Eczema can be a very painful condition, and it can be especially traumatic for children and the parents who care for them.
But now, one mum has now shared a cream which changed her baby’s skin – and it cost just £8.
Mum Emily Harris, 25, soon realised that her newborn daughter, Nola Harris-Rodrigues, did not have smooth skin like other babies.
At 12 weeks old, Nola’s scalp, face and body become completely covered in red, flaky patches and weeping sores.
She was prescribed a number of different products and antibiotics but nothing worked for her little girl.
‘I never thought too much of it at first because health visitors and midwives said it was quite common for babies to have dry skin,’ Emily explains.
‘But it gradually started to look more red and flaky. It was horrible.
‘It was so bad she had open sores which wept onto her clothes and we had to get antibiotics prescribed.’
The condition became so severe that Emily covered Nola’s hands in mittens to prevent her from scratching and causing the area to bleed.
‘If she was ever naked or had any skin out, she would be so frustrated and scratch herself to the point that she would bleed,’ Emily recalls.
‘Even in the summer months, when it was really hot, she couldn’t have her skin out or she would just scratch and scratch.’
The severity of the skin condition meant it interfered with Nola’s development.
‘It was so upsetting because I was doing everything I could but she would get so angry and wound up,’ Emily says.
‘I would try to make sure she had some time with her hands to play every day but she would only ever play for a few minutes and then immediately start scratching.
‘We couldn’t even go to the baby sensory classes because she wouldn’t play with the toys, she was only interested in scratching.
‘I just wanted her to do what the other babies were doing.’
It wasn’t until the Emily found a £7.99 over-the-counter cream that her child’s skin began to improve.
Hailed as a ‘miracle’ product for conditions such as eczema, Emily says Balmond’s Skin Salvation cream cleared Nola’s skin.
‘I was scared she would have that skin for the rest of her life but her skin is completely smooth and clear now,’ she explains.
‘She finally has baby soft skin, like she should have.’
Emily bought a 30ml pot of the cream and carefully applied a small amount to Nola’s cheeks.
‘I was so cautious so I just applied a small amount to her cheeks and the next day, it already looked clearer,’ she says.
‘For the first time, it stopped looking red.’
When she began applying it all over her body, Emily became emotional at the rapid improvement to her daughter’s skin.
‘Within a few weeks, her skin had completely cleared,’ she says.
Balmond’s advises testing a tiny amount ‘behind the ear or in the crook of your elbow’ between 24 and 48 hours before using it on the rest of your body to test for allergies or skin reaction.
It is important to not use Balmond’s Skin Salvation if you are allergic to any of the ingredients.
Other eczema treatments for young skin
Dr Hayley Leeman, Consultant Dermatologist at the Cadogan Clinic says: ‘In general most people with eczema will need to see a GP or dermatologist for prescriptive treatments. Eczema is very common and most patients are able to keep their skin under good control with topical steroids.
‘I prefer topical steroid ointments to creams. Some people may have more severe symptoms requiring oral treatment.’
Some products Dr Leeman recommends include:
Cerave – Scientifically proven to integrate within the lipid layer of the skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
Child’s Farm – For kids.
La Roche Posay Lipikar Baume – Approved for use in newborns and aids the skin’s microbiome.
QV Bath Oil – Add a few capfuls to bath water when bathing.
Dermol 500 – This reduces bacterial load on the skin and is good for patients who have frequent flare ups of eczema due to infection.
Dr Leeman also notes: ‘Eczema patients should avoid any creams containing fragrances or active ingredients for acne or skin texture for examples acids (AHA/BHA, salicylic acid etc.) as these risk exacerbating skin dryness and irritation.’
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