Full Transcript Summer Eczema Challenges 0:00 Most eczema families lose ground every single summer. 0:04 And not because you stopped trying or nose, because nobody told them that the chlorine and the sunscreen and heat are this just combination that quietly 0:17 undoes everything that you have worked so hard for the rest of the year. 0:21 The fixes are actually really, really simple once you know about them. 0:25 Swim team started in our house this week. 0:28 It's like my favorite time of year. 0:30 Such a party. 0:31 So fun. 0:32 There's actually snow on the ground today. 0:34 I wanted to talk about this now because, oh my goodness, friends, it's summer now. 0:39 Mid-May and we're still in school and everyone's still at school dealing with it, but summer team's started at our new house. 0:45 This week, such a blast. 0:49 It's such a party. 0:50 I love every minute of it. 0:51 This is my favorite time of year. 0:53 But I remember six years ago, it most definitely wasn't. 0:58 And if you're in that same season right now with the pool days and the hot skin and sunscreen questions and tired kids that won't stop scratching at bedtime 1:08 and that makes it so you don't get a bedtime, this episode is absolutely for you. 1:13 Let's get into it! 1:14 Is your child struggling with itchy nights and endless flare-ups? 1:17 I'm Andra McHugh, mom of four and host of Eczema Kids. 1:21 Here, you'll find natural solutions that actually work so you can heal your children's eczemat without steroids, without the overwhelm, 1:27 and finally see calm, healthy skin again. 1:29 Let's get into it. 1:31 Okay, summer is so worth it. 1:32 Are you guys so excited? 1:34 It's so weird. 1:34 They had in the pool and the beach are worth. 1:37 It it's such a good time and swim team and beach days and popsicles and all of it so great so fun. 1:45 I am definitely not here to say keep your ex my kid out of the sun or inside and bubble wrap.
Sunscreen Basics for Eczema Skin 1:52 That is the absolute opposite of what I talk about and what i believe to be nourishing for your kids. 1:58 So my goal here today is just to give you a clear plan about how to tackle these everyday scenarios so you can maximize the fun, 2:06 minimize the suffering, and continue down your healing journey while still having a really good time and being social and be out in the sun. 2:13 Because without a plan, summer can undo a lot of the progress that you've worked really, really hard for and you made it through spring. 2:21 My goodness, that's a hard season with allergies and all the rest. 2:24 And with a plane, your kid can be in the pool every single day, twice a day and come out on the other side with calmer, healthier skin than when summer started. 2:36 I want to talk about sunscreen because that really common question that I get all the time and it's the most overwhelming product category for eczema parents. 2:46 And you're like, well, I know. 2:48 So I want to start with sunscreen because it is honestly one of those common questions that i get and one the more overwhelming products categories for 2:57 us parents if you have a child with exema prone skin. 3:00 And I know you go to the store, you to go the natural store and you pick up a bottle and the ingredients list still is really, 3:08 really long. 3:08 And there's still a lot of things that you cannot pronounce. 3:12 You know from experience that just one wrong ingredient could set your child into a total flare. 3:19 you're learning so much and working so hard on their endocrine system and you don't want to mess that up and, you know, don t want them to get skin cancer, 3:28 right? 3:29 You're like, You re doing your absolute best and You don' t wanna set your child back for weeks. 3:35 So you can either grab for something and hope for the best or stand in the aisle for 20 minutes and leave empty handed. 3:43 I've absolutely done that. 3:46 And here is what I want you to know is that there are two types of sunscreens. 3:51 There's chemical sun screens and there's mineral sun screets. 3:54 Chemical sun screen work by absorbing the UV rays and they soak into the skin and trigger a chemical reaction. 4:01 So for eczema skin, which already has a compromised skin barrier, right? 4:06 That's a big problem is the skincare barrier isn't there or just significantly too thin. 4:11 If you're there and you have a tendency toward inflammation, that's And many chemical sunscreens are just absolute endocrine disruptors, 4:21 which means hormone disruptor. 4:23 And anything that ends in benzone, that's what you really want to avoid. 4:27 Then you hear about mineral sun screens, and those work differently. 4:31 They sit on top of the skin. 4:33 which is significantly better, but we do know that everything that you put on top of the skin, you absorb, right? 4:41 So it sits on the top skin but you're also absorbing some. 4:44 But the active ingredient in natural sunscreens, the non-nano zinc oxide, that sits ontop of skin and it physically reflects the sun's rays. 4:55 So it's not absorbing, it not affecting the hormones negatively, and it is the gold standard mineral ingredient for mineral sunscreens. 