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Let's keep this eczema under control.
Pharmacist

The goal in managing eczema that is available over the counter is to:

  • moisturize the skin
     
  • prevent the skin from losing water
     
  • improve the integrity of the skin
     
  • prevent any infection from the scratching. 

Some of the ways to achieve these are listed below.

Take a look and then tap on the button below to compare moisturizers that are available over the counter.

 

girl with eczema on hand


Moisturizers

This will be used to hydrate the skin. The more moisture the skin can retain, the better. Not only does moisturizers increase the water content of the skin, they also act as a barrier against moisture loss.

Make sure you choose one that is free of perfumes, additives or fragrances. Apply as often as you feel your child needs it. Your goal is to keep the skin moist all the time.

Cream, ointment or lotion. Which should you choose?    

Well, the ointment lasts longer on the skin but is more greasy.
The cream vanishes into the skin, less greasy, but not as long lasting as the ointment.
Lotion spread easily but comes last in terms of duration.

Our best advice is to use what you are comfortable with. Keep cream with you everywhere you go, ointment for legs, cream or lotion for the hands since you can easily reapply on the hand anywhere you are.

 

Bathing Practices

A warm bath at least once a day for 10 minutes.

Use a neutral or low pH non-soap cleanser. Make sure it is fragrance-free and hypoallergenic.

Moisturize the child immediately after bathing.

 

Cortisone

Hydrocortisone 1% is the strongest over-the-counter steroid you can use for inflammation and itch.

Use this on the child once a while to prevent flare-ups.

Make sure you don't rub hydrocortisone cream to a large skin area.

 

Wet-wrap therapy

You will use wet-wrap therapy to quickly reduce flares in areas of red, hot, weeping eczema. 

To use a wet wrap 

First moisturize the child's skin after bathing, get wet bandages, wrap around the skin.
Then wrap a layer of dry bandages over the wet bandages and secure it.

What this does is to increase penetration of the moisturizer, makes sure your child does not scratch the area, reduce the loss of water from the skin and makes the skin heal quicker.

 

Last updated by pharmacist on : 02/17/2016

 

 

Know this about the safe and effective use of this recommendation.
Article photo

Our disclaimer

  • Recommendation is the opinion of a registered US Pharmacist currently practicing as a community pharmacist.
  • Recommendation is not an attempt to discuss all possible self care or treatment approach to this health challenge.
  • The responsibility of the recommending pharmacist is limited to this question:
    "If a patient presents with these symptoms, what will you recommend and why?"
    It is not an attempt to publish an article on the treatment of any condition. Just what would you tell a patient who present with so and so in the usual course of your practice.
  • The pharmacist image presented in this article may or may not be the actual image of the authoring pharmacist.
    Because we insist on using articles written by currently practicing community pharmacists, these pharmacists may choose to remain anonymous especially if they are employed by an employer to avoid being pressured to recommend a particular product to drive sales.
  • Please read the policies and terms of use for self-care OTC, selfcarepharmacist.com and it's affiliates by clicking on the button below.

 

 

 

 

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