Moisturizing cream for children with atopic dermatitis

Moisturizing children's skin with atopic dermatitis is an integral part of the treatment of this common disease. The procedure uses drugs and cosmetics with the addition of special components. For those parents who do not want to resort to “chemistry,” an alternative solution to the problem is traditional medicine recipes - medicinal herbal baths, homemade lotions and ointments.

Atopic dermatitis: causes and symptoms

Childhood atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory disease of the skin. The disease is of an allergic nature. The insidiousness of the disease is that, having first appeared in a person in infancy, it can remind itself later, until the end of life. It is important to recognize the symptoms of dermatitis in time and provide proper care for your baby’s atopic skin.

Doctors distinguish three forms of the disease: infant (up to 2 years), children (2-12 years), adult (12-18 years). They differ in external symptoms, locations of skin lesions and specific treatment.

There is a whole complex of factors that, both in combination and individually, can act as causes of atopic dermatitis in childhood. These include:

1. Complications accompanying the mother's pregnancy, as well as smoking and other abuse during this period.
2. Food allergy in a child caused by artificial feeding; incorrect scheme for introducing complementary foods; allergens that enter the child’s body through mother’s milk. It is not uncommon for atopic dermatitis to become a consequence of a viral infection suffered by an infant.
3. Gastrointestinal disorders of the child’s body: dysbacteriosis, gastritis, helminthiasis, etc.

Characteristic signs of atopic dermatitis are hyperemic formations on the surface of the epidermis and noticeable, often unbearable itching. Often these symptoms are accompanied by a rash, dry and weeping, and the appearance of a scab in the area of ​​​​the bursting watery blisters.

An important sign of the disease is its recurrent course in a chronic form and a clear seasonal dependence. In winter, stages of relapse and exacerbation are noted, when the child’s irritated atopic dermis especially requires treatment with both pharmaceutical and folk remedies.

Principles of treatment

Treatment of atopic dermatitis is focused on several goals:

1. complete elimination or partial relief of itching;
2. healing inflamed areas of the dermis, restoring its structure;
3. therapy of concomitant pathologies;
4. preventing further development of the disease.

Effective therapy is based on the principle of an integrated approach, which includes a hypoallergenic diet, systemic pharmacotherapy (taking various drugs, primarily antihistamines) and local treatment, which also includes the process of moisturizing the skin. If atopic dermatitis in children is accompanied by a secondary infection, antibiotics are also prescribed.

Pharmacy preparations for moisturizing baby's skin

With symptoms of atopic dermatitis, a tendency to allergenic irritations and increased dryness, the child’s skin requires regular care with the help of emollients. These are pharmaceutical products of pharmacology and medical cosmetology that help restore the disturbed lipid balance at the cellular level and protect against the influence of pathogenic microorganisms on vulnerable children's skin.

Based on expert opinions, many years of experience of doctors and parents, the most effective and popular pharmaceutical moisturizers were identified. These include:

1. Mustela (Mustela). Emulsion-cream, the direct purpose of which is to moisturize the baby’s skin from the first day of life. The product is part of the most popular line of Laboratoires Expanscience (France), consisting of four products for bathing and external use. All of them have a composition specially designed to replenish lipids in very dry dermis with signs of atopy. For seborrheic hair in infants, which also indicates atopic dermatitis in a child, a special shampoo is presented in the series.
2. LIPIKAR (Lipikar). The balm is characterized as lipid-restoring, antipruritic, and moisturizing. It is also a product of French pharmacology: developed in the Laroche-Posay laboratory. It has proven itself to be one of the best and safest pharmaceutical remedies for atopic dermatitis.
3. Emolium is a medicinal cosmetic product produced by Sanofi. The cream is known under the trade name Radevit Active. It is distinguished by a high content of retinol palmitate, which, together with other components, provides a softening and moisturizing effect.
4. Topicrem is another leader in emollient products from France (it is produced by Nigi Charlier). Topicrem AD Emollient Balm is suitable for combating childhood atopic dermatitis: it has a good anti-inflammatory and moisturizing effect. A high ability to exfoliate drying crusts of atopic rash was noted. To prevent dryness, the ideal choice would be “My 1st Ultra-Moisturizing Milk”.
5. La-cree is a cream or emulsion with ingredients of natural origin (hypoallergenic herbal extracts, soothing oils). In addition to the moisturizing effect, rapid elimination of inflammatory processes and a high ability to renew skin cells were noted.

