Bathing and Moisturizing: 20 Tips from the NEA Community

We asked our community about their particular bathing and moisturizing routine. Here’s what they had to say:

1. Two baths, one in the morning and one before going to bed. I immediately apply a moisturizer followed by Aquaphor Healing Ointment. I apply Curél Itch Defense Lotion three times a day or as needed.
2. I use sunflower oil or Vaseline. Sunflower oil with vitamin E oil provides a moisture barrier with no additives.
3. Benadryl before bathing twice a day. Coconut oil infused Vaseline immediately after bathing before drying off.
4. Take a bath with Aquaphor and/or Aveeno Eczema Therapy Bath Solution once either in the morning or at night. Immediately after gently patting my daughter dry, I cover her entire body, head and face with coconut oil, then Aveeno Eczema Therapy Lotion, and lastly Aquaphor Healing Ointment. I apply a very thin layer of prescription medication on her cheeks and top it off with emu oil and Aquaphor Healing Ointment.
5. Shower with cool water and Sebamed Body Wash, only every other day, and then apply Cetaphil Lotion.
6. Epsom salt baths as needed and 100% olive oil soap. No commercial moisturizers. Organic coconut oil is great for itch. My skin tells me when I need to put oil on. Sudocrem or Desitin for inflamed areas.
7. I use tea tree soap in the shower and moisturize with an aqueous cream.
8. I use Dove Sensitive Skin Bar Soap on my body and Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser on my face. After that I pat my body dry and put Aveeno Baby Lotion and Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream on face. If my skin is extra dry, I use Vaseline.
9. My son’s allergist suggested Crisco applied on damp skin lightly twice daily. I use coconut oil the same way for me, because I didn’t respond to the Crisco.
10. I bathe with goat’s milk soap only, and apply a cetomacrogol cream: brand Epi-max. I only apply the steroidal ointment when I have an outbreak.
11. We do a Eucerin cream “bath” lathering after bath time every day. Cream is best. When skin flares we do the bleach bath or the vinegar bath or both.
12. Shower favorites include Eucerin Shampoo/Bath combo. Dove Sensitive Skin products. And I clean the tub with bleach regularly.
13. Dermal Therapy Extra Strength Body Lotion and prescription ointment.
14. Dead Sea Salts and Oilatum Bath Formula. If I have infected skin, then I also add some tea tree or TCP Liquid Antiseptic. If flaking a lot, then I gently rub down with a pumice stone and apply a heavy Epaderm Ointment afterwards. If infected or weeping, I add Sudocrem Cream and bandages.
15. My son scratches until he is raw. We soak him in a quarter cup of mineral oil mixed into a lukewarm bath. Immediately after I put steroid ointment on flared spots and use a cream in between.
16. I alternate showers and baths. When it’s a bath I use either Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment or baby oil in a lukewarm tub. Then slather after with Aquaphor and steroid cream as needed.
17. Vanicream Soap and Vanicream Lotion after patting dry. My son uses RoBathol Bath Oil mixed with water in a spray bottle after showering when he has a flare before lathering on the lotion as well.
18. Tea tree oil and mild soap keeps it at bay.
19. My routine is to use Dove Sensitive Skin Soap and Ulta Sugar Scrub in the shower, Cetaphil Lotion in all my soap dispensers, and Eucerin Eczema Relief Body Creme after every shower for my hands.
20. Suave Shampoo head to toe in the shower and then I moisturize with plain old Vaseline. NOTHING ELSE, EVER. I never use soap in public restrooms or any kind of anti-bacterial soap. I keep the shampoo and Vaseline in the bathroom and at work and in the kitchen.