Caregivers

Bleach Alternative?

Q: I’ve had an adverse reaction to bleach. Is vinegar or chlorine a substitute?

Bleach Baths

Can you give me practical advice about bleach baths—how much bleach goes in the tub, do you rinse it off, etc.?

Daughter's Eczema: Combination of Products

My daughter, Madeline, has had eczema since she was 3 months old. She is now 8 and only recently did we find a combination of products that has helped. She started doing UVB light therapy in June and that brought moderate improvement, but the real change came when I switched her from the wash and ointment she had been using to a natural olive oil soap and TriDerma’s Eczema Fast Healing Cream.

Adult Hand Eczema - Mr. Clean Nyplex Gloves

I have found great gloves for my hand eczema. I use Mr. Clean Nyplex Gloves.

Adult Eczema - Pollen & Dust Mites Allergy

I just wanted to pass this information on. I suddenly began to have episodes of eczema about four years ago. I had never experienced it before in my life, and I am 71.

Vitamin D & Eczema

I’ve bumped up my daily intake of vitamin D3 to 5000 I.U. This is the first time in over a decade that I haven’t had an eczema flare-up at this time of year.

Cider Vinegar Warm Bath

I have found that adding two cups of apple cider vinegar to a warm bath does wonders for my skin! After adding the vinegar to my bath water recently, I just sat in the tub for about 15 minutes. I did not use any soaps, etcetera, while in the tub to prevent any of the products from mixing in the water. After sitting for 15 minutes I got out and my skin felt great! In fact, my skin felt so good that for the first time in a long time I didn’t even moisturize and was able to go straight to bed. I am not in the middle of a flare-up, but no matter what, I always have dry skin.

Eczema Herpeticum?

Q: What causes eczema herpeticum, how can flare-ups be prevented, and is there a vaccine?

Molluscum?

Q: What is the most effective way to treat molluscum and why does it take so long to clear up?

DNA

Q: Does DNA or genetics have anything to do with asthma and eczema in children? And why does it skip generations?

A: The simplest answer is that DNA has everything to do with what we’re talking about, and it doesn’t really skip generations. When we talk about allergic disease ranging from eczema to hay fever and allergies and asthma, there really is a genetic predisposition to what families will carry. The true risk is actually any history of atopic disease. We are seeing fewer generations of people who didn’t have histories of hay fever or allergies in the past develop these diseases.

Triamcinolone Cream

One year in November, I worked for a week in Chicago, and my skin resembled maps: my scars from scratching looked like latitudinal and longitudinal lines! For some reason, after about two days without the use of Triamcinolone cream, the scars faded immediately. Since that time, I use paraben-free and phthalate-free lotions on my skin, and lock in moisture as soon as I get out of the shower.

Children Eczema - Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant

I have a daughter that is 3½ years old and a son that is 2, and they have both had severe eczema since they were born. I am passing on this information in the hopes that it may help some other people: the product is Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant.

Salt Baths, Petroleum Jelly and Probiotics for Daughter

My daughter was diagnosed with eczema when she was six months old and the battle began. My daughter has what is considered a “mild” case, which has always been disturbingly humorous to me because although her skin usually looks pretty good, her demon is the excessive, no mercy, never-ending “itch.”

Diet Helps

As a dietician, I was surprised that there was not more information about how proper nutrition can help control flare-ups.

Vegetarian Diet

About two years ago I cut all meats out of my diet and now only eat fish, veggies, pastas, basically anything without meat or meat products.

Bag Balm for Adult Hand Eczema

My husband has had hand eczema for many years. His hands crack and bleed. I recently bought something called Bag Balm, which is lanolin and petroleum jelly.

Aveeno and Cotton Dacron Blends

Water used to make my skin burn, so we would use Aveeno in the bath water, which helped to soften it.

Never Quit Trying

We as a family have tried very hard to find cures and treatments and over time have a handle on the problem.

Vitamin D

I just wanted to let you know that I have had eczema for 30 years and up until recently I was miserable. Then I went to my new General Practitioner and she had me take a typical blood test. It turned out my vitamin D level was really low, so she put me on a mega dose for eight weeks.

Elimination Diet

I have been an eczema sufferer since age 17, and I am now 44. The eczema started on the inner elbows of my arms. Then my hands were affected; I would get these very small blisters that intensely itched, and then my fingers would swell and weep. In a Scratch Pad letter, a gentleman suggested going on an elimination diet. This meant eating nothing but chicken, broccoli, and cauliflower for about a week, then adding certain foods back in to the diet to see what was causing the itch. This was a very difficult thing to do! But after three days I noticed the itching on my hands was gone.

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