The whole time we lived there, Little Man and I had several prescriptions from our doctors to try to prevent rashes and heal our skin and allergies...They provided minimal relief at best. We were informed that there wasn't much we could do aside from moving to a moderate, wet climate. As luck would have it, we did! Now, that did help immensely, but here recently Little Man had a flare up. (I think that perhaps a really nasty virus that he fought off may have triggered this one.) I decided that, before we went to his doctor for another round of experimenting with more prescriptions, we would try more home remedies. This might not work for everyone, and I am *not* substitution for professional medical advice of any kind. I'm just sharing what worked for us.
Here's what we did:
A.) Switched his milk from organic cow's milk to flaxseed milk. Flaxseed is supposed to be really good for the skin. Read more about it Here. (We have given him coconut milk if we can't find flaxseed milk. Also note, that since he is a boy, we don't give him soy milk as a substitute because studies have found links between it and elevated levels of estrogen in males resulting in things like abnormal breast development...Yikes! We prefer to play it on the safe side with that one!)
B.) Bathed him in tea with no soap for a week...I remember reading somewhere how you can put cooled tea bags over your eyes to reduce swelling, and soap can be irritating when your skin is already inflamed. That got me to thinking that maybe I could let him bathe in tea. I put organic chamomile, peppermint, and green tea bags and cuttings from my lavender plants inside one of those bath toys that are like a cute strainer. (Research for yourself-Chamomile , Peppermint, Green Tea, & Lavender.) I placed that under the tap while filling the bathtub, and then let the bags and cuttings float around in the water. I even let Little Man scrub with the bags if he wants. It smelled wonderful. Little Man loves tea baths! He asks for them every time now. Hero jokingly asked if I was running a spa in our house.
C.) After gently patting him dry-which is better than rubbing- with his towel (which is washed in free and clear detergent & either tumbled dry w/ free & clear dryer sheets or line dried on a clotheshorse), instead of lotions I put 100% pure organic aloe vera gel all over his body. Aloe vera has been used medicinally across the world since ancient times. Read about the health benefits of aloe vera: here.
It worked! I was so happy, and so was he.
When his eczema flare up cleared with these remedies, we switched his shampoo and body soap to one I found in a British store. It's called Child's Farm. It has a nice citrus aroma, works, and does not irritate his skin. For my American friends you can find it on Amazon.com by clicking on it's name above if it's not available in a local store. It might seem a bit expensive, but I feel it's worth it.
Maybe that all sounds really high maintenance or difficult, but it's actually quite simple. I found going to lots of doctor's appointments, waiting in lines at the pharmacy, and watching my child be uncomfortable and in pain to be much more difficult.
We haven't done this, but if you can afford it, I would recommend getting a whole house water filter installed. Hard water and chemicals lurking inside your water supply can be damaging to not only your skin, but the rest of your body as well. This is especially important if you live in an area with a high amount of pollution.
I'm so happy we found some natural solutions that are really working for us even weeks later!
Thank you so much for following along on my adventures.
~LadyH
*Please note: I am not getting paid to nor was I requested to endorse any specific website, product, or service. Additionally, as previously stated, I am not a medical professional, and my posts and advice are in no way substitution for professional advice of any kind. Please refrain for using any of my materials without official written permission from me. Thank you for being kind and discerning readers!
I Want to Hear from You Too!
Do you have any skin problems?
Have you tried any of these remedies?
Do you have any remedies, products, or prescriptions that did work for you?
