What soap should be used for babies with eczema?

In case of eczema in babies, cleansing care is an integral part of managing the disease. Cleansing products for babies must be selected very carefully.

What product to choose?

Here are some tips for choosing the best product for babies' hygiene:

• Classic soaps

Classic soaps are too detergent and tend to dry out the skin. For this reason, they should be avoided.

• Ultra-rich soaps

Inversely, ultra-rich soaps are soaps to which a superfatting agent has been added during production, which limits the drying effect on the skin and makes these soaps well suited to children with eczema;

• Syndets and cleansing oils

Among the other cleansing products suitable for babies with eczema are syndets ("soap-free soaps") and cleansing oils. Unlike soaps, these cleansers produce little or no foam because they do not contain certain irritant foaming agents, which can sometimes bother parents because they get the impression that no cleansing is taking place!

• Soap bars

Cleansing products can be liquid, or solid and in bar form. If using a cleansing bar, do not use a shower glove or pouf because you can damage the skin;

Read labels carefully: avoid fragrances and other allergenic substances.

Shower or bath for babies?

Once the cleansing product has been chosen, follow these rules:

• "Shower instead of a bath": a quick shower helps to limit the drying effect of chlorine and hard water, but a bath is still possible, especially for its relaxing effect as an end-of-day ritual
• "Not too hot": maximum 33-34 degrees
• "Not too long": a few minutes for a shower, maximum 10-15 minutes for a bath
• "Not necessarily every day": every 2 to 3 days if needed

Finally, don't forget to dry the child gently by dabbing with a soft towel.