A REAL FAMILY’S ECZEMA JOURNEY
How We Manage Severe Eczema: What Actually Helped
My son has had severe, body-wide eczema since he was an infant. This is everything we’ve learned, including a discovery that took us months to piece together.
Affiliate Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only link products we actually used.
Not medical advice. Every child’s eczema is different. This is our personal experience, not a treatment protocol. Talk to your pediatrician or dermatologist about your child’s specific situation.
About this page: Written by a parent (and RN, MSN) sharing our real experience managing severe eczema in our child. This is firsthand experience, not clinical guidance — always check with your own pediatrician or dermatologist. Last updated: August 2026.
Our Eczema Story
My son has had severe, body-wide eczema since he was an infant, and we’ve spent the last year figuring out what actually helps versus what just sounded good. This page is everything we’ve learned, including a few discoveries that took us months to piece together.
The Crib Mattress Connection
This one took us months to figure out, and it wasn’t something any doctor pointed us toward. My son’s eczema was covering about 98% of the front of his body and his cheeks as an infant, and nothing we tried was making a real difference.
We tried an elimination diet for three months, just bone broth, grass-fed beef, rice, and apples, hoping a food trigger was behind it. No improvement. So I started digging through parent forums and Reddit threads looking for anything environmental we might be missing.
Since he slept on his belly as an infant, his face and chest were pressed directly against his crib mattress for hours every night. Between the heat, the sweat, and the synthetic materials in a standard crib mattress, I started to suspect that combination was working against his skin every single night, right when it needed to heal most.
We switched to an organic crib mattress, and it made a real difference for him. I can’t say with certainty it was the sole cause, eczema is rarely one single trigger, but the timing and improvement were enough that I’d tell any parent dealing with stubborn, unexplained eczema to at least consider what’s touching their child’s skin for 10+ hours a night, not just what’s going on their skin.
Naturepedic Organic Crib Mattress — what we switched to
What Goes On His Skin, In Order
After Outside Play or Sweating, Before Any Ointment
We rub him down with this any time he’s been sweaty, and it’s also what we use on nights we skip a bath entirely.
SkinSmart Antimicrobial Eczema Therapy, Hypochlorous Acid Spray, 8 oz
Cleansing
Happy Cappy — the only body wash and shampoo we use
Moisturizer, Mornings Only
Tubby Todd All Over Ointment
Sleepwear and Bedding
Kyte is pricy, but high end bamboo genuinely makes a difference for his skin, so we decided to splurge. We bought three sets, which was just enough to make it through our laundry cycles without running out.
KYTE BABY Long Sleeve Toddler Pajama Two-Piece Set, Ultra-Soft Rayon Made From Bamboo
The crib sheet matters just as much as the pajamas. Bamboo is breathable and hypoallergenic, which makes a real difference for skin that’s already irritated.
Kyte Baby Soft Crib Sheet, Made with Rayon from Bamboo
Air Quality
We also added a Coway air purifier to his room. We specifically chose this one because it uses a charcoal filter, which is the only filter type that actually removes VOCs from the air, standard HEPA filters don’t catch those. It also has smart technology that lets us check air quality from an app, which has been useful for spotting when something in the air might be contributing to a flare.
Coway Air Purifier with Charcoal Filter
Can’t Get These Where You Live?
Every product on this page is something we buy in the U.S. — Target, Amazon, brands like Tubby Todd and Happy Cappy that aren’t always easy to find (or ship) internationally. That’s actually part of why I started Fill My Box — a real person shops these exact products for you in Florida and ships them wherever you are, so you’re not stuck substituting something that might not work the same way for your kid’s skin.
A Note on Wound Care Products
Off-label use, under medical guidance
We’ve also used hydrogel-based wound dressings off-label, under our dermatologist’s guidance, on especially raw or broken skin. These products are designed for wound care, not eczema specifically, so this isn’t something to try without talking to your child’s doctor first. Our usual product is currently unavailable, so we’re not linking one directly right now, but wanted to be upfront that this was part of our routine at points.
What We’d Tell Another Parent
Eczema this severe rarely has one single fix. For us, it took stacking several changes, cleansing habits, moisturizing timing, and even what he slept on, before we saw real, lasting improvement. If you’re deep in the trial-and-error phase right now, you’re not doing anything wrong, it really can take this long to find what works for your kid specifically.
If you’re also dealing with molluscum, here’s what helped us with that too: How to Heal Molluscum Naturally
Have Questions?
I’ve been through this for over a year now, so if you’re dealing with something similar, ask away in the comments below. I’ll do my best to answer.
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