Homemade Eczema Cream Recipe + babies version

How To Make Your Own DIY Eczema Cream

Read to find out why this homemade eczema cream for babies (and adults) worked so well for my family.

Making your own cream is so simple that you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

Having been born with eczema I was prescribed several ointments and a strong steroid cream to treat my skin from a very young age.

As an adult I became aware of the toxins I was covering my body in and set out to find some chemical free ways to improve my dry and sensitive skin. (I also hated the fact that I smelt of paraffin constantly.)

Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time researching and trying various natural eczema treatments.

The cause of eczema is still unknown and the triggers vary between sufferers. A good treatment will prevent dry skin and relieve itching.

Scratching itchy eczema needs to be avoided as it can lead to infection and damaged sore skin.

I carefully chose the ingredients for our Homemade Eczema Cream for their moisturizing and healing properties.

I also wanted the cream to form a  protective barrier on the skin to help to prevent flare ups from allergens, like dust and other irritants.

So let’s take a look at the ingredients and my reasons for choosing each:

Homemade Eczema Cream Recipe | Beneficial Properties Of The Ingredients

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Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has anti-viral, antibacterial, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal properties which is why it’s great in body creams.

It contains monolaurin, a fatty acid that is also found in breast milk.

Clinical trials in both 2014 and 2018 both indicated that coconut oil may be good for eczema prone skin.

If you have an allergy to coconut oil then you can replace it with the same amount of jojoba oil.

Shea Butter

This lovely natural butter is rich in Vitamin A which is important to cell production and growth which can help improve skin dryness.

It also stimulates fibroblasts which are the cells that keep skin firm and looking healthy.

Shea butter is a great natural moisturizer because it has a high oil content.

The moisturizing effects of Shea butter last for hours so you won’t find yourself needing to reapply constantly to get relief.

Vitamins A, E and F are all present in Shea butter and help to promote healing of the skin.

Oatmeal (ground up oats)

Colloidal oatmeal is basically oats that are milled really finely so that they can be added to liquid or gel.

The oats can be applied to the skin and absorbed easily.

Once applied it offers many protective benefits for sensitive and eczema prone skin.

You can either buy whole oats and grind it finely yourself or you can buy  colloidal oatmeal which has already been ground into a silky fine white powder.

Look for 100% pure colloidal oatmeal that hasn’t had any unnecessary substances added to it.

I make my own as I can’t find colloidal oatmeal that isn’t packaged in plastic…it’s also much cheaper to DIY.

Although it’s not a super fine powder after a whizz around the blender it seems to stir in well and any grainier bits just sink to the bottom.

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender is one of my favorite essential oils as it is so calming. We often diffuse a few drops in the evenings too.

Lavender Oil has anti-inflammatory properties are thought to soothe and heal damaged red skin.

There is no need to add essential oils to this cream especially if you’re skin is very sensitive.

Personally, I don’t use essential oils on my boys skin at all.

If you want to find out more about adding essential oils then I’ve linked to Tisserand’s guidance in the adapted. excema cream recipe for babies below.

Ingredients for Homemade Eczema Cream With Oatmeal

(See below for info on how to adapt recipe to make homemade eczema cream for babies)

If you prefer to use a different essential oil then take a look at these oils that are great for soothing eczema.

I use Tisserand’s dilution charts and guidance to work out how many drops of oil to add to my cream.

To make a creams for adults, that can be applied to the skin he advises a dilution of 0.2 – 1.5% of essential oil (not all oils can be used in this way) in your carrier oil.

0.25% of Lavender Oil works out as roughly 15 drops per batch of cream (it makes about 1 cup which is the approximately 235ml).

Obviously, an eczema sufferer has sensitive skin so it would be wise to use less, at least initially.

This will help to make sure that no irritation occurs.

To be honest, I use a lot less (around 5 drops) as I find it strong enough. I even make it without oils.

Homemade Eczema Cream | Method

1. Boil some water in a saucepan.
2. Carefully place a glass jar (small metal bowl) in the water.
3. In the glass jar melt the Shea butter and coconut oil. Careful as the glass will get hot!
4. It’s really important that you don’t put them directly in the pan as the heat will destroy their beneficial properties.
5. When it’s all melted you can add the colloidal oatmeal.
6. Whisk it really well.
7. Allow it to cool before adding your essential oil.
8. Stir again to combine.
9. Pour your cream into a clean, sterilized glass jar.
10. Let it set overnight in the fridge.
11. Use as required.

Eczema Cream Recipe For Babies and Children

Follow the directions above but read below regarding adding essential oils to your babies cream.

Essentials oils should be used with extreme caution on and around babies and children.

We’ve written entire post about safe use of oils around babies here.

Experts like Robert Tisserand have actually published dilution guidance for babies and children however bizarrely their own oils actually say not to apply topically to under 5’s.

I imagine that they have guidance in place to promote safe usage and sensible dilution but it is little confusing for parents.

On their website Tisserand recommend a dilution of 0.25% to a maximum of 0.5% for infants of 3 months to 2 years old.

Essential oils should not be used on babies under 3 months old.

This recipe works brilliantly without essential oils added so it’s not a problem if you decide not to use them.

To be honest, I’ve made it with and without and would err on the side of caution if I was making a batch for my children.

Some things to consider…

• As with any new substance, introduce it slowly and speak to your health professional first.
• What helps to soothe one person’s eczema may trigger it in another person so be cautious.
• If you live somewhere hot you may need to store the homemade eczema cream in the refrigerator to keep it solid.
• Apply straight after a bath (don’t bathe too often, for too long or in water that’s too hot as these will all worsen eczema symptoms)

I really hope you enjoy this homemade eczema cream for babies (and adults)! Let me know what you think!