Mustela: A More Gentle Way to Treat Your Baby's Eczema

My 20 month old inherited my light eczema which tends to flare up in small patches during the winter months. Having taken him to a pediatric dermatologist and his pediatrician we were given a list of creams, lotions and corticosteroids to try.

While suing lotions like Eucerin, Vaseline and Cetaphil seemed to help a bit, only the prescription corticosteroid ointments really made a difference and within days the patches would disappear leaving my little guy comfortable and itch-free. And while I was happy that these worked, I have been adamant about finding a gentler and more natural alternative to using steroid creams on my son.

It is reported that about 10% of babies and toddlers suffer from eczema. If your child falls in this percentage, like my son does, you'll be glad to know that the Mustela brand of skin care products has a new line made especially for little ones with eczema prone skin.

After doing research on the internet about gentle and natural eczema treatments I happened upon the Mustela website. Mustela is a well-known French skincare company which has a line for infants called Mustela Bebe and the Mustela Dermo-Pediatrics is an extension of the Bebe line.

The website was introducing their Stelatopia products that have been created for children wit very dry and eczema -prone skin. It promised to moisturize, purify, rebalance and soothe baby's skin while being hypoallergenic and fragrance-free. The ingredients included natural products like sunflower seed oil and calendula. Although the price was a bit higher than lotions you would find in your local supermarket, I thought it would be worth a try anyways, and I was able to find a better price through BabyCenter.com.

I ordered the Mustela Dermo-Pediatrics Stelatopia Moisturizing Cream and the Mustela Bebe Hydra-Stick, which is a small concentrated lotion stick that resembles a bar of deodorant and which I thought would be perfect to carry in my purse for when my son starting getting itchy. The items arrived very quickly and I have been using them on my son for two weeks now. These products are fantastic. The lotion contains an Active Lipid-Replenishing Process which enhances the natural lipids of your child's skin to form an effective skin hydrating barrier and restore elasticity. It is lightweight and non-greasy and has no scent whatsoever.

Mustela claims that if used twice a day when your baby has an eczema flare-up it can help limit the need to use corticosteroid ointments by 75%. Although I was a little hesitant to believe this claim at first, I am an enthusiastic supporter of it now. My son had a few eczema spots on his back and legs and after using the lotion for two days the patches disappeared. I also noticed that the Hydra-Stick would stop the itching instantly. I even tried it on myself, on a little eczema patch I had on my neck, and all irritation was instantly quelled. I wish I had found these items much earlier!

This particular Mustela line also sells a cream bath and an oil-based bath wash for baby. I haven't used these yet, since my son's eczema is light. But I am willing to bet that if your baby suffers from chronic eczema these baby washes may be an excellent way to compliment the lotions and Hydra-Stick.

It is nice to find an alternative to harsh cortisone and steroid treatments for your baby's eczema. The Mustela line of baby products is a real find and gets my mommy seal of approval without hesitation.