5:03 So this is not always, but you want to look for non-nano zinc oxide. 5:07 This is very, very important. 5:09 Non-Nano means that the particles are large enough that they cannot penetrate the skin. 5:15 And they stay on the surface and they do their job and wash off eventually. 5:19 Zinc is also naturally anti-inflammatory. 5:23 If you're experiencing eczema, you undoubtedly have a zinc deficiency, and it's an essential nutrient for skin healing and immune function. 5:34 So if they aren't taking a quality zinc supplement in a child-size dosage, highly, high recommend. 5:43 Zinc is also just naturally anti-inflammatory. 5:46 It's literally one of those things that calms irritated skin. 5:50 So for an eczema kid, a non-nano zinc oxide sunscreen is not just the safest option. 5:56 It's actually supportive for them. 5:58 Then you go looking for a mineral sunscreen, and you feel really good about that decision, you know you're looking non nano zinc oxides, 6:06 then you hit your next wall. 6:08 Because here's what a lot of people don't realize, is that even when you find a sunscreen with the right active ingredient, 6:14 then the base that it is suspended in can still be a problem, or multiple ingredients in the case can be still a problems. 6:22 Because most mineral sunscreens, even the ones marketed as clean or natural, use carrier oils. 6:30 You have to have a carrier oil. 6:31 And to give the product its texture and spreadability, so you can actually spread it on the skin and the oils that they reach for are usually sunflower 6:43 or safflower or rosehip or olive oil. 6:46 So the most common oils these natural brands use, and this is again fine, this great, but for eczema kids these pose a problem. 6:56 Those are sunflower oil, safflower oil olive oil or grape seed oil. 7:00 All these oils are high in linoleic or oleic acid and they feel light and easy to work with and you can find them really cheap and photograph really beautifully 7:11 on the label next to a daisy but for eczema kids this can be a real, real issue because sunflower sensitivity is more common. 7:19 than a lot of people realize, and it's not just a dietary sensitivity. 7:23 Topical exposure to sunflower oil can trigger a skin response in kids who have this underlying sensitivity to see or certain plant compounds. 7:32 And the same with safflower. 7:34 If your child ever reacted to a really clean sunscreen, olive oil is wonderful, oleic acid is required, but none of our products have olive in it because 7:43 when you put it on topically, consistently, it thins the skin barrier even.
Pool and Sun Protection Routine 7:49 further unless we're going or doing everything we can to rebuild the skin barrier. 7:53 So that's why olive oil just ubiquitously are not in any of the eczema kids products. 7:58 But then it's not just the oils. 8:00 The inactive ingredient list on these natural sunscreens can include synthetic fragrance, hidden under the word perfume, 8:08 or vitamin E derived from soy or wheat. 8:10 That's another really big one. 8:12 Vitamin E and olive oil and sunflower oil, these all sound really, really great, but these are oftentimes GMO products that just can send an eczema-prone 8:22 child off the ledge, you know? 8:24 And botanical extracts that sound beautiful can be really high histamine or in the ragweed family or cross-reactive for kids with food sensitivities and 8:35 preservatives that are also technically natural but still disruptive for sensitive skin. 8:39 Those have to be in there as well. 8:41 And that's why it's so important you're not just reading the active ingredient, you are reading a full ingredient list. 8:46 You know, I caught myself the other week. 8:48 It was a food product and I just trusted what it said in the front. 8:53 I can't believe it. 8:53 And I let my guard down. 8:55 My kids have been doing really well for a really long time and... 8:58 I thought it would meet our requirements that I still maintain just to keep healthy, happy kids. 9:04 It absolutely did not. 9:05 They sneak in so much stuff. 9:07 So don't fall for the marketing on the front. 9:09 Look at the full ingredient list. 9:12 The active ingredient is just the starting point. 9:14 And I want to be honest with you, if your child has a sunflower sensitivity, your choices in the sunscreen world are pretty bleak, 9:21 unfortunately. 9:22 I do like the Badger brand a lot if you don't have a sunflower sensitivity, but the number of mineral sunscreens that use a truly clean base with no seed 9:34 oils or soy derivatives or synthetic fragrance is very, very small. 9:39 And I know this because I looked and I even bought other Talo sunscreens. 9:45 And, I got to be honest with you, it was hard to use because it smelled so terribly. 9:50 You know, like I was like sitting next to a skirt steak and it just really, really hard manage. 9:58 So for a long time I really searched for something that I could use and that i could recommend to families in this community with full confidence. 