Hormonal preparations such as Advantan cream and AkriDerm ointment are no longer considered moisturizers, but serious medications that can only be used with the advice of a dermatologist (we recommend reading: what Akriderm ointment helps children with: instructions for use). Alternative medicine - decoctions for bathing and lotions, ointments made from natural products can be safely used, but consultation with a doctor will not hurt either.

Folk remedies for moisturizing the skin

To relieve acute symptoms of the disease, you can use the following options:

1. Wellness bath with young birch leaves or buds. 100 grams of raw materials are brewed with 2 liters of boiling water and allowed to stand on fire for 5 minutes. Based on this decoction, pre-strained, a bath is made at a comfortable temperature. After bathing, pat your child's skin dry and apply a pharmaceutical product. Instead of birch buds, you can use herbal preparations - string, chamomile, sage, and oak bark.
2. Lotions made from decoctions of pear leaves, aloe juice, and wormwood. Abundantly moistened cotton swabs should be applied to rashes on atopic skin in children.
3. Potato compress. Starch has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. When caring for atopic skin in children, you can make night compresses from grated raw potatoes, up to three sessions per week. The pulp should be wrapped in 1-2 layers of gauze and applied to the affected area of ​​the skin.
4. Dressings with glycerin ointment. Recipe: mix glycerin, fresh milk and rice starch until smooth in equal parts (1 tablespoon each). Apply the ointment at night, securing it with a bandage for safety.

The greatest effect from folk remedies for moisturizing children's skin will be achieved when used in combination. Together with basic treatment and a hypoallergenic diet, alternative medicine recipes will help combat this disease.

Allergic diseases are a widespread pathology of childhood. Today, great strides have been made in the treatment of various allergic diseases, but the number of children, especially young children, with skin manifestations of allergies is growing rapidly. Allergic dermatitis is a fairly common skin lesion in children at an early age. It affects approximately 20% of children worldwide. Cream and ointment for skin allergies for children are now sold everywhere in pharmacies.

Allergic (atopic) dermatitis - what is it?

It is an allergic inflammation of the skin, which occurs when exposed to numerous factors and is manifested by itching, irritation and rashes in different areas of the skin. Allergic dermatitis in many cases occurs in children whose parents suffer from allergies.

In children, skin manifestations of allergies vary and depend on age, the form of atopic dermatitis and the severity of the disease. These differences determine which ointments and allergy creams for children will be used in treatment.

Forms of atopic dermatitis

1. Infant form. The first skin rashes often appear in the first 2 - 3 months of life in the form of exudative diathesis. Appearing first on the face, the rash quickly spreads to the arms, legs and buttocks. In the affected areas of the skin, redness, swelling, a spotty-blistering rash, weeping, and then crusts occur. All these are manifestations of acute inflammation. When the inflammation subsides, the patchy rash becomes dry and peeling appears. The infantile form appears before the age of three.
2. Children's uniform. These are children aged from 3 to 12 years. Mostly the skin folds of the elbows, popliteal, behind the ears, inguinal, as well as the outer side of the hands and fingers, neck, and ankles are affected. Characterized by redness, swelling of the skin, thickening and increased pattern on the skin. The skin has a dull gray tint and pityriasis-like peeling.
3. Teenage form. It manifests itself in children from the age of thirteen as a pronounced thickening. The skin is dry and flaky; the face and upper body are most affected. Characterized by a continuous course with periods of exacerbations.

