The patch of dry, red skin on your baby is likely eczema. Although anyone can get it at any age, it most often appears during infancy. But what exactly is the cause of eczema? There are many things that come into contact with your skin that can irritate it but the most common are, rubbing the skin, moisture from saliva or milk, overheating or sweating, wool or other scratchy fabrics, common house dust, cat or dog dander, smoke, harsh detergents or soaps and water. Now if your infant shows signs of eczema, the sooner you eliminate any of the above, the quicker you may be able to get it under control. You can buy prescription or non prescription eczema cream but the one of the safest is plain old petroleum jelly such as Vaseline. Apply as often as necessary to keep the skin soft and supple.

Now if you or your little one has a flare up of eczema, here are some things to do to keep it under control. First, limit that amount of time you spend in the bath tub, shower or swimming pool. Second, make sure to moisturizer a lot. Apply eczema cream or petroleum jelly as often as necessary. Keeping the rash moist will help clear it up quicker. Third, wear cotton clothing as much as possible. Fourth, stay cool and try to minimize the amount of sweating. If you need to work out, use good judgment and dont over do it. Finally, try not to scratch. You may not know the cause of eczema but hopefully these tips will help.

If you face an eczema inflamed cycle, you may need to treat it with more than just Vaseline. The recommended suggestion is to buy an over the counter cortisone cream. Now it is not recommended for everyday use, but it can be effective in breaking the cycle. Eczema cream with cortisone includes Cortaid and Hydrocortisone. These are relatively mild and should do the trick. Once the cycle is broken, reduce the amount applied and gradually stop. A recommendation is to track in a notebook what is the cause of eczema and discuss this with your doctor. It is also recommended that you meet with your doctor before any prescription or nonprescription moisturizers are used.