Planting the Seeds for Eczema: My Story
My daughter (2.5) has always been a sensitive little one. She arrived 10 days early and from the start we worked very hard to soothe her sensitive body. With both of my children I developed a mastitis infection as soon as my milk came in (3 days after giving birth for BOTH babies). Do you remember day 3 after giving birth to your baby? Yeah, me neither—I was so sleep deprived, just home from the hospital, recovering from labor and so, so tired. As a result, with both bouts of mastitis on day 3, I ended up taking antibiotics. My body (and my mind for that matter) simply didn’t have the energy to fight off the infection with natural remedies no matter how much I tried. I breastfed both my babies for over a year, and with both of them I had multiple clogged milk ducts and episodes of mastitis—all of which I healed from naturally without medication (cabbage leaves and Epsom salt baths!)—however, 3 days after labor—it was antibiotics for me. The antibiotics I took for my mastitis were the first medications I’d taken in over 20 YEARS and it was a very emotional decision for me.
Because my daughter was exposed to antibiotics early in life through my breast milk, she showed signs of gut issues and colicky behavior immediately. Enter: MAMA GUILT. I took very strong probiotics during and after my round of antibiotics, and I also gave an infant-friendly probiotic
Lucky baby girl!
Inflammatory Symptoms
My daughter’s symptoms started early. She had reflux symptoms as an infant (I helped this by modifying my diet), thrush symptoms (I helped her with probiotics), eczema flares (currently still healing) and cradle cap (helped by modifying my diet). I have been able to manage her eczema symptoms without the use of pharmaceutical drugs using diet modification, supplements and natural remedies but I have never healed it completely. Although her eczema is generally mild, we still see flares if her immune system is working hard like when she is fighting off a cold virus, or after a period of traveling and eating out at restaurants more than normal. During the last two months we have done a lot of traveling and eating out. Travel, combined with her first cold in a few months, and lo and behold her eczema flared again.
This time it looked pretty bad.
During her recent eczema flare she wasn’t happy AT ALL—lots and lots of whining. Oh the whining! And she had the tell-tale constant (clear) runny nose— telling me her body was in a chronic inflammatory response. On her worst eczema day ever, we had professional photos scheduled (OF COURSE!).
She was…
…ONE
…GRUMPY
…ECZEMA
…TODDLER.
The photo shoot was the final straw for me. She was so miserable.
(A miserable toddler…her skin looks clear thanks to photo editing but her expression tells the real story)
Finally I said: ENOUGH!
Healing Eczema Naturally
I decided to make healing her eczema naturally my number one focus. I know her eczema symptoms are a result internal inflammation and that eczema is not just a skin condition. But even though I know all this—it would still be much easier to slap a lotion on that rash and call it a day!
But alas, that’s not how true healing works, is it?
The Eczema Cure
I used a lot of trial and error when trying to heal my daughter’s eczema. In the end there were a few specific things we did to help heal her skin from the inside out. It wasn’t easy, but in the end we were able to heal here completely of her eczema. The result of healing my daughter’s eczema was a happier girl with clear skin, better sleep and an overall more joyful disposition. Eczema is so much more than a skin condition. SO much more. I’m publishing a short version of our healing plan below, but if you are someone suffering from eczema, you will appreciate my eBook: Eczema Home Remedies. In my eBook I expand on everything mentioned below and really dive deep into the healing process we used with Caroline. My eBook works for children and adults and I hope it helps you or someone you love. Check it out here.
How to Heal Eczema Naturally: Caroline’s Healing Protocol
1. Eliminate Food Triggers
I stopped my daughter’s colicky symptoms as an infant in 48 hours by removing dairy from my diet while breastfeeding. We generally have kept her dairy-free, however, after moving to Argentina last year our diets changed dramatically due to the availability of food (or lack of availability as the case may be) and her dairy intake has increased. We removed dairy completely a few weeks ago and her eczema went from red and inflamed to calm within 3 days. She still has some bumps and a nose that runs off and on, so we know it isn’t completely healed. We are currently removing gluten, eggs, and corn to see if she further improves.