Based on the nature of the skin rashes, they are divided into:

1. acute phase (skin redness, spots, blisters, erosions and peeling);
2. chronic phase (thickening of the skin, flaky patches with scratching on the skin).

The severity of the disease is divided into: mild, moderate and severe.

Stages of development of atopic dermatitis

1. Initial stage. It can develop in children prone to allergies and is manifested by a milky scab (limited redness of the skin with yellowish crusts), redness on the cheeks and swelling, and slight peeling.
2. Stage of pronounced skin changes. Skin changes depend on the phase of allergic dermatitis.
3. Remission stage. Disappearance of all manifestations on the skin. This stage can last from several days, months and many years, or may not occur at all.
4. Clinical recovery. No manifestations of the disease for 3 years or more.

Causes and factors in the formation of atopic dermatitis

1. Food allergens are products with increased allergic activity. These are cow's milk, chicken eggs, fish, seafood, cereals, citrus fruits, chocolate. Intolerance to cow's milk in newborns and children under one year of age occurs in 70 - 90% of cases.
2. Aeroallergens (contained in the air) of residential premises - house dust mites, fungi (molds, yeasts), wool and excreta products of animals and insects.
3. Chemical factors - various detergents, cosmetics, creams, powders.
4. Physical factors - trauma to the skin during combing, sweating and wearing clothes made of synthetic fabric.
5. Psychosocial factors - tense environment at school, difficulties in the family, stress.
6. Environmentally unfavorable factors.

The main factor for the occurrence of atopic dermatitis is considered to be a violation of the barrier function of the skin. This is expressed by severe dryness of the skin. Microcracks that appear on dry skin are entry points for germs, irritants and allergens.

Treatment of atopic dermatitis

Skin itching and inflammation, sleep disturbances interfere with the child so much and reduce the quality of life that they become a difficult ordeal for the baby and for all family members.

The main goal of treating atopic dermatitis is to achieve remission of the disease by influencing the child’s body with agents that eliminate and reduce inflammation and itching of the skin, thereby improving the quality of life.

Main directions in the treatment of dermatitis:

1. Removing allergens from the child’s environment.
2. General drug treatment: 2nd generation antihistamines (loratadine, cetirizine); enterosorbents for the purpose of removing allergens from the stomach and intestines. An effective drug that can be prescribed to children is Enterosgel.
3. External therapy. This is a treatment for skin manifestations.

Treatment of skin manifestations of allergies

An individual approach is used, taking into account the patient’s age, changes in the skin and drug tolerance.

Before treatment, it is necessary to clean the affected areas of the skin from crusts, scales and remnants of medications that were used before. To avoid these manifestations, it is cleaned by pre-treating it with lotion or oil. Softened crusts and scales are carefully removed with tweezers. The more acute the process, the more careful and gentle the external skin treatment should be.

First, it is recommended to use surface-acting agents (lotions, shaken mixtures), then moving on to agents that have a deeper effect (pastes, ointments, oils, creams).

1. Powder. This is a mixture of powdery substances. It is used when the activity of the process is minimal, when there are lesions with slight inflammation and itching. Not for use on wet surfaces.
2. Lotions. These are medicinal solutions with low concentrations. Used in the acute phase of the disease with weeping areas. They have a drying and anti-inflammatory effect. Not for use in children under 6 months.
3. Aerosols with anti-inflammatory and antiallergic properties. Skin-cap, Polysol, Neogelasol have antimicrobial and disinfecting effects. Aerosols with a healing effect are Olazol, Libyan.
4. Pastas. It is a mixture of powders and fatty substances. It acts deeper than an aerosol, but more superficially than an ointment. Has a drying, cooling and anti-inflammatory effect (zinc paste). Important. Do not apply to wet surfaces.
5. For a deeper effect, gel, creams and ointments are used. Gels have a dual effect - they dry out areas of weeping and moisturize dry areas of the skin. Antipruritic gels are Soventol and Fenistil. Solcoseryl and Actovegin gel have a resolving and healing effect.
6. Cream. These are fatty substances mixed with water. It has cleansing, anti-inflammatory, softening, and moisturizing effects (Skin-cap, Atopic).
7. Skin allergy ointment for children is prescribed for chronic illness.

