8 Natural Remedies for Baby Eczema that Work

Eczema can be a really difficult medical issue to deal with for older children and adults, so watching a baby suffer from this itchy, sometimes painful condition can be a heartbreaking experience.  Of course, you want to bring your baby relief from their eczema, but you also might not want to use prescription or over the counter creams, ointments, and formulas that might contain harsh chemicals and other ingredients that can either irritate baby's skin further or even get into their bloodstream.  In that case, you might be looking for some natural remedies for baby eczema, which can help sooth, calm, and comfort babies while taking care of that nasty eczema rash that they have developed.

What Causes Eczema?

Before diving into natural remedies, it is important to understand where eczema comes from.  While doctors honestly cannot yet pinpoint exactly what causes eczema, they do believe that it appears as some sort of allergy, even though it is actually not an allergic reaction at all.  While eczema is not contagious, it is important to know that it runs in families, so if you or your partner have had eczema in your lives, your children have a good chance of inheriting the condition from either of you.  Also, many children who have eczema also have or develop a food allergy at some point in their lives, so it's something important to look out for.

What are the Signs of Eczema?

The signs of eczema are easily presented, and tend to begin with an itching on one or more areas of the body.  The itching gives way to an itchy, scaly rash that can be red and white and even appear quite flakey.  After a while, the rash can begin to bleed or ooze pus, which can even get infected.  However, since the rash usually itches so fiercely, it can cause great discomfort in a baby, making them fussy, itchy, and downright miserable. 

Natural Remedies for Baby Eczema

Let's talk about a few natural remedies for baby eczema that rely on using things you already have on hand or are easily accessible and have no chemicals or harmful ingredients.

1. Vitamin B12 Cream

While this remedy is still a bit early to the game, some studies (although smaller studies) have shown that vitamin B12 cream can help to control and eliminate the symptoms of eczema.  This makes sense, since vitamin B12 is an important nutrient that helps with skin cell regeneration.  It also have an ability to help reduce skin dryness and inflammation, which reduces itchiness and scaling. 

2. Oatmeal Baths

Oatmeal baths are something that many mothers turn to, even at the advice of their own mothers, and with good reason: oatmeal baths are one of the most natural baby eczema remedies out there, and one of the most efficient ones to boot.  Our 3 in 1 soothing Yomogi and Oatmeal bath treatment is designed to soothe eczema skin, clean dirt, and hydrate. We use USDA certified gluten free oats and it never leaves a mess or clogs the drain like other commercially sold oatmeal bath products available today. Shop here. 

3. Probiotics

You probably already know that probiotics are beneficial to your digestive system, any many people already attempt to get them into their systems already.  Not only can adding probiotics to your baby's diet help them to get better digestive health (it can sometimes help acid reflux), it has also been shown to be able to help your baby with eczema.  These supplements can take a while to build up in your baby's system and be effective, so it's important to have other means of assisting with symptoms of eczema in the meantime.  Also, be sure to talk to your baby's doctor before giving him or her any kind of supplements.

4. Vitamin D

Did you know that during the winter, when you don't get outside as much, many people suffer from a vitamin D deficiency?  While many babies are already on a vitamin supplement or receive vitamin D drops independently, not getting enough vitamin D can actually cause skin to get dry and flakey, which can exacerbate conditions such as eczema.  Getting enough vitamin D in your diet can drastically reduce symptoms and help skin feel smoother and more supple.

5. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is something you might already have in your home, and if it isn't, it's easy to get and works for a lot of things.  If your baby doesn't have any issues with coconut (as in no food allergies), then this is a great idea to help sooth dried out, itchy skin.  Use a thin layer of coconut oil or a coconut oil lotion product and rub it into your baby's skin.  This can calm the itching and help diminish redness and irritation.  It's one of the most popular treatments for dry skin, and can be used for a variety of other purposes, too!

6. Diet

Sometimes, some of the best ways to help an eczema flare up is to simply change your baby's diet.  If your baby is old enough to be eating solid foods, perhaps you may noticed that symptoms have begun shortly after you have added a new food to his or her diet.  If your baby is just starting on solids, introduce only one new food at a time to ensure that your baby does not have an allergic reaction to the food, which can cause a flare up.  Once you have isolated the food that may be causing the problem, you can safely remove it from their diet to see if the symptoms clear up.  A few trigger foods that are often associated with eczema include:

• Dairy products
• Wheat
• Nuts
• Eggs and egg whites
• Tomatoes
• Citrus foods
• Shellfish

Another option, if your baby is old enough and has no allergic reaction, is to include more healthy omega3 foods in their diet.  This includes serving your baby fish a few times a week if they are old enough to tolerate it.  The healthy fats in the fish (or fish oil capsules, which are great for babies who don't like fish) can help keep skin soft and eczema free.

7. Sunflower Seed Oil

Much like coconut oil, sunflower seed oil is a great choice for helping clear up eczema breakouts in your baby.  Often found labeled as "cold pressed sunflower oil" or simply "pure sunflower seed oil," this oil can be rubbed into your baby's skin and is easily absorbed and moisturizing.  Many people believe that sunflower seeds can help reduce inflammation and irritation on the skin, making it feel calmer and more relaxed and well hydrated. 

8. Skip the Irritants

This might sound like an easy one, but you'd be surprised by how many people simply avoid skipping any kind of skin irritants around their baby!  There are a lot of things that can irritate baby's skin, such as drying and scented soap at bath time, your own perfumes, and even scented laundry detergent.  To help cut down on the amount of irritants that your baby is exposed to, try using unscented soap, skipping the perfume, and purchasing laundry detergent that is made for sensitive skin, which does not have any fragrances added to it.  You can also cut down on other irritants, such as dust mites, by cleaning your child's bed linens, toys, and clothing regularly.  Also stick to certain fabrics when dressing your baby: some fabrics, such as polyester, can cause itching, sweating, and irritation, so it's often best to stick to cotton, which is breathable. 

When caring your for your baby, of course you always want the very best.  This includes their health care, and using natural remedies to treat baby eczema.  By ensuring that you are only using natural remedies such as those listed above, you can be alert to what you are putting on your baby's skin without the worry of additional harmful chemicals or ingredients that might make eczema worse.