Self-Care Guidelines
Maintaining adequate moisture in the skin is very important.
Self-care measures include the following:
- Use non-soap cleansers such as Cetaphil®, or moisturizing soaps such as Dove®.
- Apply thick moisturizers such as petroleum jelly (Vaseline®), Aquaphor® ointment, Eucerin® cream, CeraVe® cream, and Cetaphil cream to damp skin after daily bathing.
- Try to reduce exposure to heat, humidity, detergents/soaps, abrasive clothing, chemicals, smoke, and stress.
- Use fragrance-free laundry detergent.
- Keep your home air moist (humid) with a humidifier or by setting out bowls of water, especially in the bedroom.
- Treat areas with redness and itching with over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream or ointment, 0.5–1%, twice daily. Avoid using steroid cream on the eyelid area for more than a few days, as it may increase the risk for cataract formation.
- Apply lotions containing menthol or phenol (such as Sarna® lotion) for itching.
When to Seek Medical Care
See your child's doctor for evaluation if you see no improvement with self-care measures or the eczema gets worse.
Also see the doctor if you see areas of pus or large numbers of crusty areas (scabs), as this might be caused by infection with bacteria.
Signs and Symptoms