2. Eliminate Environmental Triggers
In my regular life (in California surrounded by all the green products a girl could ask for) I keep our home environment green, clean and non-toxic. However, since moving to Argentina my green choices are limited and I admit, I’ve gotten lazy. In the last year we’ve used commercial laundry detergent, been drinking questionable “filtered” water housed in toxic plastic, and both my air purifiers broke. So in a way, Caroline’s eczema has given me a much needed call to action. Where is my holistic KULA MAMA head???? Sheesh. As a result of Caroline’s symptoms we are now creating our own laundry detergent, installed a reverse osmosis filter (It took some searching and effort but we found one!) and, well, there isn’t much I can do about the broken air filters so that will have to wait until we move back to the states. Baby steps.
3. Support the Liver
I have been helping Caroline to detox naturally using gentle, liver-supporting herbs and lifestyle practices. I will talk about this more in depth at a later time, but supporting the liver has been one of the most important things we’ve done to heal Caroline’s eczema.
4. Increase Healing Foods
I’ve written before about how elimination diets are only part of true healing. By removing inflammatory foods from Caroline’s diet we have eliminated dietary triggers, but we still need to work on adding in healing and immune-boosting foods to her diet. Aloe Vera, wild blueberries, papaya and cucumber are all deeply healing foods for the skin and we are trying to eat more of them. We have found this book to be instrumental in our lives.
5. Targeted Supplementation
We’ve worked to increase my daughter’s immune function with supplements (in addition to food and lifestyle practices). Along with a high-quality probiotic, she is also taking a few important immune-supporting herbs and supplements that help her greatly. As she has gotten older, these supplements have changed. I’ll talk more about this soon.
6. DIY Cream, Manuka Honey and Deep Hydration
My daughter isn’t crazy about lotions and potions, but sometimes if she’s got a really dry patch of skin I can talk her into using my homemade eczema cream. (We like this cream when we don’t make our own.) I also focus on hydration internally and make sure she is drinking lots of living water (I add a few drops of lemon to our water to give it some life), fresh green juices and coconut water. (Update: as she’s gotten older we have found straight manuka honey to be very healing when she has an acute skin flare. These flares don’t happen often anymore but if she shows any sign of itchy skin we cover those spots with manuka honey before bed and by morning her skin is calm.)
Healing our Baby Naturally
After a few months on our protocol, our daughter looked so much better (see photo below). It’s been 4 years now since I first wrote this post and I’m happy to report she is now an eczema-free 6 year old. I’ve tried so many things with her to calm inflammation and heal her skin for good. Some things have worked, and others haven’t. I have FINALLY put together the simple strategies we used to heal my daughter in one place. You can read about our eczema-healing plan in my new eBook: Eczema Home Remedies.
Do you have a child with eczema? Have you healed your child’s eczema? Tell me about it in the comments!!!
Heather, I’m so sorry to hear you & your little one have been dealing with this. As you know, we’ve had a long road with eczema. I’m really happy to hear she’s on the road to recovery & feeling better. <3
Arthur’s story is so empowering, I can’t thank you enough for writing about it. I’d love for you to point me in the direction of the eczema/autoimmune connection–I’d love to write about it. So so many kids are suffering from eczema, infant reflux, all of it—I think it could be very helpful. You are such an inspiration!! xo
Your story has been so helpful and comforting. Currently my almost 2yo grandson has such a sever eczema flare. My son and his wife are all holistic and organic treating him in the manner in which you have treated your daughter. Boy that has been an education for me. I’ve been on the hunt for any recipe for some type of topical ointment without coconut. He has allergies to tree nuts, dairy, soy, eggs and coconut. Any direction with a recipe he can use would be helpful. Thank you for your post. It has offered me peace of mind in the manner in which his parents are treating his eczema.
Great article heather!! Caroline is a trooper, it’s never easy to deal with a chronic condition.
Was wondering if she will let you put coconut oil in her skin?? We use it as lotion and both my kiddos love it 🙂
Hope she continues to improve!!!
Hi India! We do use coconut oil when my kids need hydration but mostly I just make sure they are drinking enough water and they don’t seem to need any lotion at all. Our homemade eczema cream does contain coconut oil and shea butter but she hates all of it, doesn’t matter what type–maybe when she is older. Coconut oil is so fabulous, isn’t it? When she has an eczema flare it doesn’t seem to itch or bother her so we just keep her hydrated with good old fashioned agua and it seems to work. Thanks for the well wishes, she is doing great!
