Home Remedies for Eczema in Children

Eczema is a non contagious skin disorder which has some extremely uncomfortable symptoms. There are different types of eczema. The one that mostly affects babies and small children are referred to as atopic dermatitis. Children who are below the age of five are at a higher risk of developing this eczema. Parents often prefer home remedies for eczema in children over medical treatment simply because children of this age group have very delicate skin.

Causes and Symptoms of Eczema in Children

The exact cause behind eczema in children is not clearly known but it could be hereditary. It can be triggered by some food allergies. It is more commonly found in children with dry, sensitive skin. Sometimes, their skin may get irritated on exposure to irritants in the form of chemicals present in soaps, detergents, lotions, smoke, etc. Environmental factors like heat and change in temperature can also be responsible for this skin problem.

The first visible sign of eczema is itching and reddening of the skin. The skin irritation intensifies when it comes in contact with clothes and bedding. Then skin rashes show up which appear as dry, thick scales or small skin bumps. In the initial stage, the rashes are found on the forehead, cheek and neck but later on it may spread to other parts of the body as well. When the child scratch the skin rashes too much, then they start oozing out. As a result, the skin stays damp all the time which makes it susceptible to bacterial infection.

Natural Cures for Eczema in Children

There are medicinal treatment for eczema in children and babies. The problem of using medicines for baby eczema treatment is that the symptoms relapse after the medicines are stopped. Moreover, they cannot be used for a long time because of their side effects. For this reason, parents want to treat it at home. Here are a few such simple home remedies for eczema in children.

Cold Compression: This is an excellent way to provide relief to the constant itching sensation. Take a soft wash cloth and dip it into ice-cold water. Squeeze out all the excess of water from it and then place it over the eczema rashes gently.

Warm Bath: Give a bath to your child with warm water to which one cup of table salt has been added. Warm water has a soothing effect on the eczema sores. Make sure that the water is not hot because hot water can make the skin drier which in turn would worsen the symptoms.

Oatmeal Bath: Grind some oats in the blender and put it into a muslin tea bag. Place this tea bag into the warm bath water of your child in order to ease off the excessive itching sensation. However, do not give a long bath to your child.

Petroleum Jelly: To keep the skin in a well moisturized condition, petroleum jelly is the best option available with you. Most of the body lotions that are available in the market contain fragrance and other irritants which are not suitable for your child. Apply the jelly soon after the bath when the skin is still not completely dry. You should apply it thrice a day for best results.

Olive Oil: When your child has eczema, apply olive oil all over the body. Application of olive oil has a moisturizing effects on the dry scaly patches of eczema. It will also prevent further spreading of the rashes to other parts of the body.

Sandalwood and Camphor: Take one teaspoon each of sandalwood paste and camphor powder and mix it well. Then apply it on the scaly patches in thick layer. Wash off after around 15 minutes. The medicinal properties of sandalwood helps to reduce the skin inflammation. This will show marked improvement in the skin condition of your child within a few days of regular application.

The main aim of all these natural remedies for eczema is to stop the skin irritation as early as possible. Moreover, to prevent the skin from getting scratched you must keep the fingernails of your child in a properly trimmed condition. Make them wear clothes made of soft cotton which are suitable for the sensitive skin.