I took Catherine to her dermatologist today for the many, many patches of tiny bumps she's had for about two months. Papular eczema. He said given her other issues, she's probably just genetically disposed to skin funk and this isn't necessarily an allergic reaction to anything. We left armed with Cetaphil cleanser, Cetaphil cream, and Cutivate, which is a nasty-sounding cortico-steroid cream that's not approved for use on children. No soap is to touch her body other than for hand-washing.
Soooo ... how does one go about bathing with Cetaphil? This is a girl who likes her bubble bath, and those days are over. I rubbed Cetaphil cleanser all over her and then rinsed it off in the tub. However, it did nothing to get the marker off her. Is Cetaphil good for real dirt? If not, what's an alternative? Anything that makes bubbles? What about hair washing?
The regimen is to be Cetaphil bath, treat the spots with Cutivate and then cover her whole with Cetaphil cream at bed time. Then again treat the spots and moisturize in the morning. She goes back to the derm on December 3.
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Lesley
Mom to Trey (6/27/95) - ADD (Vyvanse)
Catherine (1/18/05) - MSPI, celiac disease, inverse, guttate and plaque psoriasis. Verdeso, Luxiq, Elidel as needed. Gluten-free.
We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world.
Helen Keller
I used Cetaphil when Brenna was an infant. The shampoo issue wasn't really a concern at that point since she really didn't have hair, and what she did was fine with the Cetaphil. I don't know that it would do much with Catherine's hair. As for real kid dirt, I doubt it would really do the job. Sorry, that wasn't much help, was it? I've used California Baby shampoo/body wash for Brenna recently. It foams a little, cleans fairly well, and smells like lavendar. It is advertised as eczema/sensitive skin friendly. Maybe you could wash with that, treat the areas, then slather on the Cetaphil cream.
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Lori
Ask the Experts ~ Respiratory Therapist
Community Leader ~ Allergies & Intolerances
Brenna Claire, my little love
Former MSPI
Reflux diagnosed at 12 weeks of age. Prevacid 15-30mg/day from 3-13 months.
Off all meds from age 1 to 2 1/2.
Prevacid 30mg Daily currently
Probiotics
Lesley we probably let the kids have bubbles in the bath every 10 or so washes and they clean just fine, with marker and that, I would wash with a non soap cleanser first or directly on the spot, then let her bath away.
Sorry about the no bubbles, they always dry out the kids skin, if you just check labels really carefully and go with one without any sodium lauryl (not just sulphate- they sometimes say soap free, indicating the sulphate, but any lauryl product will give eczema.) then it will bubble a little.
We have some bath fizzies here, they are about the size of a 5 cent piece, they are just bicarb with food colouring, but they make the bath a really strong colour, blue, red, yellow... or mix them. The boys love this as a bubble alternative.
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Rachel
Wife to Daniel and mum of THREE beautiful boys.
Cooper 7 yrs, my sensitive, shy and sweet boy.
Parker is now FIVE! My GERDling and sweetheart, non stop talker, now started kindy!
Beckett my little baby! Born 5th October 2009.
Jack who? Follow the adventures of Jack O, our IRD Mascot here:
I ditto the California baby. We do the unscented/uneverything one. Sneaky bath product companies put Citric acid in EVERYTHING, buttheads! So know we spend an arm and a leg to bath him. Caught the older boy dumping half the bottle in the bath the other day and had a heart attack! I said "You just poured $7.50 in your bath" and he said "Sweet! Where?!" and started diving for quarters.
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~ mom of 3 boys.
~ Emily
T - 10 yrs.
Cartman - 5 yrs
Chewy - born 4/4/08, reflux dx'd @ 1 month, gone by 12/08. Came back 8/09.
-Global Developmental Delays, Food Aversion, Milk/Soy/Citric Acid Intolerance, Dyspraxia/DCD/Sensory/Motor Planning Issues and Pronation. Mild cyclic Neutropenia. Swallow study normal. MRI and EEG normal!! Just waiting for chromosomal work up now...
-Currently receives Physical/Occupational/Speech/Feeding Therapies.
We do the cetaphil cleansers during outbreaks, but we do California baby cleanser the rest of the time. The cetaphil cream is the best and ONLY lotion I use though...love that it's unscented and so thick and actually seems to help. Cutivate did the job on outbreaks, too. I use it when necessary...it's not THAT much more effective than regular cheap-o hydrocortisone, so if you're paying an arm and a leg for it, just get the over the counter stuff...FYI, there is a generic of the cetaphil cream that is a few dollars cheaper...at our CVS..
__________________ Janet
Mom to Zack born 09/28/07 2 months prem. Dx silent reflux @ 6 mo, put Prevacid
Silent to full blown puker @ 10 months. GI put Z on Reglan in Oct...worked fora while.
Puke levels WAY down. Finally eating purees. Upper GI 11/19/08 showed nothing but reflux. Abdom Ultrasound showed nothing
Endo clear, Gastric Emptying slow, Ph Probe abnormal (187 events in 24 hrs) as of 09/11
Currently trialing a Prevacid wean as many events were non acidic. He's actually doing well without it!!!
Two GI's...one wants surgery..another wants to wait...*sigh*
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