Is Aqueous Cream Making Your Child’s Eczema Worse?

Across the world Aqueous Cream is one of the most prescribed creams for the treatment of a variety of skin conditions – especially eczema. While it’s grown in popularity over recent years, studies have been done to find out just how helpful it’s been to the many people who have used it. It’s estimated that nearly 90% of all Doctors in the UK have prescribed this cream to their patients, but it may be getting used in ways that aggravate the issues it’s meant to treat.

Aqueaous Cream was originally developed as a wax-based alternative to detergent soaps. It was made to be used as a replacement to bath soaps, bar soaps, shower gels, and other skin cleansers that may contain harsh detergents or other chemicals that are just too rough on sensitive skin. While Aqueous Cream does contain a small amount of detergent and some chemicals like sodium lauryl sulphate that may cause issues for skin, it’s generally regarded as a gentle and safe alternative for daily use.

Here’s where the problem comes in – when Aqueous Cream is used as a moisturizer, topical ointment, wet wrapping cream, or other leave-on ointment. This cream has the ability to break down the skin’s natural ability to protect itself, and it can remove the little precious oil that sensitive skin has to keep itself hydrated and protected. The nature of this cream is alkaline which can upset the delicate acidity of the skin and make it more prone to all kinds of problems.

For kids with eczema, Aqueous Cream could aggravate flare ups, prolong the duration of flare ups, increase itchiness, or cause skin in delicate or eczema-prone areas to become less healthy.

The good news is that there are many creams and ointments on the market right now that have been formulated for use with eczema, itchy skin, and sensitive skin. These creams can be found via your Dermatologist, or by doing research online.

Resources:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1254715/Eczema-cream-making-skin-worse.html

Related reading: Stress and Eczema: How Worry Feeds the Flare Loop and Baby Wipes and Eczema: Ingredients to Check

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