Holistic treatment for children’s eczema is highly effective with long-lasting results. Infants and toddlers have a naturally “pure” constitution – they haven’t yet been exposed to loads of unhealthy foods and years of stress like most adults have. For the most part, they heal quite quickly. Part of holistic treatment is addressing the whole system – benefiting their sleep, the frustration, the itching and the overall healing of the skin. The goal of treatment is always balance and overall wellness.

When the body is brought into balance, other symptoms (such as hay fever, asthma, allergic rhinitis and others) will also be addressed. In addition, the side effects of herbal treatment are minimal (rarely being more serious than loose stools).

The #1 reason people choose holistic medicine is that it works. Healing from the inside-out is the only way to address the individual causes of each child’s eczema. In babies, an herb tea wash is sometimes all it takes to totally clear the eczema. In more serious cases and for toddlers and older children, we recommend herbs in a glycerine-based tincture together with topical washes, salves or creams.

Western medicine generally treats atopic eczema with topical corticosteroids. Corticosteroids can cause thinning of the skin (atrophy that can be irreversible), local bleeding, and increased risk of infection. In more serious cases, calcineurin inhibitors such as Elidel and Protopic are prescribed which suppress the immune system and are associated with some serious side effects (including potential cancer risk). More information on the risks and side effects can be found in this FDA warning.