This is a series focused on personal journey with eczema while managing a certain aspect of life. Today, we have Tina Santiago-Rodriguez, whose three-year-old daughter has had eczema since a year old and shares her journey in figuring out what to moisturize her child with. Tina is an award-winning writer at TrulyRichMom on her Catholic faith, homeschooling and parenting.
Marcie Mom: Hi Tina, thanks for taking part in my new blog series ‘Someone has Eczema’! Can you share with us the severity of your daughter’s eczema and what triggers her eczema?
Tina: Hi Mei! Thanks for “having me over” here on your blog. My daughter’s eczema is most seen on her legs — usually the back of her upper thighs to behind her knees. The rashes, when they come out, are quite itchy. Usually, the eczema is triggered when she eats certain food like chicken and eggs, or when there are changes in weather or the environment.
Marcie Mom: As we discussed which aspect of life you’d like to share, what oils you’re using for your daughter seem to come to your mind first – why is that so? Is your daughter allergic to some skincare products you’ve used and that motivated you to find the right one for her?
Tina: I was actually looking for skincare products that were not “artificial” i.e. natural and made from organic, natural sources. She didn’t/doesn’t seem to be allergic to other skincare products but I wanted to use products that are as gentle and “safe” as possible, which is why I was led to use nature-based oils.
Marcie Mom: Many parents have sort of settled on the bath oil and moisturizer to use for their child, and everyone goes through a process of figuring it out (I’m sure ALL of us had, at one point or another, shelves full of different brands!). Do share with us your journey to figure out what works for your daughter.
Tina: Actually, we’re still on that journey to find out what works for her, haha! Seriously though, I’m still using different brands of nature-based oils to see which works best for her. I have, however, chosen to limit her baths to once a day if possible, so that her skin won’t dry out that much. Come to think of it, we SHOULD probably try to use bath oil in her bathing water — I’ve never tried that! I have tried bath salts that were claimed to be good for skin conditions like eczema when she was younger, but they didn’t seem to work for her. So, you could say we’re still figuring things out. Hopefully, we’ll be able to come up with a good skincare regimen for her.
Marcie Mom: One final question – is there a super oil that you’d absolute swear by, one that you’d bring if your family is off for a holiday?
Tina: Yes, I’d TOTALLY recommend Mommy Patch’s Argan oil, which is available on Multiply and has distributors not only in the Philippines but also in Singapore, Malaysia and India. I noticed that when I use it, even just a bit, my daughter’s eczema improves considerably even in a short time.
Marcie Mom: Thanks Tina for taking time to share your journey with moisturizing oils; while every parent will decide on something that works for their child, it’d certainly be amusing and heartwarming to read each other’s journey!
