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Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Natural Eczema Remedies for Babies

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Eczema can be the one of the worst things to have to watch your baby go through when you’re a parent. These natural eczema remedies for babies will your help your child feel more comfortable.

image of baby sleeping

Could that red patchy area of skin be eczema? That’s a question that often crossed my mind when either of my kids had patches of really dry skin, especially in the wintertime.

Eczema can be the one of the worst things to have to watch your baby (or child) go through when you’re a parent. It’s uncomfortable, itchy, and the treatments for it can sound really harsh (bleach baths, anyone)? or only be somewhat effective.

While I, personally, have never had eczema, I have seen family members struggle with it for years, and many of you have reached out looking for natural remedies for eczema as well.

Eczema is a tricky issue because it can be caused by so many things, but here are five natural eczema remedies for babies that can be helpful and will work for your little one!

natural eczema remedies for babies - parents holding babys feet

What Causes Eczema Flare Ups In Babies?

Skin irritants: This can be everything from cleaning products that contain harsh chemicals or irritants to hand/body soap, shampoo, hair products, lotion, laundry detergent, any anything else your child’s skin might come into contact with.

There are 20 common toxic irritants that are added to body care and household products that are important to avoid.

Allergies: These can be difficult to identify because they could be anything. Dairy, gluten, soy, eggs, and nuts are more common – but I had a mom whose baby was allergic to strawberries and that’s why she had eczema all over!

Cold, dry air: The winter is the worst!

Imbalanced gut flora: 70% of your immunity is in your gut, and if your child’s immune system is imbalanced, a probiotic can help.

Inflammatory foods: Like sugar, fried foods and anything processed (or fast food) can cause eczema issues.

Some eczema is pretty common (e.g. cradle cap, diaper rash, or contact dermatitis) and 66% of kids will outgrow it eventually.

But, many babies and kids struggle with eczema for years, having recurrent flare ups that are so hard to deal with over and over again!

Where Do Symptoms Of Eczema First Appear?

Eczema most commonly appears on the face, neck, behind the knees, between the elbows, wrists, ankles, and fingers.

Depending on the age of your child, the appearance of eczema can occur in different places of the body. For example, infants have eczema on their face and scalp. As the baby gets older they may experience breakouts on their trunk, arms, legs, and neck.

What Are The Different Types Of Eczema?

Contact Dermatitis: This is a red itchy rash that is caused by coming in contact with an allergen.

Atopic Dermatitis: This causes red, dry, itchy skin. In babies this most commonly occurs on the face, scalp, and skin creases.

Dyshidrosis: This is a condition that causes blisters to develop on the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands. The blisters are filled with fluid and are most commonly caused by seasonal allergies.

Cradle Cap or Seborrheic Dermatitis: Cradle cap causes crusty patches on an infants scalp. It is not painful or itchy, and usually resolves itself in a few weeks or months.

How Can I Treat My Baby’s Eczema Naturally?

There are several things you can do to help treat your baby’s eczema with natural remedies.

Reduce the number of toxins and fragrances in your home.

Most of the traditional eczema remedies actually have toxins in them, which can make it difficult for the more traditional products (like those pictured below) to cure eczema in the long run!

photos of products that don't count as true natural eczema remedies for babies

What are the toxic ingredients to avoid?

  1. Dibutyl phthalate
  2. BHT / BHA
  3. Siloxanes
  4. Parabens
  5. PEG Compound & Glycols
  6. Parfum (a.k.a. fragrance)
  7. Coal tar dyes
  8. DEA-related ingredients
  9. Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives
  10. Petrolatum
  11. SLS/SLES
  12. Triclosan
  13. Oxybenzone & Octinoxate
  14. Retinyl palmitate
  15. Isobutan
  16. Talc
  17. Mineral Oil
  18. Aluminum & metals
  19. Methylisothiazolinone (M1) and other “isothiazolinones”
  20. Nanoparticles (pulverized metals like zinc and titanium

Switch to a 100% clean, organic body regimen.

That includes bath time, lotion time, and laundry time! If your baby or child has eczema, one of the first things I’d do is switch their bath/body products over to Pure Haven’s line.

pure haven beauty products

Their products are free of ALL toxins that can irritate the skin, are 100% organic, and each batch is made to order! This is a regimen I have seen work for moms who have kids with chronic eczema (and it works every time!). It’s the perfect, easy, 3 step solution if you’re looking for natural eczema remedies for babies

Try Cod Liver Oil

Give your baby Cod Liver Oil. This is because Fish intake in older babies has shown to reduce eczema.