Try oatmeal . Boil it and insert it into a pantyhose , cut it and close with a knot then put it in a bowl with traces of liquid oat to keep it moist . Leave it in the fridge and every day after bathing, apply on eczema with average pressing to leave the oatmeal water to the affected skin and let it dry so don’t take it off her body . oats clean and moisturizes the skin. I am 41 and I have been soffering atopic alergies all my life. I understand perfectly your little girl my case was 10 times worse but over the years your condition improves. but as a recomendation…please act as is not a big deal after all…take care of it but don’t show it!. remember if you feel miserable she will get it right away!.
How do you get her to take the fermented cod liver oil? I’ve tried so many ways and tricks but I can’t get my 2 year old to do it anymore (she did for awhile). I have the Carmel flavored one from green pastures thinking tgat would be a good taste option but no go.
Hi Jessica, I bribed my kids in the beginning with a small cookie. I put it in a syringe and gently let her take it that way (I don’t force it into her mouth or she could choke/aspirate the oil. The bribing stopped after a week and now she takes it willingly. I have also read that Sonne’s has a good brand http://www.amazon.com/Sonnes-Cod-Liver-Oil-16/dp/B0011DL98M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399473496&sr=8-1&keywords=sonnes+fish+oil
There’s some controversy over whether cod liver oil can really be fermented or not. Sonnes isn’t fermented and it is supposed to taste much better. People have had good results and it’s much cheaper. You might try it! Hope this helps!
Could I use a different essential oil besides lavender? I’ve heard that lavender is not good for boys, maybe patchouli.
Thanks!
You could just omit the essential oils altogether!
Hi Heather,
My 20 month old daughter has started experiencing eczema on her face, it’s just awful. Can you tell me what you replaced milk with, if anything? My daughter LOVES her milk and we’ve reduced it down to about 16 oz/day but I hate to cut out anything she loves so much. She has a very clean, organic diet otherwise.
Thanks,
China
Hi China, I’m so sorry! For my kids, they really just drink water so I’m not much of a help. Because we live in Argentina now I don’t have access to raw, high quality products but if I was in the USA (are you?) I would try raw goat’s milk for sure. I hope that helps!!!
Hi, we have been fighting eczema for my little boy (9mths old) for the past 5mths now. He has been tested allergic to Eggs, Peanuts, Milk & wheat. He is currently on Earth Best Organic soy based Formula. I tried making your bone broth but his rashes seems to flare up after drinking it. I made the 2nd batch with only bones, water & lemon & his rashes seems to come back again too. I wonder if he is not able to take lemons since i have fed him little chunks of chicken breast & he is fine. I am going to try to make only bones with water this time. And some moms recommend me to add Great Lakes beef gelatin into the broth for him. what are you thoughts? thank you!
Hi Peggy, we’ve emailed so let us know how things go with your little one! Here is the post I was telling you about: http://thecrunchymoose.com/2013/10/why-i-chose-raw-goats-milk-over-infant-formula.html
She talks about switching to goat’s milk!
Wow! so glad I found your site! My 19 mo daughter is in the midst of her first eczema outbreak. It became quite severe, it’s on her face and I didn’t know that it was eczema until we visited the derm. We are currently treating with topical steroid cream, which makes me so sad, as we try to live cleanly and greenly 🙂 Her diet is pure as I make all of her food with organic fruits/veggies/small amounts of animal proteins….BUT she LOVES her milk! (which is home delivered from an organic dairy nearby) She drinks plenty of water, haven’t introduced juice yet, but do you substitute anything for milk? I don’t know how to eliminate milk from her diet, but I’d like to see if it helps. Any advice?
Also, which probiotic do you recommend? I’ve used several from WholeFoods, but never quite know if I have a good one or not.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing this!! My daughter has eczema and has had it since she was about 2 months old. I have tried again and again to get rid of it, she has it head to toe. I am going to start this all tomorrow!! I am excited to read through the book you recommended!
