Baby Eczema Cream Review

Decided to do a review on the eczema creams I have tried for baby A as it was really heartbreaking seeing him scratch and suffer in pain. Hope this review will be useful for anyone battling with eczema.

Baby A’s skin got better overtime, after we had success with some of the creams we tried.
  1. Lush Dream Cream

“Light, cooling and easily absorbed into the skin, the combination of calming chamomile, organic, extra virgin olive oil and creamy, Fair Trade, organic cocoa butter quickly soothes and softens.”

https://sg.lush.com/products/dream-cream
Image result for lush dream cream

I decided to try this out as after reading the viral post. Did a quick google and found that this has received so many good reviews from those with eczema. 

I got the self-preserving version as I wanted less chemicals for my baby. The cream feels greasy but absorbs rather quickly on the skin. Hence it leaves only a slight sticky feeling. It is not viscous or watery but the consistency is like a smooth whipped cream. Though not watery, it will flow out and make a mess when the tub topples. It is value for money as I just need a little amount to apply for the whole body.

I really like the strong smell of rose water, lavender essential oil and oats which is rather relaxing.

The downside? The tub container is not hygienic nor travel friendly. I also didn’t like how the tub is all greasy since I use the same hands to close the tub after applying on my LO’s body. I’ve now transferred the cream into a pump bottle.

So does it really stop eczema flare up? Sadly, it did not prevent my baby’s severe flare up but it is a very good daily moisturiser as I noticed that my baby’s skin became more dry and patchy after I stopped using this.

Would I repurchase? Likely as a daily moisturiser since it is value for money and keeps my baby’s skin moist.

Ingredients: “Oat Milk, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Rose Water, Glycerine, Fair-trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Rose Absolute, Chamomile Blue Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Oil, Tincture of Benzoin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Citronellol, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume. *Occurs naturally in essential oils”  

 

2. Ceradan Skin Barrier Repair Cream

“Backed by research which shows that skin’s ceramide is reduced by 30% to 50% in atopic dermatitis, Ceradan Skin Barrier Repair Cream is a hypoallergenic moisturiser which has a ceramide-dominant formula to replenish ceramide and strengthen skin barrier in eczema-prone skin. It uses a 3:1:1 ratio of intercellular physiological lipids such as ceramide, cholesterol and free fatty acids for optimal hydration and reparation in dry and sensitive skin.”

http://www.ceradan311.com/product/atopic-dermatitis/

I have seen two different PDs when my baby has severe flare ups and both prescribed Ceradan. Ceradan works wonder for both times and managed to calm the angry skin. He did not have any flare up afterwards and the dry flaky skin became soft and well moisturised.

Ceradan is very thick but it is not greasy and absorbs on skin very well. I don’t feel any stickiness but when I wash my hands after applying Ceradan on his body, it takes me lots of water and soap to get the creamy texture off my hands. I believe that this is good as it forms a protective skin barrier. It is also fragrant-free and paraben-free.

Wow, this seems the perfect cream for his eczema! The drawback? It is the priciest eczema cream among all the creams I have tried so far. That said, since the cream is very thick, I just need to use a little amount to cover his entire body. Another negative point is that the cream is not easily available in supermarket or department stores.

Would I repurchase? Definitely a yes for flare ups since it is the most effective cream so far.

Ingredients: Water, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Behenyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide MEA (Ceramide), Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, PEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Linoleic Acid, Cholesterol, Pentylene Glycol, Beeswax, Squalane, Trideceth-12, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sorbitan Stearate, Dimethicone, PEG-6, PEG-32, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide.  

3. Aveeno Baby Dermexa Cream

“Formulated with naturally active Triple Oat Complex plus ceramides, this unique lotion works to soothe your baby’s dry, itchy skin, and is clinically proven suitable for eczema prone skin.”

https://www.aveeno.com.sg/baby-products/for-eczema-skin/aveeno-baby-dermexa-moisturizing-cream

I decided to give it a try as I read that oats is a good natural remedy for dry skin.

I cannot really say how effective this is when it comes to tackling very angry red rashes as my baby did not have another severe flare up (touch wood!) However, I did use it when he had minor heat rash and it was able to clear the rashes and kept the skin well moisturised.

