Moisturiser for Eczema

[leprechaun]

Hi my name is Rebecca and have been creating Candles for roughly 5 years. My question is my 11 year old, son has bad eczema on his legs and arms. We have tried all the pharmaceutical creams and none work for him. So we looked into creating a natural cream for him in the hope it will help.

Ingredients
113.5 g shea butter
109 g coconut oil
1 tablespoon locally sourced Honey
1 drop Vitamin E oil
25 drops lavender EO
5 drops Tea Tree EO

We tested a small patch and unfortunately, it caused a reaction. I can replace the coconut oil with mango butter. But has anyone else created a natural moisturising cream for this painful skin condition. I would really appreciate any assistance.

 

[mishmish]

I wouldn't use any essential oils until you find a base that his skin will tolerate. Start simple so that you can identify triggers. Also, adding honey to oils can create bacterial growth since it's a humectant and will attract water - you would need the proper preservative. Good luck finding something that will help your son.

 

[A-Polly]

[ edited to add an apology: I didn't notice before I hit Send that you are in Northern Ireland, so sorry about the US sales links. I think Royalty Soaps can ship internationally but it would probably cost a lot. Hope soapmakers local to you can be helpful if you decide to try buying handmade soap. ]

Apologies for veering away from lotions, but wondering if you ever make soap as well? Asking because I've known several people who found that using a mild, completely unscented soap helped with eczema. One friend at work was having a terrible time with every cleanser and cream her dermatologist recommended; I happened to have some unscented goat milk soap I'd made for my grandchild and on impulse gave her a bar. After a few days she was thrilled at how much her eczema had calmed — not because anything in the soap was medicinal or healing, but because nothing in it caused more irritation. She has used similar soaps ever since.

If you'd like to try your own, Zany's No-Slime Castile or the bastille variation (here on the forum) might be a good one to start with. Or Amanda Aaron's Baby Buttermilk, which I first encountered on the old Soap Queen website.

If you don't make your own, lots of soapmakers sell such bars. Two prominent ones with online stores are Missouri River soaps (she usually has at least one unscented, uncolored bar in her shop, such as this one made with tallow), and Royalty Soaps (this one called "Blameless" in her Simplicity line), but I'm sure lots of other soapmakers sell this sort as well. You may need to try different ones to find what works best.

Just an off-topic thought, please ignore if not useful. But I do hope you soon find something that helps your young man get relief!