This article is just what I needed! I recently had to have a c-section and ended up getting a deep raging infection along my incision calling for 10 days of abx. I cried for an hour or more realizing my sweet lil guy would receive traces of Abx in his breastmilk. Everything had been going fine until he recently developed cradle cap on his eyebrows and exzema on his entire head. I have eliminated milk and wheat from my diet although I have each on a rare occasion. I just ordered some better raw probiotics as well for him. I’ve always been on them, have been drinking kambucha and get lots of fat from all the sources you mentioned. We use a “natural” laundry detergent with no scent, dies, and made mostly from items I know. He isnt colicky except for a rare occassion. I’m so looking forward to reading your friends book! I feel horrible knowing my baby (7 weeks) is dealing with such issues! Thank you for all your info and great help!
My daughter actually had severe eczema. The doctors said that it was one of the worst cases they had ever seen. It covered her ENTIRE body except the souls of her feet. We slept at most 1 to 2 hrs a night. It was truly the hardest thing I had ever experienced. I, like you, was determined to heal her even though our doctor told us we would have to just live with it. She too had a leaky gut. I put her on the leaky gut diet, added l-glutamine, omega 3, coconut oil, grapefruit seed extract, tripled her water intake and food enzymes if she had to eat protein. We used a detox bath also with Redmond Clay. I am happy to say I have competely reversed the eczema by sealing her gut. Congratulations to you and your family. It took about 3 months for her gut to heal so it will be soon for your family! Take care and God bless!
What a fantastic article! I’m sorry to hear of your little one’s issues with eczema but wanted to say hang in there and stick with it as you’re doing a great job and the improvements are so good! My son had eczema head to toe when just a little bub and it was the turning point in our lives to go totally chemical free. He’s now 11 and has been eczema free for years thankfully, so it will get better! We did very similar things to you and I made lots of mistakes along the way, but have learnt it’s ok to be human and learn from them every time! Also just wanted to say we found goats milk to be fantastic as a drink and soap for both our kids and whilst we still get occasional issues with runny nose etc, we’re managing it with additive free foods, gluten free, chemical free and organic household (lots of online purchases since we live in the middle of nowhere in Australia!), and probiotics etc. I can still remember how hard those early years were so I feel your anguish and again, well done and thank you for sharing such a great story to help others!
I healed my little boy’s exzema by adding in green smoothies with every meal!
I have struggled with eczema since I was born and am sensitive to topical moisturizers and body soaps & most medicines/antibiotics. I will be turning 27 this year and have successfully been eczema free for 2 years now =D !! I’m so happy for your daughter she has a conscious Mama like you to be willing to try things and ask questions! One thing that I’ve learned that really made the eczema worse was soy! It didn’t matter if it was organic or gmo free- any form of soy made it worse! As soon as I cut that out of my diet I saw improvement. But that wasn’t the end all be all. I did a lot of research and decided to remove almost all processed foods from my diet, meaning: no artificial sweeteners, sodas, cereals, breads, most things that come in a package. I had about a hand full of items that I would consume that we’re processed. I also removed all chemicals from my home. I use Dr. Bronners soap for bathing, shampoo and laundry, coconut oil for body moisturizer (not face though) vinegar & baking soda for cleaning, natural oils for smell goods which all also contributed to my healing of eczema. Now my diet is organic, gmo free, & soy free. I eat whole rolled oats, fruits, vegetables, beans, quinoa, EVOO, dried fruit, nuts, honey, herbs, and spices. I drink teas (not black tea though), water, kombucha tea, lemon water, or ACV & water. The few processed foods I’ll eat are spelt noodles, veganaise (a soy free, gmo free, vegan mayo alternative) & sprouted wheat wraps. No meat, dairy, eggs, fish, alcohol, coffee, tobacco. Not only have I been eczema free, my whole life has changed- ALL of my health ailments healed- including infertility! By detoxing my internal and external I opened myself up to a whole nother world that I never knew existed. The world that exist behind the veil of the physical, material, programmed world I grew up believing that was all there was to this life experience. I found the spiritual realm, the path of enlightenment- or should I say it found me?! I guess we were looking for each other because I have never lived a life filled with true authentic bliss before and I am deeply grateful. Thank you for sharing your story! Tell you baby girl becoming eczema free is a goal that can be achieved. Integrity, Wholeness, & Love to you and your family -Mandy
In the US there are lots of alternatives to milk. I am 23 and still have eczema battles after eating out or at friends homes. Almost any where you can buy dairy free milk options, as well as vegan butter and mayonnaise. I personally buy Silk coconut milk, and earth balance (butter) and egg free mayo. For my stomach to be ok. I avoid all gluten, dairy, egg, and soy.
