Help! What Is the Best Natural Baby Eczema Treatment?

As a parent, you'd do anything to protect your child. But when it comes to dry, itchy skin associated with eczema or atopic dermatitis, understanding what to do is often the biggest challenge. Fortunately, Mother Nature offers many all-natural, plant-based skin care products and moisturizers proven to help alleviate baby eczema. Read on to learn more about the best natural baby eczema treatment. 

What Is Baby Eczema? Why Is My Toddler’s Skin Dry?

Your baby’s healthy skin barrier is their first line of defense against the outside world, fending off bacteria, germs, allergens, chemicals, and more. The skin barrier also helps lock in moisture to provide the soft and supple skin every parent wants. 

But if your child has eczema, their skin barrier is weakened and may not be able to repel bacteria, allergens, and germs, which leads to more skin irritation, inflammation, and infections. At the same time, a weakened skin barrier will not be able to lock in moisture, which contributes to dry, rough, itchy skin. These factors create cycles of dryness, irritation, and inflammation that fuel the itch-scratch cycle. If left unchecked, the scratching can cause broken skin, scarring, skin infections, and worse. 

What Causes Baby Eczema and Toddler Eczema?

The exact cause of baby eczema and its flare-ups are not fully understood. It's believed to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors.  

Genetics Can Cause Baby Eczema

Eczema tends to run in families. Children are more likely to develop eczema if one or both of their parents have eczema, asthma, or hay fever.

Baby Eczema Flare-Ups Can Be Caused by Environmental Triggers

Exposure to environmental triggers can cause eczema symptoms to flare up, such as 

• Dust mites, 
• Pet dander, or 
• Pollen. 

Pay attention to your toddler’s flare-ups and the environmental factors present. For example, if you notice your baby has breakouts when you visit your cousin’s house with a cat or dog, it could mean you’ve identified a trigger. 

Skin Irritants Can Trigger Baby Eczema Flare-Ups

Certain soaps, detergents, and fabrics are notorious for irritating a toddler's sensitive skin and causing eczema flare-ups. Because of this, consider skipping laundry detergents and skin moisturizers with heavy artificial fragrances and perfumes. Before using any new product, you should always do a skin test to see how your child reacts to the product. 

Food Allergies Can Trigger Eczema in Babies 

While your toddler’s eczema appears as an external skin reaction, it’s often an inside job. Many eczema flare-ups originate from foods consumed. Around 30% of babies with severe eczema also have food allergies. Work to understand potential foods that may be exasperating your child's eczema flare-ups, such as dairy products and food dye Yellow 5. 

Wool and Certain Fibers Trigger Eczema Flareups

Wool and other cloths made from rough, scratchy materials can cause eczema flare-ups or worsen them. You should avoid these types of fibers. 

Choose a High-Ceramide Baby Eczema Treatment

Because your toddler’s skin barrier may be compromised, it’s important to reinforce it with the right moisturizer at least twice a day, especially after bathing. Look for products that contain ceramides, which help restore the skin barrier. According to a Dermatology Times article, ceramide-containing skin care products are one of the most important ingredients. 

Ceramides are lipids—or fat molecules—naturally present in the outermost layer of your baby’s skin. Ceramides are instrumental in forming a barrier to prevent moisture loss and protect the skin from environmental aggressors. A deficiency of ceramides equals a compromised skin barrier, roughness, and dryness. 

As such, the best eczema cream for infants or the best eczema cream for toddlers will almost always have a high ceramide content. Fortunately, Mother Nature offers many naturally high ceramide nutrients that can help restore, repair, and alleviate skin eczema symptoms and other skin conditions:

• Shea butter is a great source of ceramides, helping prevent moisture from escaping the skin.
• Jojoba oil contains an extremely high amount of natural ceramides to lock in moisture and protect the skin barrier.
• Rosehip oil is rich in linoleic acid, which is also found in natural ceramides. 
• Avocado oil is naturally rich in skin-supporting ceramides with profound skin-nourishing and moisturizing properties. 

Butter by Q’s Eczema Balm includes all of these high-ceramide ingredients and other natural solutions designed to protect your baby’s skin, reduce eczema symptoms, and prevent flare-ups in a safe, side-effect-free manner. 

Visit Your Healthcare Provider for Prescription Topical Steroids

While many parents are able to use natural remedies for infant eczema, this may not always be the case. If your toddler has severe eczema, your healthcare provider may prescribe a low-strength topical steroid cream. Apply the cream to the affected areas of the skin as directed by your provider. 

However, make sure you’re aware of the side effects of the topical steroid. Even if you only apply a topical steroid for flare-ups, applying a high-ceramide moisturizer twice a day to damp skin should still be the foundation of your treatment plan. Doing so can help prevent flare-ups before they start. 

Want a Natural, Safe Infant Eczema Cream? Try Butter By Q’s Eczema Balm

At Butter by Q, we’ve created an all-natural solution made with the best ingredients Mother Nature has to offer. We created our Eczema Balm because we couldn’t find a safe, natural solution to remedy our daughter’s eczema. We spent months researching natural remedies for infant eczema, which led us to a select number of premium, all-natural ingredients:

• Shea butter
• Mango butter
• Jojoba oil
• Rosehip oil
• Avocado oil
• Apricot oil
• Lavender
• Frankincense

We've combined all of these ingredients into a perfume-free, all-natural balm that’s as safe as it is effective.  

Shop Butter by Q’s premium Eczema Balm, and if you have questions, contact us today.