10:07 Something that was really effective and genuinely non-toxic and pleasurable to use. 10:12 And I wanted to make sure that every single ingredient, including the inactive ones, actually made sense for eczema-prone skin. 10:21 I made a sunscreen, and that's the exema safe mineral sunscreen that you can find inside the Eczemashop. 10:26 It's a non-nano zinc oxide. 10:28 With the tallow base, there's no seed oils, no synthetic fragrance, No soy,no hidden triggers. 10:34 Its the sunscreen I wish. 10:36 that existed when we were in the thick of it, but I'm glad it exists now, and it's the one that I recommend without hesitation to every family in this community. 10:47 Just take with you if you are reading any sunscreen label, you're looking for non-nano zinc oxide. 10:53 I mean, we're also doing this for the environment, right? 10:55 For the fish. 10:56 This is really, really important stuff. 10:58 And tallow, coconut oil, shea, beeswax, If none of those things are triggers, those are 100% fine for you. 11:06 Simple things. 11:07 No synthetic fragrance, no fragrance at all. 11:10 Obviously no citrus-based oils or anything like that. 11:12 Those attract the sun even further. 11:14 no parabens, No seed oils if your child has any history of sensitivity. 11:18 And if you're listening now, they absolutely do. 11:20 So the label should look legible and boring. 11:25 Boring is what we're going for. 11:26 And you have to know, guys, I am a sun worshiper. 11:29 I want my kids to be out as much as possible. 11:35 We minimize our sunscreen use as many as we can, but sometimes those two goals don't jive. 11:41 So our first rule for being out in the sun all day is full coverage. 11:46 Modesty is the thing. 11:46 My oldest is 11, so I get pushback all the time because this isn't a goal for everyone that is out and about, but it's something that I value for my little girls. 11:57 And then also for the son and their health. 12:01 So the girls wear swim shirts and, you know, not a full bodysuit that covers their whole legs, even though that's it is what they wore when they were babies. 12:10 They wore long sleeve, long pant, swimsuits with a hat and then with them. 12:15 that worked for them. 12:17 But now, the cute little rash guard suits, they're adorable. 12:21 George hats is my personal favorite brand right now. 12:24 They have the cutest things and they wear a hat when they are not in the pool. 12:29 So we really only sunscreen the girls' faces and the tops of their thighs. 12:34 That's it. 12:35 And then the little guy really only needs, he's wearing trunks and a shirt, so he only need sunscreen on his face. 12:42 So that's what we do there. 12:44 It's faster, cheaper, way easier. 12:47 And just start there, cover as much as you can before the child ever gets into the water in the first place. 12:54 Then sunscreen just the exposed areas, but clothing should absolutely be your first line of defense and that does not wash off or miss. 13:03 and then I want to talk about the pool because I get this question a lot too like can my kids still swim and I say a resounding yes absolutely chlorine 13:11 is problematic it's a bummer it is essentially a bleach bath so good news silver lining it works really well for some people for SOME people it really 13:22 helps dry out their eczema and combat staff and fantastic for you. 13:26 That's because chlorine is essentially a bleach bath and I say that not to scare you, but it's just true. 13:33 It's the most accurate way. 13:34 I did spend a lot of years being a lifeguard and doing the pool chemicals. 13:41 Before that, when I was a young child, my family had a pool and we did the pull chemicals with my dad and had them all in the garage. 13:50 It is what it is and that's okay. 13:52 And I just sincerely don't want to scare anyone, but I do want you to understand what is does to the skin because it strips the skincare barrier and it 14:01 dries everything out immediately. 14:03 It removes the natural oils that eczema skin is really, really struggling to hold on to. 14:08 Even my skin, is struggling the hold onto. 14:10 For kids with exema, that barrier disruption is exactly what opens the doors to more flares. 14:17 Also, the pool is pure joy. 14:20 So swim team, and the community pool, in the beach, all of it is just, you know, it gives your kids confidence. 14:24 It gets out their energy, gets them vitamin D, get them sleeping really well at night from just physical exhaustion. 14:30 And that is fantastic. 14:32 We are absolutely not skipping it. 14:34 But what we are doing is we're just building a protocol around that fund so it doesn't come at the cost of their skin. 14:41 So before the pool, full coverage swimwear, sunscreen on exposed areas, and that's it. 14:46 That's your pre-pool routine. 14:48 You get in, you have the best time, then you come out with a plan. 14:51 So this is the step that I see most families skip or rush. 14:54 You take your kids out in full, and then you just put on dry clothes, right? 14:59 And, ah, if only it were so easy. 15:01 But I still, I never do this for right kids, even though their skin is beautiful. 