Cod liver oil is an anti-inflammatory. Research has shown that it can help to treat inflammatory conditions such as eczema. It’s also a good source of omega-3s, vitamin A, and vitamin D. (Please consult your pediatrician before giving your baby any supplements).

Eliminate Allergens

You may even want to get your child tested for allergies to know which ones to eliminate (otherwise you may end up cutting out all of the common allergens – e.g. dairy, soy, gluten, etc. without needing to).

If your baby is on formula, try switching to an organic hypoallergenic formula.

Other common allergens that cause eczema include pollen, pet dander, dust mites, and mold.

Try Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D

Try topical B12 drops and Vitamin D drops. Topical B12 has shown to help with eczema (source). And low levels of Vitamin D are associated with eczema (source). 

If you have a little one struggling with eczema, I hope this post helped give you some natural solutions to try at home.

Eczema in Babies and Kids: FAQs

What Is The Best Remedy For Baby Eczema?

Since there are so many factors that may account for the reason your baby is suffering from eczema, it is difficult to pinpoint one remedy that is the best.

It is a combination of eliminating potential harmful toxins in your environment as well as using the natural moisturizers I listed above often.

According to the Mayo Clinic, they recommend using a mild cleanser at bath time. Using warm water, and allowing your baby to be in the bath for no more than 15 minutes. Then pat your baby dry and apply one of the recommended ointments or moisturizers.

Routinely moisturize your baby throughout the day as recommended above.

Unfortunately, there is no one silver bullet to cure eczema but these natural remedies can help your baby feel more comfortable.

Is Coconut Oil Good For Eczema In Babies?

As mentioned above, yes coconut oil can be good for babies with eczema. Virgin coconut oil is safe to use on babies. It has the potential to not only improve eczema symptoms, but also will help moisturize your babies skin.

Final Thoughts on Natural Eczema Remedies for Babies

There are a few key things to always remember when you’re trying to cure your baby’s eczema:

  • Make sure there are no toxins, allergens, or fragrances in any of the products you use that your child can come into contact with.
  • Keep the affected areas well hydrated and moist, using the recommended moisturizers in this post! Make sure to moisturize when your baby’s skin is still slightly damp.
  • Use mild, unscented body and laundry soaps, sticking to only natural products for babies.

I know how worrisome it can be to have to watch your baby suffer through something like eczema, and the stress associated with finding something that works. I hope this post helped you to find a natural solution to your baby’s eczema!

If you have any questions about any of the solutions in this post, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or contact me here! I respond to every question I get!

Note: I am not a dermatologist and these are not medical solutions. These are simply my recommendations for natural ways to alleviate eczema. As with any medical condition, please consult your doctor or your child’s pediatrician before trying anything new.

Check out these articles and learn more about best products for your baby.

8 responses to “Natural Eczema Remedies for Babies”

  1. Hello Anjali! I just came across your post. Thank you for the great tips and recommendations. My 4month old has been suffering from eczema(all over face, arms, legs and a patch on her chest). I’m not sure when it exactly started but she started getting bad flare ups at 2 months. And The reason I say I’m not sure is because at 2 weeks old she had baby acne or at least that’s what I thought it was. During that time I avoided any kind of lotion so her skin was dry. Since her birth I’ve been using organic body wash and seventh generation laundry detergent. Also since her birth, I breastfed and supplemented with formula (1-3 bottles/day). I did a lot of research on formula while pregnant and decided to go with Holle. I never thought it could be the formula until I took her for her 4month check up and her doctor suggested I use a hypoallergenic formula. (I eliminated dairy from my diet).He gave me samples of nutramigen and alimentum which I decided not to use after looking into their ingredients. I was recommended to use goat’s milk by a local baby store before using a hypoallergenic formula since eczema was the only concern. I did try that but it didn’t help. I then decided to give nutramigen a try until I get a better hypoallergenic formula, which I think helped a little. (Her eczema patches were not that red) I started using HiPP HA pre yesterday and she had an eczema flare up by the end of the night. She also was gassy and spit up throughout the day. I’m not sure whether I should stick to it for some time to see if her body needs time to adjust or if I should stop. I should mention that after reading your post about the best organic formulas, I realized that I’ve done the whole formula switching process wrong. I just completely switched formulas instead of introducing it with small portions while keeping the current formula. Any suggestions on how I should do this now? Also, is it a coincidence that her eczema got worse after receiving her vaccines? And my last question is, is there an ingredient in European formulas (Holle and HiPP) that’s not present in US formulas which could be causing or making her eczema worse? I’ve tried different natural remedies from calendula ointment to pure unprocessed African Shea butter to eczema creams but had no luck. I was desperate at times and used 1% cortisone which was the only thing that seemed to help. I will definitely give the natural remedies you recommended a try but I also want to get to the source of the problem which might be a food allergy. Sorry about the long post and thank you in advance!

