Treating a baby’s eczema can be difficult, especially with their soft, delicate skin. It’s always better to consult with a pediatrician before applying anything to your baby’s skin. However, there are times that it’d be difficult to visit the Pedia, and a parent’s last resort is consulting with other mothers online. And some, or maybe a good minority, would recommend coconut oil for your baby’s eczema.
Please know that eczema is a very common skin condition in most babies and children. And while there are antibiotics and creams made solely for treating eczema in babies, sometimes, they won’t work or show you the kind of results you want.
It is where home remedies come in.
Virgin Coconut Oil is proven safe to use on babies and children. The oil can help improve their skin’s health and moisturize their skin simultaneously. And to ease your worries, coconut oil doesn’t carry chemicals or added perfume–so it’s not as risky as you would think. But we would like to remind you to always do a skin test on your child or baby before fully applying the coconut oil. Skin patch tests are important to see if there would be an allergy reaction or not.
Baby Eczema Symptoms
Eczema’s other name is atopic dermatitis. It’s a skin condition that babies can get at six months old and sometimes even earlier. There are cases where eczema goes away on its own by the time your child is five years old. Other times, it could escalate into flares or adult eczema. Either way, it’s important to soothe the effects of eczema on the skin–especially on babies.
Here is what your baby’s skin may look like if they have eczema:
- Dry
- Reddish
- Crusty
- Flaky
Eczema on babies usually appears on these spots:
- Scalp
- Forehead
- Chin
- Cheeks
- Face
Eczema can appear randomly, and even some newborns have this. It appears on the scalp, which we call the cradle cap–these resemble flakes, and if you scratch it off, your baby’s hair will go with it. But worry not because the hair will still grow, and please avoid deliberately scratching the flakes off the baby’s scalp as it could harm them.
How to Use Coconut Oil on Baby’s Eczema
When purchasing Virgin Coconut Oil, please find one with the best quality. It’s recommended to check the ingredients thoroughly to ensure that the coconut oil is pure. Best Virgin Coconut Oil is likely found at health food stores or food supplement aisles.
After bathing your baby and wrapping the baby with a soft, warm towel, heat a small amount of coconut oil in a bowl. Coconut oil melts at 78°F. If the day is warm, you can leave the bowl in the kitchen for a few seconds. Make sure the coconut oil is adequately warm so that it doesn’t cause discomfort to your baby. Like how you test warm milk on your wrist, you can do the same with the coconut oil’s temperature.
When the temperature’s okay for the baby, rub a small amount between your palms and gently apply it to areas where eczema is present. You can then gently massage the other regions without eczema for a relaxing time with your baby!
Coconut Oil with Wet Wraps
Using a damp cloth, or in this case, wet wraps, to help soothe eczema is proven to be effective. Here’s how:
- Get a soft cloth or unbleached cotton. Make sure it’s clean, so the baby doesn’t get any rashes.
- You can opt to cut it into small strips enough to cover eczema on your baby’s skin.
- Boil water for a bit, then let it cool for a while.
- Apply coconut oil to your baby’s skin the same way as with the procedure above.
- Dip the cloth strips into the adequately warm water to sterilize them. Squeeze the water out until it’s damp.
- Gently place it on the areas with eczema that you applied coconut oil.
- Leave the cloth until it’s dry or until your baby takes it off through wiggling.
Important
Please remember to consult with a Pediatrician first, as coconut oil is not compatible with all skin types. While it’s purely extracted from coconut, some people are still allergic to it. So, as much as possible, get a skin test or consult with your Pediatrician.