I really like the consistency as it is not greasy and absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving the skin feeling soft and smooth (though a little sticky). I tried all the creams on my own skin and this is the best in terms of texture. It made my skin feel really soft and easy to wash off. This is the cream I enjoyed most putting on my baby’s body so far.

The smell of the cream is pleasant with a slight oatmeal smell.

Would I repurchase? Very likely since it is relatively effective but cheaper than Ceradan.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Panthenol, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Petrolatum, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Oil, Steareth-20, Benzalkonium Chloride, Ceramide NP, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract.   

4. Cetaphil Baby Daily Lotion (not the Eczema range)

“This gentle baby lotion is designed to soothe and nourish, while moisturizing and protecting your baby’s skin from dryness. It is specially formulated with soothing organic calendula extract, derived from the marigold flower and used for centuries to soothe dry, sensitive skin.”

https://www.cetaphil.com/baby-lotion/
Cetaphil Baby Daily Lotion With Shea Butter 400ml, Toiletries, Baby

I got this free together with Cetaphil body wash. This is not the eczema series but I thought of giving it a try.

The first drop I squeezed out from the bottle, I hated it. I hated the smell and the texture. It has a strong chemical fragrant smell and the texture is very runny yet leaves stickiness feeling on my hands.

That said, I have no chance to try it on very angry red rashes so I cannot say much on its effectiveness and it is also unfair to review on eczema skin since it is just a normal daily lotion.

Would I repurchase? Definitely no since I do not like the added fragrant. I want as little chemicals on my baby as possible.

Ingredients: Water, Sorbitol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Isopropyl Palmitate, Octyldodecanol, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Glycerin, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Hexyldecanol, Hexyldecyl Laurate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Fragrance, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Hydroxide, Dipropylene Glycol, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Squalane, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Heliotropine, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil          

5. Physiogel AI Body Lotion

Clinically proven to strengthen and repair the skin’s moisture barrier
Makes skin less sensitive
Hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic
Free from preservatives, perfumes and colourants

https://www.physiogel.com/sg/our-products/calming-relief/cr-ai-body-lotion.html
Physiogel Calming Relief A.i. Lotion 400ml, Moisturizer, Skincare

Many mummies recommend this for their eczema baby so decided to give it a try.

The texture is very runny and thin so I need to apply quite a lot for the body. It absorbs well with no sticky feeling and does not have any fragrant. I find that the lotion is not rich enough to provide adequate moisture for my baby’s skin. Due to the hot weather, baby A keeps scratching his neck and this lotion does not seem to calm or soothe his itchiness. The area remains dry and patchy.

I really like the pump bottle though, it is super convenient especially during diaper changing. The fluid texture also allows me to apply on baby easily.

Would I repurchase? I’m sitting on the fence because the pump bottle is really convenient to use especially now diaper changing is a struggle. Good as a maintenance lotion but not so for angry eczema skin.

Ingredients: Aqua, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Palmitamide MEA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Betaine, Squalane, Sarcosine, Acetamide MEA, Carbomer, Sodium Carbomer, Ceramide 3.          

LushCeradanAveenoCetaphilPhysiogel
Effectiveness4/5 5/5 4/5 2/5 3/5
User-friendly 2/54/54/53/55/5
Price s$50 for 240g
S$0.21/g
S$65.90 for 150g
S$0.44/g
S$16.90 for 141g
S$0.12/g
S$24.90 for 400g
S$0.06/g
S$89.90 for 400ml
S$0.22/ml
Overall 4/55/54/52/54/5

What I Pack for Long-Haul Flights With Baby

Having travelled frequently during my overseas internship and exchange, I have since mastered the art of packing efficiently and minimally. My best record was flying back from Italy (28 deg C weather) and repacked luggage in 30 minutes for another immediate flight to London (9 deg C weather).

The whole travelling and packing game changed when baby came along. I can no longer pack minimally and always have this fear of “what if”. As a result, I tend to over pack and it was so inconvenient to drag multiple luggage.

