My child is eczema free. This is what I know now.
Three years ago at about 6 months of age, my daughter was diagnosed with eczema. It started with dry patches on her skin. As she got older, the dry patches increased, became red and itchy and I was encouraged to put a “mild” topical steroid on her skin.
By 18 months, I knew things were bad and I was at a loss. Her body was almost completely inflamed, red and always itchy. It was terrible. I felt this heavy burden to help her and ease her discomfort but I didn’t know how.
I first sought the dermatologist who recommended wet wraps and a “creamier” type of steroid that had high risk for cancer. I told them no, they berated me for not trusting them, and I never returned.
I then sought the help of a naturopathic pediatrician who suggested food elimination and ran allergy tests, She also encouraged me to continue the mild steroid “if it was helping some” and to moisturize with things like beef tallow, coconut oil, and shea butter. She put us on a few supplements and had us eliminate gluten but overall we saw little improvement.
Looking for answers, I took eczema specialty courses online. I joined a ton of Facebook groups and started following a lot of natural-minded accounts. I visited two more specialists who were WAY off and the Lord gave me wisdom in those moments to walk out and disregard their suggestions.
I did a lot of my own personal research and study. I discovered a term called “Topical Steroid Withdrawal” and realized my daughter had it — something no medical professional recognized even though it was very obvious. We tapered off of the steroid without the help of a “professional,” which I now know you’re not supposed to do but I believe the Lord protected us in this.
Her skin started flaking a TON which worried me to pieces, but I later found out that “flaking skin” means it’s healing. It was actually a good thing and we started to see even more improvement when the new skin came in.
Beyond those pivotal points in our early journey here’s what I wish I knew from the very beginning.
We didn’t actually need to put any kind of cream or moisturizer on skin with eczema. And DEFINITELY never use steroids ever.
Sounds a little crazy right? It’s completely opposite from what you hear if you are in the eczema conversations with specialists and people online walking the same path.
Our body is meant to naturally moisturize itself. If we don’t allow our body’s skin to naturally moisturize and continue to cover it up with our own solutions, we do not allow the body to work how it was designed to work. I am no doctor but this has been true in my experience.
For at least 2 years, we were using 100% raw organic shea butter on her skin and then we’d cover her up with cotton footed pajamas. But this never allowed her skin to breathe or heal the way it needed to. After a month of stopping it and moisturizing altogether, we saw significant improvement.
It was an internal issue, not a skin issue.
The first thing I wish I would’ve done was to take a gut test. I highly recommend TinyHealth gut test for kids. You don’t need a doctor’s note to do it, it’s a very simple process, and they do an amazing job of explaining the issues they find and provide exactly what’s needed to help restore her gut health. We learned that my daughter had two opportunistic pathogens and had 0% bifidobacterium (a common good bacteria). This was surprisingly a simple fix through good, quality prebiotics, probiotics and cinnamon-oregano oil. The eczema on my daughter’s body was a basically a neon flashing sign telling us, “Hey something isn’t right inside my body!” We just didn’t know how to read it.
Not all probiotics are the same and everyone’s gut is different. A gut test was incredibly helpful for us because it told us exactly what type of probiotic she needed, and the importance of crowding out the bad bacteria with good bacteria. The probiotic that worked for my daughter is not going to necessarily be the right one for your child. That’s why it’s important to have the gut test to find out exactly what is needed to help balance your child’s particular gut/microbiome makeup.
We took a d-hist jr., a heavy metal detox tincture, and omega-3 supplement. The d-hist jr. I believe has helped calm down her need to itch. She used to be itching constantly and now she doesn’t at all. The detox tincture I believe has helped her alleviate the affects of heavy metals she unfortunately had from s h o t s at infant “well-checks”. The omega-3 (fish oil) supplement helps nourish the skin. These were all suggestions from her current natural-minded pediatrician that I align more closely with.
We eat healthier. About a year into our journey, we recognized that the American diet and almost everything available in stores is so bad for us. We started buying all organic everything, grass-fed beef and butter, fresh foods and little-to-no packaged products. We still love to eat out on weekends (because we live in DFW where there are amazing restaurants), but we largely spend our week eating whole foods.
We sought the help of a chiropractor.
In tandem with the gut work we were doing, we visited the chiropractor weekly for about 8 weeks. His adjustments were focused mainly on the digestion and the sinuses — around the lower pelvic area and the neck.
After 3 months of consistent probiotics, an 8-week chiropractic adjustment period, and no moisturizing, we have been eczema free — and during the summer of all things!
Summertime was always when her eczema was the worst, and we have been SO encouraged and amazed to see clear, soft skin with no more itching.
Above all this, our family has prayed fervently for our girl.
While I do think that these physical remedies and discoveries have helped her tremendously, I attribute all of this to the Lord, who led me to these discoveries and sustained me during the weakest and hardest of moments of my life.
He is SO good and I believe He has finally brought us to the end of what seemed like an unending journey. Her vibrant life and eczema-free body is a testament to His goodness and the power of prayer.
I absolutely believe He hears us, and I encourage you to pray as you seek your child’s treatment; to not put faith in products, tests or your own ability to “heal” your child but to put faith in God who IS our healer, who guides our paths and created our children and all things.
Special note: I have no medical certifications, and I am only speaking from my personal beliefs and experience. I have intentionally not put affiliate links in this post and encourage you to do your research and prayer. If you are in the thick of a difficult eczema journey with your child, please drop a comment and I’d love to pray for you. It can be a tough, alienating road, and I just want you to know you and your child ARE seen, loved and not alone.