Sensitive Skin

When my daughter was less than a year old, she started to develop red, itchy patches of dry skin on her wrists and behind her knees. I suspected it was eczema. I showed it to her doctor, who seemed not to believe me over the phone. “Oh, look at that, she said, that could be eczema.” She acted as if it wasn’t a big deal. “She’ll likely out grow it,” she said, and suggested the use of over the counter hydrocortisone if it seemed itchy. I left her office feeling confused. Was it eczema or not? Wasn’t there some way to know for sure?

Apparently this skin issue is very common in young children, but the cause is not really known. After doing some research, I learned it could be from an allergy, just be sensitivity to irritants, or the guilt-ridden heredity. The reason it was happening was basically unimportant, given that the treatment was pretty much the same: switch to fragrance free everything, watch and learn what seemed to trigger it, and purchase copious amounts of moisturizer.

Keeping her skin cool (no sweaty fleece pajamas) and her nails short would cut down on scratching. This would minimize the vicious cycle of flare-ups, which can occur when it is rubbed and scratched. Broken skin can also increase the risk of bacterial infections.

Contrary to what I always thought about baths being bad for dry skin, water is a good friend to eczema. It hydrates the top layer of the skin, softens the skin so moisturizer can be better absorbed and removes anything on the skin that may be irritating.

We immediately began giving my daughter a lukewarm bath everyday, using a soap-free, creamy, baby wash. After the bath, we coated her still-damp skin in moisturizer. It began to improve. Any time we saw extra redness, like after a vacation where she slept on sheets that had been washed in fragrant detergent, we added over the counter hydrocortisone before moisturizing.

It has been a few years now, and she has yet to grow out of it. Luckily we have learned how to cope with it and keep her comfortable. She still has occasional flares ups. This summer I noticed sunscreens irritate her, and the use of hand sanitizing wipes or liquids turn her skin to rawhide within minutes. It has remained mild, but I am still waiting for the magic year when it will be a prickly memory.

Although eczema is uncommon in the diaper area, if your baby is very sensitive, or you just want to have more control over what goes on her skin, you might want to try making your own baby wipes. These are great for faces and hands, too. 

What you’ll need:

A roll of thick paper towels, cut in half width-wise

Container (with lid) large enough for the half roll to fit in

Recycled wipes container or zippered plastic bag

1 to 2 tablespoons olive or jojoba oil

1 to 2 tablespoons baby wash (oatmeal wash is great for irritation)

1 and 1/2 cups warm water

Start by cutting the roll of paper towels in half using a serrated knife. Place half the roll into the plastic container and pour the mixture of water, oil and baby wash over it. Place the lid on the container and leave for about 10 minutes. Turn the container over for about 10 more minutes so the paper towels become evenly saturated. Remove the cardboard from the center of the roll and pull the first wipe from the center. Store in a recycled wipe container or plastic zipper bag. Voila! Homemade wipes.

You can add more or less baby wash, depending on how you like it, or less oil if they feel greasy. Try to buy the most natural baby wash and organic oil. Since these do not have any preservatives in them, you want to make only what you would use for about a week.