Your baby’s soft and delicate skin is so precious. It reminds you of how innocent they are, untouched by everything else going on in the world. Nothing can replace the feeling you have when you hold their little fingers–it can melt even the coldest of hearts.
But when your precious baby’s skin gets covered with weeping eczema rashes, it’s truly heartbreaking. Your baby can do little about the pain but whimper and wail as the itchy skin continue to annoy.
The level of frustration experienced by a baby with Eczema is comparable to that of an adult, and both require the utmost care.
That is why it is important for parents to understand the causes of eczema and understand that it is not just a matter of selecting any moisturiser because it is recurring and triggered by a variety of factors such as the environment.
1 In 5 Children Have Eczema, What’s The Science Behind It?
Our skin is made up of an outer layer (epidermis), a middle layer (dermis), and an inner layer (subcutaneous layer).
The outermost layer protects the skin from harmful elements and keeps moisture locked in. But when this is compromised, your precious little one can develop eczema flare ups.
As Dr Lynn Chiam, Consultant Dermatologist at Children & Adult Skin Hair & Laser Clinic, Medical Advisor for an eczema support group, and Past Head of Paediatric Dermatology at National Skin Centre explains, “Skin barrier is often compromised in eczema-prone skin, leading to recurrent eczema flares as a result of harmful bacteria and irritants entry.” This means that the root cause of eczema is a broken skin barrier, leading to itch and inflammation when pathogens enter and moisture gets lost.
Not All Moisturisers Control Baby Eczema
Parents often make the mistake of only moisturising; failing to realize that because eczema skin has a broken skin barrier, any moisture provided continues to get lost and skin continues to get exposed to pathogens, leading to itch, inflammation, and pain.
While menthol as well as other essential oils are instant remedies for baby eczema, parents need to be careful that menthol only provides itch relief ; long term use may aggravate and irritate the skin, which already has a compromised skin barrier.
For instance, some brands include oats, aloe vera, and lavender, but they focus only on managing the symptoms of baby eczema, not the condition. It helps soothe and calm momentarily. Serving little to no purpose in moisture retention nor skin barrier restoration.
“Eczema is beyond mere symptom relief,” shares Dr Ker Khor Jia, Consultant Dermatologist at Dermatology & Co Clinic and Past Deputy Head of Immunodermatology at National Skin Centre. “Whilst itch and redness are troubling components of eczema, it is important to pay attention to skin barrier health,” Dr Jia adds.
That’s why you must choose your baby’s eczema moisturiser wisely.
Moisturise Your Baby’s Skin With Optimal Ceramide Science
Dr Mark Tang, Senior Consultant Dermatologist at The Skin Specialist & Laser Clinic and Past Head of Eczema and Wound Clinics at National Skin Centre advises that moisturization is vital; but “it is even more important to choose a moisturiser that has the abilities to repair and restore the compromised skin barrier.”
What you put on the skin to combat child/ baby eczema is actually about what it lacks: eczema-prone skin is deficient in ceramides, an essential lipid.
But it’s not just about Ceramides replenishment.
Dr Joyce Lim, Senior Consultant Dermatologist at Joyce Lim Skin & Laser Clinic and Past Division Head of Dermatologic and Laser Surgery at National Skin Centre explains, “Ceramides with lipids and cholesterol in the right ratio has been proven to be important in holding skin cells together as to build a strong protective barrier against eczema flares.”
The optimal ceramide science ratio is scientifically proven to be necessary for skin repair. Skin repair is core to Ceradan®, the only brand formulated with Optimal Ceramide Science (3:1:1 of Ceramide: Cholesterol: Free Fatty Acids) across its line of products that are all suitable for baby eczema treatment/skin care: cleanse, intensive treatment, moisturise, and child essentials for diaper and mosquito protection.
This includes not just moisturiser, but also a cleansing range, diaper cream, and even mosquito repellent Ceramoz! All of which are formulated with optimal ceramide science.
In fact, two studies using a Ceradan® Skin barrier repair cream have shown remarkable results:
After 12 weeks of applying the moisturiser twice in a day, over 80 per cent of the children in the study showed significant improvement. For almost half of the total participants, an eczema relapse was prevented.
Versus a urea-based eczema cream, Ceradan® had a significantly lower irritation score, and 9 out of 10 children preferred it as their daily moisturiser.
So bring back those smiles today and win against baby eczema by completing your moisturization regime through restoring your little one’s skin barrier with Ceradan®.
Ceradan® products are available in Guardian, Watsons, Unity as well as online at Ceradan Official Store Shopee and Lazada
*Note that a 2018 survey5 held across 18 countries showed a range of 2.4% to 19.5% for children under 12 with eczema.