
Most of all, stick with a regimen that works. I know how hard it is to stay strict. We slip up, on purpose or not, all the time. Hygiene stuff is easy. The food issues are tough though. As parents, my husband and I are often weighing pros and cons of letting the kids have flareup foods when we go out. We’ve learned things like corn, oats, wheat and potato are problems, but if the bread is sourdough, or we make sure to remove skin from potatoes, the reaction is minimal. We learned most fragrances in body products are fine, but our son reacts to oat proteins, even in lotions. One big surprise was the day I started having horrible reactions to aloe vera!
The upside, aside from being more conscious of what you put on and in your body, is you might outgrow a sensitivity. With enough time of zero exposure, your immune system may stop overloading you with antibodies against your sensitivity. Some even have lots of success with controlled exposure to outgrow allergies. I hope for my kids’ sakes, they outgrow some of their food intolerances at least.
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*writing and personal account by JustAddCloth. Links sponsored by all free clear.