15:07 All four of them, thank goodness, knock on wood. 15:09 Because that's not good for you, right? 15:11 We just talked about what chlorine is doing to your skin, eczema or not. 15:15 So this is the most important part. 15:17 The moment that your child gets out of the pool, then the clock starts. 15:20 Then the chlorine still on their skin and it's stripping the barrier and the longer it sits. 15:25 the more damage it does. 15:27 So the first thing you do is rinse off. 15:29 You just rinse it off in the shower. 15:30 Fresh water right away, get the chlorine off, pat dry, you don't rub if there's active eczema anywhere, because you know rubbing actively aggravates exema 15:40 prone skin, so you just pat gently. 15:42 And then, and this is the window that really, really matters, You apply cream while the skin is still slightly damp. 15:49 not soaking wet, but not fully dry either. 15:51 And that slight dampness helps the cream absorb and lock the moisture in. 15:56 This is what we recommend every night, right after our detox baths. 16:00 If you wait until the skin is completely dry, you've missed that window. 16:04 It's just an extra nudge in the right direction to help the skincare maintain moisture, which these kids so desperately need. 16:10 So that's where the soothing cream comes in, it's tele-based, deeply moisturizing, and it is safe for the face and scalp. 16:18 any active eczema patches, so you apply that generously. 16:22 Cover the whole body. 16:23 Do not spot treat. 16:24 This is a whole skin barrier and the skin needs support after chlorine exposure. 16:31 and then you put them in cotton clothes, let the skin breathe. 16:34 Nothing synthetic, nothing tight, just cotton. 16:38 And at the end of the day, after the sun and the pool and heat and bug bites, this is where the comfort spray earns its place. 16:46 When you have hot, irritated patches and bugs bites and general end-of-day itchiness, a few sprays of comforts spray and you will see your child visibly 16:57 relax and It's infused with aloe vera and Chinese herbs that cools the skin on contact. 17:03 So all the ingredients in every single one of the products, and this one included, are there for a very specific reason, 17:09 a skin-supportive eczema-safe reason. 17:12 And this is what we reach for every summer evening after a bike ride or anything like that. 17:18 But if you're in an active layer, this is helping the skin microbiome maintain balance and not move too far in the direction of staph overgrowth.
After-Swim Care and Evening Recovery 17:27 Because if are experiencing eczema, you do have an increased staf count on the scan, and it also helps with that immediate itch. 17:34 So it's a medicine and also a true skin support, especially in this time of year. 17:39 And as we've talked about, summer is a lot for exima prone skin. 17:42 You have All the chlorine and the sun exposure and heat and sweat and air conditioning and your child's skin is really working hard every single day. 17:52 And then the night time is when it repairs. 17:55 So the herbal healing oil is what we use at night or after sun-exposure for this exact reason. 18:01 The herbal oil is anti-inflammatory botanicals that are infused into organic oils. 18:06 It soothes dry patches and it reduces redness and supports the skin's natural regeneration process while your child sleeps. 18:15 So you can use the herbal oils any time of day. 18:17 You can also use it during diaper changes if they're looking extra dry and in need of nourishment. 18:26 before a detox bath is when we traditionally use it. 18:28 You put on the herbal oil, let that soak in, take a nice epsom salt bath, and then follow up with the comfort spray and lock it all in with a soothing cream. 18:36 That's how we traditional use, but you can use just before bed, in the middle of the night, after sun exposure, or just any areas that got a little more 18:45 heat than you planned for. 18:47 And if your child is one of those that just cannot settle at bedtime in summer, it's just too hot and too itchy and to light and, 18:53 too wired from a full day, then we have the Dream Spray. 18:58 And it is a ragweed-free essential oil blend that supports the nervous system and promotes deep, restful sleep. 19:05 No synthetic fragrance, no lavender, which can be high histamine for some kids, just Pure Calm Aromatherapy is a real thing and I just love this product 19:13 so much we still use this. 19:14 It's on everyone's nightstand every single night just before bed. 19:18 And we've been talking about outside in support on this podcast because it absolutely matters when you are experiencing eczema. 19:25 That symptom management piece is so necessary just to get through this time. 19:31 The skin is the largest organ and what we put on it even without exima matters enormously. 