The whole travelling and packing game changed when baby came along. I can no longer pack minimally and always have this fear of “what if”.

In my first trip to Japan with baby, I took 3 hours to pack as I could not decide what items to bring and ended up bringing more than what was needed.

Since I have not only survived but conquered the recent 17 hours non-stop flight to the USA, I thought it is time to share my essential-only list for packing. This list is compiled based on my many years of travelling experience.

Still plenty of room for mama’s belongings. This is just one side of the luggage. Diapers not shown in the photo.

Let’s start with baby first, shall we?

For baby checked-in luggage

  • clothes (jacket, rompers, shirts, shorts, pyjamas)
  • accessories (hat, socks, mittens, handkerchief)
  • swimsuit (optional)
  • toiletries (top-toe body wash, body cream, diaper cream, sunblock)
  • diapers (7-8 pieces per day)
  • baby food
  • baby supplements (probiotics, vitamin C)
  • milk bottle
  • bottle detergent
  • bottle brush
  • thermal food container (double up as feeding bowl)
  • portable food cooker (optional, needed if you intend to cook)
  • stroller fan (optional)

Notes:

  • I will share more on how I use the portable food cooker to cook porridge on the go for baby in the next post.
  • Top-to-toe body wash is preferred rather than shampoo + body wash so that we can save more space!
Cetaphil, Baby, Wash & Shampoo with Organic Calendula, 7.8 fl oz (230 ml)
I like this 2-in-1 Cetaphil wash which save more space!
  • I shared half of my checked-in luggage space with baby as I didn’t have another hand to push another luggage since I need to manage the stroller
The fan was very useful in hot Mexico!

For baby carry on baggage:

  • blanket
  • nursing cover (for breastfeeding)
  • diapers (to last the flight)
  • wet wipes
  • dry tissue
  • plastic bags (for soiled diapers and clothes)
  • baby medication (paracetamol) and thermometer
  • essential oil (lavender, peace & calming, R.C.)
  • yu yee oil
  • mosquito repellent (optional)
  • nail scissors
  • teether (optional)
  • pacifier (optional)
  • favourite but rarely seen toy
  • baby carrier
  • baby food and snacks (to last the flight)
  • feeding essentials (spoon and bib)
  • thermal flask for hot water
  • water bottle for room temperature water
  • bolster/ pillow
  • walking shoes
Hand-carry items for baby for the long haul flight!

Notes:

  • Choose a toy that baby likes but never see for a long time so that he/she will be excited and engaged for a longer time. My baby likes vehicles so I brought a toy car that he did not see for months and that got him hooked for a good 4 hours! Some parents have a bag full of toys but this is not necessary as any new objects can be a toy to baby! I did not bring any toy for our flight to Japan and he was entertained throughout by the empty plastic bottle I had.
  • I kept his walking shoes in the bag as I did not want him to roam around the airport.
  • Silicone bib is preferred as it is easier to wash off any stains.
  • All these items are packed into ONE backpack.
Silicone bib to reduce the mess.

Now for mama,

For mama checked-in luggage

  • clothes
  • undergarments
  • pyjamas
  • accessories (scarf, gloves, hat, socks, sunglasses)
  • swimsuit
  • toiletries
  • plastic bags for soiled clothes
  • umbrella
  • laundry bag (optional)
  • shoes
  • bag and recycle bag
  • mobile phone charger and converter

For mama carry on luggage

  • valuables (passport, wallet, handphone, keys)
  • makeup and makeup removal (optional)
  • skincare (optional)
  • medicine
The small pouch is all that I need for a 17 hours flight…

Yes, these 4 items are all that I have which I managed to squeeze into a small pouch into the baby’s backpack. I was worried I would be bored to death on a 17 hours flight but turns out I was either managing baby or sleeping. I didn’t even use the in-flight entertainment!

DIY Pasta Sauce for Baby and Family

Inspired by raisingbebewei, I made this easy salt-free, sugar-free and preservatives-free pasta sauce for baby. It is so yummy that even the family can enjoy!

