Eczema - What worked for me after 2years of trial and error

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Gadzometer
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Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2021 9:35 pm
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by Gadzometer on Sun Mar 14, 2021 9:36 pm

Eczema - What worked for me after 2years of trial and error

Hey Everyone,
So I thought I might share this as this is the only method of treating eczema that worked for me. Basically my son had full body red itchy rashes that drove him nuts since birth. Especially around the arm and leg joints. Turns out he was allergic to fish, egg, dust, cat and dog hair, grass seeds, pollen….. you get the picture.
I am an engineer and believe in the scientific method so I systematically trialled dozens if not 100s of creams, vitamins, bath lotions, .. yeah it took me about 2 years trial and error. My poor little fella. But I was determined to find something that worked. He is 14 now and no longer has eczema though this is probably due to him growing out of it.
So just a quick disclaimer. I am not a doctor and am not giving medical advice. I am just sharing what worked for me. I call this the Gadz method. 😊 Also, I cannot stress this enough, this method is not only about the creams and also ABOUT THE TIMING. My son’s eczema would result from the inside (what he would eat) and from the outside (what he would touch). I strongly recommend seeing an allergist and getting a skin prick test so that you can find out what to avoid.
You will need:
1. A body wash or bath oil that won’t dry or irritate the skin. - Use a well trialled one from a chemist or recommended by a doctor/dermatologist and not some snake oil or obscure substance from a naturapath. And no…. “organic” doesn’t necessary mean safe. Do not use soaps that will dry the skin or anything with perfumes or scents that smell nice. Bubble bath is a major culprit… Do not use it. If you do, this irritant will be locked under the paraffin cream. I used Pinetarsol and QV products but there a many different ones on the market.
2. A bottle of pure calamine lotion. - Get the biggest bottle you can. Doctors will say not to use this because it dries out the skin and they are right. But that is why the timing below is so important. You get the benefit without the drying.
3. A bottle/tub of pure paraffin cream. - Get the biggest tub you can.
The steps are as follows.
1. Avoid eating foods that he/she has a reaction from (duh). We don’t want the rash coming from the inside.
2. Bath your child (or shower) every night. Bathing is better as the skin absorbs more moisture.
3. Now the next few steps are the important ones and MUST BE DONE WITHIN 10MINUTES OF COMING OUT OF THE BATH/SHOWER. I put a thick towel down on his bed and he lay on that but I would sometimes do it while he was standing. Basically you are giving them two coats of paint in quick succession. 😊 I tried mixing them but you lose most of the soothing effect of the calamine. So two separate coats.
4. Cover him/her from head to toe in calamine lotion. Be generous, especially for the first week. Obviously do not get it in their eyes etc.
5. DO NOT LET THE CALAMINE LOTION DRY. If you do, it will dry out the skin and make things worse.
6. Cover him/her from head to toe in paraffin cream. Be generous, especially for the first week.
7. Let them dry off for a bit and then put their PJs on.
Yes they will look like a pink milky mess (as may be you and your towel). His PJs would be a little damp because of the paraffin on it but I think this actually prevents the PJs drying out the skin. By morning the cream had been rubbed away and wasn’t visible.
After doing this for one week, he stopped scratching during the day. I stopped the treatment and the rashes came back within a day or two. Now I am speculating here but I believe:
1. The calamine soothes the irritation/scratching.
2. The paraffin stops the calamine from drying the skin, locks in the moisture from the bath and creates a barrier against external allergens (to a small degree).
I really hope this helps someone.
Cheers, Gadz

Latrice Sang
Posts: 67
Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2016 3:06 pm
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by Latrice Sang on Thu Mar 18, 2021 10:38 pm

Re: Eczema - What worked for me after 2years of trial and error

I will try it, thanks a lot for sharing

MissCandyGirl
Posts: 583
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2019 6:11 pm
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by MissCandyGirl on Sun Mar 21, 2021 12:31 pm

Re: Eczema - What worked for me after 2years of trial and error

Brilliant post, Gadzometer.

I second it 100%. I think everyone should read it and take stock. I don't have eczema myself, but would use your advice if I did. And I am sure many people will be grateful for your efforts with writing your post.

Thank you, again.

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