Caring for baby and toddler eczema: What helped my son (and what didn’t) - Jasmine Bluitt Blog

The Culprit: Eczema

I will be the first to say eczema is tough! Eczema is a journey no parent wants to take, yet so many of us find ourselves walking it. It’s exhausting, overwhelming, and you may find yourself feeling hopeless, desperate for a solution. My oldest son had terrible eczema as a baby and early toddler, and I can still remember the sleepless nights, ER visits, endless scratching, and the frustration of trying another “new” product. If you’re in the thick of it, please know you’re not alone!

Our Eczema Story

When my oldest was born, he suffered from baby acne. I remember the doctors telling us it was totally common, if not normal, or babies to experience it. Our doctor gave us a few tips, and we fully expected the skin issues to go away after a few weeks.

Well, the baby acne did go away. However, eczema, atopic dermatitis, soon followed. After visiting the pediatrician, it was confirmed that Dax did, in fact, have eczema. However, he was too young for any medical creams, so the doctor instructed us to use Vaseline and Aveeno cream.

Do you think it worked?
Well, it didn’t. In fact, it made things worse. We discovered Dax was allergic to colloidal oatmeal, which is the key ingredient in many eczema products!

From the time Daxton was a baby until he was 5 years old, he experienced very severe eczema. There were mornings when I found blood on his crib sheets from scratching the night before. There were nights when he wouldn’t sleep at all because he was so itchy. My husband and I swaddled him until he was two and a half to keep him from scratching his wounds.

We had ER visits. We tried steroids. We saw dermatologists. I mean, the list just goes on.

I don’t want to spend too much time describing how bad my son’s eczema was—because if you’ve found this blog post, you’re probably experiencing some form of this yourself. I want you to know that I understand where you’re coming from, and I’m here, as a mom with experience, to share what helped us!

What helped us

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First things first: Your mindset matters.
I know it can be heartbreaking to see your baby in pain or discomfort. But mama (and/or daddy), you have to hold on to some positivity and stay strong! You don’t have all the answers, and that’s okay.

Take it day by day.
Don’t overload yourself with thoughts of how you’re going to deal with your baby’s eczema for the next however many years. Literally, just take it one day at a time.

Comfort over cure.
Make it your goal to comfort your little one. I remember feeling such peace when I stopped expecting a new product to cure my son’s eczema. In those tough moments, what he needed most was soothing and comfort.

Bath Time

Keep the skin clean

Use mild soap during bath time
Bathe nightly—period
Bleach baths
Micellar water

My biggest tip is honestly: keep the skin clean. It’s so easy for dirt and sweat to build up on the skin, and when you add eczema to the mix, it just creates even more problems. It’s critical that you keep your little one’s skin clean.

Bathe nightly—I know that may seem obvious, but we had multiple dermatologists and pediatricians tell us to skip nightly baths. We tried it, and ultimately it caused more harm than good. Piling on thick creams without properly cleansing the skin was NOT the best option for our son.

When it comes to soap, the milder the better. We tried so many “eczema-friendly” soaps, but nothing compared to the Dove Sensitive Soap Bar.

Here are a few we loved:

Dove Sensitive Soap Bar – The GOAT. Gets the job done: good and clean.
Dove Baby Soap – Gentle with a nice lather, perfect for babies.
Tubby Todd – A great all-around soap the whole family can use!

Bleach baths were recommended to us by our dermatologist, and we actually saw pretty good results. We used them during tough flare-ups, usually once a week. It helped remove bacteria from the skin and never caused Dax any irritation.

We were instructed to add about half a capful of bleach to a bath of warm water and let him soak for about 15 minutes. Of course, always consult with your doctor before trying this, and keep a close eye on your little one during the bath to avoid any water getting in their mouth or eyes.

Another clean skin tip I swear by is the Mustela Baby Soothing Cleansing Water. This product was amazing for gently cleaning the skin throughout the day. We always used it with a cotton round.

Keep the skin moisturized.

My Favorite Creams

As I mentioned before, my son was allergic to colloidal oatmeal. In fact, he had several allergies, including plant-based ones. So, a lot of the creams that were commonly recommended just weren’t options for us. The creams that worked best for him were always simple, thick, and hydrating.

⭐ Lubriderm Advanced Therapy Fragrance-Free Moisturizing Cream

If you can get your hands on this—God bless you! This is an amazing product that truly hydrates the skin. Unfortunately, the company stopped making it, so whatever stock is left online is often marked up by different sellers.

