Exma (Eczema) in the cold weather of the United Kingdom (UK)

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The United Kingdom which I assume from your email address is your home has some unusual features that aggravate eczema. Often the air is dry and very often the home is heated. A chesty cough probably indicates a mild cold which will cause the eczema to flare up more than usual for 1-2 weeks . Any minor illness will do this a children are still developing their immune system and from what I have seen, mild illness is an aggravation factor for eczema.

Now that is not in any medical text but you will probably find it is the case.

The antihistamine should be given about 30minutes before bedtime to have a good anti-itch effect when you put him to bed. Giving it right on bedtime means he will be restless for 15-30 minutes before it takes effect. Our Hypoallergenic Balm creates a barrier effect on the skin which looks like a slight shine once applied. This barrier keeps moisture in the damaged skin and also has a mild antiseptic to stop any possibility of infection.

(Minor infections such as impetigo often start on eczema affected skin and are obvious as they weep a lot then often form a honey coloured crust) Use a good bath oil rather than a wash as this will enhance his skin's natural barrier. After a wash and before bed, give his anti-histamine and apply the hypo allergenic balm.

The balm does not sting and is safe to apply to the face and is no problem if he wipes his face with his hand as it will not hurt his eyes. (obviously do not use it IN the eye!) He can even have it on his hands if needed as it is not toxic. Any areas on the face should have extra applied at night so the barrier will be effective the whole night. When first starting the balm continue to use the cortisone on the itchy areas applied under the balm. If applied on top of the balm it will not penetrate. As the eczema reduces which can vary from immediately to 2 months reduce the cortisone slowly as the skin heals.

As far as external factors, dress him in cotton (wool will aggravate) , if he wakes often at night and is red faced he may be overheating so avoid one piece pyjamas as you can vary the layers of clothing until he is comfortable. If he kicks off the covers this may be a sign of overheating so just ensure that is not happening.

Also pets especially cats can be a problem so if he is fine when out but scratches at home allergy testing may be needed. This is usually not required but mentioned I hope this gives you a few ideas!
Kind Regards,
David Hosking 22/01/09

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Introducing David's Hypoallergenic Face and Body Balm

We formulated the lavender -free balm (removed the lavender oil) for infants, babys and children with hypersensitivities. The hypoallergenic balm should work precisely the same as our Lavender Balm product, although, of course, it does not come with the lovely smell and color of the Lavender oil.

The hypo allergenic product without lavender oil conforms to the guidelines of Sue Dengate ( see; http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/) who is prominent in helping children with food additive sensitivities. These children also tend to have eczema and so the Hypoallergenic product without lavender was born after requests from a number of customers. Directions for use are exactly the same as for David's Soothing Lavender Face & Body Balm.