19 April 2024
Most parents looking for safe alternatives to steroid creams will have either experienced eczema first-hand along with the frustrations and limitations of traditional treatments including various emollients, paraffin-based ointments and steroid creams or have become more aware after discovering that their child has eczema.
Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects around 200 million people worldwide. The incidence of eczema has risen significantly over past decades, most commonly developing in the first year, although onset can occur at any age.
More and more parents are constantly looking for alternative ways to treat eczema as they are more aware of the risks associated with steroid-based creams and the issues caused by paraffin-based ointments that are designed to act as barriers but have a tendency to prevent one of the skin’s most important functions - which is to release moisture (sweat) in order to cool us down.
How to treat eczema without the help of steroids?
Read our full guide on what is eczema? And best eczema treatments for babies and children.
Why do we suggest you avoid using paraffin-based ointments as part of your eczema treatment?
Our skin has six primary functions: protection, absorption, excretion, secretion, regulation, and sensation.
When you apply a thick layer of a paraffin-based ointment, it is designed to retain moisture, which is fine if body is too cold, however if the body needs to cool down (especially at night when we tend to heat up), the skin must release moisture (sweat) but is unable to do so because all the pores are blocked by the thick paraffin- based ointment.
The result is that sweat containing ammonia, salt, and urea is trapped between the thick barrier ointment and areas of skin already affected by eczema which causes further irritation to these already damaged areas of skin. This also explains why children wake up with aggravated eczema in the morning!
Why is HappySkin becoming the most popular, modern-day substitute for eczema creams and paraffin-based ointments?
Unlike other cotton clothing that claims to help with skin conditions, every HappySkin® garment is coated with our unique DreamSkin® technology that is clinically proven to reactivate your child’s skin ability to manage moisture and therefore maintain its body temperature.
Once this key function of the skin is restored, the skin begins to heal, and the scratch-itch cycle is broken so that you and your child can have a peaceful night’s sleep once again.
