How to Treat Eczema at Home: The Parent’s Guide
If you're standing in the nursery at midnight wondering how to help relieve eczema on a baby who can't stop scratching, you're in good company. Eczema is one of the most common skin issues we hear about from parents in the Tubby Todd community, and the search for something that actually calms it down can take families through a graveyard of half-used tubes before anything sticks. The good news is that most cases respond well to a simple, consistent at-home routine. The honest part is that getting there takes a little patience.
We've spent a decade learning about caring for eczema-prone skin alongside the parents who use our products. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, atopic dermatitis (the medical name for the most common form of eczema) affects roughly 20 to 25 percent of children, usually showing up before the first birthday.
Why does eczema show up in the first place?
Eczema is, at its core, a moisture barrier problem. The outer layer of the skin is supposed to act like a brick wall, keeping water in and irritants out. For kids with eczema-prone skin, that wall has gaps. Water leaks out, irritants slip in, the skin reacts, and a flare is born. Genetics play a big role, which is why eczema tends to run in families alongside asthma and seasonal allergies.
Infant skin is also structurally thinner than adult skin and loses moisture faster, which is exactly why eczema, dry patches, and cradle cap show up so early. The goal is to reinforce that barrier from the outside in until it can function properly and help reduce the appearance of eczema.
What does the day-to-day routine look like?
Most pediatric dermatologists boil eczema care down to three words: Soak and Seal. The National Eczema Association recommends a short, lukewarm soak followed by sealing in moisture within three minutes, before the skin has a chance to dry out. That three-minute window is the most important thing on this page.
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Bathe smart, not less. The old advice was to bathe eczema-prone kids as little as possible, but current AAP guidance leans the other way: daily or every-other-day baths are fine, as long as they're short (5 to 10 minutes) and lukewarm. The water itself is hydrating. What happens in the next three minutes is what matters.
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Skip bubble bath and harsh cleansers. Use a gentle, fragrance-free wash only where it's really needed i.e. the diaper area, hands, scalp. Our Hair + Body Wash was formulated for sensitive skin and won’t strip moisture. Pat dry with a soft towel, no rubbing.
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Lock in moisture within three minutes. Skin still damp, towel still in hand, slather on a thick lotion or cream. Our Everyday Lotion is a good head-to-toe baseline for most nights.
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Spot-treat the patches with an ointment. For active flares, a heavier, more occlusive product works harder than a lotion alone. Our All Over Ointment was originally formulated for the founder's son, and it's now backed by more than 17,000 five-star reviews from parents in the same trenches. For really stubborn spots, layer Barrier Balm on top.
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If you'd rather not piece a routine together from scratch, the Regulars Bundle is the three-step lineup we recommend most for eczema-prone families: wash, moisturize, spot-treat.
What should you do when eczema suddenly gets worse?
A flare-up doesn't mean your routine failed. Eczema naturally comes and goes, even when you're doing everything right. The goal during a flare isn't to find a brand-new solution. It's to double down on the basics.
Start by increasing your focus on moisture. Instead of treating lotion as a once-a-day step, think of it as ongoing maintenance. Reapply moisturizer whenever skin starts looking dull, rough, or thirsty. For the reddest areas, follow with a thicker product like All Over Ointment to help lock in hydration and protect the skin barrier.
Next, reduce anything that could create extra irritation. Dress your child in soft, breathable cotton, skip heavily scented products, and keep baths short and lukewarm. When skin feels especially itchy, a soothing oatmeal bath can help take the edge off while keeping the routine gentle.
Most flares settle down with a week or two of consistent care. If skin starts cracking, weeping, developing yellow crusting, or your child is losing sleep because of discomfort, it's time to check in with your pediatrician.
What other triggers should you watch for?
Every kid has their own list, and figuring it out can feel like detective work. After ten years of feedback from the Tubby Todd community, these are the triggers we hear about most:
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Products with harsh ingredients. Sulfates, synthetic fragrances, dyes, and certain preservatives are the usual suspects. Even "gentle" drugstore lotions can set off a reaction if the ingredient list is too long.
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Hot baths and big temperature swings. Hot water strips the skin barrier fast. So does walking from an over-air-conditioned room into summer humidity. Keep bath water lukewarm and moisturize the skin before any big environment change.
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Skipping a day of moisturizer. Even when skin looks calm, missing a day or two of lotion is often enough to bring a flare back. Daily moisturizing isn't optional for eczema-prone skin.
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Sneaky environmental stuff. Chlorinated pools, scratchy carpet at a friend's house, a new laundry detergent, a wool blanket from grandma — any of these can show up as a patch a few hours later. Sometimes the cause stays a mystery, and that's okay.
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Food allergens. For some kids, eczema is tied to diet. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that 33 to 63 percent of young children with moderate-to-severe eczema also have food allergies, most often to dairy or eggs. If you suspect food is what is causing flare-ups, talk to your pediatrician before cutting anything from the menu.
When should you call the pediatrician?
Honestly, sooner than most parents do. Waiting it out is typically a default move. But that’s what your pediatrician is for. You can also ask for a pediatric dermatology referral if:
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The eczema is spreading or not improving after a couple of weeks of daily moisturizing
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You see signs of infection like yellow crusting, oozing or fever
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Your child is losing sleep or scratching until they bleed
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You suspect a food allergy connection
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You’re exhausted and want a second opinion (a perfectly valid reason on its own)
You’re not bothering them. Eczema is one of the most common things they treat, and they will have a plan.
A routine your family can actually keep up
The best way to treat eczema isn't the routine with the most steps. It's the one you'll do every single day, even when you're tired, even when their skin looks fine. Build something simple, use products that are safe enough to slather on without a second thought, and give it a few weeks before changing anything.
Our eczema care collection groups everything we've made for eczema-prone little ones in one place — the same lineup we point first-time Tubby Todd parents toward when they're looking for relief. If you've found a trick that works in your family, share it in the comments. Every note from another parent makes the next family's search a little easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you help relieve eczema on a baby's face?
Make sure to be gentle. Wash with water alone or a fragrance-free cleanser, pat dry, and seal in moisture with a thin layer of lotion followed by ointment on any rashy spots. Avoid scented products, baby wipes with alcohol, and anything you wouldn't put on your own face. Cheeks are one of the most common places eczema shows up in babies and one of the easiest to protect with a consistent routine.
Can a bath actually help eczema, or does it make it worse?
It helps, as long as the bath is short, lukewarm, and followed by moisturizer within three minutes. The water is what hydrates the skin. Hot water and skipping the moisturizer step are what cause trouble. Current AAP guidance actually supports daily or every-other-day baths for eczema-prone kids.
What ingredients should I avoid in products for eczema?
Skip fragrance, dyes, sulfates (like sodium lauryl sulfate), drying alcohols, and harsh preservatives like methylisothiazolinone. Look for short ingredient lists, fragrance-free formulas, and brands that publish exactly what's in the bottle.
Do kids grow out of eczema?
Many do. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that about half of kids with eczema see significant improvement by adolescence. Some keep traces of it into adulthood, especially during stress or seasonal shifts. A solid routine in childhood makes flares easier to manage either way.
When is eczema more than eczema?
If you see yellow crusting, pus, fever, a fast-spreading rash, or your child is clearly in pain, call your pediatrician right away. Those can be signs of infection. Persistent, untreated eczema can also crack the skin barrier and let bacteria in, which is one more reason to stay on top of moisturizing.
Photo by Jylare Smith
