{We’ve partnered with Pharmaceutical Specialties to provide you with a review of their product line, Vanicream. Rochester MN Moms Blog partners with brands and organizations we know our readers will benefit from, so we are thrilled to let you know about this great product.}
Our family’s experience with atopic dermatitis, more commonly known as eczema, began when our firstborn was only a couple of weeks old. Benjamin’s skin condition gradually appeared as he grew in those first months. First we noticed some spots in the folds of his arms and legs, and then as his teeth started popping in and drooling started, his face quickly became the largest problem area.
A crusty, red area around his mouth became a familiar sight, and we documented it through our casual photo shots and professional photography as well. As you can see in this photo taken at his daycare below, his matted down greasy hair was covered in medicated ointment to treat seborrheic dermatitis, which is more commonly known as cradle cap, and is very common in babies with eczema.
We consulted with his primary care doctor and pediatric dermatologists at Mayo Clinic on a monthly basis to find new ways to keep up treatment on his skin. We tried every single cream, ointment and lotion under the sun, covered his whole body with Vaseline, filled prescriptions, gave him Benadryl and Zyrtec to control the itch, and even had him wear tiny baby mittens when he slept to keep him from unconsciously scratching all night. He had nightly baths where we would take him out, pat him down and then rush to get as much moisturizer on him as we could. He was slimy and slippery almost all the time and smelled like something between flowery lotion and medicine. It was difficult work for us, painful for him, and increasingly expensive. We were desperate to find THE thing that was going to keep the red scaly skin at bay, but the doctors kept telling us that there was no perfect product to treat baby eczema and that we’d just have to keep looking to find the one that would work for us.
Somewhere along our search for a solution, we happened to see a new dermatologist who recommended Robathol, an oil from the same makers of Robathol that you add to baths, that gives extra moisturization to the skin while bathing. The doctor warned us that it isn’t a hugely popular product and could create a messy situation in our bathtub, so he warned us to be careful with slipping in the tub once the oil is added. He wrote the name down on a piece of paper for me and said that I could probably find it at Walgreens. I happened to run into the store to pick something up one day and remembered the note from the doctor about the bath oil. They happened to have a little display of products from the same company: Robathol. (PSI). I picked up the Robathol and a bottle of their Vanicream lotion and felt a little hopeful that this would be a good solution for us. That night I gave Benjamin a bath in the new Robathol. It didn’t have a smell, nor did it feel greasy on his skin. As soon as he came out of the bath, I slathered him with the Vanicream lotion, got him into some pajamas, and sent him to bed. The next morning I checked out his skin as I helped him get dressed and was truly amazed at the results. The eczema was still there, but every single patch had decreased in size and redness. His skin felt smooth for the first time EVER. It seemed like it was too good to be true, so I held onto my skepticism until two more baths had passed.
It took that long for the eczema to completely clear up from his skin. If you’re familiar with eczema including baby eczema at all, you may have heard it referred to with the phrase an “itch that rashes.” Once we had the rashes cleared up thanks to the Vanicream products, all we needed to do was keep on top of the itchiness so that he wasn’t encouraged to scratch his skin. Even to this day, as he is 10 years old, the eczema isn’t gone, but we still use this routine. Bath or shower with Robathol (yes, you can use it in the shower!), tons of Vanicream, pjs, and bed. He regularly takes allergy medicine to keep the itchiness away, but his skin does still flare up from time to time. It remains a battle, but one our family of trained eczema warriors continues to fight. Having a strong weapon helps. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without Robathol or Vanicream. I’m not one to be particularly tied to specific products or brands, but I can honestly say that PSI’s products are amazing and safe. Our family depends on them daily and they have never let us down.
