it's not ALL about hair...

yeah, I know, It's called Hair with Purpose but sometimes I like to share a little about skin care too especially this time of year.

Both my 8 and 10 year old have eczema and extremely dry skin. A couple years ago my 10 year old, Z got a bad rash all over his body. He was miserable, couldn't sleep, got sent home from school, couldn't concentrate he was just so uncomfortable. It was horrible and we felt so helpless trying to make his as comfortable as possible. He went to doctors and a skin specialist and was on several different creams. At that time I started studying more than ever about dry skin and eczema and we changed the way we treat their skin. His rash did finally clear up and luckily with the changes we made he has not had another serious flare up.

Baths:

Baths can be the enemy. Stay away from all bubble bath and kids fun, scented, colored soap. VERY BAD for dry skin. We always add some oil to the bath to soften the water. A light sesame oil or olive oil are great. (be careful not to slip!!!) Don't bathe too long and don't make the water too hot!!

Soap: Right now we are using Kiss my Face olive oil and aloe. It doesn't seem drying at all and doesn't make anyone in the house itch like so many other soaps do.

We also like Grandpa's Oatmeal Soap!

Sometimes the kids don't use soap at all they just wash with a little olive oil. Oil breaks up dirt and oil without drying the skin.

After Bath:

Do not rub skin! Pat the skin, not completely dry. Apply oil. You can use olive oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, or sesame oil. Most lotions you buy at the store smell nice but really do nothing to moisturize skin. A good oil is your best bet!! You can use oil on the body, a little on the face and it's even good for dry hair. (Not on blond hair like mine though, I'd be a greasy mess!!!)

Around the house:

Make sure bedding and clothing are washed in the gentlest liquid possible. Use of fabric softeners often irritate dry skin. Watch for skin allergies. It turned out my sons stomach had the worse rash because he was allergic to the metal on his pants and belt. He now wears a long undershirt and tucks it in to create a barrier between his and his jeans since he didn't want to wear elastic pants forever. :)

Watch out for scented products, perfumes, deodorants, try to find more natural alternatives.

Avoid over washing!

Be as gentle as possible on your skin and hair.

Keep as much as possible covered in the cold and wind!

Any other ideas you can think of, LET ME KNOW! I'd love to hear how you deal with dry skin and skin problems!!!