An infant’s skin is soft and ultra-smooth until, for some, red scaly patches start showing up on their face or body. Any parent who has a baby suffering from eczema knows the pain, itchiness, and worries that it can cause. Here, we define eczema, share our favorite natural eczema remedies for babies, and explain how our coconut oil for eczema products are so effective.
What is Eczema?
Eczema is a common long-term inflammatory skin disease. According to the National Eczema Organization, at least 30 million Americans have some form of eczema. And there are many different types—the most prevalent being atopic dermatitis. This particular skin condition can present itself in babies as early as 2 months old.
What Does Baby Eczema Look Like?
Look for rashes that are red, dry, scaly, and itching your little one. They’ll first appear on the face, elbows, knees, or other places that are easy for them to scratch and rub when they crawl around. The irritation can spread to other parts of the body that are not properly moisturized. When infected, the skin forms yellow crusty patches or small pus-filled bumps.
What Causes Eczema in Babies?
Although the exact cause of atopic dermatitis is unknown, researchers have linked the skin condition to a combination of genetic and external factors. They found that when the immune system is triggered by the baby’s environment, it overreacts and causes inflammation of the skin. These external triggers can vary, ranging from too many baths with harsh soaps to allergies to weather that causes dry skin. As a result, it is common to see eczema flare-ups when the season changes. Most experience skin irritation during winter months due to the cold and dry climate, but eczema is also prevalent in the summer. Heat and sweat, swimming, sunscreen, and tight synthetic clothing are just a few contributing factors to summertime irritation. Get the summer scoop on eczema here.
If you’re interested in learning more about other potential causes of eczema, check out this blog post, in which we explain what we learned about the connection between eczema and food allergies.
Why Coconut Oil For Eczema Works So Well
Because your little one’s skin is already so delicate, and harsh irritants can easily activate eczema, we recommend seeking out natural eczema remedies for babies that are safe and gentle. Our favorite natural eczema remedy is the one and only coconut oil. Our founder, Sweta Doshi, created Bubbsi because organic coconut oil calmed and cleared her newborn daughter’s eczema - but she found it a mess to use. Here are some of the many reasons why we love coconut oil for eczema.
Reason #1 Why Coconut Oil For Eczema Works: It Protects and Fortifies Baby’s Skin
Coconut oil is a triple threat against potential pathogens. It’s antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory. That’s why it’s frequently applied to the diaper area to prevent unwanted germs and itchy rashes. Coconut oil is primarily composed of medium chain fatty acids or “healthy fats” such as lauric acid, which makes up almost 50% of the pure oil, and is also found in breast milk. Use coconut oil for eczema as an added layer of protection when your baby’s immune system goes into overdrive.
Reason #2 Why Coconut Oil For Eczema Works: It’s a Great Moisturizer
As the healthy fats in coconut oil defend the skin from unwanted germs, it simultaneously soothes and repairs the skin by locking in moisture. Its unique composition and lightweight texture allows coconut oil to absorb deeply into the pores and keeps the skin hydrated for long periods of time. This is a perfect natural eczema remedy for babies as it softens up dry patches and leaves their skin feeling super smooth.
Reason #3 Why Coconut Oil For Eczema Works: Scientists Say So
The healing effects of coconut oil for eczema are backed by science! This 2014 clinical study found that among patients with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis, the use of coconut oil for eight weeks produced better results than the use of mineral oil. Another study from 2017 affirmed these findings, concluding that coconut oil improves a multitude of skin conditions, like eczema, by moisturizing and soothing the skin with its anti-inflammatory properties.
Not only can coconut oil heal eczema, it can actually prevent it from happening in the first place. Recent research has found that the consistent use of emollients—or ingredients used to moisturize skin, like coconut oil—on infants predisposed to atopic dermatitis can actually prevent the skin condition.
Try Bubbsi’s Coconut Oil For Eczema Products
Our customers—or “ecze-mamas”—have applied our Bubbsi products using this two-pronged approach to soothe irritated skin and clear up eczema.
1) When cleansing, alternate between our Creamy Coconut Oil Shampoo + Wash and Coconut Oil Balm.
Soaps that contain harsh chemicals like sulfates can irritate your baby’s skin during bathtime. Our coconut oil for eczema solution here is to gently cleanse baby’s skin by alternating between our Creamy Coconut Oil Shampoo + Wash and Coconut Oil Balm throughout the week.
Our Shampoo + Wash is a nourishing head-to-toe wash that gently washes hair and skin without any parabens, phthalates, sulfates, mineral oils, or dyes. The formula is 95% naturally-derived and made up of nourishing oils and butters that leave your baby’s skin super soft and never stripped.
For alternate days, use our Coconut Oil Balm to gently cleanse the body, avoiding the eyes and hair. Cleansing with oil? It might sound unusual, but coconut oil is an effective, all-natural gentle cleanser. It actually attracts oil-based impurities in pores and washes them away without stripping skin of its natural oil content. Check out this video, where we demonstrate how our balm can easily remove sunscreen and makeup simply by massaging it into the skin and rinsing with water.
2) When moisturizing, layer with Bubbsi's Body Cream and Oil Balm.
After bath time, while your baby’s skin is still damp, apply Whipped Coconut Oil Body Cream for added moisture on the face and body. This is a velvety cream that effortlessly melts onto the skin, absorbing quickly and softening immediately. And for those pesky dry patches, layer on our Coconut Oil Balm to lock in the hydration. This multipurpose balm also works great on chapped cheeks, elbows and knees, and the diaper area.
Don’t believe it? Check out these testimonials from eczema sufferers on using our products, The Newborn Starter Set.
"Thanks again so much for your amazing products! It cleared up my little girl's eczema so much better than any other product that I've tried. Such a noticeable difference in 4-5 days...I'm officially hooked." —Rebecca @rjoy3
Our new customer @chuhicks used to worry about eczema on her baby's skin. After two weeks of using Bubbsi, she took him to see her pediatrician... "What did you do," said the doctor, "rub magic potion all over him?"
Eczema is annoying, but treating it shouldn’t be. If you’re curious to try coconut oil for eczema, check out Bubbsi’s Newborn Starter Set. Our trio has all the goodness of coconut oil without the scoop & slather mess.