It has a deep and long-lasting effect on the affected skin, softening and moisturizing it. Do not use on hot, wet surfaces.

For quality treatment, it is necessary to evaluate skin manifestations, the activity of the process and select the correct dosage form.

1. If there are wet areas, treatment is carried out only with lotions and aerosols.
2. In the absence of weeping areas on the skin, hormonal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory external drugs in the form of paste, cream or ointment are prescribed to relieve inflammation and itching.
3. Hormonal external medications are prescribed only for severe dermatitis or severe exacerbation, if there is no effect from other medications. The course of treatment is 3 - 5 days.
4. To reduce inflammation, in mild to moderate cases, especially for children under one year of age, use anti-inflammatory non-hormonal agents (Elidel cream, Protopic ointment). They can be used from three months. There are no side effects from them with long-term use; they are applied to all areas of the skin without restrictions.

Ointments and creams are prescribed that eliminate itching and dry skin, exfoliate and improve metabolic processes in the skin (Iricar, Desitin).

Modern anti-allergy medications for children are highly effective, safe for long-term treatment, non-addictive, available in a variety of dosage forms (aerosols, powders, creams, ointments, oils) and act locally without affecting the baby’s body as a whole.

In the treatment of allergic manifestations on the skin today, children's medicinal cosmetics are widely used: Atoderm cream, Sicalfat, Atopic. This cosmetics is recommended for use from birth. It has a disinfecting and anti-inflammatory effect and is good at healing, soothing and moisturizing damaged skin.

Skin care for a child with atopic dermatitis

Atopic skin requires daily and proper care. Parents often make the mistake of stopping caring for their baby’s skin after the exacerbation subsides. It is important to remember that the protective function of the skin is impaired both during an exacerbation and at the time of remission.

When restoring the skin, it is necessary to constantly use special products at the time of remission and exacerbation. To moisturize, soften, and cleanse the skin, such products (creams, balms, bathing gels) are developed taking into account the characteristics of atopic skin. Constant and competent skin care helps to achieve a mild course, prolong remission and reduce exacerbations.

Rules for caring for atopic skin.

1. Cleanse and moisturize. The child's skin should be kept clean from head to toe. Daily bathing moisturizes dry, atopic skin, clearing it of impurities, germs and allergens. Daily warm baths with a temperature of 27 - 30 degrees are taken for 5 minutes. After bathing, gently dry your baby's skin with a towel and apply nourishing products with moisturizing ingredients (emollients) to the moistened skin for 3 minutes, paying special attention to areas with irritation and increased dryness.
2. Moisturizing and softening. To eliminate dryness, you need to use emollient often and in large quantities. This is a moisturizing and emollient allergy cream that can be used for infants and older children. A child’s needs for emollients are individual; they are used as many times as necessary without leaving the skin dry for even a minute. It is recommended to apply creams repeatedly, up to 10 times a day, to the entire body. When improvement occurs, the frequency of use is reduced to 2 - 3 times a day.
3. Soothing care. Severe skin itching is one of the main signs. It provokes the child to scratch the irritated areas, which leads to trauma and an even greater decrease in the protective properties of the skin. Itching at night significantly worsens the child’s sleep and well-being. Soothing agents should be applied to irritated skin (with the exception of wet areas). Their use helps eliminate itching, relieve irritation, and ensure a restful sleep for the child.

Conclusion

Strictly follow all recommendations given by your doctor. This will prevent the disease from becoming chronic, eliminate skin symptoms as much as possible and improve your well-being.

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