Within 2 weeks of using the Norwex Body Cloths and just WATER our girls were clear! I signed up as a rep and seriously the amount of text and testimonies I get from customers who have cleared up their Eczema and Psoriasis has been amazing! Try it!! Water plus a cloth = RELIEF!
http://www.facebook.com/leahsweetman.norwex
Hi, just curious if you have any updates on your daughters progress. My son is 23m and we’ve been dealing with eczema since he was about 8m. We’ve been on a modified version of the GAPS into for about 6 wks plus all the probiotic, cod liver, digestive enzymes, vit D, etc. so curious how things are for you since this post was published.
Cori, How is your son now with all the changes you’ve made? My daughter has not had a flare since we implemented the program. Her skin is clear, her stools are normal.
He’s still having flare ups. It’s definitely improved – he’s not waking himself in the night with itchiness. We keep his hands covered so be cannot scratch and that has helped. Still plugging away.
Love your blog! First time reading and I can already tell we are like minded mamas! My son (one year old twin baby A) was reccently diagnosed with eczema as was his older brother (who will be three in April) though my one year old’s is considerably more severe. They were both diagnosed when it was inflamed on their bottoms. Since then my one year old has had severely bump (though not red) skin appear on his legs and arms. My family is pretty much dairy free and wheat free though I have to admit we are not strict as I would love. I am married to a nonbeliever of crunchy things so I experience quite a bit of resistance. Anyway, you mentioned you were going to made a laundry detergent and I was thinking this could be something that might help. Though I do suspect my one year old has food allergies because his eczema seems to have appeared with the starting of solids (EBF for one year and we are now slowly introducing solids).
Hi there. I am the mom of adopted twin sons who are almost five months old. Since breastfeeding was not an option for us, they are both on formula, and one of my boys has developed pretty good eczema and cradle cap. I was wondering if you could share your dosing instructions for the HMF Natogen probiotic that you referenced in this article? I want to get both of them started on a probiotic, but most of them instruct use over 1 year of age… Also would love to hear if you have any recommendations on formula, most of them have a horrifying ingredient list, and I really feel backed into a corner in making a decision on what to feed them.
I have a feet eczema for one year. Please give her silver colloidal, calcium citrate and msm. I love your Doughter. She is soooo cute and I learned so much from you for leaky gut.
I’m curious about your inclusion of cradle cap as a gut symptom since I haven’t read that elsewhere – my 20 month old son has never cleared his cradle cap and he had a big flare of eczema early on that now persists as low-grade dryness, mostly on his legs. I give him daily probiotics and that does seem to keep it minimal but neither of those symptoms ever go away completely. Sounds like I should be investigating his gut health further….thank you for an informative article!
Hi Jessica, Check out Elizabeth Lipski’s books–she talks about cradle cap and gut health in Digestive Wellness for Children. Great read.
I am starting an eczema healing journey with my son Wesley. Because as moms, wouldn’t we try anything we can to help our kids? He was a very “easy” baby. Never having eczema at all. His problem started at 2.5 years. I have tried all the external measures. All the “usual suspects.” Natural detergents, natural extremely gentle lotions, creams. YOU NAME IT! I am now heading down the dietary path. First stop, eliminating dairy. I appreciate all the info, including you site regarding healthy fat intake (bone broth) etc. I am also working on Gluten as well. There is another component to this as well. I am not sure what to call it, but lets say it is “convincing others.” I have to be assertive with other caregivers in his life that the only way to really see his skin improve is through dietary changes. I am certain I will see improvement. Wish me luck!
