Eczema: Advice on dealing with dry skin

Some babies develop dry, scaly patches on the skin. It gets worse when the skin is dry. The key to keeping it in check is using a moisturizing soap and frequent applications of moisturizing cream.

Here are tips for living with this itchy-scratchy skin condition:

1. Baths: Avoid bubble baths, oils, perfumes, dyes, and detergents. Try Dove bar soap (not the liquid), Cetaphil, Aveeno, or Cal-Ben’s Seafoam liquid soap (available online or at natural food stores). Consider adding a half-cup of bleach to a full bathtub of water for bath time twice a week to reduce skin germs known to worsen eczema. (Huang)

2. Moisturize constantly. As a side benefit, this is a great way to bond with your baby when you massage lotions or creams into his skin frequently. A room humidifier will help introduce moisture as well.

3. Use “clear” detergents. For laundry, use perfume-free and dye-free detergents such as Tide Free & Gentle or All Clear Free

4. Observe whether eczema shows up when you start adding new foods to baby’s diet. Eliminating the offending food will obviously help. And if it happens frequently, you should consider seeing a food allergy specialist.

5. Don’t be afraid to get a referral to a dermatologist if your baby’s eczema gets really bad. Dermatologists are skin experts with knowledge of the newest treatments.