🌼 California Baby Calendula Cream

This cream is great for targeting specific irritated spots. I found that it really helped reduce redness and flare-up areas. You do have to order it directly from their website, though.

Other Creams I Use When I Don’t Have Access to My Favorites:

Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream – Simple, effective, and gentle.
La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Body Cream – Works really well, but it’s very rich. (Remember, we want to keep things simple!)
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream – Very basic, very plain-Jane, but dependable.

Over the years, there have been several creams that were absolutely amazing—until they were either discontinued or the formula was changed. When that happens, it’s always a relief to have those core brands that have stood the test of time and are easy to find at your local drugstore.

Last Step: Lock in the Moisture

After the skin is clean and you’ve applied moisturizer, the next thing you’ll need is Vaseline. Our skincare routine forever changed when I read that Vaseline isn’t a moisturizer—it’s a protectant. That blew my mind. You want to apply a layer of Vaseline on top of the moisturizer to lock in all that hydration.

Here are a few protectant options:

Vaseline
Aquaphor
CeraVe Healing Ointment

Our favorite has always been Vaseline. Simple, classic, and it works!

Tips That Will Help Your Eczema Routine

Establish your routine and stick to it!
Keep the skin clean, but don’t dry it out.
Try wet wraps for tough nights (see the Wet Wraps section below).
If your routine suddenly stops working, talk to a doctor—the skin may be infected.
Know your kiddo’s triggers.
I know it’s hard, but give it time. You’re doing great.

Wet Wraps

On nights when Dax would scratch endlessly and nothing brought relief, we’d pull out the wet wrap. There are a few ways to do this, but the general idea is simple: a layer of wet pajamas, followed by a layer of dry pajamas.

Here’s what worked best for us:

Start with clean skin, freshly moisturized and sealed with a thick layer of Vaseline.
Use a long-sleeve cotton pajama top and bottom set soaked in warm water and wrung out thoroughly.
Put those wet pajamas directly on your child.
Add a dry footed onesie on top to lock everything in and keep them warm.

This helped Dax so much on nights when he was really struggling. The key is locking in that moisture barrier while keeping the skin calm and protected.

A quick note on pajamas:
Cotton is always the safest option for the layer that touches your child’s skin. For the outer layer, a footed fleece pajama set works great since it doesn’t come into direct contact with the skin. This combo was so helpful on those tougher nights when Dax wasn’t getting any relief.

And the best part?
The next morning, he would always wake up with the softest, most moisturized skin. Total game changer.

🌿 Eczema Routine Recap: What Worked for Us

If you’re short on time (or just need a quick refresher), here’s a summary of the key steps that helped us manage our son’s severe eczema:

🧠 Mindset Matters

Take it day by day—don’t stress about the long haul.
Focus on comfort over cure.
Stay positive, even when it’s hard. You’re doing the best you can!

🛁 Bath Time = Clean Skin

Bathe nightly – yes, even if a doctor told you otherwise.
Use mild soaps like:
- Dove Sensitive Bar (our GOAT)
- Dove Baby Soap
- Tubby Todd
Bleach baths (½ cap of bleach in a warm tub, 15 mins) helped during bad flare-ups — consult your doctor first!
Micellar water like Mustela Baby Cleansing Water is great for mid-day cleanups.

💧 Moisturize While Skin is Damp

Don’t towel dry—apply cream directly on damp skin.
Our favorite moisturizers:
- Lubriderm Advanced Therapy (if you can find it!)
- California Baby Calendula Cream (great for irritated spots)
- Backup options: Vanicream, La Roche-Posay Lipikar, CeraVe Cream

🛡️ Seal in Moisture with a Protectant

After moisturizing, apply a protective layer:
- Vaseline (our favorite!)
- Aquaphor
- CeraVe Healing Ointment

🧦 Wet Wraps for Tough Nights

Apply moisturizer + Vaseline on clean skin
Dress in wet cotton pajamas
Layer with dry fleece footed pajamas on top
Helped Dax sleep through the night and wake up with soft, hydrated skin

💡 Pro Tips

Stick to your routine—consistency is everything
Don’t skip baths; just don’t overdry the skin
Watch for signs of infection if your routine suddenly stops working
Learn your child’s eczema triggers
Be patient and give it time—you’re not alone

You’ve got this, mama 💛
This routine took us years to figure out, and I hope it makes your journey a little smoother.