Ingredients

Tomato 260g

Carrots 100g

Red Capsicum 60g

Garlic 25g

Brown Onion 160g

Water 15g (to desired consistency)

Apple 160g

Steps

1. Chop carrots, peeled apple, capsicum and capsicum. Preheat oven at 180deg C for 5min.

2. Steam apple and brown onion for about 10-15min. Retain steaming water.

3. Brush carrots, tomato (vine removed), capsicum and garlic with some butter and roast at 180deg C for 30-40min.

4. Combine step 2 and step 3 ingredients into blender and blend until desired consistency is achieved.

5. Batch freeze in ice cube trays and can be kept for 3 months.

Note: can play around with the ingredients. Sometimes I add yellow capsicum and corn.

This pasta sauce is super handy as I can prepare his pasta dinner in 10 min!

Using the thermomix, I put 20g of pasta in the basket while steaming fish/prawns and frozen pasta sauce in the varoma tray.

Where to get Free Formula Milk, Diapers, Baby Books in Singapore

Ok I admit, I first asked for the free samples cause I like free stuff. But I soon realised the importance of these samples when baby A rejected certain brand of cereal and also developed diaper rash with a new diaper brand we tried. I have also later heard from my friend that her son has severe constipation from certain brand of formula.

So I embarked on my journey in requesting for free samples. Hope this post will be useful!

Formula milk powder

1. Nestle Nan

Nestle is really generous in its free sample pack. I like the thick insulator bag and the organic instant cereal! They even collaborate with Merries to give diaper sample.

What's inside the sample pack?
  • NAN optipro stage 2 formula 400g
  • Gerber organic rice cereal 227g
  • Gerber carrots puree 80g
  • Botaneco Garden baby wash
  • Merries pants size M
  • Insulator bag
One of my favourite samples!

2. Similac

Not sure if I applied the right one as I received maternal milk powder instead. 😂 It comes with a useful maternity backpack though I don’t like the colour and find that its volume is insufficient. I find the items not useful for baby at all. There are two small hankie and one magnetic photo frame not shown in the picture.

Didn’t like the yogurt flavour milk.
What's inside the sample pack?
  • Purple pink maternity backpack
  • Maternity milk powder in strawberry yogurt flavour 400g
  • Pediasure formula for age 1-12 (3 sachets)
  • Two handkerchief
  • One magnetic photoframe

3. S-26

I like S-26 the most! They are very generous in giving a large tin (900g). I also like their food grinder container that comes with a spoon. Very useful for on the go feeding! It also comes with a waterproof wet bag which is good for childcare or swimming trip!

Useful snack box and wet bag!
What's inside the sample pack?
  • S-26 stage 2 formula 900g
  • Food grinder container with spoon
  • Wet bag

They are also very kind to remember that my baby just turned one and sent this stage 3 sample.

200g of stage 3 formula, a cute lion towel, a book for bath time and a $10 discount voucher.

4. Friso

Nothing fanciful but I appreciate the stage 2 formula tin. Useful when I wean off breastmilk. Unfortunately my son didn’t like Friso and often cannot finish the milk.

Didn’t have much use for the bag…
What's inside the sample pack?
  • Friso stage 2 formula 400g
  • One sachet of instant cereal
  • One maternity handbag

5. ABBOTT GROW

I like how environmentally friendly this is, with a simple envelope and voucher inside to redeem the milk powder (900g) form any major supermarkets.

6. Enfamil

It is apparently so popular that the samples have run out of stock.

7. Dumex

My son likes Dumex Mamil Gold the best. He drinks the fastest when it is Dumex and when I tasted it, it was a little sweet. A check on the nutritional facts show that it contains a trace amount of sucrose.

Comes with a 400g tin, sippy cup and a $5 discount voucher

Others

1. NTUC Good Start Bundle

It comes with friso $5 discount voucher and a voucher to redeem a large tin Aptamil stage 2 formula (900g). The items are generally quite useful, really love the big tin of formula and the brown rice.

Very generous! Thank you NTUC! 🙂

2. NLB library Books

Love all their books! Thank you NLB! 🙂

For this, you have to personally go to any library and apply a library card for baby (bring birth cert along). After borrowing 6 books, then will you be eligible to redeem the free books.

