Wondering if coconut oil can cure baby Eczema? Find out everything you need to know in this in-depth post.
Eczema happens to be a common worry of nearly all parents, so you needn’t worry; you are not the only one! Well, it is a well-known problem seen especially in babies.
Eczema, also known as Atopic Dermatitis, is a common appearance of a baby’s cheeks a little redder than usual.
It’s a common issue found in about 20 percent of children under 10 and about 3 percent of adults. Eczema mostly occurs in the little one’s face, cheeks, scalp, or forehead.
Be sure to look for symptoms such as redness, dryness, coarse texture, and cranky or flaky skin in your small baby.
Even though it is seen to go away by the time a child reaches the age of five, sometimes it persists, leaving hardly any cure.
Cold-pressed coconut oil can be considered a remedy, mostly (not always, though), considering cases being curable.
Research on Coconut Oil Curing Eczema
Coconut oil, especially cold-pressed coconut oil, can be considered safe for children, which helps ease the baby’s skin symptoms, helps cure redness, and gives even more moisturized skin.
To lessen your worry, you should be aware of an instance of eight weeks of research performed on 117 children, which scientifically proved this to be more productive than mineral oil.
Additionally, its anti-germ properties are a great boon. That comes with coconut oil that helps you cure trivial skin infections.
How Effective Is Coconut Oil?
No prescription can be considered as percent effective in every individual of the population, and so neither. Occasionally, coconut oil is seen to make a child’s Eczema much more endurable than facing the extreme.
A child’s skin is a tender one and, thus, definitely needs to be handled with utmost care and gentleness. Cold-pressed coconut oil happens to make Eczema better for the child.
You should know that Eczema is a long-lasting disease that is difficult to eliminate. Even though coconut oil has many benefits and pros, it’s always wise to consult an allergist before applying any material to a baby’s skin.
Coconut oil might serve you with many boons, but you should remember that it needs to be wholly restricted if a result is noticed. In that case, consulting a pediatrician might be a compelling take.
Besides serving as a natural moisturizer, cold-pressed coconut oil helps keep the baby’s skin hydrated.
Baby’s skin is sensitive and is a lot more prone to bacterial infections, especially when suffering from Eczema, and here’s where coconut oil’s antimicrobial properties come into play.
Even its anti-inflammatory properties are a must-mention.
Also Read: Can I Use Cornstarch for Diaper Rash?
Science Behind Coconut Oil’s Effectivity
Knowing much about coconut oil and its effects, you might wonder about its science. Coconut oil contains lauric acid, a nutritious fatty acid to develop monolaurin.
This antimicrobial agent helps fight against bacteria, yeast, fungi, and other disease-causing agents. Its hydration capability betters your skin and reduces the probability of infections in a child’s body.
In this way, cold-pressed coconut oil makes Eczema conditions in children better or rather bearable for them.
Since we have mentioned this oil several times, you might wonder what that is. To bring it to your notice, you should know that coconut oil can be manufactured by dry or wet processing.
While in dry processing, the coconut is dried to create kernels from which oil can be extracted, which thus forms a refined coconut oil with a more neutral odor and a higher smoking point; coconut oil through wet processing is what we call virgin coconut oil (VCO) or cold-pressed coconut oil.
This is obtained from coconut meat, which is not dried. It holds on to the smell and has a lower smoking point.
It is the purest form of the same, as it has been formed in such a way as to eliminate as many impurities as possible.
Thus, VCO is better for skin care than the coconut oil produced through dry processing (better for cooking at raised temperatures).
- Read More: Baby Food Containing Heavy Metals?
Known Facts Regarding a Baby’s Eczema
Even though we’ve acquired a lot of knowledge about the benefits of coconut oil, basically ‘cold-pressed coconut oil,’ we need to be aware that sometimes Eczema might persist.
It, not being a contagious disease, can be considered a positive insight in such a case. Some of the little ones might get a ‘rosy’ look on their cheeks, giving them a lovable stare.
On the other hand, some babies can have scalp Eczema, in which they might touch their head frequently or even pull their hair. It is strange to notice Eczema not being found in the baby’s bum or any other diaper area.
The reason might be the diaper quality that protects the child from infections or exposure. Elbows, ankles, feet, knees, or even the lower areas of the legs might be affected in babies older than six months but not more than a year senior.
It usually happens because of their crawling and rubbing against the ground and other surfaces, which might expose the baby to infections and make it more likely to inherit the same.
Conclusion
Thus, from the above discussion, it can be concluded that coconut oils have been helpful to many in the case of Eczema.
Hence, if asked ‘Can coconut oil cure baby’s Eczema?’, the answer is most likely: Yes, probably, especially cold-pressed coconut oil.”
There can be no definite answer to such skin-related questions, but you can visit a doctor for an assured treatment depending on your baby’s skin type and skin texture.
Hence, coconut oil has been chiefly a way to go for parents whose babies suffer from Eczema in helping them with a remedy!