19:37 but summer is also a really, really good time. 19:41 It opens up extra space to put in extra things in your routine that actually help build your child up from the inside out. 19:49 And that's why I made the prebiotic herbal tea. 19:51 it's got marshmallow root and licorice root, and slippery elm bark. 19:54 Its designed to nourish the gut lining and reduce that systemic inflammation that is just feeding this eczema condition day in and day out for months or 20:03 maybe even years at this point. 20:05 And when your child's gut is supported in this gentle food first way, their skin really does respond. 20:12 It is gentle enough for everyday use and you can serve it warm or cold. 20:15 Cold is honestly perfect for summer. 20:17 I put it inside of smoothies, which we only do in the summer because nobody wants to wake up to an ice cold smoothie on a blizzardy day in January, 20:26 so I brew it the night before. 20:28 You just put the boiling water over the herbs, let it sit overnight in a mug, and then I put room temperature tea into the smoothie the next morning for 20:36 them and they don't even know it's there. 20:37 And honestly, this supplement really matters. 20:39 I mean, it sincerely does its due diligence. 20:42 One client that I talked to the other week and she said, my kids, I love it so much. 20:46 They get up in the morning and Where's my tea?" You can really bake this in however you want to. 20:52 And just hearing that story warmed my heart because she's doing such a good job and now her kids are better and they're doing great. 20:58 You'll hear from her later, but it's an important step. 21:00 I know a lot of us in the West, we don't think about tea and our kids. 21:04 We had South African neighbors for a little while and their kids had tea every single morning. 21:08 They had the best tea, every morning, so no matter what age they are, it really is something that you could bake in. 21:13 If it is new to your routine, summer is a really good time to try it. 21:17 So that's it, friends. 21:17 That is your summer plan. 21:19 You're wearing full coverage swimwear before the pool. 21:22 Clean mineral sunscreen with a clean base, not just a clear active ingredient on exposed skin. 21:29 Rinse immediately after any water activity or soccer camp or whatever it is. 21:34 Soothing cream while the skin is still damp to just seal in that moisture.
Summer Support Products and Wrap-Up 21:39 cotton clothes, comfort spray at the end of the day, herbal oil at night, dream spray for sleep, and prebiotic tea daily. 21:47 And I mentioned it earlier. 21:49 I'm so thankful. 21:49 My kids don't struggle with eczema anymore. 21:52 It used to be a really significant thing for us. 21:54 it affected not just our everyday lives, every minute of our every day lives. 22:00 That's why I started this whole brand and podcast because I know what that suffering really looks like. 22:07 and I know how significant it is and i also know, how unnecessary it, is that you can just in doing the things that we talked about today you, 22:16 can completely change your day-to-day experience of how comfortable your kids are and then ultimately how quickly they recover. 22:23 Everything I make and recommend now is just how we live because clean and effective stopped being optional for me a really long time ago. 22:31 And everything I just walked you through, the soothing cream and the herbal oil and comfort spray and dream spray, and prebiotic tea and mineral sunscreen 22:38 is all in the healing box. 22:40 All six products designed to work together. 22:42 It's 197. and best value way to support your child through the summer without piecing these things together or second guessing yourself. 22:51 And the link is in the show notes or you can go ahead and get your box at eczemakids.com inside the eXma shop. 22:57 I want to say one more thing before I go. 22:59 If you have been listening to this podcast for a while and you had the products, And if you're doing the right things and you are eating healthy and doing 23:06 your practices day in and day out and still experiencing a flare, this is a root cause problem, ultimately. 23:12 Eczema is an inside job and that is what the eczemat elimination method is for. 23:18 It's an Inside Out Healing Plan that gets you to what is actually driving exema for your child and so that your family is not managing it forever. 23:28 So I've also linked that in the show notes if that's something you want to learn more about. 23:32 Okay, go enjoy your summer friends. 23:35 Have fun with all the last-minute school concerts and the celebration that is made. 23:40 It's a really beautiful time. 23:42 I hope you had a gorgeous Mother's Day and that you're ready for some fun in the sun with your kids because you deserve it, 23:47 they deserve. 23:48 And I wish you well. 23:49 Thank you for helping with my eczema. 23:53 Love you. 23:55 Thank you for listening today, friend. 23:56 I know healing your child's skin isn't easy, but you're doing it one smart step at a time. 24:01 If this episode gave you a little hope or a better night's sleep, leave a quick review so more exhausted parents can find eczema kids and finally rest 24:09 easy too. 24:09 Follow, share, and let's help more kids heal. 24:12 Take care.
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