Nursery Rhyme flip chart which I rarely use as singing songs to him as been rather impromptu.

Love the 3 books given by NLB especially the book “I Can”. The illustrations in the book is very localised. I like to read this book to baby before or after we been to the location featured in the book. I also like how it has a heartwarming ending.

Apparently, NLB also made the effort to give different books in different year. 👍🏼 These 3 books suit different ages:

  1. “I love you baby” suits newborn to 1 year old for its short content and sensory touch (with different materials in the book)
  2. “I can” suits 1 year to 3 years old toddlers. My 1.5 year old boy loves to imitate the actions on the book!
  3. “Guess how much I love you” suits slightly older toddlers from 2 years old and above as the story is longer and requires more concentration. However, I started this book at 1.5 year old and just read the parts he is interested in.
The classic “Guess how much I love you”

Outgrow Egg Allergy with Baked Egg Muffin Introduction

I didn’t expect baby A to have egg allergy as I have fed him hard boiled egg white at 7 months old and he was ok.

However when I fed again at 9 months old, this time hard boiled egg white and egg yolk, he had an allergy reaction. Almost immediately, his mouth area started to have rashes, which spread to the whole face and whole body.

I kept feeding him with water hopefully to flush the system while applying some mild steroid cream on the rashes. It was a Sunday and the nearby PD clinics were not opened. I monitored him closely while tying him with my baby carrier to prevent him from scratching himself. Thankfully the rashes subsided after 2 hours and he was back to his usual cheerful self.

My poor baby 😦 What unfortunate thing to happen on his 9th month.

During the routine polyclinic checkup, the nurse referred us to KK Hospital as she said baby might not be able to take the 1 year MMR vaccination as the vaccine is made from egg proteins.

We did some allergy prick test at KKH and he was found to be allergic to cow’s milk and egg. It is indeed very weird as he had formula milk derived from cow’s milk before! Anyway, KKH said that it is ok to take MMR as they are not made from egg’s proteins and even the doctor at KKH was puzzled why polyclinics always refer babies with egg allergy to them for the MMR despite telling them it is ok.

Prick test. Thank god he has no shell fish nor nuts allergy.

Sorry that I digress so much from the egg muffin. To cut the story short, 80% of babies outgrow egg allergy and if babies can tolerate baked eggs, they have higher chance to outgrow egg allergy. So as a kiasi and kiasu mum, I followed the nurse’s instructions and faithfully feed him baked egg products.

This is the baked egg muffin recipe I used, modified from the one given by KKH.

Ingredients:

  • 80g self-raising flour
  • 20g unsalted butter (if baby is allergic to milk, replace with Nuttelex)
  • 80g banana or apple puree (apple sauce)
  • 2 large eggs (about 65g each)
  • Muffin cups (60x44mm) or muffin baking tin

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 180degrees C for 5 min
  2. Combine apple sauce, butter and eggs in a mixing bowl
  3. Fold in the flour (I used thermomix and combined step 2 and 3 into one step. Speed 5 for 10 seconds)
  4. Divide the batter equally between 6 muffin cases and bake for 25 to 30 min. Bake immediately. Once ready, a metal skewer shoud come out clean when inserted into the muffin.
  5. Leave to cool and keep in an airtight container. Can be stored for 3 months in freezer and 5 days in fridge.

To DIY apple sauce/ apple puree,

  • peel apple skin off and cut apple into chunks
  • steam apple for 10 min. Retain steaming water.
  • blend apple with steaming water and add more water if needed to achieve desired consistency.

Important Note!

Before the introduction of baked egg products,

  • ensure that the child is well
  • not on oral antihistamine for 1 week
  • choose a day where you have the time to observe the child for several hours in case of allergic attack
  • examine child for pre-existing rashes
  • do not introduce other new foods while introducing baked egg products.

The first time I fed him with baked egg muffin, I gave one small pinch and waited about 15 min before giving more spoons of muffins to ensure that he is not having allergic reaction. Once cleared, continue with baked egg products 3 times a week to maintain their tolerance to baked egg.

This muffin is also a very good baby led weaning recipe as baby A can self-feed pretty well with this!