    • Hi Wafa! Thank you so much for reaching out to me – I’m so sorry to hear about your daughter’s eczema issues – that must be so stressful for both you and her!! I’ll try to answer all of your questions in order to help keep track of everything 🙂
      1) Regarding hypoallergenic formulas – this can be a good option for babies with eczema because if the eczema is due to a milk protein allergy or due to something in your breastmilk, they hypoallergenic formula can help manage the eczema. I agree that Nutramigen doesn’t have the most ideal ingredients, but it sounds like Nutramigen is the only formula that actually reduced your baby’s eczema. HiPP HA is not as broken down as Nutramigen (you can see more detail on that here), which could be why her eczema decreased on Nutramigen but flared up on HiPP HA.
      2) Regarding switching formulas – that could be the cause of her reactions at least in the short term since it is a hard transition to immediately switch “cold turkey” vs. doing a slow transition over 1-2 weeks. The next time you switch formulas, I’d definitely recommend doing a slower transition 🙂
      3) Regarding vaccines – I’d ask your pediatrician about that, but I’d be surprised if they were related at all to her chronic eczema
      4) Regarding European formulas – to my knowledge there isn’t anything in them that would cause eczema that isn’t present in US formulas. If anything, US formulas have more problematic ingredients and sometimes longer ingredient lists than European formulas.
      5) Regarding what to do now — it sounds like there might be multiple things going on with your baby’s eczema. You might want to try HiPP Comfort, which is the only European hypoallergenic formula that’s closest to the US hypoallergenic formulas. Keep in mind, the US hypoallergenic formula options are going to be more broken down than anything you can get in Europe, so if HiPP Comfort doesn’t work for your daughter then you will have no option but to try either Nutramigen/Alimentum or an Amino Acid based formula like Elecare or Neocate. I’d also recommend trying the external treatments in this article so that you’re treating her eczema from both the inside (with the formula) and the outside (with my eczema protocol!) I hope that helps and I hope you figure out what works for your daughter soon!

  2. Hello,
    My son has pretty bad eczema, he’s 3 months old today. We are currently using the Lebenswert Formula Bio Stage 1. He had eczema before this (he had antibiotics in the NICU so not sure if there’s a correlation) but we’ve been giving him probiotics, D3/Cod Liver, and using Tubby Todd bath and lotion. Also branch basics for laundry, nothing has helped.

    I tried clicking on the link to the eczema dream cream and it doesn’t seem to be on the site. Any other tips would be great, we are losing hope over here! The doctor wants to put him on a steriod cream and I hate that option.

    • Hi Heather! So sorry to hear about your little one’s struggles with eczema! That can be so stressful! Regarding the dream cream, here is the correct link (and the post is updated as well). I’d highly recommend following the protocol I outline in this post – I have literally seen it clear up babies’ severe eczema in 2 weeks:
      Step 1: Use this laundry detergent for all of your child’s clothes/towels/etc.
      Step 2: 4 times a day (and especially following bath time), alternate between using this boo boo stick on all eczema areas and this mom balm on all eczema areas (so you’d use each twice a day); and immediately follow it up with the dream cream
      Step 3: Apply coconut oil 4 times a day to all affected areas. For coconut oil, I like this one from Sky Organics and also this one from Molivera.
      I would definitely try this process consistently for 2-3 weeks before trying the steroid cream as long as your doctor is aware of (and supportive of) you following this regimen before moving to the steroid cream. Hope that helps!! Let me know if you have any other questions!

  3. Just try to use eczema treatment of foderma this serum is amazing my 2 years old suffers from eczema and flared up really badly with the cold weather. One application and she was less itchy and within 2 days it’s virtually cleared up

    • Hi Francine! I’m glad you had success with this, but I couldn’t find any information about this treatment online – can you share the link to where you purchased it from? Then I can let you know how the ingredients look! Thanks!

  4. Amazing information. Can you also share your suggestions and tips to help with spring allergies and Asthma.

    • Hi Hema! Unfortunately spring allergies is caused by your immune system overreacting to pollen/etc. so not much can be done without medication to prevent or alleviate it! Antihistamines, nasal sprays, and eye drops are common ways to lessen the symptoms, and then allergy shots can sometimes prevent symptoms from appearing at all. Asthma is another medical condition that will require an inhaler, but herbs like garlic, turmeric, echinacea, eucalyptus oil and omega 3s can help provide support as well. Hope that helps!

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