How to Soothe Eczema Without Steroids

Eczema can be itchy, ugly, and sometimes painful. The steroid treatments used can be helpful, but do you really want all those steroids in your skin all the time? Here are some effective treatments that have been tried and tested by myself and my children. We all have eczema.

What is eczema? First, here’s a run-down of what eczema is. It can be different for different people. Eczema is actually a group of skin conditions that are all categorized as eczema. One way eczema may show up is a patch of rough bumpy and red skin that itches very bad, but when scratched, it will begin to bleed. This is the form my kids and I experience most often. Another form is patches of red, raw skin that may or may not bleed, but is also extremely itchy. It can also be just extremely dry and itchy skin with or without bumps. Another name commonly used for eczema is dermatitis.

What are the symptoms? Symptoms of eczema will show in one of the rashes mentioned above or even a different looking rash besides those mentioned. There are many different types of eczema rash.

Things to know:

• Children with asthma and/or allergies are also prone to eczema.
• While I am not a doctor and I recommend you ask your doctor before using my regimen, I do hope that at least one of these treatments works as well for you as it did for us.

Treatment Options:

Lotions/Creams

• A good lotion can aid in preventing and sometimes soothing eczema. While we have not found any lotion that will completely wipe out the eczema, we have found some that do at least ease the itchiness. Remember when using a lotion, you must be sure there are no fragrances, dyes, or harsh chemicals in the ingredients.
• Aveeno works well, especially in combination with the line of soaps they make.
• Suave’s Skin Therapy for sensitive skin also works well as it is fragrance free and moisturizes well.
• We have tried many brands and have found that pretty much all fragrance free lotions and creams work the same. The expensive lotions do not work any better than the inexpensive ones.
• The most recommended brand by the doctors is probably a tie between Eucarin and Cetaphil. I have found that they both work the same as any inexpensive cream or lotion out there, and truthfully, no cream or lotion has fully relieved the symptoms. They just aid. Keep reading for my special trick using lotion and something else.

Oatmeal baths:

• Oatmeal baths can be very soothing when the soreness has become unbearable. Just be careful which brands you use. Some brands contain fragrances, dyes, and other chemicals that will burn the skin of someone suffering from eczema.
• Once again, as with the lotions/creams, Aveeno is a good brand for the oatmeal baths as well. There are many bath products from Aveeno, so I’ll list the ones we like. The first one is Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment. It’s fragrance free and tear free. It soothes the skin when it’s itchy and burning. The next product they have is Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream. It is also fragrance free and can be used on other areas of the body, besides just hands. It relieves the burning and itching. There is also Aveeno Soothing Relief Moisture Cream, which soothes the burning and itching as well. Then, Aveeno has the Soothing Relief Bath Treatment (a bit different than the first bath treatment), which does the oatmeal bath thing.
• If you’re wondering why I listed the lotions with the oatmeal bath, read on. When you get out of the bath, before drying off, use one of the creams mentioned above. Then, pat the skin dry, or even better, let it air dry. When the lotion is put on wet skin, it helps lock in the moisture.

My Special Trick:
My number one favorite thing to use for eczema is a mixture of two things used in a specific way.

Get out your favorite fragrance free moisturizer and plain A+D Ointment while you are still wet from a bath and whenever needed throughout the day. Be sure you have the ointment, not the cream (and not the diaper rash cream). That could be painful. Don’t ask how I know. That’s another story.

Now put some lotion into your hand. Be sure it’s enough to the cover the area you’re going to put it on. Next, put a dab of A+D Ointment onto the lotion or cream blob. Rub it together and apply it to the skin. You can also do the A+D by itself, but I like to mix it with a cream to make it easier to spread and to take away some of the fish oil smell.