Thank you for sharing your story. We are on Day 1 of the intro GAPS diet for our two-year-old son. His eczema went from a small patch of rough skin on his ankle that didn’t change much for a year to an oozing, open wound on his entire leg in a week, and now I am seeing it on his other leg and face. The only place it seems to itch is his eyes. For the past four days, he’s been getting bentonite clay packs on his leg, clay baths, a light layer of evening primrose oil but I broke down today and put a thin layer of the prescribed cortisone on the crease of his ankle where the skin was broken and oozing. It caught us totally off guard. We’ve been treating him for an inflamed gut with our naturopath for 6 months already (I had an emergency c-section and a history of asthma/allergies), and so he already is on a dairy-free, sugar-free, and 99% gluten free diet. I am highly sensitive to chemicals, so we already keep our home chemical free (I make my own laundry soap, we clean with vinegar and baking soda, etc). We had him on a histamine-free diet previously, which meant that fermented foods and bone broths were forbidden for him. But his eczema got so bad, so quickly that I’m willing to try anything. I’ve got two giant pots of bone broth simmering away as I type. He already gets probiotics, extra virgin cod liver oil and enzymes daily. Unfortunately the sauerkraut with dinner today gave him an instant reaction on his mouth though. It’s good to read stories like yours to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Do you have any recommendations for relieving the itch around his eyes? It is keeping us up all night and his eyes are almost swollen shut by the morning 🙁
Oh Amanda, I’m so sorry to hear this. You are doing SO MANY good things. The good news is that his gut will get stronger with time so please keep doing what you are doing. How have the benotite clay packs been working for itching on the legs?
My daughter is 2 and we’ve been dealing with eczema for as long as I can remember with her. She still wakes up 10 times a night. I’ve tried elimination diets and couldn’t find the triggers so I took her to our chiropractor who did muscle testing to find out what her sensitivities are. He then gave us a few natural supplements to boost her immune system and desensitize her to the things she’s sensitive to. Last night was our second night and she only woke up 3 times! She’s not itching at her skin and her skin is starting to feel smooth. I also put Epsom salts in her bath. Hecsaid it’ll take about 3 months to completely heal but we don’t have to eliminate anything from her diet. Good luck to all going through eczema healing!
Don’t overlook pet allergies – cat and dog dander can cause the itchy, red glare-ups. Trust me I leaned the hard way. You don’t want the family pet to be the culprit, but that along with soy, egg whites, tomatoes and legumes are all big triggers.
I just wanted to say that you assume it was your antibiotics use that caused all of your daughter’s issues, but it may not have been the cause and she could have developed her issues anyway.
My daughter had all of the symptoms of leaky gut you mentioned, she used to throw up a lot of milk till 6 months old, she developed eczema by about 4 months, she had really bad cradle cap we couldn’t get rid of, and overall was not a happy baby, cried a lot, never slept….She has tummy issues to this day, she is 3, she gets tummy aches and constipation.
So my point is, I never took any antibiotics or other drugs during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding (I did have to have root canal done during the 3rd trimester because I developed terrible toothache, but didn’t take any drugs besides the one time numbing shot during the procedure). I had a natural childbirth with no drugs, and she never had any vaccines, vitamin K or eye drops. She was exclusively breastfed.
I am very happy I decided to decline the antibiotics they wanted to give me during labor (I tested GBS pos) because if I had taken the drugs, I would, like you, always feel regret and guilt that it was why she developed eczema and tummy issues. She has a strong genetic link for eczema, I have had it my whole life, but still hoped that she wouldn’t develop it if I make better choices for her. She is otherwise very healthy, so I am sure it has made some difference in her overall health but unfortunately we haven’t escaped her tendency for allergies, eczema and tummy issues, all related for sure.
Her skin is currently good (I know it can come back at any moment) but now we are dealing with tummy issues a lot. I started her on dairy free diet some time ago but haven’t cut out gluten yet. She is allergic to some other foods, like nuts, some legumes like peas, lentils and garbanzo beans, and even some vegetables like pumpkin, raw carrots etc., so I am not looking forwards to cutting out more food groups. Interestingly she was on a very dairy heavy diet for 3 months over the summer while we were overseas and she was doing very well, no tummy issues or eczema, so I have no idea if dairy really is an issue,
Thanks for this input! Your daughter is lucky to have you as a mama!
Thank you! We all try our best and sometimes we still end up with issues that can be so frustrating and hard to figure out. We went through so much with her eczema, I cried many times over feeling helpless, watching her suffer the terrible itchiness and pain of eczema, and now thankfully her skin has been calm for a little while but she now constantly complains of tummy aches and it has been again very challenging to figure out how to help her. I try my best with her diet, and give her some supplements like probiotics, vitamin D…
Can I ask you, what probiotics do you give to your daughter?