NATURAL PRODUCTS THAT HELP MY KIDS WITH ALLERGIES AND ECZEMA
Morning giggles
My daughter once asked me, “Mommy, why do I have to take medicine all of the time?” Her question felt like a punch in the gut. She’s been battling food and seasonal allergies since she was a baby. As a working mom, initially living in a place without family nearby, we put our little lady into daycare early (at 6 weeks old). Each time she’s been in a different childcare setting its taken time for her body to adjust to new allergens in the location (plus all of the germs that come with being alongside other kids). This usually manifests as a recurring cough/cold, which then escalates into a fever. We’ve dealt with ear and sinus infections and episodes of post-nasal drip.
Our 4-year-old little social butterfly love-love-loves Pre-K and her friends. This time around, missing school multiple times has really bummed her out. Initially we went the traditional medicine route, treating her with over the counter medications and antibiotics that her doctor and allergist prescribed, but her symptoms returned. There’s been tons written about both the positive and negative effects of antibiotics—mostly that while they may kill of the infection, they also can strip you of good gut flora, which can make you susceptible to another cold. Ugh.
While we’re trying to help our little lady combat seasonal and food allergies, we’re also learning how to calm our little 10-month-old man’s eczema. He also has some food allergies (they often go hand in hand). After visiting multiple doctors for both of our children, we’ve decided to try the holistic route. Here are some natural allergy/cold remedies that we’ve tried so far:
Holistic doctor: A fellow arts journalist friend and mom suggested Keasberry Health Center in Glendale, California . So far the results have been a game changer. Although I’ve done lots of research on healing through whole foods, I admit that when the holistic doc suggested completely ditching traditional meds for more natural ones, we were skeptical. But after noticing a change in our daughter’s health, I’m on board. (Hubs is still in the skeptical phase). Dr. Keasberry suggested holistic allergy drops, a heavy metal detox, (which I’m still learning about), and probiotics. With my daughter, I noticed less coughing and sneezing after about a week of taking the drops. The drops have also smoothed out the eczema effects on my son’s skin, which we apply topically.
Allergy drops c/o Keasberry Health Center
2. Diet: Revising their diets has also helped. Our allergist put us on elimination diets, which is avoiding foods that they’re allergic to. This includes: soy, eggs, nuts, some seeds, and shellfish. Initially it was tough, but now that we have a few go-to staples. Although I proclaim to be healthy, I had to step back and think about what we’d been eating: pizza on the weekends, pasta once a week, and too much cheese for words! Because allergies can be agitated by excess mucus, our holistic doctor also suggested eliminating dairy and gluten. Both of my kids aren’t big meat eaters, but I didn’t realize how much I added in dairy and gluten to fill in the gaps. As a former take out expert, cooking has never been my thing. But given the chance to improve my kids’ well-being, I’ve had to step it up and try different recipes. Some are wins, some are fails, but I’ve totally surprised myself by how much I’m actually starting to enjoy cooking. Some of my wins include remixing substitutes of their favorite dishes. This includes: gluten/dairy-free pancakes, dragon-fruit smoothies, cauliflower bites and gluten-free pasta dishes. We’ve also recently started taking elderberry supplements, which help with both allergies and immunity. So far changing and supplementing out diet has been the most challenging aspect of our allergy-free journey, but I’m learning that as I discover new dishes, it’s becoming a lot easier. Plus the results for both children have been great.
Baby Z trying my gluten-free pancakes
3. Liquids: Pumping up water consumption can also help thin out the mucus. While ginger is not proven to heal allergies, it does help with inflammation. I often toss ginger into our fruit and veggie smoothies in the morning. Although our Little Miss is not a huge fan of ginger tea, once I sweeten it with local honey or agave she’s all about it. Sometimes I combine local honey, ginger, garlic, lemon and a little turmeric into a tea. Salt water gargling helps, as does apple cider vinegar and water. Add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to 8 oz. of water, mix with honey to taste.
4. Nasal Saline Rinse: We used to wait until my daughter came down with a cold to use this stuff, but we’ve started using the saline salt nasal rinse solution twice a day, in the morning and at bedtime, to clear out her nose and its worked wonders.
5. Humidifier: In addition to a warm steam shower for our daughter, we grabbed a cool humidifier from Target and placed it in her room when she sleeps for a few hours. It helps add moisture to the air, especially during colder months when it competes with the heater. Elevating her head with pillows also helps open up and soothe her passage ways.
Raw African Shea Butter
6. Beauty Products: For bathing, we’ve been pretty satisfied with Dove. I also use the more natural, African Black soap, on my daughter a few times a week and it’s pretty thorough. (It contains honey, so I’m holding off on using it on my son until he’s older). For our little guy, we’ve tried tons of creams and lotions. Many of them are made with oat, seed and nut butters, which we learned that he’s allergic too, so we’ve had to steer clear of those. We use raw African Shea butter from Taj Mahal Imports for everyday use and it’s super helpful. Although shea is technically a seed, while researching I learned that many folks with nut allergies don’t react to it. When my son is having an eczema flare up, we also apply pure Aloe Vera gel/liquid that can be found on Amazon or at Whole Foods. (I tried pure aloe, but for us it doesn’t go on as smoothly or have the staying power). If the flare up is more intense, we use Vanicream combined with a small amount of hydrocortisone, as suggested by our allergist. (I use that as a last resort, because hydrocortisone is a steroid cream).
7. Laundry: I recently switched from Tide to Seventh Generation laundry detergent, and it’s just as effective from a washing perspective. I noticed a change in my son’s skin, but to be fair, it could also be a combination of our total new regimen. The brand is plant-based, with no synthetic fragrances or dyes.
Inside of the allergy drop bottles
8. Diapers and Wipes: We swear by Honest’s wipes. They’re the only ones that have not given Baby Z a rash, even after multiple uses. They’re durable and you don’t need to use a lot to get the job done. (Bargain hunter tip— if you need these pups right away, grab them at CVS. If you’re a rewards member they often offer store coupons). For diapers, I’ve tried Seventh Generation, Honest and Pampers Pure. We’ve had a few leaks in Seventh Generation and Honest. So far, Pampers Pure wins the race.
Vanicream
Anyone else out there have children with allergies? Let’s share remedies! I’d love to learn more about your holistic solutions. Thanks for reading!