Eczema is tough. So is parenthood and toddlers. Put the three together and you’ve got trouble. I know because I’ve been there with my own son. He was three years old when red, itchy, dry eczema covered his entire little body. There was no break from the relentless itchy skin, the sleepless nights trying to soothe him and the chase that pursued when it was time to apply skin cream.

I learned some key things along the way and I’d like to share them with you in hopes that they will help you with toddler eczema.

1. Identify Triggers: Determine what is causing your little one to flare up. Does their toddler eczema seem to flare in the spring? It could be an allergy to pollen, perhaps birch—a common allergy. Does it happen after spending a weekend at their grandparents’ home with their dog? Perhaps it’s an allergy to dog dander or saliva.

There are many possible eczema triggers, the key is finding the magic combination of things that affect your child.

2. Assess Diet: If a child has a true food allergy, the reaction will usually be immediate. An IgE food allergy test can sometimes provide answers as well. But, when reactions are not immediate and a food allergy test does not provide clear results, your child may have a food sensitivity (which is harder to determine).

The best course of action is to work with your child’s allergist, nutritionist or naturopath to undergo an elimination diet. During this process you will remove the top most common food triggers (dairy, egg, gluten, soy, etc.) from your child’s diet for a period of time while carefully monitoring their source of nutrients.

If an elimination diet sounds like something you might want to pursue, make sure to work with a practitioner to modify the diet appropriately. Toddlers still need to have a balanced diet.

3. Prevent Scratching: A critical step to treat eczema in toddlers naturally is to wear scratch protective clothing like eczema mittens and gloves. When scratching is prevented, the skin can start healing properly.

Kids can wear eczema garments like ScratchMeNot mittens or gloves. And for pajamas, there are plenty of sleep sacks and pajamas that come with attached mittens to prevent harmful scratching.

4. Moisturize: In addition to trigger and scratch protection, it’s important to repair the damaged skin barrier in order to help the skin retain moisture.

Choose a good natural product that is free of parabens, mineral oils, and other nasties that can further damage your little one’s fragile skin. Organic Manuka Skin Soothing Cream is a good choice for toddler eczema because it contains wound healing Manuka honey and Manuka oil in a creamy balm format to protect and heal the skin barrier.

5. Wet Wrapping: Soak and seal for quick toddler eczema relief. This method may sound a bit strange, but it can work wonders. Just remember, it’s not a long term solution.

To wet wrap you’ll need to give your little one a bath in lukewarm water (no soap!), followed by a layer of cream, as well as a damp and dry layer of clothing. This allows the cream or balm to permeate the skin, so that skin heals quicker. But the key here is the dampness of the clothing, which intensifies the moisturizing effects.

Note: Never use a topical medication when wet wrapping without a physician’s approval.

If wet wrapping proves to be too difficult with your little one, try dry wrapping instead. There is some great eczema clothing for babies and adults that can be worn dry. Some clothing also includes fabric embedded with soothing zinc that benefits the skin.

Nothing is harder than watching your child suffer in any way. I sincerely hope these tips will bring your little one some relief from their toddler eczema. Please let us know what works for you. We can all learn from each other.

Jennifer Roberge is the founder of The Eczema Company and the award-winning blog Its An Itchy Little World. Propelled to find a solution for her son’s struggles with eczema Jennifer has established herself as the go-to resource on holistic healing methods for eczema. After years researching the best products for eczema, Jennifer created YoRo Naturals, skin care for sensitive skin. Learn more about Jennifer’s highly anticipated NEW brand Remedywear—clothing for eczema, with soothing, zinc. For more information visit www.eczemacompany.com.