moogoocows: Have a good week-end everyone who reads our twitter, all 2 of you. It has been a good fun week.
Eczema or Atopic Dermatitis
"Quiet as a little mousey..."
Eczema is an inflammation of the skin, usually causing itching and sometimes accompanied by crusting, scaling or blisters.
Often (but not always) it will start near the crooks of the elbows or knees with small, itchy bumps. It can then spread from there with itching.
Affected areas usually appear very dry, thickened, or scaly. Scratching the skin will make it worse. A type of eczema made worse by allergen exposure is termed "Atopic Dermatitis. Dry skin is often susceptible to a type called "Dry Skin Dermatitis".
Eczema is thought to be linked to an overactive response by the body's immune system to a perceived irritant. This can be an internal such as a reaction to a food, or external such as a reaction to pollen or a skin care product.
Common external irritants include pollen and dust mites, skin care products or very dry skin. Common internal irritants can be reactions to a fruit, nuts or dairy products. However, there are many other possible irritants and they can be very hard to identify.
The best long term solution for Eczema is to try and eliminate the cause. However, this can be difficult, especially if the cause is unknown. Sometimes the cause can be found via trial and error. Eliminating suspect items from the diet or skin for a week to check for improvement.
To bring relief, medical practitioners will often prescribe an anti-inflammatory ointment. Some of these can have side affects which prevent long term use. Discuss these side affects with your practitioner. MooGoo Eczema and Psoriasis Balm is a new anti-inflammatory balm that uses natural ingredients.
For us at MooGoo, the solution has been to use products which are healthy for the skin. These avoid irritation and dryness and help the skin repair itself.
ECZEMA IN CHILDREN
Eczema in children is a non-contagious skin condition which is quite common affecting around 10% of babies. It usually appears in early childhood and disappears around six years of age. The skin becomes dry, cracked and itchy, and may weep. It often starts at the elbows or knees. Eczema can vary in severity and alter on a daily basis. In some cases, eczema may continue into adulthood.
The immune system of children is immature and so many react inappropriately to a perceived irritant. This could be something on their skin, a food or a drink. Eczema is more common in children who have other allergies, such as asthma and hay fever.
Practitioners can help try and isolate what is causing the response, or parents can try and identify the irritant via trial and error. Children will often "grow" out of the problem as their immune system matures. However, that is of little comfort right now to the baby who has eczema, and the parents who are missing out on sleep.
Hi Moo Goo. I just thought I would send you a couple of photo’s of my son Naite, the first photo he has eczema really bad and the second photo he has cleared up using moo goo.Enjoying your wonderful work! J. Tas
"We thought all "before" photos required a sad look. When will little Naite learn!"
"Perfect for an "After" photo. Well done Naite."
Click on our "We Got Mail" page to read some of the emails to MooGoo letting us know that a real change of formula has achieved. For these people, MooGoo eliminated whatever it was they were reacting to on their skin. However, different methods will work for different people.
Probiotic Supplements Proven to Help Some Infant Eczema Sufferers
There have been a number of recent studies done which indicate that taking pro-biotic supplements in pregnancy or early childhood can help. This is a recent excerpt from "New Scientist Magazine, April 2008.
"Exposing pregnant mothers and infants to probiotic bacteria could help stimulate the growth of the immune system and potentially play a role in preventing allergies, say researchers.Probiotic bacteria are living micro-organisms that can be used to restore the ecosystem of the gut after a dose of antibiotics, or to help create a stable gut flora that is less prone to diseases like gastroenteritis... Probiotic children were also 30% less likely than their untreated counterparts to develop an itchy skin condition known as atopic eczema, which is often an early manifestation of allergies..."
There are good and poor quality probiotics on the market. Ask your health shop for advice. Zinc supplements are also often suggested by natural practitioners, and this will be of help if the natural diet is lacking in Zinc.
Seborrheic Dermatitis
(Sometimes mistakingly confused with Psoriasis on the scalp, face or upper body.)
Itchy Face Or Scalp?
Try scratching with a Hoof!
One of the other common forms of dermatitis often occurs around the scalp, hairline, ears, neck, around the eyes or along the side of the nose. In babies this can be termed Cradle Cap.
For many people the cause may be a fungus, called malassezia. This organism is normally present on the skin in small numbers, but sometimes its numbers increase, resulting in skin problems. This is why the problem tends to occur on the oilier parts of the body.
The good news for many sufferers is that a good quality Scalp Cream and appropriate shampoo can allow the skin to recover in a relatively short while.
Aqueous Creams and Sorbolene Type Creams for Eczema.
Itchy Face Or Scalp?
Try scratching with a Hoof!
Aqueous creams are sometimes prescribed by doctors as a substitute to soap or detergents. A soap using cheap ingredients can be drying and this is especially bad for Eczema. Detergent based liquid products are even worse. The skin of eczema sufferers needs to be kept moist and supple.
However, aqueous creams may not be the answer. They usually contain paraffin oils and water.
A survey of 100 British children treated with aqueous cream has found it irritated over half of them. Their symptoms ranged from redness and itchiness to burning and stinging, which risk making their condition worse. "Many children reportedly call it 'stingy' cream, and in one extreme case we heard about a child who screams when it is used."
MooGoo does not use Paraffin Oil (Mineral Oil, Petrolatum) in any of its products.