Baby Eczema

Lately it seems that there are more babies with eczema than without it. After babies arrive, perfectly soft in their “birthday suit,” their skin seems to become irritated and uncomfortable to live in. That’s when baby eczema treatment becomes necessary. Why does this happen?

Causes of Baby Eczema

There can be many causes for baby eczema, as you’ll find out if you ask any naturopathic doctor, dermatologist, or allergist. Food and environmental allergies are a good place to begin looking for root causes. Wheat and dairy allergies seem to be at the head of the list. Another part of the problem lies within the harmful or irritation-causing chemicals used in many over the counter products.

Baby Eczema Treatment and Prevention

The skin we are born with is our largest organ, absorbing, secreting and reacting to whatever it comes in contact with. Our skin has a lovely natural oil layer designed to protect us from intrusion, bacteria, and other causes of irritation. However, if this protective layer is removed by a degreasing chemical – including the most commonly used ingredients in baby and body wash – the skin is undefended and becomes prone to eczema and other forms of dermatitis.

The main ingredients used in baby and body washes are the same ingredients you would use to degrease your driveway. Even in smaller amounts, these chemicals are removing the protective oil layer from your baby’s body. It is disheartening to realize that just because a chemical is cheap to manufacture, it being marketed as “safe” when so many suffer the consequences.

You can help prevent or alleviate baby eczema by avoiding products that use sodium, laurel, laureth or ammonium laurel sulfate (SLS). You should also use caution with cocamidopropylebetaine and oliphen, which appear to work similarly and are derived from the same core ingredients.

Many grateful parents have written letters to Illumina Organics expressing how their children – or they themselves – have experienced great relief from eczema irritation by using our “Head to Toe Baby Wash” or our extra gentle “Oats-n-Aloe” body bar. In addition, adding fish oils with essential fatty acids (EFAs) to the baby’s diet has found some success as a baby eczema treatment.

Eczema does not have to be so common. We could avoid much suffering by using safe, gentle products without harsh chemicals. You can help prevent baby eczema by allowing your baby’s skin, her natural line of defense, to do its job, unhindered by harmful chemicals.